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Hosted by your Market Mayor, Rick Raanes. Here’s what’s moving this week.

Rick RaanesYour Mayor · The Woodlands

Local — Know before you goThe Woodlands places worth knowing, reviewed by neighbors›

MayorApr 27

Welcome to LIVIN · The Woodlands

Rick here. Mayor of The Woodlands, Governor of Texas, and the President of LIVIN — at least until July of next year when we actually hold an election. This is the city thread. If you're relocating, planning to relocate, or just kicking the tires on what The Woodlands actually feels like to live in (versus the brochure), ask. I've done eighteen years here, raised three kids in CISD, and run the Mayor Merlot dinners that turned this whole platform from an idea into a place. No question is too basic. Especially the ones about August.

120 reads · 0 in thread

StorySep 18

The Title Team That Turns My Closings Into a Client Experience Worth Remembering

After years of closings across The Woodlands, I keep coming back to University Title and Danell Osborn's team. The reason is simple — and it matters for every client I bring through their door.

21 reads · 0 in thread

HomeSep 16

Grogan's Mill Built the Blueprint for Luxury in The Woodlands. 7 Pastoral Pond Circle Is the Proof.

6,328 sq ft, a 1,000 sq ft guest house, 1.31 pond-backed acres in Grogan's Point. At $2,950,000, this is what the original prestige address in The Woodlands actually delivers.

18 reads · 0 in thread

StorySep 10

Creekside Village Shopping Center Is the Most Complete Strip Center in The Woodlands

H-E-B, Fielding's Local Kitchen, Levure Bakery, Woof Gang Bakery, and Dannini Luxury Lifestyles — Creekside Village Shopping Center covers more ground than any strip center in the market.

28 reads · 0 in thread

StoryAug 24

Could The Woodlands Finally Put the Houston Annexation Question to Rest?

A proposed $50 million agreement between Houston and The Woodlands Township could permanently end Houston's annexation authority. Here's what residents actually need to know.

75 reads · 1 in thread

StoryAug 21

Pit Master Bar-B-Que Has Been the Real Thing on Sawdust for Decades

I've been eating at Pit Master Bar-B-Que for decades. The pulled pork is slow-smoked, sweet-sauced, and closer to Memphis than anything else in the area.

21 reads · 1 in thread

StoryAug 20

La Madeleine Is Now Open in Alden Bridge. Alden Bridge Needed This!

The French-inspired café has opened in Alden Bridge giving residents a proper spot for morning coffee, a long lunch, or a delicious macaron now right in the heart of the neighborhood.

39 reads · 0 in thread

StoryAug 20

The Hospitals Behind The Woodlands: How a Planned Community Built a Medical Destination

From trauma bays to pediatric suites, the hospitals along the I-45 corridor have kept pace with every chapter of this community's growth — and then some.

12 reads · 0 in thread

StoryAug 13

Why First Cup Coffee Co. Has Become a Real Neighborhood Staple

First Cup Coffee Co. in The Woodlands is a great way to start the morning. Grab a locally roasted coffee, a delicious muffin and/or a breakfast sandwich, and a comfortable spot where you can settle in and stay a while. Heck, you can even reserve some private space for a meeting or two.

12 reads · 0 in thread

StoryAug 12

Schilleci's Brings French Quarter Cooking to Research Forest Drive

Schilleci's New Orleans Kitchen is now open at 2501 Research Forest Drive — a family-owned French Quarter-style restaurant serving seafood gumbo, po boys, fresh fish, steaks, and bread pudding.

29 reads · 0 in thread

HomeAug 12

10 Snow Pond Place: A Resort-Style Indian Springs Estate Built for Serious Family Living

4,413 sq ft of stucco-and-stone construction in Wdlnds Village Indian Springs. Four bedrooms, a chef's kitchen, resort pool, and a private study — listed at $1,625,000.

12 reads · 0 in thread

StoryAug 8

Seventeen Years In, Villa Sport Remains The Woodlands' Gold Standard for Fitness and Family

Villa Sport Athletic Club on Technology Forest Blvd. Turned 17 years in The Woodlands this May. Here's why members keep coming back — and why the club keeps earning it.

26 reads · 0 in thread

StoryJul 28

East Shore Is the Most Architecturally Intentional Village in The Woodlands

East Shore runs on different rules — gated entries, classical architecture, manicured commons that slow you down on purpose. It's the most considered address in The Woodlands.

25 reads · 1 in thread

StoryJul 27

This Is What We Built — and Why It Still Works

The Woodlands was designed as something specific: a community where the forest stayed, the water stayed visible, and the public realm was worth caring about. These five frames remind me why that original discipline still holds.

27 reads · 0 in thread

StoryJul 25

The Woodlands Isn't One Neighborhood — It's a Collection of Villages

Most people who haven't spent much time here think of The Woodlands as one big community north of Houston. But the more time I spend exploring it for Livin.in, the more I realize how different each village actually feels.

29 reads · 0 in thread

StoryJul 23

The Old Grocery Store in Grogan's Mill Just Became One of The Woodlands' Best Community Spaces

The Kevin Brady Library and Community Center opened in September 2025 in The Woodlands' original village in a former grocery store, completely transformed — and already packed.

20 reads · 0 in thread

StoryJul 22

Why I Keep Coming Back to Escalante's on Lake Woodlands

The combination beef and chicken fajitas at Escalante's Hughes Landing are as good as anything in the Houston area. The patio facing Lake Woodlands makes the whole afternoon worth clearing your schedule for.

78 reads · 0 in thread

StoryJul 21

Ardest Gallery Is the Premier Fine Arts Gallery in The Woodlands — and It's Doing a Lot More Than Selling Art

Ardest Gallery on Grogan's Park Drive is The Woodlands' Premier fine arts gallery, representing local Texas artists and opening its doors to charity events, cocktail parties, and community gatherings.

30 reads · 0 in thread

EventThu, Aug 20

Market Vendor Partner Meeting — The Woodlands (Invitation Only)

📍 The Common Desk

StoryJun 25

The Restaurant That Opened Market Street Is Still Its Best Anchor

Tommy Bahama was the first restaurant to open at Market Street in The Woodlands — and 20 years later, the Bar is still a fan favorite, the ahi tacos are still on the menu, and the clothing store is one of the top spots in the brand.

98 reads · 0 in thread

StoryJun 24

The Restaurant I've Been Coming Back to Since the Mid-90s

Amerigo's Grille on Grogan's Park Drive is one of the oldest upscale restaurants in The Woodlands — family-owned, award-winning, and still the first name I give when someone asks where to take a client.

269 reads · 1 in thread

StoryJun 20

The Crêperie at Market Street That Earns a Return Trip

Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café landed at Market Street and it's already earning regulars. The savory crêpes are a serious lunch, and that corner patio is hard to leave.

81 reads · 0 in thread

StoryJun 19

Market Street Is Still The One

Nearly two decades in, Market Street at 9595 Six Pines Drive keeps earning its place — luxury retail, serious dining, a cinema worth dressing for, and a central park that functions like a real town square.

55 reads · 0 in thread