Uptown/River Oaks District

Uptown is synonymous with “Galleria Area” and also is very, very close to Tanglewood. Uptown is located outside the West Loop 610, and in my opinion, extends West and ends at about Fountain View. North/South borders are Woodway and 59.

True “Uptown” is close to the Galleria and consists mostly of:

1. Midrises and highrises
2. Apartment complexes
3. Patio homes and attached townhomes (some with garages, mostly without)
4. The rare oversized lot subdivision developed long before the Galleria was “The Galleria” (Wynden Drive/West Oaks)

There are hundreds of condo/townhomes all up and down Bering, Augusta, Fountain View, Nantucket, Potomac, and at the top of Sage. (Sage is one of my most favorite little streets in all the city – not because of quality because there are TONS of bumps and potholes – but because it feels quiet and tucked away and there are lots of old trees.)

Things to keep in mind when looking to purchase one of the condos/townhomes in this area:

1. Piping/plumbing? This area was developed between 1968-1978 and is one of the many rumored victims of the bad batch of galvanized piping from China in the time period. If the galvanized piping is still present: it needs to be checked out. If it does not need to be replaced at the time of inspection, you can almost be guaranteed it will need significant work sometime during your ownership. 
2. Foundation? Is it your responsibility or the HOA?
3. Homeowners Associations: How much? Monthly or yearly? What do they cover?
4. Roofing? Does HOA take care of it, or is it your responsibility?
5. State of HVAC? Does it need to be replaced?
6. State of water heater or community boiler
7. How to work on your unit: does the building’s water need to be completely shut off for you to work on your unit? This can prove frustrating and time consuming when working on renovations. 

Uptown/Galleria is lucky to have five grocery stores all within about 3mi. Randalls, Kroger, HEB, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods are just a few minutes drive from wherever you are in Uptown/Galleria/Tanglewood. In addition, a couple of my favorite Houston boutiques are located here! Swoon, The Monogram Shop, Paris TX, Emerson Sloan.

And you guessed it – I can’t tell you about one of my favorite areas without adding in restaurants! Another of the best things about the area is Adair Kitchen – the food and atmosphere is a local fan favorite. My go-to order for breakfast is the farmers skillet, an espresso, and a ‘Kalelujah’ green juice to go (no ice!) & they are also open for lunch and dinner.

Not to be confused with River Oaks, or River Oaks Shopping Center… River Oaks District is a fairly new (finished around 2016) retail and restaurant space sandwiched between San Felipe and Westhiemer, and abuts up to 610 inside the loop.

My favorite restaurant in ROD is Toulouse for their robust selection of quality French reds and classic French cuisine. They also have killer truffle fries! Stop in for some ice cream at Amorino or have a burger at Hopdoddy. Other notable restaurants are Steak 48, Le Colonial, Bisou, Ouzo Bay, and Loch Bar.

The development is home to some high end shopping with all the heavy hitters: Cartier, Baccarat, Hermes, Dolce & Gabbana, Van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston, and Dior. All shops and restaurants are walkable in an outdoor format. Houston’s only iPic theater and Equinox gym can be found here as well.

Want to live here too? Greyhouse River Oaks is part of this development and is super posh.