Secrets of the Galleria

Secrets of the Galleria <p class="p1">The Secrets of the Galleria: From hidden tennis courts to redundant Sunglass Huts to free hand massages, we give you an unparalleled tour of the mall that’s more than a mall—all 3,000,000 square feet of the place. Plus: We let strange men plunge us underwater, navigate the city by smell, and find you H-town’s very best lawyers. </p>

In this issue:

Arts & Culture

Fine Art

French Impressionist Masterpieces Arrive in Houston

Works from the Clark Art Collection, one of the greatest in the world, arrive at the MFAH this month.

12/26/2013 By Michael Hardy

Ho Ho Ho

The Houstonia Holiday Arts Guide

Take in the art of Christmas, from Handel’s Messiah to The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical.

12/01/2013 By Michael Hardy

Eat & Drink

Restaurants

Mall You Can Eat: The Galleria's 5 Best Restaurants

All that shopping making you hungry? Here are our five favorites inside the mall itself.

12/01/2013 By Robb Walsh

Alcohol Anonymous

Champagne: a Blind Taste Test

Which sparkler reigns supreme? We asked seven wine enthusiasts to rate our favorite champagnes.

12/01/2013 By Robb Walsh

Bubbling Over

A Wine Bar Crawl for the Holidays

The holiday season is a great time to check out Houston’s effervescent wine bar scene.

12/01/2013 By Robb Walsh

Cocktails

Ima Nogg: Restoring Eggnog’s Reputation

Revisiting the holidays’ most misunderstood libation (plus, our eggnog recipe!)

12/01/2013 By Scott Vogel

Editor’s Note

Why We Celebrate the Galleria

More than just a mall, the Galleria is a symbol of who we are, where we came from, and where we’re going.

12/01/2013 By Scott Vogel

Home & Real Estate

Space City

Kitchen Remodeling: When Less is More

Not necessarily bigger, but better

12/01/2013 By Katharine Shilcutt Photography by Max Burkhalter

News & City Life

Best of Houstonia

Top Lawyers 2013

When it comes to choosing representation, what are you going to listen to? Billboards? TV ads? Your father-in-law? Why not start with our list of the city’s best lawyers instead?

12/01/2013

Interview

Meet the Man Who Invented the Galleria

Gerald Hines, founding father of the modern mall, opens up about the Galleria’s early days, ice rinks, and his legacy.

12/01/2013 By John Lomax

H-Town diary

The Vision Thing

Houston is not an ideal place in which to be blind, but MasterChef Christine Ha would rather be here than anywhere else.

12/01/2013 By Christine Ha

Brace Yourself

How to Escape From a Sinking Helicopter

How do the Gulf’s oil workers endure singularly perilous commutes to work? By preparing for the worst.

12/01/2013 By Peter Holley

Bayougraphy

The Place Where Cancer and Conception Meet

Gynecological oncologist Terri Pustilnik gives new meaning to having it all.

12/01/2013 By Peter Holley

Infinity and Beyond

The (Space)port of Houston?

Rocket City stakes a claim on the next generation of manned spaceflight.

12/01/2013 By Melissa Jacobs

Walking & Drinking

How Houston Is Just Like New Orleans

Drinking outdoors isn’t (necessarily) against the law in Houston. Wait, what??

12/01/2013 By Nick Panzarella

Media

Paper of No Record

The Houston Chronicle and Post are important public resources—so why aren't their archives available online?

12/01/2013 By Michael Hardy

Ice House

December’s Perfect Party

Justin Timberlake, meet Houston's Mother Teresa.

12/01/2013 By Catherine Matusow

History

Of Virtues and Vicie

A bordello, a little girl, a Christmas story

12/01/2013 By John Lomax

Interviews

The Latest Evidence that Life is Like High School

What’s so special about Lamar High School? Quite a bit, it turns out.

11/30/2013 By Catherine Matusow

Style & Shopping

Insiders’ Guide

Secrets of the Galleria

An opinionated guide to the place you thought you knew

12/01/2013

Gift Guide

All in the Family

An idea for every minefield-strewn gift target on your list

12/01/2013 By Katie McNew

Galleria Amour

Mall Out of Love

Gift ideas for that special someone

12/01/2013 By Kerry H.

Unextreme Makeovers

Westward Expansion

With a renovation of Galleria III beginning in 2014, the Galleria aims to reinvent itself once again.

12/01/2013 By Peter Holley

Take it Back!

Generous Return Policies: A Primer

Fashion faux pas? Post-shopping spree regrets? These stores understand.

12/01/2013 By Peter Holley

O Tannenbaum

Building the Galleria’s Massive Christmas Tree

Houston's heftiest of holiday trees is 56 feet tall, 28 feet wide, and assembled entirely by hand.

12/01/2013 By Katharine Shilcutt

Good Ideas

Spending 24 Hours at the Galleria: A Diary

We challenged one of our writers to spend one full day at the Galleria. Will he survive?

12/01/2013 By Michael Hardy

Gift Guide

The Nice Price

A.K.A., they’ll think you paid way more than you did.

12/01/2013 By Katharine Shilcutt

Slick Deals

Galleria Freebies

Run out of the house without your wallet? No problem!

12/01/2013 By Kerry H.

Gift Guide

It’s Your First Christmas Together

So don't overdo it.

12/01/2013 By Katharine Shilcutt

Young ’Uns

Where a Kid Can Be a Kid

Quit interrogating your kids about what they want for Christmas. Take them window shopping instead.

12/01/2013 By Robb Walsh

Gift Guide

Offered with Prejudice

When it comes to gift giving, a little stereotyping goes a long way.

12/01/2013 By Katie McNew

Crime

Call the Fashion Police!

Heists! Prostitutes! Oh my! Some of the Galleria’s more infamous moments.

12/01/2013 By John Lomax

Gift Guide

Home for Christmas

For the new homeowners on your list, give gifts with a personal touch.

12/01/2013 By Catherine Matusow

Secrets of the Galleria

'A Shopping Center It Is Not. It Will Be a New Downtown.'

What was once a pockmarked Post Oak prairie became a temple to consumerism unlike anything seen before.

12/01/2013 By John Lomax

Gift Guides

Christmas Curated: Museum-Inspired Gift Ideas

This year, let Houston’s museum gift shops do the hard work for you.

12/01/2013 Photography by Audra Oden By Katie McNew

Elements of Style

Bohemian Rhapsody

"The Shoe Diet" blogger on Canadian tuxedos and man repelling.

12/01/2013 By Sarah Gabbart

User’s Guide

An Interactive Map of the Galleria

Thirty points of interest, including where to park, where to snag free champagne, and even the latest Beyoncé sighting

12/01/2013 By Katharine Shilcutt Illustrations by Michael Newhouse