Katy Mills Mall has been a staple of shopping in the Greater Houston area for years. Katy Mills provides mall-goers with entertainment, food and, of course, great shopping. This fall, two new shoe stores, Steve Madden and Shoe Palace, are joining the Katy Mills lineup.

Steve Madden, known for their stylish shoes and fashionable accessories, will provide shoppers with a wide variety of classy and casual options. The Steve Madden outlet store will be located near Bass Pro Shops at entrance 4.

Shoe Palace provides over 75 brands of shoes, hats and other accessories including Nike, Adidas, Reebok and more. The Shoe Palace outlet store will be located near entrance 6

Steve Madden and Shoe Palace join a handful of other new stores in Katy Mills. “[They] join the recently opened H&M, Kate Spade New York Outlet and several others to enhance our shopping experience. Shoppers appreciate our unbeatable selection of more than 175 retailers paired with family dining and entertainment options.”

Katy Mills continues to better the full-day, full-family experience they provide for mall-goers. Check out the full listing of stores and locations.

What other stores would you like to see come to Katy Mills in the future? Let us know in the comments below.

The writing is on the wall: Gino’s East, Chicago’s premier deep-dish pizza chain, is expanding into Texas.

The restaurant has announced that it will open four new Texas locations in a partnership with ATX Brands. The new Gino’s East restaurants will be located in Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and The Woodlands, just north of Houston.

The exact location of the San Antonio restaurant hasn’t yet been announced, but a spokesperson for ATX Brands said the pizzeria will open either at the end of this year or early next year.

All of Gino’s current locations are in Illinois and Wisconsin – within an hour and a half drive of the original location at 162 E. Superior St. in Chicago.

Gino’s East was founded in 1966 and has grown in both reputation and reach. They now operate ten locations (soon to be more) and claim the title of making “The Original” Chicago pizza.

Known for having the best pizza in tradition-rich Chicago and for their unique culture, Gino’s East has been featured on Man vs. Food, the Food Network and in countless other media.

Learn more about Gino’s East by visiting their website and liking their Facebook page. Oh, and try not to get hungry while you wait for their Texas arrival.

The John Cooper School is planning an expansion project for their campus that will allow them to enroll more students.

The John Cooper School is a Pre-K through 12th grade private school in The Woodlands entering their 27th year of service.

The school has grown rapidly over the past 25+ years and is planning an expansion project that will allow them to sustain that growth.

Last year, the school added a 16,000 square foot building that provided room for an additional 62 students. Next in the plans is a 45,000 square foot math and science building. The new building will allow between 50 and 100 new middle school and high school students to enroll. Construction is set to begin next summer.

The expansion project should help John Cooper keep up with the growth in The Woodlands. "The Woodlands is exploding with commercial and residential development," Head of School Mike Maher said. "The increase in applications is skyrocketing. We need to create more space so we can add them as our students. We have to turn away applicants. We have waiting lists at just about every grade level." Current enrollment for John Cooper is 1,136. Maher said the goal is to reach 1,250 after the projects are competed.

Want to know more about John Cooper School? Check out their website and stay updated on school news on Facebook.

North Central San Antonio has something new to be proud of. The gorgeous community of Tivoli, located directly off of Blanco Road, just past Timberwood Park, is now open. This premier, gated community offers ½ acre homesites, lush with trees and breathtaking hill country views.

The new community boasts three beautiful, fully-furnished model homes by some of San Antonio’s most popular builders. Princeton Classic Homes, one of Houston’s largest home builders, is relatively new to the area. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring the beauty and quality of Princeton Classic Homes to some of the most prestigious communities in San Antonio and New Braunfels. Tivoli is a great community. The beauty of the land, combined with the great location, explains why it has been so highly anticipated. It is a great place to live.” Said Steve Louis, Division Manager of Princeton Classic and Bella Vista Homes.

Tivoli is just minutes away from fine dining, entertainment, and numerous shopping centers. Residents can take advantage of the highly acclaimed Comal Independent School District which includes, Timberwood Elementary, Spring Branch Middle School and Smithson Valley High School.

New Homes on ½ acre lots are starting from the $400’s. Tivoli is 40 acres, with just over 50 homesites available.

To learn more about Tivoli and Princeton Classic Homes, schedule a tour today. Call Robert Drane at (210) 294-1566.

2511 N. Loop 1604 West, Suite 300 | San Antonio, Texas 78258 | 210.402.0642

PrincetonClassicHomes.com

Al Davis, the late owner of the Oakland Raiders, was known for breaking the mold and taking big risks. His son and current Raiders owner, Mark Davis, is proving the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree.

Davis has been contemplating the future of his NFL franchise for a while and some reports suggest a move to the Lone Star State may be in the works.

Houston and Dallas already have NFL franchises in the Texans and Cowboys, respectively. The University of Texas provides Austin with enough high-level football. The easy choice for a Texas move would be San Antonio.

San Antonio has proven that it has the fan base necessary to support a major franchise.

While the Raiders have other options in their moving decision, the biggest opposition to a San Antonio move may come from the city’s championship NBA team.

What do you think? Do you think the Oakland Raiders moving to San Antonio would be a good fit? Can San Antonio support an NFL team and the Spurs?

The ground-breaking ceremony for the new Westin in The Woodlands was held on July 31st.

The new hotel has been in the works for 18 months according to Paul Layne, executive vice president of master planned communities for The Howard Hughes Corporation.

Developers of the hotel believe it will serve as a destination for business travelers and vacationers alike. “We think it will also serve as a great weekend destination. It will be a very high-end, yet fun hotel,” Layne said.

The Westin looks to claim its stake as the premier hotel in a city that has seen rapid growth lately. The brand has seen success in similar settings in Memorial City, Downtown, and the Galleria.

The hotel site is in a great location. The Woodlands Mall, the Waterway Square District and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion are all within walking distance for future guests of the hotel.

According to the Houston Business Journal, the hotel will have direct access to the fountains at Waterway Square as a bonus to the long list of luxury amenities expected of Westin Hotels.

Learn more about the new Westin at the Howard Hughes Corp. website.

Last year, Houston was visited by approximately 801,000 foreign travelers. That number marks a 22% increase from 2012 – an increase higher than any other city in the U.S.

Overall, Houston was the 12th most visited city in the country according to a report from the National Travel and Tourism Office of the Commerce Department. The report did not include visitors from Canada or Mexico, however.

Vice President of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Jorge Franz credits Houston’s prestigious energy sector. “We are seeing record hotel occupancy numbers in Houston from the international markets...specifically, this has to do with executives coming to the city to learn about the latest developments in technology like underwater drilling, hydraulic fracturing and, increasingly, alternative energy technology and development," Franz said.

Domestically, Houston recently became the nation’s most diverse city. This is also a big factor in Houston’s draw for foreign visitors.

The large increase in visitors – both foreign and domestic – has prompted many hotels, convention centers and other travel and tourism-friendly industries to expand their presence in the city.

With all the growth going on in the Greater Houston area, don’t be surprised if the city becomes a staple on lists like this.

This July 4th, the City of San Antonio and The San Antonio Parks Foundation will host an all-day celebration at Woodlawn Park.

The festivities begin at 8:30 am and wrap up at 11:00 pm. The event is free and open to the general public. The celebration will offer plenty of fun, games and food for the entire family!

Salute to the Red, White and Blue Parade

One of the main events of the July 4th Celebration is the Salute to the Red, White and Blue Parade. The parade starts at 11:30 am and everyone is welcome to participate. Participants are encouraged to dress in their favorite patriotic gear. Prizes for best patriotic outfit and best group, among others, will be awarded after the parade.

The parade has always been a fan favorite. Event organizers are asking those participating in the parade to meet at 10:00 am at the Woodlawn Lake Gym to prepare for the parade.

H-E-B Military Appreciation Zone

From noon until 2:00 pm, H-E-B employees will serve a free lunch to active and retired military and their families. “The Military Appreciation Zone is a way for us to show how thankful we are to our active and retired military and their families. As we celebrate our freedom and independence on July 4th, it’s only fitting that we stop for a moment and thank our troops for all they do, or have done, to protect and defend our country,” said H-E-B spokesperson Dya Campos.

Fireworks & Family Fun

Rio San Antonio Cruises is sponsoring the All-American Kids Zone, an area of the park dedicated to making sure kids have a good time. The All-American Kids Zone will feature free carnival games and rides as well as plenty of refreshments for the entire family.

At 9:30 pm, the Fireworks Extravaganza sponsored by H-E-B will be the grand finale for the July 4th Celebration and will conclude the fun-filled day.

Check out the entire schedule for the July 4th Celebration and be sure to bring your friends and family!

This Father’s Day weekend, Splashtown San Antonio welcomes summer with two fun events for the whole family.

This Friday, the first “Dive-In Movie” of the summer – a yearly Splashtown tradition – kicks off Father’s Day weekend. Every Friday at sunset from now until August 8th, Splashtown San Antonio will play a family-friendly movie in the wave pool area. This weekend, the movie of choice is Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. Check out the full movie list on the summer schedule

Families are encouraged to return to Splashtown on Father’s Day because dads get in for free!
Gates open at 10:30am on Sunday, June 15th, so pack up the whole family and head to Splashtown to celebrate dad’s special day!

If you can’t make it to this weekend’s festivities, be sure to check out the Splashtown San Antonio website to stay updated on special offers and events.

Baker Hughes is set to open their new education and training center in Tomball. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new facility was held May 15th.

The new facility will centralize all of Baker Hughes’ training efforts, cutting the number of training centers in the western hemisphere from seven down to one. The newly named Baker Hughes Western Hemisphere Training Center is located at the intersection of FM 2920 and FM 2978.

The debut of the new facility is big news for both Baker Hughes and the City of Tomball. “The opening of the new Baker Hughes facility really puts us on a global map,” said Kelly Violette, executive director for the Tomball Economic Development Corporation. “To be able to say that the Baker Hughes Eastern Hemisphere Education Center is in Dubai and its Western Hemisphere Education Center is in Tomball is really something.”

When the new location is finished, it will be home to 27 classrooms and house up to 500 students and 100 trainers. Baker Hughes will reportedly use the new center for over 5,000 trainings each month.

This new Baker Hughes facility brings Tomball more than just notoriety. Violette said the City of Tomball is expected to gain just shy of $8 million throughout the facility’s first 10 years of operation.

Find out more about the new facility and its impact on the City of Tomball.