Spanning more than 1,100 acres, River Oaks serves as a perfect model of luxurious living. A well-publicized national model for community planning, it’s now a collection of both historic and sprawling estates. River Oaks has long been synonymous with luxury. Situated within the 610 Loop between downtown and Uptown, it was the city’s first master-planned community and has long attracted Houston’s affluent and socially prominent residents. Bordered by the Buffalo Bayou and dotted with dense and mature trees, River Oaks is a well-named, tree-filled neighborhood. Loaded with street after street of impeccably maintained yards and elegant shopping centers, this lush enclave is one of the wealthiest communities in Texas. River Oaks has become a densely-packed dining, shopping and living destination. A large collection of see-and-be-seen restaurants, like Steak 48, Le Colonial and Ford Fry’s State of Grace, are frequented by River Oaks residents. River Oaks is also home to several social clubs, like the Briar Club and the River Oaks Country Club. The River Oaks Shopping Center, an Art Deco gem built in 1937, was one of the first retail meccas in the state, and residents catch indie and foreign-language flicks at its red-curtained 1939 movie palace. On the area’s western edge, the River Oaks District lures in lovers of high fashion and celebrities with its luxury retail stores, such as Dior, Tom Ford and Harry Winston. Built in a smattering of architectural styles, from English Tudor to Spanish Colonial Revival, the neighborhood’s original homes from the twenties and thirties are now mixed in with modern builds that are just as grand, in both size and sophistication. Many of the multi-million-dollar estates boast stunning gardens. At the River Oaks Park, best known as Pumpkin Park for its Cinderella-esque carriage, you can visit the community center, set up a game at the basketball, tennis or volleyball courts or enjoy the playground. You can also stroll the fourteen acres of gardens at Bayou Bend Collection.
