Meet Me at City Place

Discover the magic of fall at City Place in Spring, Texas

As autumn graces the Lone Star State, City Place transforms into a vibrant tapestry of seasonal delights.

Whether you're a local or visitor, the sustainable north Houston community in Spring — located immediately south of The Woodlands and a short drive from George Bush Intercontinental Airport — offers a perfect blend of entertainment, dining, and outdoor exploration that promises to make your fall getaway or staycation unforgettable.

Family-friendly fun
City Place is a fantastic destination for families looking to enjoy quality time together. A busy fall calendar of mostly complimentary events and activities caters to all ages, with offerings that span yoga and fitness classes to outdoor movie nights, wildlife education workshops, and puppet shows.

Spotlight programming for the season includes the Water Lantern Festival and the debut of interactive temporary artwork As Water Falls on Saturday, October 5. A festive Dia de los Muertos celebration is set for Saturday, November 1, and prepare for bustling holiday lighting starting on Sunday, December 1.

The Dia de los Muertos celebration is happening November 1.Photo courtesy of City Place

A seasonal wonderland
As the temperatures cool and winter starts to sneak in, City Place becomes a haven of seasonal festivities.

Stroll through the beautifully landscaped, waterfront City Place Park and gaze at the Plaza's holiday decorations, which include City Place’s signature, 35-foot, floating Christmas tree rising from the park’s main pond. The giant Gingerbread Village welcomes guests down a gumdrop, lollipop, and candy cane-lined path — guarded by two giant gingerbread men — to a raised clearing featuring cookie trees, a 16-foot-high gingerbread house, and a 12-foot windmill.

With its picturesque setting and welcoming ambience, City Place is the ideal spot for enjoying December’s charm.

Outdoor adventures
Pedestrian-oriented City Place provides a picturesque backdrop for outdoor enjoyment, regardless of the season.

Within the community, visitors can take advantage of easy access to 290 acres of parks and natural corridors via a network of smooth paths and natural trails. Utilizing RunGo, an ad-free placemaking app, users can select from nine verified and protected trail routes, ranging in distance from just over a half mile to 7.7 miles, with turn-by-turn voice navigation and location-based information.

Take a stroll around City Place Park.Photo courtesy of City Place

City Place also offers a direct connection to the Spring Creek Greenway, which connects and protects approximately 7,000 acres of forest, preserving this ecological gem as a mecca for ecotourism, education, and outdoor recreation. Users can explore more than 19 miles of natural forests and white sandy beaches brimming with local wildlife and plant species while enjoying activities including canoeing, kayaking. and archery, plus nature trails perfect for hiking and biking.

A taste of Texas
No matter your taste or budget, City Place serves up myriad dining options that showcase a variety of Texas-based, fast-casual concepts and independents. These include Sushi Rebel, Torchy’s Tacos, SwitcHouse Plates & Pours, Common Bond Bistro & Bakery, Jinya Ramen Bar, Island Grill, Noe’s Café, Tarka Indian Kitchen, Yi Cha Tea and Coffee, and Urban Bird Hot Chicken.

Also on the menu is dine-in movie indulgence at Star Cinema Grill, which also boasts a chic central lounge.

Explore your options at Sushi Rebel.Photo courtesy of City Place

Photo courtesy of City Place

Gather the fam for an outdoor movie night.

Area attractions
While there’s lots to do inside City Place, the community also benefits from its prime location and proximity to an array of nearby excursions such as Market Street, Old Town Spring, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown (home of The Light Park during the holiday season), and Lake Conroe.

Plan your visit
This fall, make City Place in Spring your go-to destination. In addition to its unique blend of dining, shopping, and entertainment, there are three premier hotels — the AAA Four Diamond Houston City Place Marriott, Residence Inn Houston City Place, and Courtyard Houston City Place — where you can rest and relax while create lasting memories.

Visit www.cityplacenow.com to plan your trip and discover all of this fall's exciting activities.

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Movie Review

Star-filled pickleball comedy The Dink aces on Apple TV+

Photo courtesy of Apple TV+

Mary Steenburgen and Jake Johnson in The Dink.

While the sport of pickleball was invented way back in the 1960s, it has exploded in popularity in the 2020s. It was only a matter of time before someone figured out a way to make a movie about the craze, and a comedy like the new Apple TV film The Dink provides the best way to honor and make fun of the divisive sport at the same time.

Dusty Boyd (Jake Johnson), aka The Hammer, is a former tennis phenom who’s now working as an instructor at a club owned by his dad, Chuck (Ed Harris). While the two don’t always see eye-to-eye, they have a mutual hatred for pickleball, which they have begrudgingly allowed on the property by giving it the worst court.

Dusty is hoping to stop all future pickleball expansion by winning a one-on-one grudge match, but when he injures his wrist, he’s given a prescription of pickleball as a form of rehab. Older women like Candace (Mary Steenburgen) are the only people he can find to play with, and despite his disdain for the sport, he soon falls prey to its low-key charms.

Directed by Josh Greenbaum (Will & Harper) and written by Sean Clements, the film is probably the best advertisement pickleball will ever have. Dusty’s introduction to the sport serves as a lighthearted tutorial for the uninitiated while still getting in some nice digs at its expense. The other players — Candace, Gail (Cleo King), and Judy (Lynn Marie Stewart) — are equally welcoming and critical of Dusty, who initially has trouble adjusting to the game’s different rules.

The film’s approach to the story is silly but never stupid. Dusty is a blowhard, but he’s also able to admit when he’s wrong, especially when Candace introduces him to multiple things he had never considered before. A long-standing feud between Dusty and Andy Roddick provides more than just a goofy cameo for the real-life tennis star. The film also pushes right to the edge of being over-the-top before pulling back, allowing it to keep a semblance of reality to it.

Clements’ story follows a tried-and-true formula, making the film very predictable but enjoyably so. Where it earns its comedy credentials is in its finer details, like Dusty’s love for his 1999 Buick LeSabre with under 200,000 miles on it, his trunk full of old VHS tapes, or his interactions with his assistant PJ (Aaron Chen), who manages to be the comic relief in an already funny film.

Johnson, probably best known for starring in the sitcom New Girl in the 2010s, has the right amount of smarm and niceness to pull off the role, letting viewers laugh at and root for him at the same time. The film is full of comedy all-stars in small roles like Oswalt, Chris Parnell, and Ben Stiller, but Harris steals everyone’s thunder. The line readings by the four-time Oscar nominee give an extra punch to his character’s jokes, especially one that hints at the sordid history of the tennis club.

It’s a shame that The Dink is only playing on a streaming service as there’s a dearth of good comedies like this in movie theaters. With a solid joke-telling approach, a respect for its subject matter, and a cast who all play off each other well, this is a film that deserves to be seen by more than just those with an Apple TV subscription.

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The Dink is now streaming on Apple TV.

movies sports pickleball film

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Movie Review

Star-filled pickleball comedy The Dink aces on Apple TV+