a blooming plant

Game-changing and wonderfully walkable East End hub adds dining, family care, and lifestyle options

Houston's game-changing, multi-use Second Ward development The Plant is growing. Concept Neighborhood, the real estate investment, development, and management company behind The Plant, announced three new tenants.

First up is Slowpokes, a culinary outpost known for its in-house roasted coffee program, flatbreads, sandwiches, locally sourced craft beer, and hand-selected wines. Slowpokes at The Plant (3401 Canal St.) will boast 2,000-square-feet and will serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a happy hour menu. It joins four existing locations in Garden Oaks, Upper Kirby, Spring Branch, and West U.

One of the Slowpokes' new neighbors will be Crystal Yoga, set to open at 201 Robert St. The 2,500-square-foot studio is the concept's first location inside the Loop. The new space is set to offer a variety of yoga classes and styles, including aerial and chakra balancing.

Practitioners can also expect crystal moon workshops, intuitive card readings, reiki massages, and astrology readings. There will also be a gift shop selling crystals, jewelry, home goods and apparel, and public markets and aerial yoga performances are also slated.

Families in the area can look forward to The Kido International Preschool and Daycare (3302 Canal St.). Respected for its early childhood development curriculum that blends STEM, art, literacy, and numeracy programs in play-based concepts, the school has locations in Houston, London, India, Dubai, and Singapore.

Nine classrooms and an outdoor play area will occupy 7,600 square feet, catering to children under the age of six.

“The Second Ward is a vibrant neighborhood with a strong mix of multigenerational and young, growing families,” said Jeff Kaplan, managing partner of Concept Neighborhood in a press release. “We are deeply committed to planning for the current and future needs of the community and remain very intentional about the tenant mix within The Plant in Second Ward. Kido, Slowpokes, and Crystal Yoga all fill a void within this pocket of the East End, and we are excited to welcome them to the neighborhood.”

These new additions come as The Plant welcomed a beloved local institution earlier this year. The Aurora Picture Show, the longtime nonprofit devoted to film and visual media, announced plans to relocate to The Plant.

Last month, James Beard Award-winning chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter and husband/partner Graham Painter also shared plans to relocate their critically acclaimed, “unapologetically Thai” concept, Street to Kitchen to the development. As CultureMap reported, Street to Kitchen, which won Restaurant of the Year at CultureMap's 2022 Tastemaker Awards, is slated to open later this year in the former Cafe Louie space at 3401 Harrisburg Blvd.

Founded by the visionary Kaplan along with Dave Seeburger, The Plant stretches from the light rail on Harrisburg Boulevard to the bayou trails along Buffalo Bayou East. Pushing urbane, walkable living, the concept seeks to strike the right density balance of creatives, shops, restaurants, gathering places, and public amenities.

Branded as "Houston’s first authentic 15-minute neighborhood," The Plant offers more than 250,000-square-feet of authentic retail and creative office/urban maker space along with more than 1,000 multifamily units designed for a mix of market-rate, workforce housing.

Image courtesy of Slowpokes

Slowpokes will move into space on Canal Street in the Second Ward's The Plant development, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with a happy hour menu.

HAUTE PROPERTIES

675-acre Hill Country ranch where George Strait rehearsed lists for $19.5M

Photo by Michelle Watson CultureMapSnap

George Strait developed his early sound at Lone Woman Ranch.

Lone Woman Ranch, the Hill Country estate where country stars like George Strait, George Jones, and Ace in the Hole Band rehearsed, is up for sale for $19.5 million.

Located 65 miles from San Antonio in Hays County on 675 acres, the secluded ranch once served as an artistic getaway for emerging Texas artists. The property, listed by Olmos Park firm Republic Ranches. is named after the nearby Lone Woman Mountain, and its elevation gives an incredible view of the county. On a clear day, you can see downtown Austin.

The land comes with two residences, both built near the entrance gate. The primary stone house has original hardwood floors, a recently remodeled kitchen and bathrooms, as well as a new HVAC system. The secondary residence was used as a rehearsal space. Both have had long-term residents who made improvements, and both have their own septic systems, wells, and electric meters.

The real appeal of Lone Woman Ranch, however, is the extensive woods, creeks, and natural setting. It is next to 6,000 acres of conservation land, including Storm Ranch. The entire mountain is also included in the property, making it a veritable mini-kingdom for the owner with unobstructed privacy on three sides.

Two ponds are on the site — a 4-acre and a 1-acre — both fully stocked. Runoff from the larger pond creates picturesque seasonal limestone waterfalls.The surrounding woods are full of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, turkeys, doves, and more. The property is under wildlife exemption.

It's little wonder the ranch was a muse to so many country musicians. A network of ranch roads provides access throughout the property, including most of the way up Lone Woman, giving views around every corner. Only Strait can tell you whether his 1996 hit "King of the Mountain" was inspired by the ranch.

Photo by Michelle Watson CultureMapSnap

George Strait developed his early sound at Lone Woman Ranch.