Perfect For:

• Entertaining Friends/Clients
• Day To Day Shopping
• Date Night

Must Stop Shops:

• William’s Sonoma
• Game Bros.
• Fancy Pops
• Think Geek

Sugar Land, TX

Sugar Land is a large portion of Fort Bend County, the most diverse county in all of Houston and in 2011 was rated the fourth most racially diverse area in the entire United States.   That being said, First Colony is definitely an “any-persons” mall.  It’s lucky that Sugar Land has such an array of character in its population, because the design of all their shopping centers and businesses are all uniform, even Best Buy does not proudly boast their bright blue and yellow storefront facade.   The mall itself seems like a standard mall built in the 90’s with sky lights, white walls, and simple halls of stores with planters lining the walk way; the 2006 addition of the outdoor “lifestyle” wing really makes this mall the unique gem it is today.

The Shopping

There is no competition to the variety of stores in all of southwest Houston.  From Williams Sonoma, to Dick’s Sporting Goods, to Apple, to Forever 21 the selection of stores is just as diverse as the city’s population.  I, of course, enjoy the more specialty shops like Lush, Janie and Jack, and Think Geek (who all conveniently stand in the same section of the mall.)   Most big name retailers will be located more centrally off of the “lifestyle” wing, though if you venture further towards Dillard’s or Macy’s court you may just find some unique retailers that more homegrown and unique to Houston itself.   Game Bros. is a gaming exchange retailer that does have a small arcade in the back and offer unlimited play for five dollars a day. There is also Mon Ami Dolls, which is a tiny gem that resembles an American Girl style atmosphere.

My favorite stop of the day was of course a quick conversation with the girl who ran the kiosk at PopFancy, a local popsicle chain that serves the most unique and delicious sounding popsicles I’ve ever seen.  Some of these flavors include Cereal Milk, Sweet Taro, Thai Tea, and Strawberry Parfait.  I ordered the Vietnamese Coffee and found it perfect for any coffee lover, while my husband ordered the lavender green tea (mostly because he is the greatest and knew I was incredibly curious how it tasted), it was less sweet (as expected) and quite earthy, reminded us much of a matcha tea.  Then lastly, my daughter ordered the Blueberry Pink Lemonade; she seemed to be slurping it to her greatest of abilities, and when she kindly permitted me a taste it really made my lips pucker in the most delightful of ways!    Have you had the opportunity to try any of these; please let me know what flavor was your fav!!

The Entertainment

There is entertainment for almost all ages at First Colony Mall.  For families with children there’s of course Build-A-Bear and a play area located in the JC Penney’s Court.

In addition to a traditional food court there is also some unique and finer dining options along with “lifestyle” wing of the mall.  Black Walnut Cafe is a local fav, and a personal fav as well.   Feel free to indulge in a tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons are stop by to pick up a quick and scrumptious smoothie while you shop around (that is if you haven’t already indulged in a popsicle).  The dining is not limited though, take a leisurely stroll around and through the giant fountains to discover Grimaldi’s Pizza, Cheesecake Factory, and Texas de Brazil just to name a few.

The Amenities

Most of the amenities of this mall seem to be provided by their sponsor who’s posters do seem to throw off the entire aesthetic of the mall.  Valet parking is provided just in front of Cheesecake factory, which is highly advised if you are dining in one of the restaurants in the lifestyle wing as there is very limited parking available within a leisure walking distance.  Also provided by the sponsors is this one, very brash blue and yellow resting and charging station, located centrally in the mall outside the Mac store.    There are more shaded resting areas all along the lifestyle wing, though these are not equipped with charging stations.

The restrooms in the food court are kept tidy.  There are nursing rooms with cushioned chairs and even family restrooms, again with the addition of smaller potties for toddlers.  Outside the restrooms is a nice sitting area for those who may be left waiting.  For those who may not want to wait in this area may also sit comfortably in the sitting area just outside of Dick’s Sporting Goods.

As far as security, the mall is under constant surveillance both physically and through cameras for your safety.   In a city the size of Houston, crime is inevitable, the importance is that the mall exhausts all efforts of prevention to protect their customers.  I feel incredibly safe anytime I’m visiting this mall on my own, or just with the kiddos.

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If you have already visited this mall, this shopgirl is eager to hear your thoughts and opinions! Feel free to leave comments of your favorite things to do or see. Also, please offer your own ranking here:

*Shopgirl’s overall rating is determined from an average of mall security, cleanliness, activities, family friendly, and accessibility.