Houston - Rice Village Shopping District

Rice Village is a shopping district situated in the city of Houston, Texas. Rice Village is a collection of shops, hotels, and saloons, located almost a half-mile west to the middle of Rice University's campus. The central part of the "Rice Village" goes more than 10 city blocks, distanced by the following:
· University Boulevard
· Kirby Drive
· Rice Boulevard
· Morningside Drive
Spillover has extended the retail shops part to sixteen blocks overall, counting northward expansion next to Kirby and into the nearby mixed-use blocks linking Morningside to Greenbriar. Rice Village has been among the city's oldest and most treasured shopping spots since the 1930s. The whole structure is unplanned, high density assortment of old and new retail shops.

The place is full of dozens of restaurants. Along with classical North American restaurants there are places focusing on food from all over the world. Rice Village has the following number of restaurants specializing in regional foods:

· Three French restaurants
· Two Japanese restaurants
· Two Chinese restaurants
· Two Italian restaurants
· Two Turkish restaurants
· One Mexican restaurant
· Two Spanish restaurants
· One Mediterranean restaurant
· One Vietnamese restaurant
· Two Indian restaurants
· Three Thai restaurants
Besides these restaurants, there are a number of sandwich shops, exemplary in sophistication and pleasing service along with specialty food and cocktail stores.

From its beginning in the year 1930s as an ad hoc cluster of retail shops, the place has turned in to one of city's more attractive and exotic shopping destinations. Host to more than 300 stores in a 16-block area, the Village has something amazing for everyone coming to the place and is acknowledged for its huge number of small and mixed shops as well as boutiques. Recent development in the area has also brought in most fashionable and chic garments stores and the countrywide retail venues.