The Galleria area in near West Houston features some of Houston’s most upscale shopping, and like Memorial, the residential sectors of close-in West Houston have been the site of redevelopment activity due to high demand. Some of the most richly designed homes in Houston are found on the tree-lined streets which wind through the Galleria area, and elegant townhomes and high-rise apartment complexes are all available.

The quiet residential streets of many of West Houston neighborhoods are lush with inviting greenbelts, tall pine trees and mature landscaping. Close proximity to Buffalo Bayou offers a serene, secluded and upscale lifestyle. Separate community police departments and private security companies provide excellent security. Close in neighborhoods such as Tanglewood are well-established and have limited building lots available with most new construction due to renovation or razing of older homes. Convenience to freeways and the Galleria make the area popular with empty nesters, professional people and retired couples.

Between Memorial Drive and I-10 (the Katy Freeway) are the "Villages". This term refers to the incorporated municipalities of Bunker Hill, Hedwig Village, Hunter’s Creek and Piney Point, all located south of I-10 West, and Spring Valley and Hilshire Village, north of the Freeway. Many homes in this area fringe Buffalo Bayou. Older homes built in the 1960s as well as more modern homes can be found here. Home prices in the Villages begin at $300,000. For the most part, residents are professionals, independent business owners, and oil and energy executives.

West of Wilcrest Drive are the beautiful subdivisions off Memorial Drive and Briar Forest which offer private, secluded, near-bayou living. South of I-10 and near the east side of Highway 6 are newer subdivisions built within the last 15 years. West of Highway 6 is Weston Lakes, a private master-planned community which features custom homes rivaling those of River Oaks and Memorial.

West Houston is a wide-based employment center. A number of international energy related companies are located along Interstate 10’s "Energy Corridor" between Gessner and Highway 6. In addition is Memorial City Medical Center, composed of five major institutions that include a medical plaza, psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals and a residential nursing care facility. West of the Galleria, three more major shopping malls as well as numerous community shopping centers serve the approximately 250,000 residents of West Houston. The Westside Tennis Club, selected by World Tennis magazine and the U. S. Tennis Association as one of the top twenty tennis clubs in the nation is located in West Houston.