Named for the state's oldest company, Imperial Sugar, the community still houses a sugar refinery in the vintage business district. Balancing reverence for its heritage with a progressive attitude, planners have managed growth and expansion with care. Residents of Sugar Land and its surrounding master-planned communities enjoy outstanding recreational amenities like popular golf courses and close proximity to Brazos Bend State Park and the George Observatory, the nation's largest facility of its type dedicated to public use. Hiking and biking trails, aquatic centers, greenbelts, water attractions, and community centers provide leisure-time options. Highway 6 links the Sugar Land area to the Houston metropolitan region, but it also brings visitors to the retail treasures waiting in First Colony Mall.