It's been quite a while since I have updated this journal and I've been meaning to create this entry for months. I was fortunate enough to be awarded a one-year sabbatical from my university to complete the manuscript of a textbook (since completed). Since my wife was working on Houston, TX I naturally took the opportunity to spend a year with her in Houston. A year later the sabbatical is over and we have a list of things we came to love about living in Houston. This is an entirely personal list and completely unscientific. The list is not meant to be a put-down of other attractions in Houston or other cities. Let's get to it.
- Hermann Park and the Miller Outdoor Theatre. The park is great for walking and running. There are playgrounds for kids and water attractions. There is a Japanese garden section. The park plays host to numerous cultural and civic events year-round. Miller Outdoor Theatre hosts music, dance, plays, and movies from March through November each year and it is absolutely free! Theater-goers can brings blankets and/or lawn chairs to sit on the grassy hill under the stars, or if you are willing to line up for a limited number reserved seats under the roof (and ceiling fans), you can visit the box office at the theater between 10:30AM and 1:00PM on the days of performances for free tickets.
- Diversity. Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States and is the home of people from many different cultures and other national origins. The Los Angeles Times calls Houston the most diverse city in the US. In the Museum District where we lived there were many people from all over the US, Europe, Latin America (especially Mexico), Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The proximity of the Texas Medical Center brings people from all over the world for jobs as well as medical treatment.
- The iPic Movie Theater. Normally we don't like to use this journal as free advertising for companies who can well afford an advertising campaign of their own. However, this list will contain the names of several companies, because they made our time in Houston so enjoyable. First up is the iPic, a premium movie theater experience. Power reclining seats (check), blankets (check), pillows (check), free popcorn (check), chair-side wait staff (check), excellent food (check), alcohol (we have a winner!). All for about the cost of ten movie tickets at most other theater chains. Yes, iPic is a chain. The first venue we visited was in Houston. Since then we have also visited the iPic in Bethesda, MD (sorry iPic Pike & Rose, the iPic Houston is nicer).
- Rice University. What's not to like about a beautiful tree-lined campus with wonderful architecture and modern sculptures, spirited sports teams, a diverse student body, excellent academic reputation, and a wonderful library? The library provided valuable resources while I worked on the textbook during the sabbatical. Rice's football stadium is also the spot where Pres. John F. Kennedy gave his "moon shot" speech. The podium he used during the speech is on display in the Fondren Library.
- Food. Houston is the home of over one thousand restaurants. We didn't eat at all of them, because we found three we absolutely loved. The first was Danton's Gulf Coast Seafood Kitchen, a fabulous seafood restaurant in our neighborhood. If you find yourself in the Museum District hungry for raw oysters, you can't go wrong stopping at Danton's. Taking a walk in Hermann Park? Check the parking lot of the McGovern Centennial Garden for the No Mi Street food truck. They will sell you the best Vietnamese/Latin fusion burgers and tacos in town. After 9PM and hungry for toro? Try MF Sushi, but check your bank account first as it is pricey, especially if you order alcohol.
- Museums. Besides high-rise condominiums and apartments what does the Museum District have? The best thing is that many of the museums we liked the best did not charge an admission fee. These include the Contemporary Arts Museum (whose exhibits change fairly frequently, 3-4 times per year), the Menil Collection (art making you hungry? try the Bistro Menil across the street), and the Rothko Chapel. The latter is amazing (if you like Rothko's art). The chapel is a medium-sized open space with benches for seats and pillows for people who prefer to sit on the floor. Large Rothko paintings in deep purples and blacks surround you on all sides. The chapel is open everyday for contemplation and meditation (it's also the perfect spot to get away from the Houston heat and humidity if you are walking to the Menil Collection).
- Sports. Houston has three big professional teams: 2017 World Series of Baseball Champion Astros, the Texans (football), and the Rockets (basketball). The sporting venues are easy to reach using the light rail. The Super Bowl was played in February 2017 and that brought a great deal of excitement to the city. We didn't get to see the game in NRG Stadium but we watched from a nearby sports bar (come on Atlanta Falcons, you couldn't win that one?) Looking for professional hockey in Houston? Keep looking. If you are in Houston during March, be sure to check out the Houston Rodeo, part state fair, part agricultural exhibit, part food extravaganza, part rock concert, and of course the rodeo. There is a even a public golf course and driving range in Hermann Park (but golf being an "activity" rather than a "sport" belongs in another category).
