Hi all!

DH and I just relocated to Houston with our sweet toddler son after two years abroad. We are originally from Dallas, so are adjusting back to the basics--weather, queso and Blue Bell.

Now, the big question: what to do here? I am not working but was our resident travel guru abroad (and a teacher before that). When we moved, we sought out every "whatever it was" where we lived. I have actually looked for good guidebooks for Houston but have come up short.

Ideas about cool cultural activities, museums, festivals, neighborhoods, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. would be most welcome! We are living in the Heights area, and I have found some good leads there; however, I know the Fodor-ites always know how to to make the most of any city! How do I make the most of Houston?

Thanks!!!!
MP

What do you like to do? My kids are grown, so I'm not much help in that department. Good websites are www.b4-u-eat.com for food (just put in your zip code for starters), and www.artshound.com for everything that's going on in the performing and visual arts. Good less expensive child-friendly places to eat close to the Heights are Jax Grill, Teotihuacan Mexican, Mak Chin's, Tampico Seafood, and you can drive through El Rey Taqueria (Shepherd and Washington) for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Grown up restaurants are Shade (my favorite--great coconut cream pie) and Catalan. I don't know if you're a runner--or walker--but there are always tons of people doing the Memorial Park loop and lots with baby joggers. The Livestock Show and Rodeo in February and March and the Art Car Parade in May are both really fun.

Houston has loads of great restaurants. We use b4-u-eat that Maryann mentioned, and also Citysearch Houston. In terms of festivals, the big ones are the Greek festival put on by the huge Greek Orthodox Church - really good food, the International Festival which spotlights a different country each year, the Bayou City Arts Festival which is held twice a year - once downtown and once in Memorial Park, and the Renaissance Festival which is in Magnolia. The rodeo in February is huge. In terms of museums, the Museum of Fine Arts is really good and has frequent traveling exhibits. The Museum of Natural Science has an IMAX theater and a nice rainforest/butterfly pyramid. There's also a good Children's Museum. NASA is popular, as is going to Kemah - nice boardwalk and fun restaurants where you can eat outside by the water. Galveston is pretty close - Moody Gardens is a wonderful place for families. They have an aquarium, rainforest pyramid, etc. Welcome to Houston. We love living here.

Forgot to mention a couple of restaurants, Cafe Adobe on Westheimer is great for sitting outside on the patio and having margaritas; if you want to go somewhere posh and wonderful, we love Mark's for special occasions. Anything Pappas is going to be popular - they have restaurants all over town that are really popular. Empire Cafe is good for coffee. Agree with all the spots maryann mentioned too. Have fun!

I would second the Children's Museum. My DW used to teach there and it's an incredible place for kids. Also, the Zoo is quite good.

In addition to all of the above good suggestions, the Rice Village and Highland Village areas (both inside the Loop 610) are very nice for restaurants, shopping etc and are very walkable.

(Ah yes, good ol' Blue Bell).

And if you're a mega-shopper, check out the Galleria - good shopping, as well as an indoor ice skating rink. The Cheesecake Factory is a great spot for dinner and dessert.

We have a wonderful theater district too - Jones Hall, The Alley, The Wortham - all excellent. For free theater, head to Miller Outdoor Theater when a show is going on and bring a picnic; you can eat on the hill and watch the show. It's close to the zoo.

Okay, yes, while we're one of the fattest city in the US, if not the fattest city in the world, there are stuff to do besides eating.

The Houston Symphony is quite decent, while the Houston Grand Opera is great. Not many cities in the US have a full-time professional opera.

And of course there are plenty of other smaller ensembles and orchestras and play houses.

In terms of museum, Museum of Fine Arts is pretty good; while the Menil Collection is one of the best private art collections in the country.

What we don't have is vibrant and interesting streets to walk around. There are spots like the Village, but still not great for just walk and stroll. Thing is, Houston is too hot to walk and stroll for many months in the year.

Further out, there's Galveston. And north of IAH, there's old town Spring.

Things are there, but you do have to look for them.

Some suggestions for kid-friendly restaurants in the area before or after going to the zoo or Children's Museum or Museum of Natural Science or Hermann Park: Goode Company Barbecue (lunch), Goode Company Mexican (breakfast or lunch), Buffalo Grille, Amazon. You can also get great sandwiches to go at Brown Bag Deli (two locations) or can eat in at Barnaby's (they're owned by the same people) My kids loved riding the little train at Hermann Park and now it's been restored and better than ever. Here are lots of ideas of what to do at the park.
http://www.hermannpark.org/101_fun_things.htm

How great that they restored that little train. I remember having my 6-year birthday party there, and we all rode the train and loved it. I remember that they had a water fountain shaped like a lion at the zoo, and to get a drink, you had to put your head in its mouth! That place has come a long way in the last few years, seems like they've made loads of improvements.

Not to keep harping on the food issue, but Churrasco's is really great for steaks and Central American food. It's a sister restaurant to Amazon that was metioned earlier.

"Houston is too hot to walk and stroll for many months in the year."

Cities like New Orleans, Miami, or even your backyard neighbors San Antonio and Austin have a vibrant city life and they are just as hot and/or humid, so that's no excuse rkkwan... It's more your preference (and Houstonians) not to walk in the heat, but there's millions in places like Shanghai, Hong Kong, Cairo, and other places where walking in the heat in vibrant city scapes is a daily part of life. In fact, in some of those cities (like Cairo), their outdoor markets define their way of life.

Just look at the Riverwalk in San Antonio on any summer night and you'll see that many people don't mind walking in the heat at all... It's just something not available in Houston.

bkluvsNola - Oh, it's you again. I remember you. You basically hate Houston, right?

Anyways, I grew up in Hong Kong. Yes, of course it has a vibrant street life. Most people don't own cars! And huge shopping malls - air-conditioned, of course - are now everywhere. A humongous one called Megabox just opened this year, and another ultra-highend one called Elements is opening soon.

As for street markets, yes, they have the same Ladies' Market, Temple Street Market, and Stanley Market. Basically the same as 25 years ago. Most locals now buy fresh food at Wellcome or Park'n Shop - air-conditioned - while fewer and fewer buy theirs on old-fashioned outdoor ones.

Seems like Hong Kongers will prefer A/C-ed places too when given the choice.

Plenty of Houstonians walk, stroll, or jog in Memorial Park all summer long. The rest go to Colorado. I do not prefer San Antonio, Austin, Miami, New Orleans, Washington D.C., or New York in the summer months. One must venture to the Rocky mountains or Pacific Northwest to escape the heat and humidity in most parts of the US in the summer months. Now as for the wonderful weather this time of year, there is no reason to be anywhere else.

I can't help with Houston, but wanted to say welcome back to the USA - and you're the mom of a toddler, so yes, you do work!

Lee Ann, mom of three

MP, we also have some great local stadiums that you may want to check out if you all are interested in sports. All of them are new and pretty posh - Toyota Center, Reliant Stadium, and Minute Maid Park for seeing the Astros, Rockets, Texans, and Aeros. The Aeros games are pretty fun and affordable. Reliant and Minute Maid both have retractable roofs, which are great. If it's raining, roof closed - pretty weather, roof open. The Rockets look like they'll be pretty good this year. No comment on the Texans, but they still need your support - LOL!

There are some good guidebooks to Houston. I bought two for my brother for his birthday. I bought them at Barnes and Noble. If you go there, I think they could help you. One was romantic/fun things to do like theater, restaurants, daytrips, etc. and the other was a guide to things to do if you have young children. He loved both of them - sorry I can't remember the exact titles. Best of luck settling in.

I remembered one of the book titles - Romantic Days and Nights in Houston by a woman with the last name of Briggs. It's a great little book. And My Table is a great magazine that's all about dining in Houston. There are so many restaurants that it's hard to keep up. I read recently that Houstonians eat out more than people in any other city in the US, and I believe it.

"Now as for the wonderful weather this time of year, there is no reason to be anywhere else."

To each his own I guess. To me, this is the time of year that it's wonderful to be strolling at outdoor markets, walking around a lively downtown, jogging in the park etc... (but I do those things in the summer as well)

Houston doesn't offer that, *even* in the great weather months.

There was a trip review (I'll have to find it) about someone that traveled from Canada to Mexico in winter and he stopped in Houston. He commented that the city was so dead, and it was around 72 degrees and sunny. He commented that if the weather was like that in Canada in the winter, people would be dancing in the streets.

If you visit New Orleans this time of year, you'll find festivals galore and people crowding every available outdoor balcony, cafe, and just walking around in general. Now that is what I like. Why would I want to be in an indoor mall when it's beautiful outside?

Different strokes for different folks I guess...

Don't take me wrong. There are plenty of good things about Houston, like its restaurant scene and the like. But Houston is, to me, just one oversized hick town. Sorry.

Okay, go to Southern Spain in the summer, where some places don't even have A/C when it's over 100 degrees.

Go to the Souks in Marrakech or Cairo in the summer.

There are many hot places with vibrant street life. Houston just ain't one of them

Houston is a good city if you have a career in the oil industry and want to climb the corporate ladder.

If you don't believe me, read any guide book about Houston...

Hi, bk - have you ever lived in Houston? I notice that you usually chime in on the posts when people inquire about the city. It seems to me that most people that live here really enjoy it. I find your impression to be curious. We went to the Bayou City Arts Festival a few weeks ago, and it was packed with people strolling outside and looking at art and listening to live music. Then we went to shop in Rice Village - also packed with people. We went to see a play at the Alley Theater and could barely get around downtown because so many people were there at the theaters and restaurants and clubs. Whenever I drive by Memorial Park I see joggers out in full force, even during the summer, so I wonder about the area in which you lived or visited.

bk must be fuming right now. There are two other new threads this week alone from people who've recently moved to the city.

Hard to imagine people moving to this city where "in my opinion the quality of life is very low", in his/her own words in another thread.

I wonder why bk decides to post on this thread. Seems like this poster just loves to post on threads where people inquire about moving, and trash the place.

We got it. bk doesn't love Houston. Nobody has to. But I don't go around various Fodors thread and trash other cities - including those that I don't care for.

I anticipate I will go jogging at Memorial Park as per my usual routine this weekend, if not ride my bike along the bayou downtown. I would like to kayak Buffalo Bayou but haven't gotten around to that yet. Any of you go to the Art Car Parade earlier this year? Wonder why that is in Houston, say rather than another city like San Francisco. Ditto the Menil. And I sure do get tired of all those Ivy League educated Yankee-hick-executives in my neighborhood who have had to load up their jalopies a la Jedd Clampett and schlep on down here . Who in their right mind put all those Fortune 500 corporate headquarters so far from NYC?