For this piece, I asked my friend Paige about her (former) hometown: Houston, Texas.
Because, in addition to me writing personal articles about the places I’ve been to and the things I’ve seen, I thought it would be fun to ask my friends from around the world about their hometown and why we should visit. Because nothing beats the advice of a local!
Can you tell us a little bit about Houston. What makes it special?
Best medical center in the USA some say the world. Very international you can find anything from anywhere here. Family friendly much more than I thought it would be before moving here. Very nice green spaces though they are always very busy it’s nice to have nice parks to take the babies.
What is your personal favorite thing to do in Houston?
Fav thing to do is explore and find new spots. The city is so massive I don’t think we could ever see and do it all. Tons of museums that are free every Thursday and the zoo is free every 1st Tuesday of the month.
Can you name a (or more) typical dish(es) for Houston and/or Texas?
Typical food is BBQ, tacos and queso which is a melted cheese with some salsa that you dip tortilla chips into. There’s actually a lot of French food in Houston which I love so…
What are (some of) the best restaurants in Houston?
There is a creperie called Sweet Paris for casual.
I like The Artisan for fancy French food.
Pass and Provisions is supposed to be a Very cool concept place with 2 restaurants in 1.
Lucille’s is a very good gourmet southern soul food inspired place.
Sud Italia is a very good Sicilian inspired restaurant.
And Mi Luna is a good tapas place.
Axel rod is a super fun bar when the weather is nice and Flying Saucer has a ton of beer on tap and a decent pub food menu.
(There are so many places to try if we tried it all I’d be 300lbs)
What are some of the highlights of Houston?
The NASA space museum is very cool. Galveston beach area is good for a day trip. Also the rodeo is a huge deal here and it starts end of January and runs through March. And there are tons of musical venues and sports team stadiums where there’s always some sort of entertainment going on.
Is it necessary to rent a car? Or would you recommend public transport and walking?
Renting a car you will definitely get to live like a local and experience the dreaded Houston traffic. But Houston does have a decent public transport system not as good as Europe but they are working on it. It just depends if you want to plan more public transport or if you want to be more spontaneous and explore and get lost a little bit here and there then rent a car.
Are there any areas that should be avoided when looking for accommodation?
Stay away from the 5th ward area and the northeast part of the city.
Any last tips or words of advice for the future visitors of your city?
In the fall, winter and spring pack for all seasons because it can go from freezing to sweltering overnight. In the summer it is extremely hot ,so I recommend avoiding visiting during that time if possible.
Pictures courtesy of www.pixabay.com
