What I've Learned Living in Houston for a Year
I just hit my one-year mark living in Houston. Here’s everything I love (and loathe) about the city I now call home—from the rich culture and delicious food to the sweaty summers and horrible roads.
Culture
Houstonians take pride in their diversity. You’ll hear that Houston is the most diverse place in the country as often as hearing that it’s set to become America’s third-largest city. Residents speak 145 languages and come from many backgrounds, creating a mosaic of intersecting identities that define the community. This results in numerous annual cultural celebrations like the Texas Lunar New Year, Japan Festival, Festa Italiana, the LGBT Pride Festival, Día de los Muertos, and dozens more. Houston’s cultural richness is definitely my favorite part about living here.
Food
The food in Houston is some of the most underrated in the country. I grew up believing that my home state of Louisiana deserved the culinary crown; I was wrong. Houston takes Louisiana’s gumbo of offerings and pours even more into the pot: Cajun and Creole cuisine, southern comfort favorites like chicken fried steak, soul food, multicultural fusions like Mexican-Korean and Viet-Cajun crawfish, barbecue, tacos, and barbecue tacos. Houston’s culinary landscape is as diverse and flavorful as the city itself.
The best neighborhoods for food? Midtown and Washington Corridor for sports bars and pub grub; Montrose, Galleria, and River Oaks for fine dining; Downtown and the Heights for craft cocktails and small plates; Chinatown for East Asian and fusion; East End for Tex-Mex and baked goods; Northside for traditional taco trucks; and Pearland for barbecue.
Things to Do
Houston is a big sports town. Downtown is home to three massive sports stadiums where hometown fans can root for the World Series winning Astros, the Houston Dynamo and Dash, or the Rockets. In bordering EaDo, watch the game at Pitch 25, a massive soccer-themed bar with an indoor pitch, or check out 8th Wonder, a laid-back brewery.
The city also is home to a vibrant arts scene. Montrose is lined with art galleries and murals; the Museum District boasts 19 world-class museums within walking distance; and Downtown’s Theater District has multiple performance venues showcasing opera, musicals, symphony concerts, Broadway plays, and ballet. Living in any of these neighborhoods will grant sophisticates front-row seats to these cultural offerings.
Houston may seem like a concrete jungle, but there are some urban oases to discover. Both Memorial Park/Washington Corridor and Downtown are among Houston's greenest neighborhoods. Surrounded by skyscrapers, Downtown’s parks have a more urban feel, and historic parks in the area include Sam Houston Park and Market Square Park, one of the city’s oldest. Buffalo Bayou, Memorial Park, and the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center offer endless trails for hiking, biking, and recreation.
River Oaks features posh shops and upscale boutiques for the city’s burgeoning fashionistas, and the adjacent Galleria neighborhood houses The Galleria, an enormous shopping destination that attracts upwards of 30 million visitors each year.
Weather
The weather is a double-edged sword. On one hand, winter is pleasant and mild. The air cools down enough for fall campfires and cozy sweaters, but not enough to freeze your fingertips off, making patio and beach season nearly year-round. On the other hand, summer is sweaty and sweltering and lasts from April until September. Plan on hunkering down indoors with the air conditioning on icy blast for the entire month of July.
Since I’m from the South, I’m used to the subtropical climate and prefer 6 months of summer to 6 months of winter, but those relocating from other areas may have a hard time adjusting.
Traffic
Traffic is considered bad, but I find it generally manageable. There are a gazillion interstates looping through the city, and they keep traffic flowing most of the time. Commuting in and out of the city poses a problem, and the roads get pretty congested Monday-Friday between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Ongoing construction projects seek to improve conditions, but until then, road work zones are a real hassle.
A literal insider tip: Live and work inside the 610 loop, if possible. Traversing between and within inner loop neighborhoods and avoiding the interstates will greatly improve your traffic outcomes. From Montrose, I can access happy hours in the Heights, parks and art in the Museum District, Midtown and Downtown nightlife, and Galleria shopping all within 15 minutes.
Roads
The roads are bad—really bad. To make matters worse, flooding from Hurricane Harvey deepened the cracks and eroded the asphalt even more. You know the stereotype about Texans only driving trucks? This is the reason.
Fortunately, conditions are improving. Mayor Sylvester Turner ran on a pothole platform vowing to fix road ruts within 24 hours of a complaint. According to the city’s tracker, 99.74 percent of potholes have been filled by the next business day.