My first piece of advice would be "Don't buy a house for at least 3 months, i.e. until you've had a chance to see all the various neighborhood choices that are available." Other useful tidbits could include:
- The best ice cream is at Amy's on Sheperd
- Don't bother buying Texans seasons tickets because they suck so much that tickets to any given game are really cheap.
- Get an EZ-Pass for your car
- Get a car with a really good stereo system - you're going to be in that car A LOT.
- If you're single definitely DO NOT buy a house in the burbs - Get inside the loop.
From perpetual tourist Theresa Quintanilla (theresa@qviews.com):
Shortly after arriving in Houston, plan to take a Sunday afternoon drive across Houston on Westheimer/Elgin. You’ll see fantastic changes as you drive and really get a good idea of the breadth of Houston neighborhoods. Drive from the Beltway on the west side, to the east side, where you’ll dead-end at the University of Houston.
Next, drive north-south on Main Street, from the Texas Medical Center northward into the Barrio. Don’t go during rush-hour traffic!!
Favorite web sites for learning about Houston:
Houstonist.com
Swamplot.com- Blogs.HoustonPress.com
- HoustonArchitecture.com
From Ann Strini, who lives in New York and manages a client base in Houston for American Express (and is single!)
How To Integrate Yourself Into Houston, and Act Like a Local Texan
1. Learn to love Mexican Food
--> In NYC, Texans are relegated to Mexicana Mama's, Dos Caminos, and other purveyors of mostly Cal-Mex food. In Houston, it's a whole new ball game. I personally prefer the velvety queso at Pappasito's (the fajitas, salsa and margaritas are always freshly made), the tres leches at Escalantes or the nachos, tacos and spicy Killer B's cookies at Berryhill. The winner - El Tiempo - for "they're so potent, they'll knock your socks off" margaritas. (Beware of major party crowds every May 5th...that's Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican Holiday).
2. Re-acquaint yourself with tried and true BBQ
--> Yes, Hill Country at 26th & B'way may be an official outpost of Texas in Manhattan (according to a certain legislature)...but even their Tues. nite kareoke bands, UT Saturdays and Tang cocktails have nothing on the genuine real-deal beef from the Original Hill Country in our great state (about 90 minutes away Northwest of Houston. There's really very few poor choices for BBQ in Houston...in general, the further out of the way, the smaller and the more rural, the better.
3. Try out the Hot Hotel Bars & Lounges
--> Manhattan has the Thompson Hotels, Hudson Terrace and Stone Rose....Texas has Hotel ZaZa in the Museum District. Get your out-of-town friends to stay there so you can enjoy the rockin' lounge scene downstairs and the lively pool scene (April to October) on Saturdays and Sundays. A bunch of other hotels have great bars/ lounges/ restaurants downtown as well.
4. Forever switch your NFC East / AFC Football Allegiances...or at the very least, feign interest in college and HS football
--> There is only one sport in Texas. All others come 2nd. (For further proof: witness giant high school stadiums that rival the size of many Ivy League and New England college arenas.) All true Texans root for America's Team or the football team with the coolest logo around - the Houston Texans. And Yes, Eli and his crew are completely evil. Even the rookie Sanchez from that other NY team is no longer liked down South. Alternatively, learn to love Bevo, gig' em Aggie style, root for the Red Raiders, or latch onto your local high school team. Powerhouses like Katy and other big 5-A schools regularly make the state playoffs.
5. Mall Shopping is Okay - but the coolest spots still remain the Indies
--> Unlike the dreaded Manhattan Mall, it's okay to shop at the Galleria...all the big names are there from dept. stores: Neiman's (Bergdorf's parent company), Saks, Nordstroms & Macy's (not the completely mobbed 34th Street craziness of NYC) to the luxury retailers: Gucci, Chanel, Dior, Fendi & YSL to the professional stand-bys of: J. Crew, Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers, Talbots, Kate Spade and more.
--> On the other hand, a smattering of independent / smaller-chain boutiques populate Highland Village, the surrounding Rice Village area, Westheimer and the Heights that are definitely worth checking out...your best bet? The Lucky Magazine archives or the Style Section of the Houston Chronicle.
6. Culture Exists Here Too, Ya'll!
--> Houston has the 3rd highest number of theater seats per capita in the nation....and that's post-Enron accounting. The Alley Theater puts on amazing summer plays and shows, the ballet's Nutcracker rival's NYC's (and the seats are closer and cheaper), the Menil is one of the coolest private modern art institutions in the U.S. and the Houston MFA brings in great shows (the Chinese Terra Cotta Warriors are one recent exhibit). Sports tickets are also cheaper...Minute Maid Stadium is conveniently located downtown and the Rockets and Texans draw avid fans as well.
7. Learn to Love Road Trips
--> You can go boat on Lake Travis, shop in San Marcos (a Tory Burch outlet just opened there!), go world-class antiquing in Round Top 2x a year, play games Coney-Island style on the Kemah Boardwalk, re-live your Spring Break days on South Padre Island, day-trip to Galveston Beach or even head to Austin, San Antonio, Dallas or New Orleans for a weekend...the drives may be longer than New England routes...you can travel forever-and-a-day without leaving the state...but the scenery is oh so pretty.
8. Beware Humidity, 'Skeeters' and 100s -- Say "Howdy" to Semi-Private Public Pools
--> Yes, it's hot in the summer, and yes, the humidity makes a curling iron, wool, corduroys & parkas superfluous. But there's also fun to be had at neighborhood pools (infinitely more upscale than NYC's public pools), neighbor's pools and, the most favorite, condo and apartment pools...such scenes! (See also #3 above).
9. For Singles: Bid Farewell to "Resume Dating" (Thank Goodness!)
--> One of the best things about Houston? No, "where do you work?", "where do you live", "what school did you go to", "what's your salary", "who are your parents" within 2.5 seconds of meeting someone. In H-Town, the prerequisites seem to be: 1. No wedding band, 2. a pulse, 3. a somewhat decent outfit (cars can be seen as status symbols, though) ....oh, and they grow 'em taller here. :)
10. Celebrate and Get Your Texas On, Already!
--> Endulge in Lucchese boots, Stetson hats, belt buckles the size of a dinner plate, Lee jeans and rhinestone-bedazzled shirts if you want. Wear it all to The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo come February/ March or to local country bars around town. Farm-chic can be a way of life for tried n' true cowboys and cowgirls...throw back some Shiner Boch beer or a coctail in a sippy cup...learn some 'yee haw' lingo and enjoy the great state known as Texas. People are super friendly...so yes, you might have half-hour conversations with your dry cleaner, your retail clerk or your neighbor on a regular basis.
**10b. One minor point...yes, we've sent two Presidents to the White House and one particularly revered grand-pappy (#41), lives in Houston with his wife, Barbara. Lay low on your support of democrat politics if you lean that way....Texans are a proud bunch. Even the great Anne Richards (who famously called #43 a "shrub") is conservative by Democrat standards (pictures of her rifle hunting and riding Harleys were not uncommon when she was "gov-uh-nuh"). Huntin' with guns are a point of pride and protecting one's turf is taken for granted. All Texans pull themselves up by their bootstraps when faced with adversity (so crying victim is also frowned upon) and that's probably why people lean Republican. It's not an entirely bad thing...just be aware that the dialogue of Texas is quite different than what you might hear on the "C" train to work. Simply change topics to sports, the weather or anything else, and life rolls along smoothly for all.
Ya'll act like locals now, ya' hear?
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