MontroseNeighborhoodCafe Posted December 11, 2004 Share Posted December 11, 2004 FRUGAL TRAVELER Saying a Spirited 'Nay' to Houston's Naysayers Michael Stravato for The New York Times Patrons and their friends at the West Alabama Ice House. Michael Stravato for The New York Times Pointing to a chapel where 14 paintings by Rothko are on view. Michael Stravato for The New York Times A jogging trail in a tranquil setting at Rice University. December 12, 2004 FRUGAL TRAVELER Saying a Spirited 'Nay' to Houston's Naysayers By CHRISTOPHER SOLOMON FOR years, snarky dismissal - "A few days in Houston isn't a getaway; it's a sentence" - has pretty much been my response to any mention of the nation's fourth-largest city. Never mind that I'd never seen the place save once, as a blur framed by a rental car's windows as I headed elsewhere, fast. But this fall, a curious newspaper article caught my attention. David Thompson and Randy Twaddle, partners in a Houston marketing firm called Ttweak, had started an unofficial campaign to boost their city's image by laughing at the realities of this city on the swamp. The Web site tumbles through 20 of the things that make Houston, uh, memorable - "The cockroaches; the flooding; the no mountains." - before finally arriving at the thumbs-up message: "Houston. It's Worth It." After the campaign's first few months, Houstonians and former residents had posted more than 1,200 comments on the Web site, www.houstonitsworthit.com. There were the comics: "The cleanest jail cells of any major metropolitan area." (Reason No. 539.) There were also, however, bayou poets: "If Houston were a dog, she'd be a mutt with three legs, one bad eye, fleas the size of corn nuts and buck teeth. Despite all that, she'd be the best dog you'll ever know." (No. 297.) In between, many people sang paeans to favorite haunts. Taken together, these comments formed an accidental guidebook to the Houston beyond the stereotype. A city that could snort at its shortcomings and still throw sweaty arms around its humid, traffic-choked, sprawling self couldn't be without redemption, could it? If I wavered, the opening words of No. 376, "Because it's CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP" - got me onto a flight. "There's a reason why Houston is consistently ranked one of the fattest cities in America; it's because the food is so good! Queso, margaritas, barbecue, mashed potatoes and fried okra." (From No. 429.) A handbook of things to do in Houston that I bought was a svelte 185 pages, with large type. Meanwhile, another guide - this one devoted to cheap eats in Houston - waddled in at 513 pages. This town does some serious, head-down eating, and food is the centerpiece of the Houston Experience. My mission to taste some real Tex-Mex cuisine took me straight from the airport to Navigation Boulevard and Mama Ninfa's, which those Web diarists had mentioned twice. Ninfa's was on the wrong side of the railroad tracks, in a low, bleak-looking building with a corrugated-metal awning. Inside, tangerine walls and glowing beer signs couldn't shake a dimness, even at lunchtime. It was hardly a deterrent. The owners of the 31-year-old restaurant say that the place introduced Houston and the United States to the wonders of fajitas. I ordered the house specialty, tacos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted December 11, 2004 Share Posted December 11, 2004 Link! Link!R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontroseNeighborhoodCafe Posted December 11, 2004 Author Share Posted December 11, 2004 Link to article http://travel2.nytimes.com/2004/12/12/trav...print&position= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted December 11, 2004 Share Posted December 11, 2004 Yippee! Great timely information for me; my mother-in-law is due early next week and now I've got a great list of places to take her to! Thanks again! (I think she's pretty tired of seeing Old Town Spring and Tomball over and over...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted December 11, 2004 Share Posted December 11, 2004 BTW: Thanks for the article, it's a great read. As I was reading it, I couldn't help but wonder what other wonders, if we all put our minds to it, we could uncover and post on here as a "diary of places to visit."I'm starting a comprehensive "must do" "must see" for out of town clients as my list gets longer, I'll either post it on here, as my website as soon as I get it up and running again. thoughts? contributors? Ricco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted December 11, 2004 Share Posted December 11, 2004 That was a great article. I thought it really captured Houston, like almost no travel writers ever manage to do. I thought this line really nailed it:"most outsiders don't have the time to assemble the scattered pieces. Only with time does mishmash become mosaic."I know when I first visited Houston I wasn't terribly impressed, other than being surprised and impressed by how green it was. But after living there for five years, it became my "home" forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewMND Posted December 11, 2004 Share Posted December 11, 2004 "I'm starting a comprehensive "must do" "must see" for out of town clients as my list gets longer, I'll either post it on here, as my website as soon as I get it up and running again"Personally, I dig The Orange Show, and that beer can house is cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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