Can Someone Give A Rundown Of Houston Neighborhoods?

[VisitingHouston]

I'm visiting H-town next week. I'm an explorer and i'd like to get to know the area better before i arrive. I find that the most interesting neighborhoods and places are often the ones that are not highlighted.

99% of all info is about the west side of H-town or near Westheimer, Kirby or Bellaire street and perhaps downtown or the museums.

So Sugarland is a right leaning upper middle class suburb. Katy is sprawlville. Post Oak is wealthy.

So what about the rest of the houston area? What are the e, se, ne and n, s and nw sides of town like? What about the areas running down to galveston?

What is Pasadena known for? What is Clear Lake City like? What's the area around IAH like?

Don't hold back. Roughly speaking, what are the different areas of the town and suburbs like? Feel free to include income levels, housing, income distribution, level of sprawl/density, ethnic makeup, political leanings, level of history-- you name it.

I believe that there is a chinatown and little india on the w/sw side just outside the 610.

I also have a few questions:

1. What is the number or name of the outer beltway? i saw it on google maps, but it has no title.

2. Can someone associate the names and numbers (and maybe even include directions of the freeways? What's the gulf freeway?

3. I plan to make a daytrip out to Galveston, any other interesting daytrips? Anything interesting on the way to galveston besides nasa? what kind of an area is clear lake city?

I've heard that houston is very multicultural. in which areas do different ethnic groups reside? Thanks for all the help.

[gnu]

here you go...i hijacked this from a real estate company.

ought to answer some of your questions

http://www.heritagetexas.com/relocation/Ho...Communities.htm

personally, i think you are biting off more than you can chew...you need to narrow it down...c'mon, houston is the 4th largest city - i don't think you are going to "assimilate" it in a few days.

to answer your three questions:

1. Not sure which one you mean. The partially completed outer beltway is the Grand Parkway (TX99). The farthest one out that is completed is Beltway 8 (the sam houston parkway/tollway)

2. Gulf freeway is 45 south. North freeway is 45n. southwest is 59s. eastex is 59n. katy is 10w. east is 10e. south is 288. northwest frwy is 290. crosby frwy is 90. pasadena frwy is 225. probably something i missed.

Check out this link to a website and online book devoted to our freeway system: http://www.houstonfreeways.com/

3. not much really to see between here and galveston except suburbia. Maybe stop by the Kemah waterfront on 146 - just east of NASA.

Edited January 29, 2006 by gnu

[chw9989]

Clear Lake City is not really anything special - just a master planned community that happens to be on the southeast side of town. Thinking of it as a destination is a lot like thinking about The Woodlands or First Colony as a destination. It's pretty much just a suburban neighborhood. The historical brochure linked below kinda sums it up (and it's pretty funny)

http://www.clccl.org/history.htm

If you really want to drive around out here (I live smack in the middle of the orig Clear Lake City, now annexed and known officially as 'Bay Area Houston' - ugh I hate that term) there are a couple of highlights I would show people visiting with me, I guess.

- If you take the Gulf Freeway (I-45 (north and south) beyond the southern edge of downtown), the big empty field-type areas between Scarsdale and El Dorado are what's left of the old Humble Oil (Standard of New Jersey's Texas affiliate, now ExxonMobil) Webster oil field. The field is for the most part produced out, but if you look closely you'll see the old wellheads scattered all over on both sides of I-45. There is an active exploratory-type derrick rig near Scarsdale and SH3, but I think this is some type of capping injection operation not an active exploration activity (the thing hasn't moved for months), but hey, it's an oil drilling rig, something most people really want to see on a trip to Houston, and it's near a road.

- Head over to Ellington (SH 3 and FM 1959) and take some pics of the big NASA branded jet that sits near the front entrance. I don't know the history of this particular plane but if I had to guess I would say it was one of the 'vomit comets' used to simulate weightlessness for the astronauts?? Someone jump in here maybe and correct me?? There's no visitor's center, but I kinda think that plane is neat. Also, some jets will probably take off and land while you're there, and that's always cool (NASA trainers, mainly, but sometimes you'll see the Texas ANG fighters running maneuvers)

- At El Camino/Egret Bay and Nasa Road 1, there is a little dive bar called the Outpost. Stop in, have a pint, and realize this is supposedly where the Apollo teams hung out for happy hour. There is tons of space/NASA stuff all over the walls.

- If you're into hiking, there is a nature preserve at Bay Area Blvd and Red Bluff (Armand Bayou Nature Center). Take PLENTY of mosquito repellent, but this is a nifty place for coastal marsh area birdwatching.

- I think the city of Houston runs a ship channel tour starting at the turning basin (heart of the city's east end). I've not done it, but check out the city's web site.

Alternate routes to Galveston - the first two take forever (on the order of 2-3 times as long as I-45 south), the last a really long time (it's pretty much about the drive - but they are different ways in!

- SH 225 east from IH-610 to SH 146, 146 south through Kemah and Texas City, connecting back to I-45 for the rest of the trip. This will take you through the industrial backbone of Houston. The tank farms and seemingly never ending stretch of refineries and petrochemical facilities is somewhat impressive, but visiting the industrial zone is not what most people consider tourism. This is still a big part of what makes Houston 'go' though (maybe not as much as in the past, but it's still a pretty big deal), and this also takes you close enough to the San Jacinto battlefield to see the monument from the road (on your left as you pass Battleground Rd)

- SH 288 south from downtown to Freeport, across San Luis pass to Galveston. This is a long one, but takes you through some pretty good examples of Texas coastal praries. Gets old, in my opinion. Texas coastal prarie can pretty much be summed up as flat, a little swampy, with scrub everywhere. Not exactly scenic. You can't unsee it!

- I-10 east, through Winnie, south to High Island on 124?? (you'll need a map for this one anyway), across Bolivar peninsula on SH 87 (make sure and drive on the beach - can't do that on Galveston island), across the ferry to Galveston island. This takes a LONG time, but crossing the bridge over the intracoastal waterway, which seems to appear out of nowhere, to the nifty little salt dome of High Island, is interesting after the miles and miles of flat swampy coastal prarie. The drive down Bolivar is, if anything, a good example of small Texas beach town, and the ferry ride is neat, you get to see some of the ship channel traffic. The wait for the ferry can be a bit long, especially on Sundays, so you'll need to plan for some serious drive time for this one.

Places to eat:

- Frenchies italian on Nasa Rd 1 at El Camino (across from Outpost) - another NASA type place

- Mamacitas Tex-Mex - Nasa rd 1 past SH3, before El Camino/Egret Bay. Kinda sits by itself. These people catered my wedding, great margaritas and fajitas.

- Alpine Brauhaus German - SH3 and Nasa Rd 1, in a little strip center (closed Sundays)

- Stingaree restaurant in Crystal Beach (bolivar peninsula). All you can eat fresh blue crabs (yum)

- Clary's seafood, Galveston - just behind the Galveston Daily News building on the island side of the causeway bridge. Not a shorts and flip-flops kind of place, but good seafood.

- Drive down to San Leon (exit from I-45 is marked) and have some Galveston bay oysters fresh off the boats. They are in season right now and are darn good with the 'cleansing' effect of Rita this past September helping to feed the beds.

- Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe, Galveston. OK, you can't really eat here but it is in the middle of Galveston's historic 'Strand' district and it's a good place to hear live music in the evenings. Lots of reasonable places to eat around.

- The Roadhouse - cajun, across SH3 from the entrance to Ellington field

So, there's stuff to do, just not much that's beyond the typical, see it from your car interesting.

Edited January 29, 2006 by chw9989

[dalparadise]

I think you may be selling the Clear Lake area short. You named a few good places, but didn't really hit what makes this area different. There are many small shops, bars and restaurants with decks that look out onto the water to see the steady stream of sailboats headed for the bay. Many have live music, too. For families, the Kemah Boardwalk is fun with carnival rides and games, as well as a huge harbor for pleasure boats. To me, Babin's is the only restaurant on the boardwalk worth it -- it's very fresh seafood made-to-order with creole-inspired sauces.

Across the channel is the Seabrook side, which is less family oriented, with bait-house styled bars, live music beer joints and a few crab joints. I like this side better, but I don't have any kids.

NASA is worth a look, but don't expect to be blown away. It's more business than tourist-oriented, though there's plenty to entertain a family for the day.

League City, just to the south, is an old-town atmosphere that looks like a kind of early 20th century Main St. USA on the town square. there are a couple of quaint shops surrounding a park with mature oak trees. It's nice. Closer to the coast, there's a large resort area with golf, hotels that look out onto the bay and more yachts and sailboats. Did I mention that Houston is third in the country in the number of pleasure crafts?

The dog track is also nearby. Ours is nicer than most, with racing, betting and actually some pretty good food and drinks.

If you come in early May, Lakewood Yacht Club hosts its yearly Concours, on the lawn by the yacht slips. It's a great show of classic cars, including exotics, with beautiful yachts and the sounds and sights of the bay as a backdrop.

One secret of the Clear Lake area is the constant sea breeze that keeps things a little cooler in Summertime, though it's still crazy hot. But, it's one of the few places around town where everywhere really seems to embrace an outdoor lifestyle -- at least at restaurants and bars. So, it's a nice place to enjoy Houston al fresco.

[brucesw]

Don't hold back. Roughly speaking, what are the different areas of the town and suburbs like? Feel free to include income levels, housing, income distribution, level of sprawl/density, ethnic makeup, political leanings, level of history-- you name it.

I believe that there is a chinatown and little india on the w/sw side just outside the 610.

Hmmmm. Enron trial starting up + newbie coming to town asking a lot of background questions. Can I get paid for helping you write this article????

'New' Chinatown roughly west of Gessner to Beltway 8 (tollroad) on Bellaire. Little India - maybe referring to the area around 59 South and Hillcroft - north of the freeway. South of the freeway is Hispanic.

Also, Indo-Pakistani and Middle-Eastern restaurants along Bissonet west of 59 South.

[The Great Hizzy!]

I think you may be selling the Clear Lake area short.

That was the first thing that came to mind when I read the original post. And if you like the old small town feel of town squares, there are some intriguing little areas in Tomball (NW), Spring (NW), League City (SE) as well as Kemah (SE). They're nothing you'd find in a travel brochure on the area but they all offer small town charm in the formu of nick-nack shopping and lunch at an honest and true mom-N-pop eatery.

As for a few Houston neighborhoods off the beaten path:

1) (A.) Eastwood and (B.) Idylwood in SE Houston. Take Leeland Street east from downtown through the slowly gentrifying warehouse district and then on towards Lockwood Drive. Here you'll find Eastwood. Lots of older homes from the 20s and 30s that are mostly well-kept. Heavily latino neighborhood with a couple of authentic diners that feature good cuban sandwiches, fajitas and the like. Leeland eventually turns more to the SE and becomes Telephone Road. However, at Lawndale, you'll veer to your left and head east again. A mile later you'll find yourself in Idylwood. An area of older homes sitting atop modest hills that provide great views of Brays Bayou as it bends through thick pines and rolling greenscapes. Seriously one of the city's least appreciate natural landscapes. On the east side of Brays is Forest Park (both the cemetary and the neighborhood). This general area is mostly white but there is a strong latino presence as well, especially in Forest Park.

2.) Riverside Terrace and its nearby neighbors also in SE Houston. Riverside Terrace is one of the wealthiest predominately African-American neighborhoods in the world. Many homes here go for seven figures. The neighborhood hugs the southern side of Brays Bayou on South MacGregor Drive for about two miles from SH 288 (South Freeway) to Calhoun Road near the University of Houston. Notable African Americans from State Rep Garnett Coleman to former tennis pro Zina Garrison have or have had homes in the area.

On the north side of Brays Bayou along North MacGregor Drive are Washington Terrace and MacGregor Place. The homes here are generally not as large as in Riverside Terrace but the neighborhoods are still stately minus a handful of older homes that are essentially empty and not well maintained. Further to the north still is Texas Southern University. To the east are University Oaks and the University of Houston - University Park campus. UO is predominately white and houses many UH professors and administrators. A somewhat interesting mix of old homes with newer faux stucco to faux adobe startups, but they're all outlined by the pristine oaks, pines and cypresses that surround them.

On the west side of SH 288 is a very cool stretch of Third Ward along Almeda. Head north from MacGregor along Almeda to about Blodgett Street and you'll see some gentrification in the form of renovated apartments and proposed highrise condos along with a slew of predominately black business from eateries to the site of the oldest black owned radio station in Texas (KCOH). Further west of Almeda is stronger evidence of gentrification ni the area, although there are still a lot of older homes that house some fairly affluent black and white leaders.

3. The Orange Show (2402 Munger Street) again in SE Houston. Nestled to the east of Third Ward and Riverside Terrace but still to the west of Idylwood and along I-45 south is the Orange Show, a very eclectic art exhibit that pays homage to, yes, that's right, the orange. The "Show" has been in existence for ages and has actually attracted a wide range of visitors, including those from out of town. When leaving Downtown on I-45 towards Galveston, take the Telephone Road exit and Munger will be immediately to the right on the feeder road as you exit. Go down about three blocks and voila!

They're, just my three cent contribution!

[skwatra]

- Head over to Ellington (SH 3 and FM 1959) and take some pics of the big NASA branded jet that sits near the front entrance. I don't know the history of this particular plane but if I had to guess I would say it was one of the 'vomit comets' used to simulate weightlessness for the astronauts?? Someone jump in here maybe and correct me?? There's no visitor's center, but I kinda think that plane is neat. Also, some jets will probably take off and land while you're there, and that's always cool (NASA trainers, mainly, but sometimes you'll see the Texas ANG fighters running maneuvers)

- At El Camino/Egret Bay and Nasa Road 1, there is a little dive bar called the Outpost. Stop in, have a pint, and realize this is supposedly where the Apollo teams hung out for happy hour. There is tons of space/NASA stuff all over the walls.

you are correct, that is the KC-135 (modified Boeing 707) or "Vomit Comet" used to simulate a weightless environment. the T-38 astronaut trainers are out almost every day (you can see mockups of these on NASA 1 right outside the Space Center), they have to keep their efficiency and hours up especially with no missions for so long. and the Guard (F-16s) is out usually about 4 times a week at the least. if you get lucky you may see the NASA Guppy, a huge cargo plane that doesn't look like it should be able to get off the ground, though i only see it up once every few weeks.

the Output is an astronaut hangout, it was during Apollo and still is now. another spot is Boondoggles down NASA 1 on the left just after Kirby, on the way to Kemah.