Planning a trip to Houston
The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau (GHCVB) has an elaborate visitor center located in the city hall building at 901 Bagby St. between Walker and McKinney (tel. 713/437-5556; www.visithoustontexas.com). Enter through the door on Walker. Here you can get lots of brochures, a range of city maps, architectural and historical guides, and answers from the center's staff. Pick up a copy of the Official Guide to Houston magazine; it has a helpful calendar of events. You can also play with the interactive computer stations and see a short introductory film of the city. The center is open daily from 9am to 4pm. If you're driving, park your car at the underground lot that is 1 block north of city hall. To get there, turn onto Walker, drive past city hall, and immediately turn right on Bagby, then right again on Rusk; you'll see a sign that says THEATER DISTRICT PARKING 2. It's free for visitors; just get your parking ticket stamped at the visitor center.
For advance information, try tel. 800/4-HOUSTON (446-8786) or 713/437-5200 or www.visithoustontexas.com. You can request a copy of their Visitors Guide. Other websites you might find helpful are operated by the local newspapers. The Houston Chronicle (www.chron.com) is the daily newspaper, and the Houston Press (www.houstonpress.com) is the free weekly tabloid, which has a large entertainment section.
But It's a Wet Heat -- Hot and humid, Houston has earned the unofficial title of "Air-Conditioning Capital of the World." If you're unaccustomed to high humidity and its consequences (profuse sweating, bad-hair days), you might want to take it easy at first and work on acquiring some degree of philosophical acceptance. (I like to envision the Buddha.) One more thing: Bopping around Houston in summertime means jumping from the frying pan into the freezer (to mangle yet another saying). You'll be repeatedly going from steamy outdoors into superchilled shops, restaurants, and so on. The natives are used to it, but many visitors complain, to deaf ears, I might add.
City Layout
Houston is a difficult city to find your way around in; it was built with no master plan, and most of its streets are jumbled together with little continuity. The suburban areas look alike and have indistinctive street names, usually ending in things like "crest," "wood," and "dale." To make matters worse, the terrain is so flat the only visible points of reference are tall buildings. But for the visitor, things aren't so bad. Most of the main attractions are not far off the freeways or other main arteries. With a basic knowledge of these, you can keep your bearings and get from one place to another.
To understand the layout of Houston's freeways, it's best to picture a spider web with several lines radiating out from the center, which are connected to each other by two concentric circles. The lines that radiate outward are in the following clockwise order: At 1 o'clock is the Eastex Freeway (Tex. 59 north), which usually has signs saying CLEVELAND, a town in East Texas; at 3 o'clock is the East Freeway (I-10 east to Beaumont and New Orleans); between 4 and 5 o'clock is the Gulf Freeway (I-45 south to Galveston); at 6 o'clock is the South Freeway (Tex. 228 to Lake Jackson, Freeport, and Surfside); between 7 and 8 o'clock is the Southwest Freeway (Tex. 59 to Laredo; look for signs that read VICTORIA); at 9 o'clock is the Katy Freeway (I-10 west to San Antonio); at 10 o'clock is the Northwest Freeway (Tex. 290 to Austin); and at 11 o'clock is the North Freeway (I-45 north to Dallas). The first circular freeway is Loop 610 (known as "the Loop"), which has a 4- to 5-mile radius from downtown. The second is known alternately as Sam Houston Parkway or Beltway 8. It has a 10- to 15-mile radius and is mostly a toll road except for the section near the Bush Intercontinental Airport.
In addition to the freeways, there are certain arteries that most newcomers would do well to know. Here are brief descriptions of each.
Main Street bisects downtown and then heads south-southwest, changing its name to South Main. It passes through the Museum District, then along Hermann Park and Rice University before reaching the Texas Medical Center. This stretch of South Main has lots of green space and is lined with oak trees. Beyond the Medical Center, the street passes by NRG Stadium, an exhibition center, and the old Astrodome.
In the middle of the Museum District is a traffic circle called Mecom Fountain, where South Main intersects Montrose Boulevard. Montrose runs due north from the Mecom Fountain crossing Westheimer Road and Buffalo Bayou. It gives its name to the Montrose area and is lined by several bistros around the Museum District. After it crosses the bayou, Montrose becomes Studemont and then Studewood when it enters a historic neighborhood known as the Heights.
Westheimer Road is the east-west axis around which most of western Houston turns. It begins in the Montrose area and continues for many miles through various urban and suburban landscapes without ever seeming to come to an end. Past the Montrose area, Westheimer crosses Kirby Drive and then passes by River Oaks, a neighborhood for Houston's rich folk. Farther along is Highland Village Shopping Center, then Loop 610, where it enters the popular commercial district known as the Galleria area or Uptown. Farther west, Westheimer passes an endless series of fast-food restaurants, strip malls, and chain retail stores as it runs through suburbia.
Kirby Drive is an important north-south artery. It intersects Westheimer Road by River Oaks and runs due south, skirting the Greenway Plaza and passing under the Southwest Freeway. Once south of the freeway, Kirby enters University Place, a neighborhood that curls around the western borders of the Rice University campus and is the favorite residential area for Houston's doctors, lawyers, and other professionals. Kirby eventually intersects South Main Street in the vicinity of NRG Stadium.
Fast Facts
American Express -- There is an office at 5085 Westheimer, Ste. 4600, on the third floor of the Galleria Mall II (tel. 713/626-5740). It's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturday from 10am to 5pm.
Area Codes -- Houston has 10-digit dialing for local calls. Local numbers begin with one of three area codes: 713, 281, or 832.
Dentists -- For a referral, call tel. 800/922-6588.
Doctors -- For minor emergencies or to see a doctor without an appointment, call Texas Urgent Care at tel. 281/477-7490.
Drugstores -- Walgreens, 3317 Montrose Blvd., at Hawthorne Street (tel. 713/520-7777), is open 24 hours a day. In the vicinity of the Medical Center, there is a 24-hour Eckerd Drug Store at 7900 S. Main St. (tel. 713/660-8934).
Hospitals -- The Ben Taub General Hospital, 1502 Taub Loop, at the Texas Medical Center (tel. 713/873-2600), has a fully equipped emergency room.
Internet Access -- If you're not traveling with a computer and your hotel doesn't have a business center, Houston's main library and all its branches have computers for public use; go to www.houstonlibrary.org to find locations. Faster connections can be had for a price at Copy.com, 1201-F Westheimer, in the Montrose area (tel. 713/528-1201); it has several computers and is open from 7am to midnight on weekdays, 11am to 7pm on Saturdays, and noon to 9pm Sundays. If you have a computer and would prefer not to use your hotel's computer connections, check out the usual Internet haunts -- coffee bars and restaurants and the public areas of certain hotels.
Maps -- Salespeople, repairmen, and others who must travel about rely on something called a "Key Map," a binder of detailed maps that divides Houston into a grid system. This homegrown creation became so popular here that it has been copied by map companies in other cities. It may offer more information than most visitors want. You can buy standard street maps at any drugstore and at many convenience stores, and you'll find some helpful maps of downtown, the Museum District, and other parts of the city at the visitor center in city hall.
Newspapers & Magazines -- The local daily is the Houston Chronicle. The Houston Press, a free weekly that covers local politics and culture, can be found around town at restaurants, stores, and just about anywhere people congregate.
Police -- Dial tel. 911 in an emergency; for nonemergencies, dial tel. 311.
Post Office -- The downtown branch, 401 Franklin St. (tel. 713/226-3066), is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 7pm and Saturday from 9am to noon.
Safety -- Houston is a safe town for visitors. Exercise caution at night in the downtown areas that lie outside the theater district.
Taxes -- The local hotel tax is 17%, the local sales tax 8.25%.
Transit Information -- Call the Texas Dept. of Transportation's hot line tel. 713/802-5074.
Weather -- Call tel. 713/228-8703.
Getting Around
By Car
Houston is organized around the automobile. Having a car is almost a necessity unless you confine your explorations to the downtown area and the South Main corridor (including the Museum District), which are connected by the light rail. This makes it possible to stay in a downtown or South Main hotel and go up and down this corridor with ease. For trips to other parts of the city, you can use the hotel's shuttle, if available, or the occasional taxi.
Houston's freeways are no place for the meek: Many drivers don't obey speed limits, bob and weave through the lanes, and make their turnoffs at the last possible moment. You should have a clear idea of where you're headed and what exit you need to take before you get on a freeway. All this said, I actually enjoy driving Houston's freeways. It's a good way to grasp what it's like to be a Houstonian. My own practice is not to bother looking down at the speedometer; for all practical purposes it's irrelevant. It's more important to stay in the flow of traffic at the same speed as most of the cars around you. As freeway systems go, Houston's is logical and has good directional signs. Traffic can be slow during rush hour or anywhere there's construction. You can use the Texas Department of Transportation Info Hot Line (tel. 713/802-5074) to check for lane closures on local freeways. The Houston Chronicle provides this information, too, as well as info on street closures. Don't be surprised to encounter construction during your visit.
Rentals -- The prices for rental cars in Houston are lower than those for many tourist destinations, but tacked on to the final cost are several taxes that raise the price by as much as 27%. Keep this in mind when the salesperson tries to upgrade you to a higher-priced model. As is the case when renting cars elsewhere, you probably don't need to buy extra insurance if you're already covered by your personal auto insurance. The major car-rental companies with locations around the city include Alamo (tel. 800/462-5266; www.alamo.com), Avis (tel. 800/230-4898; www.avis.com), Budget (tel. 800/527-7000; www.budget.com), Dollar (tel. 800/800-3665; www.dollar.com), Enterprise (tel. 800/736-8222; www.enterprise.com), Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131; www.hertz.com), National (tel. 800/227-7368; www.nationalcar.com), and Thrifty (tel. 800/847-4389; www.thrifty.com).
By Public Transportation
Light Rail -- The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro; tel. 713/635-4000; www.ridemetro.org) inaugurated its first light rail line in 2004. So far it's been a big success with locals and is quite helpful for visitors, as it ties together some of the main areas of interest -- downtown, the Museum District, the Medical Center, and Reliant Park. Train tickets cost $1.25 and are valid as bus transfers if the ticket holder is not traveling in the return direction. Train tickets can be purchased at each station from vending machines that accept cash, debit cards, and credit cards. The other option is to buy a "Q fare card" for multiple trips and load it with as much money as you think you'll need. These are available at a wide variety of retail outlets. The trains run as frequently as every 6 minutes and in slow times are not more than 18 minutes apart.
Note: In the past few years, there have been numerous collisions involving the light rail train and private vehicles. The train usually wins. Almost all of these accidents occurred because the drivers of the cars were distracted. Pay attention to directional signs and signals when crossing the rail line. There are a few confusing intersections: at the end of the line, where Main Street reaches Buffalo Bayou, in the Medical Center, and where the tracks shift from Main Street to San Jacinto. Otherwise, it's all straightforward.
Bus Service -- The citywide bus service operated by Metro can get you to most places in the city. To find out what bus to catch and where and when to catch it, your best option is to call the customer service number listed above. The staff can tell you over the phone how to get from point A to point B. If you're planning in advance, you can use the website and click on "Trip Planners." Once you know the bus routes you're going to use, you can download schedules from the same website. The standard bus fare is $1.25 for travel inside Loop 610 (seniors pay 60¢ and children 3 and under ride free); exact change is required, and the machines accept dollar bills. If needed, ask for a transfer, which will be good for 3 hours for other buses or the train. Metro no longer operates downtown trolleys.
By Taxi
Taxis are plentiful in the city, but trying to hail one on the street can be an exercise in frustration. Call ahead or use hotel taxi stands. The principal companies are Yellow Cab (tel. 713/236-1111), Fiesta Cab (tel. 713/225-2666), Liberty Cab (tel. 800/TAXICAB [829-4222]), and United Cab (tel. 713/699-0000). Rates are set by the city: $4 for the first mile, $1.85 for each additional mile, plus a fuel charge, depending on the current price of gas.
Getting There
By Plane
Houston has two major airports: the George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), 22 miles north of downtown, and the smaller William P. Hobby Airport, 9 miles southeast of downtown. Both shuttle companies listed below offer service between the airports.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport -- Houston's primary airport is serviced by all major national and international carriers. The airport has all the facilities of major international airports, including ATMs and currency exchange desks.
Getting To & From the Airport -- Taxi service from IAH to downtown costs $45 to $55 and the ride takes 30 to 45 minutes; getting to the Galleria area costs a few dollars more. Super Shuttle (tel. 713/523-8888 or 800/BLUE VAN (258-3826); www.supershuttle.com), ferries passengers to and from this airport to almost all hotels. Prices vary according to the hotel's location. To or from downtown costs $25, and $7 for each person traveling with you. Shuttle ticket counters are at all airport terminals. Airport Shuttle America (tel. 281/530-4000 or 713/270-4200; www.airportshuttleamerica.net) is a homegrown company. It goes anywhere around town (IAH to downtown is $15 one-way) and to Galveston, transporting cruise ship passengers back and forth. Another option is the city's bus service (tel. 713/635-4000; www.ridemetro.org), which operates bus route 102. The fare is $1.25. Exact change is required, but dollar bills are accepted. Buses run about every 40 minutes, and travel time to downtown is an hour, a little longer for rush hour.
The major car-rental companies have counters at each terminal. John F. Kennedy Boulevard is the main artery into and out of the airport. When leaving the airport, you'll see signs pointing toward either the North Freeway (I-45) or the Eastex Freeway (Tex. 59). Both take you downtown, but the Eastex is shorter and usually quicker.
William P. Hobby Airport -- Hobby Airport (www.fly2houston.com/hobbyhome) is used mostly by Southwest Airlines. All major car-rental agencies have counters here with either staff or a service phone. Taxis from Hobby to the downtown area cost about $30, and to the Galleria area $40. For airport shuttle service, see above.
By Car
Houston is connected to Dallas and Fort Worth by I-45, and to San Antonio, New Orleans, and Beaumont by I-10. From Austin, you can take either Tex. 71 through Bastrop to Columbus, where it joins I-10, or Tex. 290 east through Brenham.
By Train
Amtrak (tel. 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com) trains from New Orleans, Chicago, and Los Angeles (and points in between) arrive and depart from the Southern Pacific Station at 902 Washington Ave. (tel. 713/224-1577), close to downtown.
Neighborhoods in Brief
Downtown -- Once a ghost town in the evenings and on weekends, downtown Houston is now the place to be. Restaurants and bars are opening (and in some cases closing) in quick succession. Hotels have multiplied, too. Much of the revitalization is taking place on the northwest side of downtown, in and around Old Market Square and the theater district, where Houston's symphony orchestra, ballet, opera, and principal theater company all reside. To the east, within walking distance, are the George Brown Convention Center; the baseball park, Minute Maid Field (formerly Enron Field); and the Toyota Center basketball arena. Also fueling downtown's revitalization is a light rail that runs up and down Main Street and connects to the Museum District and the Medical Center. Beneath downtown is a network of pedestrian tunnels lined by shops and restaurants, forming an underground city. As is typical of Houston, almost all of these tunnels are private, not public, developments. South of downtown is Midtown, an area in transition, with town houses and shops gradually replacing vacant lots and small office buildings. Vietnamese shopkeepers and restaurateurs have settled into the western side, especially along Milam Street, where you can find an array of excellent Vietnamese restaurants with reasonable prices.
East End -- Before Houston was established on the banks of Buffalo Bayou, the town of Harrisburg already existed 2 miles downstream. As Houston grew eastward, it incorporated Harrisburg, leaving behind little of the old town. A small commercial Chinatown lies a couple of blocks east of the convention center; beyond that, the area is residential. The inner East End is an up-and-coming neighborhood of mixed ethnicity. As you move farther east, the residences mix with small-scale manufacturing, auto mechanic and body shops, and service industries for the ship channel. In the far southern part is NASA's Space Center Houston; Kemah, Houston's version of Fisherman's Wharf; and Galveston Island. Most hotels located in this area are along the Gulf Freeway. The main reason for staying here is that hotel rates, for the most part, are economical, and the location between downtown, Hobby Airport, and the above-mentioned attractions makes the East End convenient.
South Main -- South of downtown and midtown is the Museum District and Hermann Park. This lovely part of town has lots of green space. Most of the museums are within a few blocks of one another. Here also are the Houston Zoological Gardens and the Rice University campus. On the south side of the park begins the Texas Medical Center. A bit farther south is a complex of buildings holding Reliant Stadium and the old Astrodome. This part of town has many hotels to suit all budgets. The location is convenient, and the city's light rail connects this area with downtown.
Montrose & the Heights -- Directly west of downtown is the Montrose area, a hip, artsy, and colorful part of town known for its clubs, galleries, and shops. The Museum District extends into this neighborhood to include the famous Menil Collection and its satellite galleries, a must-see for any visitor interested in the arts. Upscale in certain sections, downscale in others, the Montrose contains a broad cross section of Houston society. It's also the de facto center of Houston's large and active gay community. North of the Montrose area, across Buffalo Bayou, is the Heights. It was conceived and built as an independent, planned residential community in the 1890s and remained so until 1918, when it was annexed by Houston. One curious fact about the Heights is that the original articles of incorporation required it to be "dry" (no sale of alcohol) -- and this has stood in place ever since. Consequently, only a few good restaurants are here. But there's great shopping, especially for antiques and folk art. With downtown to the east, the Museum District to the south, and Kirby to the west, the Montrose area and the Heights are well located.
Kirby District & Greenway Plaza -- The area bordering Kirby Drive from River Oaks to University Place offers the most restaurants of any district in Houston. Near Kirby Drive's midway point, where it crosses the Southwest Freeway, is the Greenway Plaza, an integrated development of office buildings, movie theaters, shops, and a sports arena, which has been made over into a well-known megachurch called Lakewood. Farther south is Rice Village, a retail development consisting of 16 square blocks of smart shops and restaurants. It is phenomenally popular with Houstonians and visitors and attracts all kinds of shoppers and diners.
Uptown -- Farther west, all the way to Loop 610, is where Uptown begins. It is still informally called the Galleria area, after the large indoor shopping mall, entertainment, and hotel complex. But the district's business owners had to devise another name for it because the developer of the Galleria protected its name so jealously that it became problematic to use the word in any commercial context. Thus, we have "Uptown." Shops, restaurants, and other businesses front Westheimer and Post Oak Boulevard.
North Houston -- All the neighborhoods described above, except for the Heights, are south of I-10, which bisects Houston into northern and southern halves. North Houston is largely a mix of working- and middle-class neighborhoods and commercial centers and, with the exception of the Heights, has little to offer visitors. Over the years, developers tried to establish upscale communities here, but an inherent quality of suburbanism is that you can always build farther out, and, with each successive subdivision, the inner suburbs lose a little more of their luster. Ultimately, the developers took this to its logical extreme, skipping over vast tracts of land to build so far north that the city will never touch them. Thus, Woodlands and Kingwood, two upscale residential developments, are so far out that one can't consider them part of Houston.
