Houston 2nd 'Most Boring City In The World' (Dallas, Katy: club, stores)

[David Dollar]

Originally Posted by nana053

I would be interested to know where the small independent theaters are in Houston. In Chicago, there are so many. Personally, I am a theater buff and love the smaller independent productions (in NYC - think off-off-off broadway).

In Chicago, aside from the larger venues, like the Briar Street Theater (Blue Man Group is there currently), the Goodman Theater, Navy Piers Shanghai Stage (currently Cirque is playing there), the Royal George Theater, and Steppenwolf (where many fine actors got their start), we had small and fun places like The Neofuturians (Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind - 30 plays in 60 minutes), Stage 773 (on Belmont, not far from the "el"), the Chopin Theater, etc. Many of these are not expensive for tickets either.

Btw, is there any dinner theater in Houston? There are many in Chicago and the surrounding burbs.

In Chicago, there is a thriving gay theater scene too. Does Houston have one?

We also had theater in various parks from Shakespeare to comedy.

There was a great amount of lunchtime music in the various plazas for free (don't know if there is anything like that here) - not nightlife, but the kind of thing I enjoyed. Free jazz, blues, classical music, etc. were an easy and nice way to spend your lunchtime.

Chicago has street fests going on all the time in the summer. I think Houston has some, but they cost money and are not easily accessible because you have to find a place to park. In Chicago, I took the *el* or walked and the fests were often free or donation except for the huge ones in Grant Park which could be expensive and were not as much fun. The art fairs in Chicago were quite interesting too. Aside from the museums, you had lots of arts and crafts fests.

I lived in the north suburbs, but could be downtown on the *el* or metra in 20 to 30 minutes.

Also, Houston does NOT have a decent beach. I was within walking distance of the beach in Chicago and often walked down the bike and pedestrian path for miles people watching. This is something that I cannot do here as it is too hot in the summer and there is no Lake or Ocean front to walk on.

Here's a list of 652 attractions in Chicago
Things to do in Chicago: Check out 652 Chicago Attractions with 22,588 reviews

Thanks. Great info. Black Sabbath is gonna make their final US appearance in Chicago as well.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by glorplaxy

Sure, we don't have anything like the Liberty Bell or Golden Gate Bridge, but are those things REALLY that fun? Are they so fun that you would want to go across the country just to look at them and take a picture? Do those things really make a city worth visiting? Not to me...

Our interests are obviously different.

Originally Posted by glorplaxy

The only things people do for fun in cities like that are go to restaurants and get drunk at clubs or bars!

[MIBS98]

Originally Posted by nana053

Thanks for the link. I guess with festivals, I was spoiled because I just hopped on the *el* and walked through them in Chi-town.

I frankly do not like the beaches here and at an hour away, I don't bother with them. In Florida, the ocean beaches are a lot nicer. I liked the beaches on the West coast better as well.

Funny, I grew up close to where Lincoln Park borders Old Town. North Ave beach was within walking distance (a long walk mind you, but walkable anyway). In 18 years I think I set foot on North Ave beach maybe 3 times.

I don't go to the Galveston beaches. I do rent out a condo and shoot down to Port A for a week here and there.

[David Dollar]

Originally Posted by glorplaxy

Pretty much every single thing you listed is easily within walking distance from my house in the Heights, except for hospitals, which is a quick bus ride (15 minutes) and train hop to get to...and we all know about the Medical Center.

I've got a farmer's market within walking distance, a Fiesta for cheap groceries, Revival Market for "organic" and local groceries and made-to-order dishes, dollar stores up to high dollar boutiques, dry cleaners, drug stores, banks, doctors offices, office buildings, 19th century architecture (my house is over 100 years old as it is). There are performing arts venue literally on my street, less than a 10 minute walk away (on White Oak), as well as restaurants and nightlife (people come from all over town to get to go out in this area).

Sure, we don't have anything like the Liberty Bell or Golden Gate Bridge, but are those things REALLY that fun? Are they so fun that you would want to go across the country just to look at them and take a picture? Do those things really make a city worth visiting? Not to me...

You must live in a different Heights than I do. I have never seen an Ivy Leauge university, 18th century architecture, or many of the other things she mentioned. However, there are some very interesting car lots and huge grocery stores to check out.

[glorplaxy]

No, there is no Ivy League university in the Heights and I never said there was, or 18th century architecture although I did say 19th, of which there is quite a bit.

yeah, I think you live in a different Heights than I do. I live at White Oak/6th and Heights. I certainly don't see very many big car lots of grocery stores around here. Where the hell are you at in the Heights where you are seeing these things?

[SouthernBoy205]

I wonder why people prefer Atlanta and Dallas over Houston in terms of entertainment.

[David Dollar]

Originally Posted by glorplaxy

No, there is no Ivy League university in the Heights and I never said there was, or 18th century architecture although I did say 19th, of which there is quite a bit.

yeah, I think you live in a different Heights than I do. I live at White Oak/6th and Heights. I certainly don't see very many big car lots of grocery stores around here. Where the hell are you at in the Heights where you are seeing these things?

Hit Shepard and see how many car lots you can count between 11th and 610. There are 2 Fiestas and 2 Krogers within all about a mile of the Kroger on 11th and Shephard.

[glorplaxy]

Originally Posted by David Dollar

Hit Shepard and see how many car lots you can count between 11th and 610. There are 2 Fiestas and 2 Krogers within all about a mile of the Kroger on 11th and Shephard.

There's a Kroger near me and the Fiesta near me is rather small. The large Fiesta is not in the Heights proper.

You're right, there are some used car lots on Shepherd near the loop, but again, that isn't even the Heights proper and is a good 10 minutes drive from me in the Central Heights. Come to my part of the Heights because it sounds like you don't really know the Heights at all. Go down Heights blvd or Yale st or 19th or 20th or White Oak blvd. That is the Heights, and like I said, from my house, within walking distance there is 19th century architecture, farmers markets, large well-stocked and diverse grocery stores like Kroger on 11th and small speciality grocers like Revival Market, entertainment like bars, ice-houses, pubs, live music venues, coffee shops, and more, great parks, a great historic library, doctors and dentists offices, small Mexican bakeries, a pet shop, many different kinds of restaurants, boutique shops and eclectic shops (like those on 19th and even some on White Oak and Yale and Heights)...and now they are building the new Wal Mart right down Yale from me, which will add an huge slew of new retail options in a very walkable distance from me (say what you want about Wal Mart, but having all of these options so near to me and in the city and not in a suburb is fckin awesome)...they are going to add a gamestop and already have added several eateries there (Jimmy John's, Smashburger, just to name two of the many), a barber, and more. Then, probably only a 20 minute walk further down Yale is the active nightlife center of Washington ave, so I can get totally wasted and never have to worry about driving home on a Friday or Saturday night. Maybe I will try the new hookah and Mediterranean restaurant when it opens.

But anyway, is that Kroger and the little Fiesta a bad thing? Certainly they are both very much within walkable distance. Is your idea of a cool neighborhood one where there is no grocery store or retail areas?

Or maybe only stuff like Revival? Or only places where there is no parking? I'm confused as to why grocery stores would be a bad thing.

[JJG]

Originally Posted by SouthernBoy205

I wonder why people prefer Atlanta and Dallas over Houston in terms of entertainment.

Ignorance or anti-Houston bias?

[David Dollar]

Originally Posted by glorplaxy

There's a Kroger near me and the Fiesta near me is rather small. The large Fiesta is not in the Heights proper.

You're right, there are some used car lots on Shepherd near the loop, but again, that isn't even the Heights proper and is a good 10 minutes drive from me in the Central Heights. Come to my part of the Heights because it sounds like you don't really know the Heights at all. Go down Heights blvd or Yale st or 19th or 20th or White Oak blvd. That is the Heights, and like I said, from my house, within walking distance there is 19th century architecture, farmers markets, large well-stocked and diverse grocery stores like Kroger on 11th and small speciality grocers like Revival Market, entertainment like bars, ice-houses, pubs, live music venues, coffee shops, and more, great parks, a great historic library, doctors and dentists offices, small Mexican bakeries, a pet shop, many different kinds of restaurants, boutique shops and eclectic shops (like those on 19th and even some on White Oak and Yale and Heights)...and now they are building the new Wal Mart right down Yale from me, which will add an huge slew of new retail options in a very walkable distance from me (say what you want about Wal Mart, but having all of these options so near to me and in the city and not in a suburb is fckin awesome)...they are going to add a gamestop and already have added several eateries there (Jimmy John's, Smashburger, just to name two of the many), a barber, and more. Then, probably only a 20 minute walk further down Yale is the active nightlife center of Washington ave, so I can get totally wasted and never have to worry about driving home on a Friday or Saturday night. Maybe I will try the new hookah and Mediterranean restaurant when it opens.

But anyway, is that Kroger and the little Fiesta a bad thing? Certainly they are both very much within walkable distance. Is your idea of a cool neighborhood one where there is no grocery store or retail areas?

Or maybe only stuff like Revival? Or only places where there is no parking? I'm confused as to why grocery stores would be a bad thing.

Actually the northern boundary ia 610. Now Washington, that is south of 10. Clearly out of the boundary of the Heights. I prwfer to go by the Super Neighborhood boundary anyway. My point was though. Is that The Heights is much more of a all town feel than a dense, urban feeling area. I like The Heights more than any other place in Houston.