musikguy

If you find yourself on the South Central side of Houston, there is plenty to do if you can make your way to the Old Spanish Trail.
The OST (as the locals call it) extends from near I-45 on the east side to Main street on the west side. I used to do some work at a recording studio at Almeda and OST so I became familiar with all the food joints up and down this major road. And once you go west far enough and hit main street, you have even more choices of things to do and ways to spend your money.
The commuter rail makes stops near the OST so getting downtown is a breeze. And, if you are at the Reliant Center watching a football game and you decide to stay in the area, the OST has plenty more to offer.
OST or Old Spanish Trail is a good starting point for those on the south side trying to stretch out their day. Follow it to Main and there is no limit to what you can find to kill a Sunday afternoon.

For several years I was a recording engineer for Rap-A-Lot records and their recording studio is located on Pinemont. I got to know the area very well.
It isn't exactly the nicest area in Houston, but it isn't as bad as it initially seems either. Once you get past the roads that need obvious work and the shanty houses located right off Pinemont, you'll find that the area actually has some charm.
Even though I spent most of my time in the studio, I did venture to the corner of Pinemont and Antoine from time to time. Here you will find anything you need including local shops, fast food and one of my favorite dive restaurants in Houston, Timmy Chans Chicken and Rice. This is Chinese food with a soul food flare. Not your typical dish of either, but a nice combined new style of cooking. It was always packed regardless of the time I would go.
If you follow Pinemont to 290 you will see the local metro bus park and ride. Very convenient for those getting around town with public transportation.
The Pinemont area doesn't pretend to be anything it is not. But for a middle to lower middle class north side hang out, I don't have a problem with telling people to check it out. And eat some Timmy Chans. That's worth the drive down Pinemont by itself.

Richmond Ave. in Houston is the local's Westheimer. Yes, some of them still find things to do near Westheimer and Montrose, but most of them tired of this long ago. Just like New Orleans has Decatur Street for the locals fed up with the Bourbon Street madness, Richmond is the locals main street.
I used to live off of Richmond but on the far west side near Gessner. I had my choice of good restaurants, Hispanic clubs, and tattoo parlors, but not much else.
Where Richmond really comes alive is near Kirby on up to Montrose. This is where you will find secret dive bars, music shops, and local favorites like Amy's icecream.
The best part about Richmond Ave. is that it will have slightly less people on it than the neighboring Westheimer. It still gets busy, especially on the weekends, but when you are tired of fighting the crowds on the Westheimer side, give Richmond a chance.
The locals figured this out years ago.

Main Street. Sounds like something out of a movie. When in doubt, go to Main Street. Well, in this case, you would hit the jackpot.
Main Street has everything you would want in a downtown spot: food, entertainment, transportation. The commuter rail will drop you off right at Main and Preston or Main and Congress, exactly where I want to be. There is a local taco stand nearby who the locals understand to have the best breakfast tacos around. It is run by an Asian lady who doesn't mind telling you what she thinks on a variety of subjects, but businessmen and construction workers stand side by side to eat her tacos.
There are several food joints in the area that are small and dive-y but who serve amazing grub.
Lots of local bars and clubs including one of my favorites, Clarks. A friend of mine used to run his recording studio out of Clarks by day, and it would be a full fledged dance club by night.
And if you are a baseball fan, the Astros play at Minute Maid Park only blocks from here.
Yes, Main street here is just that: the MAIN street in downtown Houston. The downtown here isn't small so you have to start somewhere. Mains street is about the best starting point you will find. Truly my favorite spot amongst the concrete and skyscrapers.

I love Louetta Street and the surrounding area. It feels like a suburb, because it is. It just happens to be (barely) within the Houston city limits. North NORTH Houston, but still Houston. I must say though, it doesn't feel like Houston at all. More laid back like Austin or Boulder Colorado. I have a good friend who lives off Louetta and another friend who lives nearby on Cypresswood Drive. I have gotten to know the neighborhoods very well.
Louetta cuts through most of these neighborhoods as it runs from I-45 through 249 and almost all the way to 290. These neighborhoods sit between Spring, Texas and Willowbrook mall. You have everything you need on this side of town. The locals seem to be a nice mixture of lower middle to upper middle class. Everything seems new and fresh (the local Kroger where my friend shops is the biggest and nicest grocery store I think I have ever seen). Like golfing? Several courses in the area. Plenty of shopping, food, and entertainment. In fact, there is no real reason to go into Houston proper which is why my friends rarely do.
If you are visiting Houston, you could probably do without seeing Louetta road and the surrounding areas. They are too far away from the bright lights of downtown. But if you are looking to move here, this is the best spot you will find on the north side without being in another town.
As far as Houston goes, this is as non-city as there is. Is that a good thing? For some it is a GREAT thing.

I lived in Houston for many years so I'm aware that it is not a good idea to set up shop in South Houston, even for a night. But trying to fly from Austin to Atlanta I had trouble with my airline tickets in Houston and was forced to stay the night on Airport Blvd near the Hobby airport.
Everything I had heard was true. This side of town seems to be poverty stricken. Several empty buildings that used to be gas stations and restaurants line both sides of the street. Unkept fields and trashy side streets only enforced this dangerous looking area. But that wouldn't be fair. Just because an area looks bad during the daylight hours doesn't necessarily mean that it will be bad at night. Well, it was.
From our hotel room we could hear several people (seemed to be all male) walking up and down Airport yelling and making lots of noise. Almost all of them were wearing bandana's and drinking what I guessed was alcohol. Several of these guys would promptly break their glass bottles on the side of the road when they were done.
Does that mean that this was a bad element who would rob me if I dared step out of me hotel parking lot? Of course not. I didn't see one crime committed or anything that would need police involvement. Nothing. However, sometimes you can get a feel for the type of situation that is going on near you, and I definitely didn't feel comfortable.
Again, this could have been solely in my head, but it was how I felt. The poverty level of the area, along with the trash, abandoned buildings, and 'spirited youth' told me that this was not a part of town that I want to stay in again.
Next time I will make sure that I change planes in George Bush International and avoid Hobby Airport and Airport Blvd. altogether.

Every big city has a park where people can jog, bike or picnic. Houston is no different. Driving along the 610 loop near I-35 you will come across Memorial drive and Memorial Park.
This park is great. Miles of jog and bike trails with places off the beaten path to 'explore' and friendly people just enjoying the day. Like to play tennis or golf? Memorial park has these as well.
Obviously Houston can be extremely hot and humid during the summer so it's no wonder that in the early morning and late evening Memorial Drive can become pretty crowded with everyone enjoying the park.
And if you are in your car or on your bike, you can easily ride in one direction and find the Galleria or ride in the other direction and find yourself in the Westheimer/Montrose area.
Memorial Park (by way of Memorial Drive) has it all: greenery, trails, water, sports, happy people enjoying a little bit of nature amongst all the city life. It's nice to soak in some greenery from time to time.

So your in Houston and you are looking for something to do. This is a very diverse city. Do you want to slum it and go 'low rent' for the night? Or are you looking for the finer things in life- food, shopping? If you want to step up the Houston experience without putting on your tuxedo and having the limo drop you off to a swanking downtown club, then Kirby Drive and West University Place might be just what you are looking for.
The area surrounding Kirby Drive on the southside of highway 59 is very nice. I would even say one of the nicest areas within the city limits. Dining is amazing here. You can throw a rock in any direction and hit a resteraunt with raving reviews. Also, the shopping here is second to none. Mostly independent shops within walking distance of each other.
It is also walking distance from Rice University so there are lots of students who frequent the area. This is not a retirement community! Its very youthful and lively, but at the same time very classy and refined. If you have the spare coin, you will find yourself coming back to south Kirby Drive and West University Place.
View, food, shopping- what else are you looking for on a Saturday afternoon?

Tell anyone familiar with Houston that you live in 'The Heights' and the general reply will be "Cool." And they would be right. The part of Houston centering around Yale street from the 610 loop to I 10 and from Studemont to Shepard and on is known as The Heights. I had heard about this area when I first moved to Houston. A day drive and several bike rides through this part of town did little to impress me. It looks like any other older neighborhood with a city built up around it. Then I moved to the Heights.
I lived just off of Yale and 24th street. First off, the people in my neighborhood were just like out of a movie. Very friendly, aware of their neighbors, and constantly participating in neighborhood garage sales and street festivals. There is even a diner just off of Yale where on any given day of the week you can find people from the neighborhood eating and chatting there. Local businesses are peppered throughout the Heights but it is mostly people living their lives. No suits and jackets here. My neighbors were mostly artistic types or food industry/bar types. Everyone kept late hours and could be seen walking their pets or riding their mountain bikes all over the neighborhood at any given time.
And speaking of riding your bike, I found that it was only a 5 minute bike ride to the Montrose/Westheimer bars that I liked so much. Also, one of my favorite music venues, Fitzgeralds, is in the neighborhood. Walking distance to a rock show!
Yes, if you want the white picket fence and the elusive neighbors who you only talk to when you run into them at Starbucks, then the Heights is not for you. But if you want a cool neighborhood where everyone knows everyone and to find a barbeque you only have to walk out of your house and follow your nose, then Yale street and the surrounding area is the place for you. Welcome to the 'cool table'. Welcome to the Heights.

A comedian once told me that when you are in a strange city and you want to find the action, ask the cab driver where the kids hang out. Well, in this city of 4 million plus people, that would be Westheimer.
This is the East Village of Houston. The Bourbon Street, the Haight Ashbury, the Piccadilly Circus. From the bead shops near Kirby to the bars and clubs near Montrose, this street has been known since I was a kid as the place to be when you want to make something happen. There used to be a Westheimer street festival every summer but they've since moved that downtown. No matter. Westheimer still has all the thrills of a very active nightlife. No where else in Houston can you find a collection of bars so close together that seem to cater to the same crowd. Twenty something artists and musicians fill the streets near Westheimer and Montrose but a wide variety of people join them knowing that where ever this lively bunch goes, fun follows.
If you want to go to an alternative lifestyle club, get a tattoo, see a rock show, or drink in a poorly lit dive bar with other people looking for laughs and fun, you can certainly find it on Westheimer. This is a rather long road going through the better part of Houston so for the nightlife, contain your journey between Buffalo Speedway and Bagley. There's even a commuter rail that will shuttle you from the Westheimer/Montrose area to downtown and back.
So put on your tight blue jeans and your favorite black concert shirt and head down to Westheimer for cheap beer and cheap laughs. That's where the kids hang out.