Lots has been mentioned, but I’ll add a bit.
Richmond between Hillcroft and Chimney Rock has gobs of restaurants and bars, one of my favorites being the Richmond Arms, sister ship to the late lamented Ale House. We’ve had a couple of HouDopes there (BTW, there are a few Houston Dopers in this thread who haven’t made a HouDope yet - hint, hint).
I’ll try not to duplicate, although I’ll note that we’ve also had HouDope gatherings at the above mentioned Stag’s Head (and the late lamented Ale House) as well as at the Baker Street Pub, which is across the street from the already mentioned Gingerman.
If you head on into town, might I suggest Richmond or Westpark as alternatives to the Southwest Freeway (59) or I-10. When you pass the West Loop (610 - which I consider a contender for worst rush hour traffic) keep on comin’.
While the MFAH (which is now huge - I was there last weekend for about 4 hours and didn’t cover half of it) and the Museum of Natural Science and the Houston Zoo have been mentioned, if you’re in that area, you’re right next to Hermann Park. Now somebody said something to the effect that there are no hills in Houston. That’s not entirely correct, as we built one in Hermann Park. It’s called… The Hill.
So, the Park abuts the Museum District (which also includes the Glassel School and the Contemporary Arts Museum), which abuts a part of town generally known as Montrose, which is where I live.
Montrose has long been sort of Houston’s Greenwich Village - lots of restaurants and bars (of all types - I think every gay bar in Houston is here) and on its third or fourth wave of regentrification. If you like jazz, you might check out Scott Gertner’s Sky Bar, There are a couple of other jazz bars near by; if you’re interested, I’ll dig’em up.
Not mentioned yet, a couple of blocks from where I live is the Menil Collection, which is a privately funded museum containing one of the best collections of surrealist art there is. Dali, Magritte, Man-Ray - stuff you’ve seen reproduced in magazines and the like is right there, two feet from your face. And there’s much more to the Museum - they’ve got two annexes now. It’s right next to the also Menil-funded inglorious Rothko Chapel. Both worth a look, and free.
Living and working in Alief, you can avoid downtown for years at a time. But if you’re here, you owe it to yourself to make an expedition down there just to witness the incredible architectural efforts that have been executed. The whole of downtown is connected by a tunnel system that you should tour, as well. La Carafe has been mentioned, and if you’re there, you’re on Old Market Square, which also boasts Warren’s and is but a block removed from the Brewery Tap, both worth a visit.
Those are relatively old time Houston haunts, as downtown has undergone massive changes within the last few years. Lots of residential building has caused me to be reminded of Manhattan when visiting in recent years. A new thing I like to do occasionally is go to the Symphony, and then retire across the street to the State Bar of Texas, in the old Rice Hotel (recently converted to apartments). While the Houston Grand Opera and the Symphony have been mentioned, I don’t think anybody’s yet drawn your attention to taking in the current endeavor at Jones Hall or the Alley Theater.
Ack! There’re lots of little theaters, too, and I just can’t get to all of them.
From your likely position on the southwest side of town, another diversion is but a few miles away, that being the Brazos Bend State Park. Yep, there are 'gators here, and there you can see 'em. They’ve also got an observatory that’s a good night time visit (hmmm, 'what do 'gators do at night?). There, you’re actually a lot closer in than Galveston, which is considered part of the Houston metropolitan area, but you see only the swamp and its myriad assemblage of creatures.
From there it’s an easy drive down Highway 6 (avoiding, for the most part, I-45) to Galveston. While attractions there have been mentioned - oh, did anybody mention the beach? - I’ll add, on the west side, the Lone Star Flight Museum, very interesting if you’re at all an av buff. There’s also Seawolf Park and The Strand. They hold both a Dickens-on-the-Strand and Mardi Gras celebrations in Galveston, as well as a few college-kids-are-coming-to-get-drunk-en masse-don’t-visit-right-now weekends.
If you drive up to the northeast end of the island, you can take the Bolivar Ferry (free), and that’s a nice little ride. You wind up on the Bolivar Penninsula and drive north to catch I-10 back in to Houston. Or, turn around, take another nice little ferry ride back to Galveston, exit over the Causeway and, instead of taking I-45 back in to Houston, you take 146 up through Kemah, etc., until you come to the 225 (Spencer Highway) turn off.
From there it’s a short trip to the San Jacinto Monument. A short visit there will get you quickly up to speed on the Texas War for Independence. Just across the road is BB-35, the Battleship Texas. Another well worth a visit. Another free ferry ride, albeit short, awaits just up the road at the Lynchburg Crossing.
Arghhh! There’s so much more, and I just can’t get to it all! The Orange Show, Art Cars…
I love it here, and I love the coastal plains. I’m probably Ringo the Houston Jingo.
Ah, well, welcome to you, flickster.
If this interview next week goes well, I hopw I’m in Houston long enough to know it and love as well as you do.