The Top 5 Reasons to Visit Houston, Texas Now
WRITTEN BY 5 REASONS TO VISIT® EDITORIAL STAFF
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 2022 • 4 min read
Houston, Texas is filled with world-class dining, traditional and contemporary art museums, high-end shopping, and exciting nightlife. This cosmopolitan city is where Southern hospitality meets urban chic. As the rest of the country discovers what locals have known all along, Houston is enjoying the recognition it deserves.
Image courtesy of Visit Houston
1. THE SHOPPING
With more than a dozen distinct shopping areas, with retail that runs the gamut from vintage to high-end designer—Houston is arguably the style capital of the South. The Galleria, an international shopping destination that hosts more than 24 million visitors annually, offers world-class shopping with more than 375 stores and a full-sized ice rink.
Image courtesy of Visit Houston
The Galleria is home to a who’s who list of designers, including Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Chanel, Jimmy Choo, and Ralph Lauren, among many others. Sitting alongside the upscale boutiques are anchor stores Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and two Macy's department stores, adding up to more than 2 million square feet of shopping thrills.
2. THE ART
Houston’s Museum District is a cultural destination that welcomes millions of visitors every year. The beautiful, tree-lined neighborhood is walkable and easily accessible by METRORail. There is plenty to keep you busy for a full day. The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is dedicated to presenting the best and most exciting international, national and regional art. In the 1990s, the Museum sharpened its focus, concentrating on art made within the past 40 years and extending its reach internationally.
Image courtesy of Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
The new millennium was celebrated by the Museum with a look back at some of the most arresting and important installations of the previous decade in the exhibition Outbound: Passages from the Nineties. Other thematic exhibitions of the new century have included Afterimage: Drawing Through Process; Subject Plural; and The Inward Eye.
Looking for place to snap that perfect shot while exploring Houston? With its many green spaces, sculptures and street art, you don’t have to look too hard to find an interesting backdrop for your photos and selfies. Stops along your way should include the Montrose Paint Wall, the “Houston is Inspired” mural across from Market Square and Instagram-worthy Smither Park.
3. THE COCKTAILS & CUISINE
Welcome to Traveler’s Table, a globally-inspired eatery in the heart of Houston’s Montrose neighborhood. Here, the passion for exploring the world through food and drink is served through modern versions of hand-selected dishes and craft cocktails from around the world. Food can serve as a gateway for learning about other cultures, for fostering understanding, and for breaking down the barriers that divide us as citizens of the world. For your artisanal cocktail fix, we recommend trying the Old Fashioned Experience—the “Shogun” is concocted with Japanese whisky, plum wine, ginger syrup, orange bitters, and sliced ginger, the “Last Pirate Standing” with Jamaican rum, all spice dram, tiki bitters, tamarind syrup, fresh-squeezed lime, and cloves, and “Fallen Saint” with Irish whiskey, Guinness honey syrup, whiskey barrel aged bitters, and fresh mint sprig. For the adventurous, try a flight of all three.
Traveler’s Table in Houston, Texas
Through curated global cuisine and a bit of creative license from time to time, Traveler’s Table still tries to stay true to the spirit of the originals. With a diverse team of talented chefs, they bring their multi-ethnic cooking styles and experiences together to create unique dishes that showcase the best flavors and ingredients both locally and from all over the world. Favorite dishes include Beetroot Tartare with mesquite-smoked beetroot, avocado, truffle-yuzu aioli, golden beet-caper coulis, fried shallots, dill, whole grain mustard, clementines, sea grapes, and toasted baguette, Caribbean Braised Oxtail with habanero mango chow, allspice, sherry, butter beans, roasted carrots, onions, celery, and jasmine rice, as well as Lobster Bánh Khọ́t with bite-sized crispy rice pancakes, poached lobster, coconut cream, nước mắm, honey, scallions, pickled green papaya-carrot-pineapple slaw, cilantro, and Thai basil.
Take the time to indulge your sweet tooth and enjoy one of many decadent desserts such as Hawaiian Haupia Coconut Pudding with mango-pineapple sauce, tropical fruit, toasted coconut, and chopped macadamia nuts or Mexican Spiced Flourless Chocolate Cake with Mayan dark chocolate ganache, pumpkin-peanut palanqueta, tequila crème anglaise, chocolate “soil,” and horchata ice cream. Hungry yet?
4. THE GARDENS
In 1925, Ima Hogg and her brothers, Will and Mike, selected 14 acres of natural woodlands and winding ravines for their home in the newly developed Houston neighborhood of River Oaks. She began planning the gardens before construction began on the home in 1927. Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens reflect her love of beauty, flowers, and natural woodlands; her passion for history and all things classical; her meticulous eye for detail, proportion, and scale; her keen sense of color; her hands-on, experimental approach to gardening; and her continuous personal supervision.
Ima Hogg created formal gardens that reflect the Country Place era from 1880 to 1920. Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens were created as a series of gracious and beautiful gardens intended to be outdoor rooms for living and entertaining, not just views to be admired from within the house. She planted magnolias, crepe myrtles, and other flowering trees with Southern associations. She also planted camellias and is credited with introducing azaleas to Houston. The Woodland Ravines, made up of native trees and shrubs, form a spectacular backdrop to the formal gardens surrounding Bayou Bend.
5. THE ARCHITECTURE
Nestled in 10 acres of beautiful green parkland in the heart of downtown Houston, The Heritage Society boasts 10 historic houses dating from 1823 to 1905. Each historic home is authentically restored to reflect its original magnificence. The 1847 Kellum-Noble House is the oldest surviving building constructed in Houston. Even more remarkable, it stands on its original foundation and retains its original brick walls made with mud from the banks of nearby Buffalo Bayou.
Nichols-Rice-Cherry House in Houston, Texas
The 1868 Pillot House was one of the first to have an attached kitchen with running water, closets, and gas lighting. Architectural enhancements such as full-length windows and wrap-around porches illustrate how residences were designed for Houston's hot climate. The 1850 Nichols-Rice-Cherry House became the first historic building to be moved into Sam Houston Park. Elegant furnishings depict the lifestyle of William Marsh Rice, who was one of the wealthiest men in the city at that time.
WHERE TO STAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS
Set in the historic Samuel F. Carter skyscraper, the JW Marriott Houston Downtown blends past and present, by showcasing paintings and sculptures created by local artists, to eloquently conserve the city’s rich legacy. Located downtown, walking distance to office towers, this luxury hotel is on the train line and near Minute Maid Park, the George R. Brown Convention Center, NRG Stadium and the Texas Medical Center.
