It’s been my home for the past 18 years. Houston, for me, is the place where I feel most comfortable. It is the city that took in a family of immigrants and opened doors for us, far beyond our wildest imaginations. It is the city where I met my wife, started a family, and eventually a business. For all intents and purposes, I guess you could say, it is my compass in the universe. The place I naturally gravitate towards no matter how far away I venture.
To understand Houston, however, takes serious dedication.
The burgeoning metropolis nestled amid bustling highways, byways and tollways, as well as incorporated and unincorporated annexes from the Gulf Coast to the hill country is home to some six million residents from all over the world. The city was recently recognized as the most diverse in the United States and is well on its way to surpassing Chicago as the third-largest in the country by population.
Yet every time we talk to people outside of Houston about our city, or host them, it is surprising how little they know about what the Space City has to offer. NASA always comes to mind. I mean, who hasn’t uttered the words, “Houston, we have a problem.” As do the Texas Medical Center and the phrase energy capital of the world. If you look a little deeper, however, you will discover the true rhythm of life that makes this city one not to be missed.
In terms of culinary prowess, few other cities in the country can compare to Houston. Here, you can find any variety of authentic meals from Tex-Mex, to Ethiopian, to Colombian, and Vietnamese, just to name a few. As well as more traditional fare like Texas barbecue, or even delectable hybrid creations that are authentic to the local region. There’s a Japanese-Mexican restaurant we love to visit, that hosts a live band that plays Mexican and Colombian cumbias on the weekends. It’s a low-key kind of place where couples show up while they’re on dates and sit next to entire families who are there for a night out or to celebrate a birthday or some other occasion, kids in tow.
The dress code is “come as you are,” and people move tables and chairs to make room on the tiny dance floor, which is always full.
Over on the southwest side of Houston, two of our favorite stops are Mexico’s Deli, which features well over 30 different varieties of Mexican tortas (sandwiches), and the Seiwa Market, a Japanese grocery store with cold and hot meals available during the lunchtime rush hour. The Canino Produce market on Airline, the Hong Kong Mall on Bellaire, and more than a dozen open air flea markets around the city are also places I like taking out of towners to. You can really appreciate how blended together Houstonians live no matter what part of the world or country they arrived from at these places. It’s not like other cities where ethnic groups are found in different neighborhoods. Here we all coexist, and it just works.
Of course, you can’t talk about Houston without talking about NASA’s Johnson Space Center. To be completely honest, it had been quite a long time since I had visited this popular attraction mostly because it was just that. A popular attraction. I figured if I had visited this place as a kid on a school field trip that was enough. Wow, was I mistaken!
Recently we made the trip once more and got a special behind the scenes look at the massive complex that makes up the Johnson Space Center. From the neutral buoyancy lab, in which astronauts train for life in outer space, to the iconic Mission Control Center, this visit was one which made me fall in love with the space center all over again. We even had the opportunity to share a few moments with the Johnson Space Center’s first Latina director, Astronaut Dr. Ellen Ochoa. It made me appreciate so much more why out-of-towners always want to visit this Houston staple!
Closer to home, just a few blocks from the East End, the downtown Houston area is undergoing a massive transformation that is bringing thousands of residents back to high rises from the suburbs. There are parks like Discovery Green and the Midtown Park with a roster of events and activities throughout the year, and any number of festivals too. You can also get to the World Series Champions, the Houston Astros’ stadium pretty quickly from your Best Western hotel. You can even walk there if you want – something that just a couple of years ago was almost unheard of in our city.
Houston, you see, is too hard to define as one single thing. It is the culmination of a series of events and transformations that continue to make it one of the biggest cities in the world with a small-town feel. Where hospitality and southern charm are just as synonymous with Houston as are space exploration, medical innovation, and oil and gas.
It’s home – where people are never too busy to smile or say hello.
If you are visiting Houston for business or pleasure, the Best Western Plus Downtown Inn & Suites is a great place to stay. It is central to almost everything and has ample open areas for networking or holding meetings. We have actually had clients stay here before for the same reasons. They love the proximity of the hotel and it also means we get to earn more Best Western rewards points the more nights we book for them. Find many other Best Western properties in the Houston area at bestwestern.com.