View From a Hotel Window: Houston
Posted on May 22, 2014 Posted by John Scalzi 23 Comments
Aaaaand here I am in Houston, for ComicPalooza. Hope to see some of you folks there over the weekend. I am told that although they have not been scheduled yet, I will be doing some autograph sessions; as soon as I know when those are I will let you all know here.
In the meantime — howdy, y’all.
I assume that when you say you have been told that you are doing autographing sessions, that you had previously offered to do them.
Welcome to Houston! I probably won’t make it to the con, but I hope you enjoy your stay here. :-)
Nice view of the substation…..pretty transformers all in a row, insulators shiny and starting to glow….
3pm and 88F. I could like that place.
Hope you get to enjoy the place. I doubt I’ll make it to the con.
BTW, are you over by the medical center?
Since you are stuck in Downtown H-Town, you could take in a “real” H-Town bar that local H-Town artists and musicians hang out at but have to drive from far away in the suburbs and pay for parking, whereas you could simply take a short cab ride.
The most real, Houston bar you could enjoy this evening would be Last Concert Cafe at 1403 Nance St. Houston, TX. 77002 713 226-8563 : http://lastconcert.com/ Tonight the Hightailers play, you would be sorely pressed to find a better live local band anywhere else in the country by such serendipitous chance; also the Mexican food is awesome and healthy (before 10 PM).
Notsuoh’s (“Houston” spelled backwards) at 314 MAIN STREET HOUSTON, TX USA. Web Site: http://notsuoh.com/calendar/?view=calendar&month=May-2014 Things don’t get going until after 9:30 PM usually. The local artists who aren’t at Last Concert on a Thursday are at Notsuoh’s ….
For a rush hour bar with decent drinks, the Brewery Tap: http://www.brewerytaphouston.com/
Enjoy the Con, if you make it out to Last Concert, you will actually have seen some real local musicianship and artistry as to why some Texans actually choose to stay in Texas, and others move here. The Last Concert Cafe is somewhere I would take a visitor to the Houston area before NASA or the Galleria or whatever. Just my 2 cents!!! I think you would dig it.
You made it to my state but I’m working and not into a 1,200 mile round trip on Panther right now (It’s a big state; Panther is my Stratoliner). Love folks with a sense of humor. Howdy right back.
You’re obviously down by Discovery Green. There’s a really good restaurant there, The Grove. It’s part of the Del Grande empire, quite good but pricey.
I agree with the suggestion of Last Concert. Interesting history to the place. My wife’s known the present owner close to thirty years.
There’s a grocery store called Phonecia just a few blocks from where you’re staying. They have a nice restaurant with a different menu.
If you have the opportunity walk up to Main and then go North. Lots of interesting places north of Texas.
My wife & I live downtown. Have fun while you’re here.
I’m deeply jealous of you, Mr. Scalzi. Houston is a great city to visit.
“You’re obviously down by Discovery Green. There’s a really good restaurant there, The Grove. It’s part of the Del Grande empire, quite good but pricey.”
I ate at The Grove when I was in Houston for a conference once. It was pretty good. They were also showing a movie or something in the park right next to it. Not a bad way to spend an evening.
I’m glad our local con has put you in a good hotel. Sometimes I worry about them. ;) I’m looking forward to your reading, but I’ve gotta get back to town first!
All the suggestions above are quite fine for food. I expect you’ll probably be ferried to places vs. being left on your own, but: if you still love churros, I implore you to seek transport to Hugo’s down on Westheimer. Odds are, you’ve never had better.
Consider sampling the fried alligator appetizer at Pappadeaux’s (Cajun seafood) on Westheimer, straight west from downtown several miles. Sadly, my Texas locale, Midland, is over an eight hour drive from you. We measure trips in hours, not miles. Then there is always the Company Plane, Southwest Airlines. Only one hour and twenty minutes in the air from here to you, and a couple of hundred dollars. Enjoy Texas.
Houston is NOT a good city to experience on foot. That 88 probably feels like 100 with the humidity. Everything is air conditioned for a damn good reason.
I still miss the place sometimes, but not the weather. Hope you have a good time though.
Avatar, I grew up in the tropics (Guam, Hawaii), and I seriously miss my hot humid weather. Would sorely love to sweat and be limited to wearing shorts, flip-flops and a t-shirt. You grow up in places like that and if the air isn’t warm and thick, it’s just plain cold.
There’s just not enough parking in that photo. (wth?)
It seems wrong to be too specific, but as a Houstontian I know exactly where Mr Scalzi is staying based on the photo, and I can say with some confidence that “lots of parking” relative to local population needs isn’t how I’d describe the area.
I definitely won’t make it to the con, since for the whole weekend I’m going up to Dallas for a bridge tournament. (One I’ve been planning for months, so hearing that you were going to be here couldn’t change things.) Hope you enjoy your stay.
Oh God, not Pappadeaux’s (or Pappasito’s, for that matter). Go find a place run by actual Cajuns.
You usually include a request not to be stalked in this type of post. Since you didn’t this time, please ignore the odd noises coming out of the air vent. Thank you….
Also, the Lock In excerpts are amazing!
Wow, is that ever an impressive parking crater.
Goode Co. BBQ on Kirby
http://www.goodecompany.com/restaurant-bbq1.asp
Is it just me, or is there a Big Yellow Taxi visible in the lower right hand corner?
If you could come up with some unreasonable requests, I could have my brother run around and pick stuff up for you. Granted, it would be more fun for me than for you. But come on, who wouldn’t want to help practical joke a very funny 52 year old man and his corvette.
He chipped my front tooth when we were 8 and 9. Revenge is a dish best served cold.