Sometimes, you just want to get away.
Houston is a sprawling city with a lot going for it—diversity and all the great food that diversity brings, amazing museums, and local culture. It also has a lot going against it, like ever-expanding freeways, a lack of walkability, little green space, and zero elevation. Sometimes you just want to escape the Bayou City. And in a way, you can without even leaving.
Whether it’s a stretch of road where you can pretend you are somewhere that has elevation or is actually walkable, a scenic venue, or a place where nature completely takes you out of our car-dependent flat city, there are hidden gems in Houston. Everyone probably has their own examples. What places in Houston make you feel like you aren’t in Houston anymore? Everyone has a place or part of the city that provides that mental escape.
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It’s a wonder what a few palm trees can do
The palm trees on West Gray provide some “LA” vibes for Houstonians.
Maybe the most obvious example of somewhere people can make believe they are in a different city is West Gray Street in River Oaks, specifically the blocks lined with palm trees near the River Oaks Theatre. The palm trees, shops, and dueling Starbucks locations make grabbing a coffee, pretending you are in LA, a reality. You just have to mentally be strong enough to ignore the heat.
The River Oaks Theatre itself fits the bill, specifically the interior. It’s a truly transporting experience walking through those doors for the first time, and a credit to its rejuvenation. A large part of going to the movies is escaping to another world, and it amplifies that experience if the theater you are visiting is as aesthetically pleasant as River Oaks Theatre.
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Similar to W Gray Street, White Oak Drive has that transporting vibe for a few blocks, giving the illusion that the famously flat city of Houston has hills. The combination of the foliage in the area, the style of extremely nice homes that line the street, and the running trail is truly special. From White Oak, going up Beauchamp Street is just a very aesthetic stretch of road that stands out in contrast to the rest of the city.
Otherworldly wonders that are meant to be explored
Lights in “Undercurrents” are placed throughout the Buffalo Bayou Cistern’s 221 columns.
Houston’s recently opened Ismai Center is a prime example of a space that is truly a wonder to see, and a place that, when you visit, takes you out of the city’s norms and into an entirely different world. From its immaculate gardens reinterpreting Islamic traditions of the various Texas eco-regions to its amazing atriums housed within, it is truly one of the city’s wonders and a reminder of the type of landmarks Houston is capable of making space for.
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Similarly, the Buffalo Bayou Cistern is something you would not think a city like Houston would preserve or even have in the first place. It’s a cavernous underground water storage with massive stone walls and columns reminiscent of the cisterns in ancient Rome. Walking through the cistern doors for the first time is quite the experience, and the interactive art installation called “Undercurrents” currently there adds a futuristic flair to the whole experience.
If you want to visit different countries in Houston, that’s entirely possible. As evidenced by the influx of Japanese visitors during the World Cup, Hermann Park’s Japanese garden is a distillation of authentic Japanese culture. The garden was designed by Tokyo landscaper and designer Ken Nakajima, and for three decades Japanese gardeners have ventured to Houston to help oversee its care and development.
Parks providing nature and bars providing surprise
A couple enjoys the Meadow Pond Signs along the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center trails in Memorial Park on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015, in Houston.
Houston has some amazing parks, but few offer the nature experience that Memorial Park does. Sure, Buffalo Bayou is nice, and Hermann Park is beautiful, but the sheer amount of trees and wildlife in Memorial Park is stark compared to the city’s reputation as having “no nature.”
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Even bars and restaurants can provide the space with that transportive quality. Lei Low in the Heights, a legit Tiki Bar, fits the bill, with an interior committed to the bar’s Tiki conceit. Surprise spots that offer a bit of mystery, like the Hidden Bar in the back of the Norigami Sushi Restaurant. Hidden speakeasies are a trend, and places like the Hidden Bar and Kanpai Club in the back of Hando make you think, “We really have places like this in Houston.”
There are probably countless more examples, and the sheer amount of escapes and cool places Houston has now begs the question: Is Houston just cool? We have all these hidden gems: natural spots, aesthetic streets, architecture, and everything in between. Maybe the places in Houston that don’t feel like Houston are representative of the city all along.
