A local’s guide to Houston
- By Drew Jones
- Photos by Brandon Thibodeaux
Hunter S. Thompson once said: “Houston is a cruel, crazy town on a filthy river in East Texas with no zoning laws and a culture of sex, money and violence.” And although many notable quotes about the Bayou City aren’t much kinder, Houstonians embrace the lore of this sprawling swamp metropolis with an unrivaled pride.
The city is home to margaritas, Beyoncé and Mission Control, and despite the year-round summer there’s much to love in this wild boomtown on the bayou. You can get Vietnamese, Mediterranean and Tex-Mex on the same street, and because of that lack of zoning, they’re probably right next to one another.
It not only reflects Texas’s anything-goes history, but the innovation and open-mindedness that made this city into one of the largest in America. It’s paradoxical, like Houston itself.
Meet Drew Jones
Drew is a Houston-based reporter for By The Way. He reports on breaking travel news and trends.
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Explore more of Houston
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- If someone says “inside the Loop,” they don’t mean in-the-know. They literally mean inside Interstate 610 — a 38-mile freeway within the city limits.
- The weather is such a notable aspect of life here that when Houston Rockets point guard Russell Westbrook was asked his first impressions, he responded: “It’s hot as hell.”
- Houston’s past is as interesting as the city itself. Follow the Houstorian on Twitter for cool historical facts.
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