NYT on HOU

Where the New York Times thinks visitors should spend time in Houston

With the imminent arrival of the Final Four and the countdown on to Super Bowl LI, the eyes of the nation will soon turn towards Houston. People will be traveling here from all over the country, and they will want to know where to stay, eat, drink, shop, and sightsee.

Who will they turn to for advice? None other than the New York Times, of course. On Thursday, the paper published writer Andrew Ferren's recommendations on how to spend 36 Hours in Houston. So much has changed since the paper's last visit in 2010, and Ferren makes sure to hit several recently opened hot spots as well as a couple of classics.

Overall, the article does a pretty good job of capturing what's current in Houston. Descriptions of the city's "flat and featureless plain of generic towers sprawling into the horizon" in 2010 has been replaced with an acknowledgement that Houston is the country's "youngest (more millennials than boomers) and its most ethnically and culturally diverse" big city with "an amazing gastronomic mix."

Ferren begins his visit with a trip to artist James Turrell's Skyspace installation on the Rice University campus, which he describes as "the perfect place to contemplate the heavens." Having worked up an appetite, he then heads to dinner at Helen Greek Food & Wine before knocking back a couple of cocktails at downtown mezcalaria The Pastry War.

Saturday sees another blend of old and new with breakfast at Washington Ave staple Laredo Taqueria, then a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, and lunch at Goode Co. Seafood. Terren shops along Westheimer in both River Oaks and West Ave before securing a highly coveted table at white hot restaurant State of Grace.

Before departing, Ferren braves the "morning rush hour and parking frenzy" to sample a bialy and a duck breast tartine at Common Bond. Then it's time for more shopping at the nearby antique stores before a visit to The Menil Collection and lunch at the adjacent Menil Cafe.

While Ferren does a job of catching up with several bars and restaurants that have opened in the last few years, he didn't experience much of the ethnic diversity he touted in his introduction. Calling the article "36 Hours in Montrose" wouldn't have made much sense to anyone other than Houstonians, but it's a far more accurate description of the article. If author, chef and TV host Andrew Zimmern could get Houston right by dining in Chinatown, surely the Times will be on it someday.

Breakfast tacos at Laredo Taqueria is a mandatory stop.

Photo by Curtis D'Costa

Breakfast tacos at Laredo Taqueria is a mandatory stop.

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to the batcave

Houston park takes flight with bat viewings, chats, and movie night

Photo by Ann Froschauer/USFWS/Flickr [https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq/8006844645/]

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The Buffalo Bayou Partnership announced bat-themed summer programming for the 160-acre park near downtown. Houstonians with an interest in the flying mammals will have plenty of ways to appreciate them.

Every Friday evening at sunset through the end of August, Buffalo Bayou Partnership will host two events centered around Houston's most famous bat colony, the 300,000 Mexican free-tailed bats that nest under the Waugh Street Bridge. Visitors get to watch the massive swarm emerge as the sun goes down and the bats hunt insects in the area.

On land, the free Bat Chat event is hosted by the Houston Area Bat Team, including Dr. Cullen Geiselman Muse. She studies the local bat populations and advocates for them based on their helpfulness to Houston.

"Here in Houston, there are insect-eating bats that can consume nearly their body weight in crop pests each night," she said in a statement. "The effects of the bats’ nightly forays add up across space and time. They impact processes ranging from how rainforest regenerate after they are clearcut to how much insecticides farmers use on crops."

People who want a view from the water may take one of the Bat Cruises. These 90-minute trips up and down the bayou cost $30, but do offer one of the most incredible ways to see the emergence. Plus, visitors get to see the area around Buffalo Bayou light up at night. The cruise launches from 1019 Commerce Street, and reservations are required in advance.

Batman Returns

No, one of Houston's most famous urban legends hasn't reemerged. However, BBP is hosting the next best thing: a free screening of the 1992 superhero classic film Batman Returns. Directed by Tim Burton, this Christmas-themed adventure follows Batman (Michael Keaton) as he battles Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) and the Penguin (Danny Devito) as the latter tries to become mayor of Gotham. Houston is deeply tied to Batman Returns as Six Flags AstroWorld once housed the official tie-in rollercoaster, which included a replica of the Batcave, Penguin's duckmobile, and other memorabilia.

The outdoor screening takes place on Saturday, July 25 at The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park (105B Sabine Street). Attendees are encouraged to dress up in costumes from the Batman mythos, and the Houston Area Bat Team will give a talk before the movie begins. It starts at 6 pm, and prior registration is required.

Finally, the The Buffalo Bayou Boutique at The Water Works has added bat plushies, stickers, and bandanas (batdanas) to their store. A full list is available on the boutique website.