Road Map

Need direction? Houstonian Mandy Zuniga shares her map of favorite local places& spaces

Mandy Zuniga
Hugo's is a favorite spot to take family and friends.
Photo by Paula Murphy
Memorial Park is a spot that make you feel like you're not in Houston.
Favorite hotel: The Alden
Photo by Jordan Chan
Favorite 2 a.m. food: Whataburger
Courtesy photo

Editors Note: Newcomers to Houston sometimes find it a hard place to navigate. But most people who have lived here a while have a ton of recommendations. In a new series, called Road Map, Allie N. Fields gets Houstonians-in-the-know to reveal their favorite haunts.

In our Road Map feature, we are showcasing a sample of home- grown locals and letting them grab the wheel for a journey across Houston to confess their own personal geography of beloved jaunts and tried-and-true corners… From where to get lost or where to be found, just blast the A/C and enjoy the ride….

Meet Mandy Zungia. Status? Sassy, bright and a raw talent for taming tresses.

Rocking a 100-watt smile and a bevy of colorful tattoos, she spends her days perched above Highland Village as artistic director of the penthouse-style Michael Kemper Salon & Day Spa, servicing a client list that reads like a Who’s Who of Houston.

Having two marathons under her belt and a penchant for all things fashion, hair or music, you can find her off the clock with tattoo artist Mark Anthony of Studio 8 or cheering on her professional fighting girlfriend, Monica “PunisHer” Earghs.

1. Alma Mater?Deer Park High School

2. Favorite Kolaches? Central Market makes fresh ones till 10 a.m.

3. Where you take out-of-towners? Without question Hugo’s is my favorite spot to bring family and friends. The ambiance is fantastic for catching up and the food and wine (or margaritas) are even better.

4. Favorite mid-week dinner spot? I do not really cook during the week so Barnaby's on Shepherd is my home away from home.

5. Where you can guarantee yourself a food coma? Walking away from Hickory Hollow hurts (so good) every time.

6. Guiltiest pleasure? Blue Moon and hot wings at Buffalo Wild Wings on Weslayan

7. Favorite place for take out?Palazzos has the best pizza and quickest delivery

8. Where to check out art? Inside the loop on feeder walls or depressing broken-down warehouses you can find the works of a street stencil artist named Coolidge. My favorite one was Ralphie from A Christmas Story in his bunny suit. If you are not lucky enough to see in person his work the website is Coolidgevandal.com, but its not the same.

9. Best place to find a last minute outfit? My closet

10. Sunday hangover food?The Spanish Flower's menudo

11. Where I feel inspired? I can get really amazing visuals or inspiration during Bikram Hot Yoga. Something about that heat makes you crazy and break through.

12. Favorite hotel?The Alden

13. Favorite Street? Sunset Boulevard

14. Best place to get your groove on?Shadow Bar on Sunday nights

15. Your dry cleaner? The most expensive but the absolute best cleaners in the world is Coronet.

16. Best 2 a.m. food run? Whataburger!

17. A place that makes you feel as if you are not in Houston?Memorial Park

18. Where you work out?24 Hour Fitness on Richmond

19. Carwash?Mister Carwash

20. Best place to impress clients? ...In my chair at work!

21. Your playground? My friend DJ MAKE SOME NOISE (Holden Allen) is the best host and has the most comfortable pad equipped with hot tub, music, and beverages!

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Texas is one of the least cyclist-friendly states in the nation

Photo by Danist Soh on Unsplash

If you've ridden your bicycle in Houston, you already know how true this is.

In what will come as no surprise to cyclists around Houston, the state of Texas is not a good place for bicycle riding. According to a new report of the "Most Cycling-Friendly States in the U.S.," Texas comes in at No. 47 — meaning that only three other states are worse.

The report, from Philadelphia personal injury law firm KaplunMarx, examines all 50 states based on six metrics: Air quality index, the number of cyclist deaths per one million residents, bike routes per square mile, local government actions supporting cycling, federal funding for cycling projects, and bicycle laws.

Texas musters a mere 31 points out of 100 for its "cycling friendly score."

The most cycling friendly state in the U.S.: Minnesota, which earned 84 points to claim the title.

According to the report's findings, there have been 15 local government actions per capita in Texas that integrate pedestrians and cyclists in transportation projects. Texas' has a 41 air quality index value, and there are approximately 1.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles in the state.

On cyclist deaths, Texas does a little better, with three cyclist deaths per one million residents in Texas — about nine percent lower than the national average.

According to KaplunMarx founding partner Ted Kaplun, there is an average of 857 cyclist fatalities in the U.S. every year. He adds that every measure or community effort to improve cyclist-friendliness is beneficial for all Americans.

"It's crucial for all states to continually assess and enhance their cycling provisions, learning from both high-ranking peers and their own experiences," he says.

Top-ranking Minnesota has only one cyclist death per one million state residents. It also has about 27.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles.

After Minnesota, the remaining top five best states for cyclists are Massachusetts (No. 2), Rhode Island (No. 3), Washington (No. 4), and Iowa (No. 5).

At the bottom of the list are Nevada (No. 48), Arizona (No. 49), and Utah (No. 50) — all of which performed far worse than Texas to be declared the three least cycling-friendly states.

The entire country still has areas for improvement when it comes to creating a safer environment for cyclists, regardless of where each state landed on the list, according to Kaplun.

"With over 53 million Americans riding bicycles regularly, the importance of cycling-friendly infrastructure and safety measures cannot be overstated," said Kaplun in the report. "This isn't just about rankings – it's about enhancing the quality of life, promoting sustainable transportation, and most crucially, saving lives."

texas reports rankings cyclists

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share the road

Texas is one of the least cyclist-friendly states in the nation