When I first moved to Houston from Boston, I knew little about Texas’ largest city beyond Astros fandom and petroleum companies. To my delight and surprise, I was quickly smitten with Bayou City. After living through the merciless winters in New England, I rejoiced in being able to kick back on my patio in a t-shirt in February. Houston’s famous hospitality perhaps stems from its reputation as America’s most diverse city, a magnet for transplants ranging from Middle America to the most far-flung corners of the globe. And, of course, all that wonderful food doesn’t hurt — craft barbecue, mom-n-pop Vietnamese restaurants and fine dining rivaling New York or Los Angeles. I won’tshift my loyalty from the Sox to the ’Stros any time soon, but I’m
darn-tootin’ glad to be in Texas.

With seemingly unlimited space to expand, business-friendly politics and a white-hot job market, Houston’s economy continues to develop at a break-neck clip. Although Houston is synonymous with oil-and-gas behemoths, companies ranging from blue-chip stalwarts like Hewlett-Packard and Sysco to bleeding-edge startups like Solugen and Iovista also maintain headquarters in Houston. Home to Rice University, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston is one of the nation’s leaders in health care and medical research.

To talk about how Houston has changed in recent years, I met with Tony Buzbee, a prominent attorney, former mayoral candidate and H-Town mover and shaker. Over a bowl of chorizo-spiked queso at Ninfa’s, an institution for soul-satisfying plates of Tex-Mex, Buzbee spoke at length about recent upgrades to the city’s infrastructure, airports and neighborhoods. Few Houstonians have their finger on the city’s pulse as keenly as he does.

This geographically enormous city could swallow up Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City — with enough room left over for a small east Texas town or two. The city’s ever-expanding footprint means Houston is a car town, and Buzbee noted a perennial list of new projects to expand and improve highways. “Almost 400 people relocate to Houston each day; and at the rate we’re growing, there will always be major projects to improve the commuter system.”

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A current $9 billion project will renovate and augment the North Houston Highway. The upgrades, slated for completion in phases over the coming years, will reduce rush-hour congestion and make the commuter system more resilient to flooding — a hard lesson learned after Hurricane Harvey’s destruction in 2017. Admittedly, the Bostonian in me occasionally misses the convenience of an extensive metro system, but, hey, at least gas is cheap in Texas.

Buzbee, whose work takes him around the globe, said Houston’s two main airports, George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby, boast better dining than any other airport he can name.

“Houston is a foodie city through and through,” said Buzbee. “Many of my favorite restaurants now have outposts at the airports.” Buzbee’s go-to for a preflight lunch at Bush Intercontinental is Pappas Bar-B-Q, a Houston mainstay for succulent brisket and bourbon-spiked banana pudding. Fortunately, wait times at the airport will soon decrease when Bush Intercontinental unveils Mickey Leland International Terminal, honoring the late congressman and anti-poverty activist, in late 2024 or early 2025. The new terminal will consolidate all international flights into one section of the airport.

Before we departed Ninfa’s — that chili- and cumin-scented haven of molten cheese, hot tortillas and Slurpee-style margaritas — Buzbee passed me a few recommendations for his favorite things to do in Houston. “Explore the Heights neighborhood,” said Buzbee. “The leafy streets and old homes make for great strolls, and the dining options are phenomenal.” On Friday and Saturday nights, the Heights’ expansive patio bars and chic restaurants buzz with alfresco diners and, later in the evening, with platoons of thirsty young revelers. Heights Bier Garten, a watering hole with large indoor and outdoor sections, and Eight Row Flint, a favorite among Houston’s most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes, are both classics.

SCENIC DRIVES

Take a few notes from Tony Buzbee’s playbook when you need a break from the urban frenzy. He likes to drive to nearby Galveston Island, a historic beach town on the Gulf of Mexico, about an hour’s drive from Houston. “Take I-45 South from Houston when you go,” he said. “It’s really pretty as you hit Texas City and the urban landscape melts away into beaches.” The posh River Oaks District, Houston’s answer to the Upper East Side or Georgetown, offers another gorgeous corner of the city to explore via car or on foot. “The homes in River Oaks are stunning — definitely worth admiring on a lazy drive on a sunny afternoon,” said Buzbee.