Things to do in Downtown Houston

1. At 600 Travis Street is the JP Morgan Chase Building, which has an observation lobby at the 60th floor.

2. Tunnels: Under that building, and most skyscrapers downtown, are a series of tunnels, so that people never have to be in the hot streets. They aren’t as exciting as they sound, because they’re mostly just like a giant food court in the mall. Also, like everything else in downtown Houston, they mostly shut down for the weekend. But you can get between downtown buildings that way.

3. Spec’s Downtown Liquor Store is a really great liquor store and well worth the trip. It’s a ways from the end of downtown where the wedding is, but worth the effort. A really nice gourmet grocery store is hidden away in the back corner.

4. Bayou Trails:

At the intersection of Smith and Texas Street is the Wortham Theatre Center. To your left as you face the building is a pathway down to a series of trails that run alongside the bayou and under the freeways. You can also get on them from the park at the intersection of Smith and Preston.

Food:

1. El Rey, right on main street near Hotel Icon, has delicious Cuban tacos, even if it is a little fast food style.

2. Franks, on Prairie and Travis, has decent pizza.

Otherwise, I would recommend getting out of downtown:

1. Cali Sandwich is excellent, low cost Viet Namese food, not far away at Travis and Rosalie. Try the $2 sandwiches, or $5 vermicelli noodle dishes. Both are tasty.

Drink:

Warrens and La Carafe:

Mostly downtown Houston is full of cheesy dance clubs. Two pleasant spots in the middle of all of that are Warrens, an old bar that serves stiff drinks, and La Carafe, a wine bar in one of the oldest buildings in downtown Houston. Both are located on Market Square right near the Hotel Icon and the Magnolia Ballroom.

Sneakers:

My friend Thomas runs a sneaker store in downtown at Main St. and Polk St., called the Tipping Point. Check it out if you want sneakers.

Metro Rail:

There is one rail line on Main Street in Houston, but it can take you to a number of other places from downtown. Some places that I would recommend include:

1. Herman Park, a really nice, large park near Rice University, also has a Zoo and pond in it.

2. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is accessible from the Museum District Stop. The Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston is also there, but it is currently between shows.

Less Convenient:

Use this website to get anywhere else by public transportation. It can be a little slow, but it will get you there:

http://tripplanner.ridemetro.org/hiwire

1. The Menil is a great, free museum in the neighborhood that we live, the Montrose. You can get there by taking the rail to Wheeler and then the 25 bus to Mandel.

2. The Houston Dynamo are an awesome soccer team. They’re playing a game on Sunday, so if you’re not leaving town until Monday it might be a fun activity.

There are a million other things that are farther away, but since most of you are only here for a few days and you’ve got some activities planned already, that will probably do it.