Born Here

IF YOU’RE HOUSTON BORN AND BRED, THEN YOU’RE ONE OF A PROUD BREED WHO KNOW THE CITY INSIDE AND OUT. BUT DON’T TAKE YOUR NATIVE STATUS FOR GRANTED. YOU MAY HAVE BEEN BORN HERE, BUT THE CITY RUNS DEEP WITH QUINTESSENTIAL, “MUST-DO” EXPERIENCES—AND ADDS NEW ONES EVERY DAY. HERE’S WHAT EVERY NATIVE NEEDS TO KNOW.

BY STACY BARRY

HOUSTON OR BUST

Just off the Katy Freeway, 36-foot statues of The Beatles and 7-foot busts of 43 U.S. presidents stand, well, tall, in the lot across from the former Adickes Scultpurworx Studios. Created by sculptor David Adickes—who also created the “We (Heart) Houston” sign on I-10—for various national displays, the enormous carvings came home to provide a sight for curious eyes and photo ops galore. “Head over” in the daytime and walk among the sculptures. Parking’s sparse, so respect local area businesses.

GET WILD ABOUT ART

Animals and art unite as Houston Zoo critters get crafty on canvas. This clever attempt at animal enrichment yields some wild results from nontoxic paints and each animal’s unique technique. The one-of-a-kind masterpieces are $250 unframed and include a bio and picture of its creature creator. Choose your artist and allow four to six weeks to complete. You do not want to rush some of these guys.

A FE C T LAST CONCE R

U NERAL HISTORY F F O NATIONAL MUSEUM

RIENZI

LAST CONCERT CAFE | NATIONAL MUSEUM OF FUNERAL HISTORY | RIENZI | MARK LIPCZYNSKI MARKET &

Y R LANKFORD’ S GROC E

HAVE A ‘LAST’ ROUND

You have to be a local to know about the Last Concert Cafe, a nondescript Mexican eatery that’s almost hidden under the I-10 off ramp. There’s no sign and—except for the red door and live music blaring from the courtyard— this mystical café easily blends in with the urban landscape. So keep a watchful eye. Tradition requires customers to knock twice on the locked door to be let in on one of Houston’s best-kept secrets.

BURY YOURSELF…

…in funeral history. With its massive international collection offering a respectfully lively, never depressing look at funeral traditions around the world, the National Museum of Funeral History is simply to-diefor. Mementos and artifacts from presidential, papal and celebrity funerals, along with cultural exhibits on holidays will leave you dying to know more. See coffins in obscure shapes like a chicken or MercedesBenz, and other unique burial vessels in the “A Life Well Lived: Fantasy Coffins” exhibit.

DISCOVER ART IN GOOD NEIGHBORHOODS

Yes, you know the MFAH, but have you checked out its neighborhood collections? Wander through American decorative arts and paintings at the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, then head over to Rienzi to view the home, gardens and European decorative arts. Don’t miss the only organic formal public gardens in Texas at Bayou Bend. Make reservations at nearby Brenner’s on the Bayou for Sunday brunch to get the full bayou garden experience first.

TAKE A BURGER BREAK AT LANKFORD

What started as a roadside fruit stand in 1938 has evolved into a Houston institution, serving up a full menu including what many consider to be the “best hamburger in Houston,” as featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins & Dives.” Leave your busy schedule and calorie counter at home. Lankford’s Grocery & Market promises “nothing small, nothing healthy and nothing fast.” But you can pull off a lunch hour here.

CLIMB YOUR FAMILY TREE

Unearthing ancestry is a growing pastime and the museum district’s Clayton Library for Genealogical Research allows local tree-tracers to dig up roots in our own backyard. Housing one of the nation’s most extensive collections of all things family history, this crazy awesome resource helps genealogists branch out. Bring a list of family names, Houston Public Library card, photo ID, small bills for copies, flash drive and a notebook, pen or laptop.

CATCH A FLICK ON THE SILVER SCREEN

Old Hollywood glamour meets modern movie magic at H-town’s last historic movie palace, the River Oaks Theatre, a local favorite of cinema buffs since 1939. The ornate Art Deco interior comes of age with DLP digital projection and sound—picture perfect for catching indie, foreign and arthouse films, as well as an eclectic (often interactive) mix of weekend midnight shows. Sing-along “Rocky Horror,” anyone? Book online for the big theater downstairs and grab pre- or post-dinner and drinks at one of many nearby restaurants.

FIND YOUR INNER HARMONY

Houston’s full of hustle and bustle, but there are plenty of places to take a deep breath and slow down. Check out the Sun Yung Taoist Temple, which features shrines for quiet reflection; and the Chung Tai Zen Center of Houston, where meditation classes will help you find serenity. But our pick for the most breathtaking is BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Stafford. The first traditional Hindu Mandir of its kind in North America, its wondrous design may bring you to a to a state of both calm and wonder. The Mandir is open daily to the public, but be sure to familiarize yourself with the rules regarding dress, conduct, photography and electronics before visiting.

BUBBLE UP THE BAYOU

Down on Buffalo Bayou is an unmarked button that locals know makes the bayou “bubble up” on command in an artistic means of aerating the historic waterway. It will occasionally happen on its own, but the button gives power to the people. Find the Preston Street Bridge and look for the big red button on the wall beneath it. Push it. Giggle madly.