Discover Heights of the Houston art scene
More artsy and less self-consciously hip than Montrose, the Heights neighborhood has an old-timey, unassuming charm. Think old Victorian style homes and antique stores. If you do not know what I am talking about, then you have been missing out on the coolest area inside the loop.
I am not the best with directions, so let’s just say if you are north and west of Downtown and you can see Heights Blvd, Washington Street, Yale Street, North Shepherd or Studewood, you are on the right track.
Part of this “artsiness” is embodied in the Yale Street Arts Market, that takes place on the first Saturday of every month. Held in a parking lot next to the Wind and Water Gallery, the market consists of decent-sized grouping of artists’ tents, which feature the expected painters, photographers and jewelers. There is also a potter, a man selling orchids and a woman who makes wind chimes out of wine bottles and tea kettles (with spoons for chimes), among many other interesting and intriguing crafters. Even if you would rather save your money for something else, there is no cost to just look around and it is well worth the trek to experience part of the local art scene.
Just strolling around, it is nearly impossible not to get into conversation with the artists. One photographer takes pictures of found objects embedded in asphalt — pennies barely scratch the surface of random items. No, he does not always walk staring at the ground. You get an eye for spotting things, he says.
The potter is a soft-spoken middle-aged man who throws and glazes pots (and mugs and plates and goblets and bowls) in his free time while teaching art to eighth graders during the week. While I was chatting with another photographer and talking about my own interest in photography, she shared her special method that involves an old camera bought of off eBay and a Pringles tube, and encouraged me to get into the Flickr photographers’ community. Houston apparently has a very active group.
The art is even fairly affordable. Yes, the larger works like the paintings were predictably out of my price range, but there were bins of affordable photographs, reasonably priced jewelry and the high school art teacher’s pottery, which was the best deal I found. I bought a beautifully shaped and glazed mug for $9.
The Arts Market is only one of the many things that gives the Heights its appeal. Just on 19th Street alone you can find Retropolis, my favorite vintage store and co-op of clothing sellers, a number of antique stores and an Asian-inspired design store called Tatsu, among a few more blocks of quaint stores and restaurants.
The Heights is also home to Live Oak Friends Meeting, the Quaker congregation that has a meeting room designed by James Turrell, the artist who designed the MFAH’s lighted underground passage. Every Friday twenty minutes before sunset the public is welcome to come watch the skyscape. It is one of the most peaceful and inspiriting events I have ever witnessed.
One of my favorite restaurants, the Dry Creek Cafe, is BYOB and has the best burgers in Houston, or so I am told I do not eat beef. The Grilled Ahi Tuna Salad is my inevitably delicious pick. Its sister establishment, Onion Creek Coffee House on White Oak, is my second favorite coffee shop after Rice’s own Coffeehouse, of course. They serve Katz Coffee and have the cheapest draft beer I have seen outside of Valhalla and it is just a chill place to hang out.
How do I love the Heights, let me count the ways …
Ingrid Norbergs is a Baker College senior.
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