Apology to The City of Houston

As goes the cliched saying, Time Flies. Its been a year since I have moved to Houston, and I have still not shut up bad-mouthing this city. Ever since I moved to the city, I have been complaining about the flat terrain, the ultra conservative right wing mentality, the plethora of pick up trucks and churches, the gun laws and hunting fanatics and in general a lack of personality in the city. Infact I jokingly used to rephrase the famous NASA Astronaut jargon as "Houston, you have a problem". But while doing so I have often forgotten some of the benefits of being in this unique Texan city. The one year anniversary marks the perfect time to patch up with this city and celebrate things which only it can offer.

Firstly, having lived in Southern California for couple of years, I had forgotten how cheap things were elsewhere. To my great delight, I could rent a bigger apartment in one of the priciest neighborhoods in the city and still pay less than half of my rent in Los Angeles. When you add the fact that Texas doesn't levy any state taxes it makes your paycheck taste that much sweeter. Being the fourth largest city in the country, it offers all the thrills and vibrancy of a big city but at half the price. Gone are the days when I would pay $15 just to get into a club, after having paid $10 to park. Houston allows me to valet my car, for a meager $2 tip, and then walk straight into some of the trendiest of the lounges and have relatively cheap Greygoose.

Secondly, it is in the center of universe when it comes to Oil. Major oil companies are based out of this city, and their policies and lobbying make or break political races in the Capitol. Infact, the importance of Oil internationally, makes Houston's place in the world even more important. Besides oil, Texas, and in general Houston boasts the best medical center in the country. The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is claimed to be the largest medical center in the world. Not to mention the NASA is based out of the city and employs some of the brightest minds in the country.

Lastly, Houston has made me realize why I should worship cows - they are the delicious! Thanks to places like Sullivans, Papas Steak House, Perry's etc, I have realized the joy of chewing on a succulent juicy piece of filet mignon while paired with a nice wine. When on budget, smoke sausages and ribs from Goode Co or Hickory Hollow work just fine. In general the city boasts of a huge selection of restaurants to whet your palette and keep you satisfied on any given day of the week. The fact that you need reservation at many places on a weekday, despite the number and the size of these restaurants, speaks volume about the eating out culture in the city.

Courtesy of the old western movies, most people perceive Texas to be dry, barren, with tumble weeds lining the freeway. On the contrary Houston receives a copious amount of rainfall and its greenery rivals some of the north eastern city. Only difference being, the greenery here is perennial as opposed to 6 months of greenery in the east! Besides the sylvan boulevards lined with elegant but gigantic oak trees is truly a unique East texan feature. Places like Memorial Park which is a forest in itself, but yet situated minutes away from the downtown, is ample proof of the lush greenery. Due to abundance of open spaces, everything is bigger in Texas. Add to this Oil money and Houston boasts some of biggest mansions you would see in the country. If you dont beleive, just drive down Memorial Blvd outside the loop or River Oaks Blvd.

As I begin one more year, hopefully a final one, I hope to convert my predominantly hateful relationship with the city to more of a love & hate relationship! Thank you Houston.