Houston's Most Walkable Neighborhood Has The City's Hottest Dining, Public Art, And A Cute Main Street

Houston may be a beloved Texas city with a renowned art and museum scene that rivals New York City's, but one thing you'll need to explore it is a car. At least that's usually the case if you want to get to neighborhoods like Midtown. But it's possible to structure a delightful Houston getaway around what is arguably the city's most walkable section, Houston Heights.

The Heights is between 20 and 30 minutes from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), depending on whether you take the Hardy Toll Road. It's also less than half an hour from smaller William P. Hobby Airport. Named for its elevation that's 23 feet higher than Houston's downtown area, much of The Heights is less prone to flooding than other neighborhoods. The area began in the 1880s as a planned community, and unlike much of Houston, the streets follow an easily navigable grid pattern. Heights Boulevard, considered the center of it all, was modeled on Boston's Commonwealth Avenue. The easily walkable street with a wide median is still home to an enviable collection of well-preserved Victorian mansions, as well as bungalows that came along in the 1920s.

Heights Boulevard's green esplanade is also home to regular sculptural installations from True North, as well as colorful murals painted on utility boxes. Though Heights Boulevard travels through the center of the neighborhood from top to bottom, its cute, artistic heart lies on 19th Street, the location of The Heights Theater, trendy shops, and some of the city's best restaurants. On 19th Street, you'll find galleries, antique shops, and places to buy gifts that will allow you to take the artistic inspiration home.

Not all of The Heights' best dining is concentrated on 19th Street or Heights Boulevard. For example, cult favorite Street Food Thai Market, known for its Laotian and Northern Thai cuisine, and Jun, the Latin-Asian fusion restaurant of "Top Chef" finalist Evelyn Garcia and chef Henry Lu, are both located a bit farther east on Cavalcade and 20th Street, respectively. The most comforting Mexican spot in the neighborhood is Puebla's Mexican Kitchen on nearby North Main Street. Get the dusky mole poblano.

But you don't have to leave the center of town for exceptional eats. On 19th Street, you'll find James Beard Award-nominated Squable, known for its brunch-time Dutch baby pancake, but also one of the best cheeseburgers in town. Agnes & Sherman fuses American diner fare with Asian flavors in the form of dishes like a savory scallion waffle with sambal honey butter and a club sandwich filled with Chinese barbecue-style char siu. For something completely different, Blue Tuba serves up hearty Eastern European-informed dishes including Polish pierogi and Balkan cevapcici.

Airbnbs are inexpensive and chic in The Heights, with many occupying garage apartments along one of the neighborhood's main drags. However, those who prefer a hotel in the thick of things will likely enjoy Sara's Inn on the Boulevard, a bed-and-breakfast located in a Victorian home. For those with a car who wish to explore beyond The Heights and see areas including Sugar Land, known for its family fun and global food, the Courtyard Houston Heights, located just off I-10, is unbeatable. You'll trade drivability for some of the walkable neighborhood's charm, but in Houston, there's so much to explore, you might just want to rent a car after all. Nonetheless, visitors are bound to fall head over heels for the neighborhood known as "the small town in a big city."