Real Estate 2015

Real Estate 2015 Should you buy? Should you sell? Don't do either one until you read our 2015 real estate cover story, featuring a look at how the latest oil crisis will affect our recent housing boom, along with our annual list of the city's 25 best neighborhoods and a rundown of high-rises on the Houston horizon. Plus: an investigation of why children drown disturbingly often in Houston, and a woman who, five years on, continues to live the Deepwater Horizon disaster every day.

In this issue:

Arts & Culture

Visual Art

At the CounterCurrent Festival, an Explosion of Art and Violins

First created by Muslims in Central Asia, the violin—now banned in Saudi Arabia—serves as a symbol of tolerance in Ibrahim Quraishi’s new work “Islamic Violins.”

03/30/2015 By Michael Hardy

Archaeology

The Mystery of China’s Lost Civilization: Unusual Artifacts Come to the HMNS

Houston is the only city outside of Sanxingdui to host rare antiquities discovered in a remote area of China.

03/30/2015 By Michael Hardy

Dept. of Self-Improvement

Going Deep(ak) With Chopra

An imagined conversation with the spiritual guru based on the afterword to his latest book, The 13th Disciple.

03/30/2015 Photography by Michael Hardy

Opera

Last Time, On The Ring Cycle…

Dying to see Houston Grand Opera’s Die Walküre but missed Rheingold? No worries.

03/30/2015 Photography by Michael Hardy

Drag Race

For Latino Drag Queens, There’s No Place Like Hacienda

Houston’s Latino drag scene is booming—and plays to a surprisingly diverse crowd.

03/30/2015 By Sarah Rufca Nielsen

Eat & Drink

Pour

The Next Big Cocktail Trend? Remove the Booze!

With the arrival of mocktails, Houston’s craft cocktail explosion is now something everyone can enjoy.

03/30/2015 By Katharine Shilcutt

Editors’ Picks

This Spring’s 10 Hottest Sunday Brunch Spots

We go in search of Houston’s biggest brunch buffets and most bottomless bellinis.

03/30/2015 By Katharine Shilcutt

Editors’ Picks

10 Places You Should Get Crawfish This Season

‘Tis the season for mudbugs in Houston. Here’s where to get them.

03/30/2015 By Katharine Shilcutt

Review

Dak & Bop Brings Korean Fried Chicken to the Museum District

Move over, Colonel Sanders—there’s a new kind of KFC in town.

03/30/2015 By Scott Vogel

Restaurant Review

Weights + Measures Makes the Case for Vertical Integration

With four concepts under one roof—restaurant, bar, coffee shop, bakery—this ambitious Midtown undertaking is nothing if not bold.

03/30/2015 By Scott Vogel

Editor’s Note

Modesty Forbid

In the spirit of our real estate issue, a lesson on never taking your home for granted.

03/30/2015 By Scott Vogel

Health & Wellness

Safety

Layers of Protection: Swim Safe this Summer

Tips for safe swimming from the Colin’s Hope foundation

03/30/2015

Home & Real Estate

Real Estate

Neighborhoods by the Numbers 2015

The comprehensive chart with everything you need to know about 150 of Houston’s hottest neighborhoods.

03/30/2015 By Katharine Shilcutt

Real Estate 2015

Slideshow: Houston on the (High) Rise

The down and dirty on the town’s dozen newest high-rises, offering livability and luxury for lease

03/30/2015 By Katharine Shilcutt

Real Estate 2015

Do You Really Want to Live in a Historic District?

The pros and unlikely cons of preservation

03/30/2015 By Michael Hardy

Real Estate 2015

Is Downtown Finally On Its Way Up?

Thanks to a raft of new residential towers, a new urban core is set to emerge from the old in dramatic fashion.

03/30/2015 By Sarah Rufca Nielsen

Feature

Where to Live Now: 2015’s Top 25 Neighborhoods

Whether you’re moving to Houston, relocating or even buying your first home—you need our annual guide to where to live now.

03/30/2015 By Michael Hardy, Jeff Balke, and Sarah Rufca Nielsen

Real Estate 2015

Houston Real Estate: Experts Predict What Happens Next

We gathered some of Houston’s real estate legends and asked the question on everybody’s mind—what’s really going on with the housing market?

03/30/2015 By Katharine Shilcutt

News & City Life

Master of His Dome-ain

Meet the Man Who Brought Stunts and Spectacle to the Astrodome

In the early days of the Dome, Judge Roy Hofheinz needed events to fill seats when the Astros weren’t playing. Enter Allen Becker.

04/01/2015 Photography by Michael Hardy

H-Town Diary

Learning to Love the Astros Again

A childhood Astros fan ponders returning to the faith.

03/30/2015 By Michael Hardy

Bayougraphy

Five Years Later, the BP Oil Disaster Still Haunts the Gulf Coast

In a world of offshore drilling and oil spills, wildlife biologist Donna Shaver is on the front lines of the struggle to protect coastal wildlife.

03/30/2015 By Maggie Berardo

Ice House

April’s Perfect Party

In which we answer the question on everyone’s mind: How do I get invited to this perfect party of yours?

03/30/2015 By Catherine Matusow

Consumer Protection

The Trouble with Dollar Stores

Cheap goods can come with a price: releasing toxic chemicals into the homes of our city’s low-income shoppers.

03/30/2015 By Bryan Washington

Riding the Rail

The Offbeat Path: What to Do Off METRO’s New Green Line

Quirky restaurants, bars, galleries, and cultural spaces abound just a few blocks away from the Second Ward stop.

03/30/2015 By Katharine Shilcutt

Ice House Interview

New Rail Lines and Bus Routes Mark a Turning Point for METRO

Houston’s mass transit system has quietly and intelligently adapted to meet the city’s growing needs.

03/30/2015 By Catherine Matusow

Television

Shark Tank Survivors Share Lessons Learned

Take a long, romantic walk to the bank with three Houston-area contestants on ABC’s hit reality show.

03/30/2015 By Sarah Rufca Nielsen

News

The Complicated Truth About Children and Drowning

How can something so preventable happen so disturbingly often?

03/30/2015 By Catherine Matusow

Style & Shopping

Feature

Spring Fashion 2015: It’s Official—the 70s Are Back

This season, look for natural textures like denim and suede alongside bold patterns and relaxed silhouettes.

03/30/2015 Styled by Vico Puentes Photography by Micah Bickham By Sarah Rufca Nielsen

Travel & Outdoors

Open Road

City Texan, Meet Country Texan

When the urge to play cowboy strikes, it’s time to visit the Mayan Dude Ranch in Bandera.

03/30/2015 By Sarah Rufca Nielsen