Not So Hip(ster)

So Forbes recently came out with the list of the coolest places in America to live. Guess who's #1? That's right. Houston. Also on the list is my home town Fort Worth, as well as Austin and San Antonio, which still confuses me, but way to go Texas!!

After getting over the initial shock that Houston is cooler* than say Chicago or San Francisco (12 & 9 respectively) I began to think about what this means for me. There are more cool restaurants, more museums, more theaters, more amusements, more sport related activities than most places in America and they're all in my backyard. All I could think was "No wonder I'm broke!"- and I haven't even done or seen half the things this city has to offer. This fact is thanks in large part to the lovable hermit I live with, also known as Nick. While I'm bouncing off the walls to go and do at every free moment of everyday he enjoys the simplicity of "sitting on the couch holding hands" (his words, I swear). Initially this annoyed me because I thought that since, ya know, we live in this big city and all, we should maybe spend some time out in it. But over time, and as my schedule got busier- the one that I get paid to keep- spending the evening on the couch became not so bad.

Now, I'm not saying I've completely changed my ways and would choose sitting on the couch eating cold pizza over a reservation at Katsuya, but I definitely understand the draw. Fortunately, in the same time that Nick (and-my-too-comfortable-for-it's-own-good couch) has convinced me that a little time spent at home won't kill me; I, and my pleasantly social group of friends, have been able to bring around the hermit to spending time out in the elements. Also, I can't give Nick all the credit for making me more of a homebody as it also has a lot to do with the fact that I'm not made of money. As it seems, everything -ok almost everything- that makes Houston "cool" cost a buck or two and while they're all totally worth it I'm sure, a girl's got to stick to her budget, ya know?

Oxheart made #8 on Bon Appetit's Hot 10 New Restaurants in America

I guess don't know how the hipsters do it; eating at all the newest restaurants everyday, going to all the A-List Cocktail parties and gallery opening that I only dream of attending and seeming to never work. Like seriously, who funds that lifestyle and where can I find them- and are the over sized specs and better-than-you-attitude a necessity?? All in all, I'm finding that Houston really is a fun place to live and it's pretty hard to run out of things to do. I've got a list of new (to me) restaurants that I want to try, and it alone goes 30 deep. Combining that with all of the other entertaining factors of the city, it will be a while before I get bored. Especially at barely faster than a snails pace.



*This was based on immigration rate, unemployment rate,the median range is 33, the amount of restaurants and entertainment and a bunch of other stuff that's in the article linked above.