Question about Houston, TX

[panerd]

So my friend has the go ahead to join me (single guy) for a trip to Houston for Mizzou's bowl game. Before we put together a package what should I know about the city? Is Reliant Stadium close to where people would go for New Year's Eve? Better question: Where is a good, safe area to get a hotel?

Any recommendations for New Year's Eve? We are both 35 and aren't looking for a techno dance club but wouldn't mind someplace that will have some attractive Texan women to look at.

Any help is appreciated!

(I added the ,TX in the title to avoid the obvious porn star jokes)

[Mustang]

Houston is the capital of Texas. Commie.

[Hammer755]

Originally Posted by panerd

So my friend has the go ahead to join me (single guy) for a trip to Houston for Mizzou's bowl game. Before we put together a package what should I know about the city? Is Reliant Stadium close to where people would go for New Year's Eve? Better question: Where is a good, safe area to get a hotel?

Any recommendations for New Year's Eve? We are both 35 and aren't looking for a techno dance club but wouldn't mind someplace that will have some attractive Texan women to look at.

Any help is appreciated!

(I added the ,TX in the title to avoid the obvious porn star jokes)

I'm an old married guy with young kids, so I have no clue where the hot spots are for NYE, but I would guess that it's not near Reliant. The stadium is pretty isolated on the south side of the city.

I would say that the most busy areas would be downtown or the area around Rice University, which is pretty much between downtown and the Reliant area.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by Hammer755

I'm an old married guy with young kids, so I have no clue where the hot spots are for NYE, but I would guess that it's not near Reliant. The stadium is pretty isolated on the south side of the city.

I would say that the most busy areas would be downtown or the area around Rice University, which is pretty much between downtown and the Reliant area.

No doubt, if you were to ask me where to go in St. Louis I am pretty sure I couldn't tell you one club or bar name. I was just looking to make sure we weren't staying in a depressed section. It looks like the stadium is kind of all on its own out there.

We were going to book a hotel by Bayou Place. Seems to be a ways from the stadium but possibly by bars and restaurants (where will will spend the rest of the time outside of the game) What about this area? Looks like there is light rail to Reliant and other places in the city?

[Chief Rum]

It's the largest city to elect a gay mayor!

(Sorry, just saw the headline on MSN, so it's fresh in my mind).

[Hammer755]

Originally Posted by panerd

No doubt, if you were to ask me where to go in St. Louis I am pretty sure I couldn't tell you one club or bar name. I was just looking to make sure we weren't staying in a depressed section. It looks like the stadium is kind of all on its own out there.

We were going to book a hotel by Bayou Place. Seems to be a ways from the stadium but possibly by bars and restaurants (where will will spend the rest of the time outside of the game) What about this area? Looks like there is light rail to Reliant and other places in the city?

Bayou Place is in the theater district which, as you say, is pretty far from Reliant. Houston's light rail system is not vast, but you would be going from the next to last stop to the north (Preston) to the very last stop to the south at Reliant arena. Again, I've never ridden the rail, but I can't imagine that it would be real convenient to go literally from one end of the track to the other.

Bayou Place is definitely near some restaurant and bar areas, as well as the aquarium (which I would not recommend for someone in town for a short duration). I guess it all comes down to your priority - being closer to the stadium or the extra-curricular activities.

BTW, I'll be at the Texas Bowl too. I scored an invite to attend in my company's suite, so my mind will probably be on maximizing my free food intake, and not necessarily the action on the field.

[JeeberD]

When UTEP went to the Houston Bowl a few years back we stayed at a hotel by the medical center and walked to Reliant. It was maybe a 30 minute walk? Not too bad, and we didn't have to pay for parking...

[rockboy70]

If you stay downtown, I like the Flying Saucer, lots of beer choices and usually pretty packed, not sure what it would be like on New Year's Eve. The light rail from downtown to Reliant is ~20-30 minutes (taken it a few times to games). Only downside is there can be a wait after the game to catch the rail back downtown.

[panerd]

We ended up booking at the Doubletree. Normally I guess this would be a business-type hotel but since it is New Year's and we are in town to visit all we need is a bed anyways. We will probably take the light rail to the game and then hang out somewhere around the stadium until the crowd dies down, we're in no rush.

I will put the Flying Saucer down as a place to go. I figure we should get a decent idea on the 29th and 30th and have somewhat figured out the town by New Year's.

Maybe Hammer can get a fellow FOFC member in his suite? :-)

[ISiddiqui]

Are you trying to hit on him? Who do you think you are, Pumpy?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Are you trying to hit on him? Who do you think you are, Pumpy?

Hornsmaniac - cocky and funny

[panerd]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Are you trying to hit on him? Who do you think you are, Pumpy?

He said he had a suite at Relient Stadium, not his hotel room. I want good seats to the game, right now we are in a 2nd upper deck section that doesn't even exist in most stadiums!

My buddy is willing to shell out airfare, money for a higher end hotel, and money for booze and good food, but he wants to sit in the upper deck of the stadium thinking we might be able to move down! It is like my other friend who will shell out more money to stay at the Bellegio, go through thousand dollar swings in blackjack, and then won't tip the taxi driver more than a couple bucks!