Future site of Southern Goods restaurant. Photo: Raj Mankad.
First Saturday Arts Market. Photo: Raj Mankad.
MKT bicycle trail at 19th Street. Photo: Google Maps.
Gallery M Squared. Photo: Raj Mankad.
Inprint Poetry Buskers. Photo: Allyn West.
Photo: Raj Mankad.
Torchy's Tacos. Photo: Raj Mankad.
Alli's Pizzeria, Heights General Store, and Harold's. Photo: Raj Mankad.
Vinyl Edge. Photo: Raj Mankad.
Venus Hair. Photo: Raj Mankad.
New Living parklet. Photo: Raj Mankad.
Paul Kittleson's sculpture for the True North exhibit. Photo: Raj Mankad.
After a successful pilot project last spring, Mayor Annise Parker has brought back Sunday Streets HTX. The three routes this fall are October 12 in the Heights along 19th Street; November 2 in the Greater Third Ward along Dowling, West Alabama, and Almeda; and December 7 in the East End and Fifth Ward along Navigation and York. These streets will be open to pedestrians and bicyclists from noon to 4 pm to encourage walking, running, dancing, or riding with friends and family.
This footage from the pilot program shows just what to expect:
http://youtu.be/Xof6CNMIZM4
The first route, a relatively short stretch along 19th Street between Shepherd Drive and Heights Boulevard, features over 50 shops, most of them independently owned, covering a great mix of goods and services --- ice cream, jewelry, consignment clothing, antiques, organic mattresses, haircuts, and more --- in buildings dating from the 1930s to 60s. When the city held a stakeholder meeting, the business owners were bursting with ideas to activate the sidewalks and parking spaces that front their stores. If the 20,000-plus attendance at each of the last two Sunday Streets is any indication, pedestrians will fill 19th Street. If you are hoping to ride your bike, however, there will be opportunities for that too.
"The route offers great connectivity with bicycle trails," notes Michelle Caruso, a health planner with the city and a lead organizer of Sunday Streets HTX. Bicyclists can ride in on the MKT trail and Heights Boulevard bicycle lanes and then park at Bike Houston's corral.
Read below for a bottom-up, unofficial, incomplete guide to what you can expect once you arrive. I'll start from the west side where 19th meets Shepherd.
A new restaurant called Southern Goods is planned for a little building on 19th near Shepherd previously home to Table 19. The venture is a collaboration between Underbelly sous chef Lyle Bento and Charles Bishop, an owner of Liberty Station and Cottonwood. If you went to the Washington Avenue Sunday Street, you may remember that Liberty Station hosted a big crowd. Bishop is bringing the knowledge from that experience to 19th Street. Southern Goods won't be open yet but they will have a pop-up event with food trucks and possibly music.
A little ways down the street, between Lawrence and Nicholson, YogaOne Heights will offer free Yoga classes, the First Saturday Arts Market (showing some flexibility with their name) will host local artists, and Menchie's will serve frozen yogurt.
OffCite (this blog) is teaming up again with the Inprint Poetry Buskers. Find us at the arts market and some of the most gifted poets in the country will compose verse on site, on demand, on typewriters on themes specified by you.
At Nicholson Street, the MKT trail intersects with 19th. Comerica Bank at the corner of 19th and Ashland has agreed to share their parking lot with Bike Houston volunteers who will set up a bicycle corral, or valet, where you can safely store your wheels while strolling 19th.
The two blocks between Ashland and Yale are especially thick and interesting. The most iconic building on 19th is the old Heights Theater, now home to M Squared Gallery. In the Houston Architectural Guide, Stephen Fox writes, "West 19th is the Heights's retail district, and its architectural centerpiece is this neighborhood movie theater, rescued from dereliction and rehabilitated by architect Robert Morris, artist Sharon Kopriva, and her husband Gus. Its neo-Modernistic exuberance animates the street."
In the grassy lot next door to the theater, you are likely to find the Gypsy Wagon selling shaved ice and another grouping of independent artists.
Across the street from the theater, Austin-based Torchy's Tacos is always a scene with or without Sunday Streets.
Heights General Store, Harold's restaurant, and Alli's Pizzeria occupy the old Harold's building (1960, designed by Brooks & Brooks). Alli's will be hosting a Hop Scotch Contest between noon and 1 pm, followed by a pizza dough toss between 1 and 2 pm. Anyone who participates in either of the contests receives a 20 percent off coupon for Heights General Store. Age group winners in the contest will receive free pizzas. The pizzaria will debut a Sunday Streets Signature Slice with roasted veggies. Although the Heights is "dry," you can become a member of Harold’s upstairs and try the Sunday Streets Aloe Retreat made with White Hat Rum, Aloe Vera Juice, Honey, and Homemade Blackberry Jam.
The Vinyl Edge will have a live DJ. The Heights Cigar Lounge will host living legend jazz musician Harry Sheppard from noon to 2 pm, and then a cigar roller from El Cubano Cigars out of Texas City. Style Cycle works with local charities to turn the donations they receive into cash. Casa Ramirez sells great folk art. You can load up on caffeine at Boomtown Coffee and pick your way through several antique stores. 18 Hands Gallery is a new collective of ceramics artists. I'm leaving out so many interesting shops.
At least peak your head into Venus Hair operated by hair-stylist-cum-visionary-artist Susan Venus.
Check out the first parklet in Houston outside New Living Bedroom. Heights of Health is teaming up with New Living to bring out some Hula Hoops. You can't have Sunday Streets without Hula Hoops.
I hope to see you there. Please share the Facebook event with your friends and join the conversation on Twitter @SundayStreetsHTX.
One more thing. The eight huge sculptures along the esplanade down Heights Boulevard, curated by Gus Kopriva, are part of a temporary exhibit called "True North" and are worth extending your stroll.
