For the weekend, how about less Portico Darwin and more CityNerd?
Huh?
For those out of touch, Ray Delahanty, A.K.A. CityNerd, is an urban planning expert and runs a wonderfully informative YouTube channel that chronicles the best and worst of our built environment. He covers a lot of my hot-button topics, like the dearth of high-speed passenger trains in the US, and the insanity of building our lives around the automobile. He also travels to and then talks about our country's best and worst metro areas.
But he's not just another coastal elite wonk, and as evidence, I share with you his recent take on Houston. I am putting it front and center here because it does about as good a job as anything I've seen in capturing the actual goodness there. Along with the madness. You're Wrong About Houston and Here's Why
Having spent an inordinate amount of time there myself (at least for a non-resident!), he is not wrong.
For one, Ray points out something on which I've commented previously: Houston is more diverse than San Francisco. Its restaurant scene is indeed vibrant and a reflection of that cosmopolitan population. And Ray is correct when he says life inside the 610 Loop is far different than the suburban nightmare that awaits outside of it.
But that nightmare is real. And about the weather . . . well, let's just say you might want to summer elsewhere.
10 Seconds of Seriousness: this post is mostly intended to encourage a visit to the CityNerd YouTube channel.
I think those of you who roll their eyes at my ongoing critique of cars might be surprised by what's possible. Have a great weekend.
FROM THE UNWASHED MASSES
Wait - these "people" are staying at our apartment in a few weeks?
Thank you for reading this newsletter.
KLUF
Yes, it's ZZ Top and it's an album that's both pretty great yet also wrong - like their hometown of Houston. Here, on the record that ended up defining them, is their gazillion-selling Eliminator. Heck, there's even a car on the album cover.
