City Walks Houston

Today's walk is through West University Place. It is a city, not a neighborhood, complete with a municipal hall, police force, and a fire station. As its name suggest, it is built west of Rice University. Many of the homes are big and worth millions of dollars, but we can still see some of the original small homes. Many of the residents display fine art in their yards, while other show their love to the place they call home in different ways.

FOR THE A STUDENTS: A list of addresses to pay attention to, in the order of the walk.
1. Mad-hatter tea-party statue at Evelyn’s Park
2. 424 Mulberry Lane (St. Mark Coptic church)
3. 4310 Mulberry Lane (Stained glass fence)
4. 4235 university Blvd (corner of community, modern statue)
5. 3934 University Blvd. (statue)
6. 3834 University Blvd (grand entrance, etched glass doors)
7. 3201 University Blvd (“the bunker house”)
8. 3120 University Blvd (girl statue)
9. 3024 University Blvd (Far-eastern themed statues and landscaping)
10. 2808 Rice Blvd (modern statue)
11. 2920 Rice Blvd (tiled wall detail)
12. 3224 Sunset Blvd (several statues, also on the side of Rutgers -corner house)
13. 3304 Sunset Blvd (“Roman villa”)
14. 3506 Sunset Blvd (“Glass house”)
15. 3702 Sunset Blvd (metal alligator)
16. 3801 Nottingham (corner of Auden, landscaping)
17. Corner of Academy and Milton (funky yard)
18. 4225 Riley (landscaping)

HEAT!!! The first serious heat wave is here BRING WATER!
Wear comfortable shoes and bring plenty of water. The heat in Texas is always a concern so let someone know if you are having a hard time. For more information about hiking check out this very useful hiking website: https://www.hatsandmore.org/
Our average speed is close to 3 miles per hour.

Our organizers are not guides nor do we have any special training. We are here to come up with hiking ideas and get the hike started. Take the same precautions you would if hiking alone, including the fitness needed to make long hikes. Then enjoy the hike among friends.

COVID PRECAUTIONS:
Bring and wear a mask when not hiking and follow the best practices to prevent the transmission of COVID.

Gathering Place:
Evelyn's park (the seating area with the metal chairs and round tables along Bellaire Blvd.)
4500 Bellaire Blvd, Bellaire, 77401. (Free parking 4509 Bellaire Blvd. diagonally across the street from the park.)

Call or text 281-250-0305 if you need help. Calls after the start of the hike will not be answer because of the need of the leader to focus on the hike.

Bathrooms available at the starting point only.

The Hike:
The walk is mostly paved and is mostly shaded.

Starting at Stude Park this walk will follow the bayou around to Woodland Park, over the freeway and through Hollywood cemetery, last resting place of circus magnates and others. Then into Moody Park with its colorful Luis Jimenez statue "Vaquero." From there we cross under the freeway to Monte Beach Park and down Norhill's interesting esplanades back to where we started.

The walk today starts at Eastwood park in the East End where we catch the train into town, exiting at the Theater District stop. From there we go by Jones Hall, the Alley Theater, Wortham Center, Houston Ballet's space, the new POST venue, the Bayou Music Center, Hobby Center, Discovery Green's outdoor stage, and the George R Brown Convention Center, one time home of the Houston Grand Opera (those were not good times).

Then we go under the freeway east of downtown and pass by the soccer stadium, and over the railroad tracks into the East End. Settegast park, the old Ford plant, and Park Drive, the nicest little boulevard you never knew was there to finally wrap up the walk with a break at Bohemeo's.