What’s your 3rd Place?
Free Press Houston – 3rd Place
By Peter H. Brown
Everyone has two important places – home and work, but we all need our own “3rd place,” apart from home & work. It is our personal hangout, any type of special place in one’s different stages of life. Obvious examples are neighborhood diners and bars, where you can always find a “buddy,” a group of friends, or it could be a favorite bench in a public park. Most 3rd places occur in urban areas, yet in the suburban areas, the likely candidate area is the country club or a YMCA.
SOME OF PEDESTRIAN PETE’S 3rd Place PICKS:
Common Bond – 1706 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
Montrose District
Maybe the best bakery in town? Great coffee, friendly staff.
Woodbar/Canopy Restaurant – 3939 Montrose Blvd, TX 77006
Montrose District
Wonderful place to hang-out. Great food and wine list – friendly staff.
The Breakfast Klub – 3711 Travis St. Houston, TX, 77002
Midtown District
A swingin’ breakfast place; holds down the corner of Alabama and Travis with long lines out of the door.
Beckrew Wine House – 2409 W. Alabama St, Houston, TX 77098
Upper Kirby
Simply a great wine house! With tasty small bites of food, a studied selection of Italian, French, and California presided over by articulate Sommelier Virgilio Cantu.
Pedestrian Pete’s 3rd PLACE CRITERIA
1) Must be a recognized urban area or district, like Midtown.
2) Must be a regular “hangout,” repetitive clientele
3) Must have some kind of theme – like a sports bar, British or Irish pub, or food + beverages.
4) Must have a manager or bartender who knows you by name, every time!
5) Must be safe and comfortable for solo female patrons; a good test.
6) Must be within walking distance of nearby residences.
7) Proximity to a transit stop a plus.
Weights & Measures -2808 Caroline St. Houston, TX
Midtown District
Ian Rosenerg’s second winner, after 13 Celsius. Architecturally s superb, in a remodeled “kool” industrial structure. A regular crowd of midtown personalities, young professionals and art crowd folks.
Hugo’s – 1600 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
Montrose District
Chef Hugo Ortega’s landmark on Montrose at Mandell Gourmet. Mexico City rather gourmet than standard Tex-Mex. The same folks keep coming back!
Harry’s Restaurant and Café – 318 Tuam St. Houston, TX 77006
Midtown District
A Midtown breakfast and lunch favorite, at the corner of Tuam and Bagby. Breakfast is the thing here – a delicious choice of different dishes. This Friday was thick with politicians, two Council members, two ex-Council members, and newly elected Mayor Sylvester Turner. A lot of hustle, deals being made, issues being discussed.
Wishing All A 3rd PLACE!
There is home, the office, but that’s not enough,
Sometimes these days when the going gets tough,
Like traffic congestion and suburban sprawl,
Strip centers, McDonald’s, and the regional mall.
A basic reality we all need to face,
Everyone yearns for favorite THIRD PLACE.
My wish is one thing, wherever you roam,
In 2024, you will find your “third” home.
Great food, friends, and new folks to embrace
All in all, it’s one big place.
It is where you can be you, and we can be us,
That’s what we find in a cherished 3rd Place.
Most Free Press Readers have already nailed their 3rd Place. Let us know your top pick(s)! Email peter@pedestrianpete.com. Send a message about great venues where go to get away from work and home. IF YOUR 3rd PLACE IS GREAT, Pete may give it a try.
