Summy of Interviews

Well the last post concluded what was required for my class project, and overall I think that it went pretty well. I did fall behind a little on posting, but I got all 8 posted for y'all.

It was very interesting to interview everyone. All of the people that I interviewed are pretty different from each other. They were all of different ethnicity as well. (which is pretty interesting looking back at them) One thing was in common though, most of these places involve bringing your friends and having a good time.

So, if someone out there takes on the challenge of visiting these different places make sure you bring a good buddy with you! Having the right company always makes a difference in your opinion to the place you are trying out. I have actually been to all but one location (which i will not reveal :D) Having said that, I would love to go!

These interviews have inspired me to keep this up. I think that it is great to find out where people like to go, and where they think is a good place to spend money if they have to.

However, I am going to be out of Houston- well out of the country really- and will not be able to post until August.

So if anyone out there is reading this blog and happens to check it while I am away, come back in August. (mid August would be great)

Same with the website as well: www,myh25.com. I will not be able to update that while I am away. However, the facebook group is a great place to find ideas as well as share ideas. So check that out here:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=439126&id=100000138519682#!/group.php?gid=129567580406424

And twitter as well: http://twitter.com/houstonunder25



P.s. I really liked this project :)

Tap House and Hokkaido Sushi

Name: Danielle

Age: 19

Lived in Houston: All 19 years

Favorite place: Tap House and Hokkaido Sushi

So Tap House, what is that?

"It is like a tea place that is really cheap. They have tapioca that you can put in your drink."

When do you go there?

"What I really like to do is go get some sushi at Hokkaido and then walk over to Tap House."

What kind of sushi do you like to get?

"I get the California roll and the tempura roll." :)

And what about your drink at Tap House?

"I like to get the tapioca milk tea. Basically it is tea with cream with tapioca."

So why do you like this place so much?

"It is really really cheap. Like half as much as tea house, and i think it tastes better and the quality is better. They also serve food and shaved ice drinks as well. There is a bigger variety."

Who brought you there?

"My brother Chris brought me and I instantly fell in love with the place. The quality is just good."

So why do u like Hokkaido?

"Well they give you free soup so that is really cool, plus it is cheap and tastes good."

Any other comments?

"(about Tap House) There are tables and chairs and it is a great atmosphere to study in. There are not any couches like tea house, but it is cheap :) So that is what makes it better. And it is a cool place to go get dessert after you go get sushi."

You know, you can visit both places and not spend over $10. That is a win folks!

Here are the details:

Tap House
9104 Bellaire Blvd.
Houston, TX 77036





Hokkaido Sushi
9108 Bellaire Blvd
Ste B
Houston, TX 77036

Barns and Noble- not just a bookstore

Name: Sade

Age: 21

Lived in Houston for: 6 years

Favorite Place: Barns and Noble in River Oaks

Barns and Noble is not something that is unique to the Houston area, you can find them everywhere. But not every location is as unique, in Sade's opinion.

This particular Barns and Noble is in River Oaks- near 2 starbucks (yes 2! Just depends on which side of the street you are on) And actually serves Starbucks inside as well. So wherever you are coming from, come thirsty.

So what is so special about this one?

"Well the first time I went was 5 months ago with my friend Travis. I like it because it is big- two stories actually. So I like that there is a lot of space to walk around and check everything out. I also like it because it is a great way to sit and people watch. There are big comfy chairs placed all over, so it is easy to just watch. There are also wooden chairs by the windows upstairs. It is nice to sit and look out over the street. It is pretty."

So if I walk into this Barns and Noble, what section will I find you in?

"I will most likely be in the Christian fiction section. I love to read books by Francine Rivers, so I will be checking out those books, (which I recommend)."

So, do u grab Starbucks too?

"Oh yes! I like to order a grande caramel frappuccino (with whipped cream) and then use the free wireless to do some work before I go back to looking for the perfect book to buy. Free internet is also why I like it so much."

Anything to add?

"There is parking in a parking garage right behind Barns and Noble, which is really great because if it is raining, you will not get wet. It connects to the back door- which leads you to the music section."

Here is where it is located:
2030 W. Gray Street
Houston, TX 77019

and here are the hours:
Sun 10:00AM-9:00PM | Mon-Thu 9:00AM-10:00PM | Fri-Sat 9:00AM-11:00PM

And here is a picture!

Agora's

Name: Jibi

Age: 24

Lived in Houston: 6 years

Favorite place: Agora

Agora is a coffee shop that is located off of Westheimer that is known for its cool and unique atmoshpere.

So how did you hear about Agora?

"Well i found it through an internet search actually." (this proves that some good things can come from an internet search!)

"Me and the guys would go every Monday night to go and just chill, talk about life, and other random things."

Why do you like it so much?

"Well the patio faces the street, there is a breeze outside, there are always college students, and it is just a good place to go and relax."

"I like to get the biscotti that comes with the specialty coffee, like the caramel macchiato. But, for $2 you can get unlimited refills on regular coffee, like the house blend. There are also a couple of desserts as well."

He adds some things that you should pay attention to as well.

"The parking is not very good, Cafe Brazil is right across the street so parking is pretty tight. Also, the stairs inside the place are very steep, so be careful when you are carrying your coffee."

So it sounds like it would be a good idea to car pool with a couple friends when you head over there.

Anything else you would like to add Jibi?

"There are random books and pictures to look at; it is always interesting in there. It's just a cool place to chill, that's about it."

So if you are looking for a cool place to go and hang out and sip on some coffee, looks like your destination is Agora.

Find it here:
1712 Westheimer
Houston, TX 77098-1612

and this is the website: http://www.agorahouston.com/pages/agorafirst.html

It is open from 9am to 2am. So come when you can!

59 Diner

Name: Brianna

Age: 22

Lived in Houston for: 2 years

Favorite place to go: 59 Diner

"How good does this sound? A Bacon Egg Cheeseburger!?"

(That is the first thing that she says to me as we begin the interview)

Excited? Well, you should be. Sounds like the place to go catch some food would be down at 59 Diner.

"I don't know why I tried it, i thought it was weird, but ended up tasting really good."

The first time she went to 59 was when her parents came into town. "We were just driving around looking for a place to eat and we decided to go there. I had heard that it was good from people at school."

So what makes it special?

"I like the atmosphere, it feels like an old diner. There are old car decorations and a jukebox in the corner; I like stuff like that."

Brianna also ordered a chocolate shake with her meal and said that it was very good as well. It was also big, and came with another cup filled with the left overs.

"The service was very good. Well, at lease the one in Sugarland, I am not sure about the other ones," she said laughing.

So are you going to stick with the Bacon Egg Cheeseburger?

"No, next time I want to try the chicken fried steak. But, you can also get breakfast anytime of day as well. They are open 24 hours."

Anything else to add?

"A good day would be to go grab some lunch at 59 Diner and the down down the street and catch a movie at the AMC that is close by."

Well clear you plans for dinner people! Or any time of the day really. Any time is the right time to eat at 59 Diner.

visit there website here: http://www.59diner.com/

See this sign? Pull over!

Jogging Trail at Rice University

Name: Jesse

Age: 23

Lived in Houston: 19 years

Favorite place: Rice Jogging Trail

"I have been going there since freshman year of high school. I would first go there with my hitting instructor for baseball in high school to train and i would run around the campus and then go do stairs at the stadium. I have always gone there to run even throughout high school and i have just been going ever since."

So why do u like it so much Jesse?

"It's just a place where i can go and gather my thoughts i guess. To me it's way better than memorial; trees line the entire path and it circles the entire rice campus. It is about 3 1/2 miles long"

What is you favorite time to go and why?

"I like to go when the sun is just setting and it's a little cooler in the day"

So if I go, where do I park?"

"Parking is free in the surrounding neighborhoods from 9-4, Mon-Fri i believe. Visitor parking is $1 next to the stadium and just free in the neighborhood on the weekends."

Well there you have it! He said that it is better than the Memorial jogging trail, so you better check it out!

This is what you have to look forward to:

Onion Creek

Interview #1

Name: Katherine

Age: 22

Lived in Houston: 12 years

Favorite place to go: Onion Creek

Why?
It has the best salad, pizza, coffee drinks and atmosphere, all in one. I like to go during the weekday because it is not as busy, typically before the normal dinnertime. It is peaceful to sit out on the patio, watch the sunset, and listen to the music playing overhead. My favorite thing to order would be the house salad or the chicken pizza. But you should order the Med Plate for an appetizer. It has humus, pita bread, and pico de gallo with spices.

I found out about it through a friend and it immediately gave me an eclectic homey outdoorsy feel. I recommend this place to anyone who is looking for somewhere unique!

Check out the Menu here: http://www.onioncreekcafe.com/menu.html

The address is:
Onion Creek
3106 White Oak Blvd.
Houston, TX 77007

How do you get there? http://www.onioncreekcafe.com/location.html

If you happen to stumble upon a place that looks like this you are there!


Let me know what y'all think of this place when you go!

Purpose

H25 was birthed out of an assignment for class that is called New Communication Technologies. The goal of this assignment is easy to understand: to try and create a campaign or cause that will experiment with new forms of communication to try and reach as many people as possible.

The idea of H25 was inspired by my passion of travel and adventure. Relatively new to the Houston area, I feel like I have not yet tapped into the potential that this city has to offer. But where is a central location on the Internet to find something that is of interest to me and is within my budget? The goal of H25 is to provide an easy way for people to get connect to this city without having to go to many different websites.

A lot of research is going to take place. Some ideas might be good. Some might not be. That is the good thing about an experiment. ☺ And depending on how this goes, it might turn into something I would like to keep up. However it turns out, I feel privileged to take this task on with my fellow classmates.

With all this being said I would love to hear any ideas from anyone about what you think the website I am creating should include. Like I said in my previous post, I am going to conduct interviews about people’s favorite places to go in Houston. I am hoping that this will inspire readers to go out and explore some of these places and then possibly comment with any feedback, good or bad.

So make sure you check back every week to check out the interviews. Thanks!

Intro to Houston Under $25

This blog is going to be the guide for all of those out there who want to experience Houston on a $25 budget. There are plenty of places to go, things to see, and food to eat right here in this great city.

This blog will focus on interviews of local Houstonians giving their testimonies on their favorite places to go in Houston and why. There will also be a website that will be up and running that will host all of the information on where you should spend your $25!

So get ready for a great ride! (this one is free of course, but never feel the need to hesitate when it comes to donating money to this great idea!)

Time to get in touch with the town you live in.