[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by secret love

Hello all

I am planning on attending the Houston TX concert in USA this year. No need to say which band!

As an Australian who has never been to America, I am looking for advice from American fans who can offer a local perspective. Best spots in Houston? Is it close to Dallas? Tourist attractions? Restaurants/cuisine?

My other concern is safety. Is Houston a "safe" city like New York or is it a "rough area" for lack of a better phrase? Obviously this is quite subjective, but the local perspective is what I am looking for - you do not have to be Texan but just American. Is there a large Hispanic/Spanish-speaking community in Texas?

What are the crime statistics like?

I know this sounds like pesky tourist questions, but I have bought my ticket but not flights. This is not an attempt to palm off the ticket. It is a genuine thread enquiring about being safe as a lone traveller in Houston and the broader state of Texas.

Thanks guys

secret love.

Houston has a museum district which contains museums unparalleled throughout Texas. There is a big arts & food scene in Houston as well. The city is the most ethnically & culturally diverse large city in America, and with 6 million people in the metro area, any type of culture/food/arts/activities/etc can be found there. It's also reasonably close to the Texas beaches & the other large metro areas in Texas- San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas. The one largest detriment to Houston is it's sprawling nature, though. It even has multiple "downtowns," so everything is spread apart and far away. Despite that, I think they maintain traffic far better than any large city I've ever been in.

Originally Posted by wondergirl9847

Hi there! I don't live in Houston, but I've been there a few times. I live in Fort Worth, which is about 40 minutes west of Dallas. Houston is a 1 hour flight from DFW, but about a 3 and a half hour drive. So close depends on method of transportation.

Local attractions depends on what you are really interested in seeing. The Space Center is in Houston, which would be a neat experience, I'd imagine. I haven't been though.

There is the Kemah Boardwalk, which is a neat little place with restaurants, a few rides and shops. It's located south of Houston on the way to Galveston though.

Kemah Boardwalk

I must recommend going to Austin if you can and try the BBQ and Tex-Mex food. I'm sure some of the local Ledgies can steer you to some wonderful restaurants.

All cities have "rough" areas, but Houston overall is pretty safe. I went there a few years ago to see Lindsey by myself and was out at night downtown. Never felt unsafe. That's not to say you shouldn't be cautious because you should ALWAYS be aware and careful. If you can meet up with some other Ledgies, that is always a wonderful time and safety in numbers too!

Houston is a very heavy Spanish-speaking area, and there will be various billboards and signs in Spanish here and there (just like there are in certain areas of Fort Worth and Dallas). That said, I don't see you having any problems with things being in English. Although it has been a few years, so maybe the local Ledgies know more about this?

Crime statistics, I'm not sure of, but like I said, Houston is very safe overall. Now...if we are talking smog/air quality, that's a different story! Houston is a HUGE city.

I hope your trip is long enough to visit some other cities such as Austin and San Antonio. I think you'll like those cities quite a bit. Perhaps Galveston or Corpus Christi as well.

Because of my career, I'm extremely well versed in Texas crime statistics. Even accounting for it's size, Harris County's per capita violent crime far outpaces any other major or minor metropolitan area in Texas. You are twice as likely to be the victim of a violent crime in Houston than you are in Fort Worth or Austin, for instance. Houston is also one of the largest drug & human trafficking cities in the nation. I'm not trying to be alarmist or contrarian, but hearing Houston summed up as 'very safe' just makes me squirm given my professional knowledge.