City Cast Houston

The Houston growing seasons are not so very Texan. Our climate is humid subtropical – it has extremely mild winters – and it means that gardening possibilities are endless, especially when tomato-growing season rolls around. Today, City Cast correspondent Evan Mintz argues that gardening is the greatest escape from our world's constant dissonance, and joining him is author Pilar Hernandez, who’s b...

For half a century, Rothko Chapel has been the stillest place in Houston. We’re a city where too much is never enough, where the hustle never stops. But Rothko Chapel is minimal. And meditative. This week, the chapel finishes its year-long celebration of its 50th birthday with new music by composer Tyshawn Sorey. Today, we talk about all of that with City Cast culture correspondent Chris Gray; and...

Smack at the center of Rice's main quad is a bronze statue of Rice's slave-holding founder, William Marsh Rice. For nearly a year students held daily "Down With Willy" sit-ins, demanding the statue's removal. City Cast correspondent and 2020 Rice graduate Rachel Carlton tells City Cast Houston’s host Lisa Gray (also a Rice alum!) all about the protests, and also, the university's effort to make th...

Last time we opened up the phone lines for caller submissions, Houstonians regaled us with inspiring stories from the 610 Loop. Today, just in time for Valentine’s, we were equally inspired by Houstonians’ tales of love. Listen to real love stories - some sweet, some naughty, and others that’ll bring a lump to your throat - as told by the greatest audience we know, the City Cast Houston fans! We h...

Since 1982, Buc-ee's has been THE road-trip stop favorite among many Texans. Their reign over being the top gas station has stretched across many state lines, and now they're headed to Colorado. Peyton Garcia, City Cast Denver newsletter writer was filled with questions about what a Buc-ee's even is and if it's something Denver should get excited about. Today, the City Cast Houston team steps in t...

When host Lisa Gray walked her dog on Monday, she saw a gnarly dark plume billowing over Southeast Houston. Turns out, that cloud was a “flare event” - spewing chemicals into the air the volume of nine Metro buses. To help her better understand what unseen elements can sometimes confront Houstonians on their dog walks, Jennifer Hadayia, of the Air Alliance Houston, and Luke Metzger, of Environment...

Have you ever wondered what your neighborhood looked like before there were buildings on the land? What was uptown like before freeways and the Galleria? What about the Astrodome area and Alief and West University? On today's episode, environmental expert, Jaime Gonzales may blow your mind. Houston before development was probably not what you imagined. If you're as curious as where, here's where y...

Once upon a time, Robert Thomas was a nightclub owner: District 1960 in Northwest Houston. (Acts such as Megan Thee Stallion and Moneybagg Yo performed there.) But, when the pandemic struck and the crowds thinned out, he was forced to shut down and rethink his purpose. Mulling his new status of “non-essential,” he experienced a lightbulb moment: Could he bring black vendors together and promote pr...

According to The Marshall Project’s Keri Blakinger, Texas youth prisons are a complete and total mess. They’re places of tortuous violence, horrifying prisoner confrontations, and interminable stints of solitary confinement. More than anything, she argues, it's how these institutions have failed to set up youths for future success, and in some cases, have even become an express route for kids stra...

It’s crawfish season! (You heard that right … even in early February!) Although 90% of the country’s crawfish come from across the Louisiana State line, they are still very much a Houston flavor. One of the most sought-after dishes around here is the Viet-Cajun crawfish, like the ones you can find at Crawfish and Noodles. On today’s show, enjoy a crawfish-centered discussion by the City Cast Houst...

The River Oaks Theatre - Houston’s oldest and most beloved spot to catch a flick - has been shuttered since March 2021. Ever since, its fate has been up in the air… until now! Maureen McNamara, one of the founders of Friends of River Oaks Theatre; and David Bush, director of Preservation Houston, stop by to deliver some heartwarming news about the historic movie theater. Find out more about Friend...

Exxon Mobil announced this week that it's moving its headquarters to the Houston area -- which will make it the biggest Fortune 500 company located here. Why are Exxon's top executives leaving Irving, Texas? And what does it mean about the long-term prospects of Houston's oil companies? Today we dive into the reasons behind this move with contributor Loren Steffy.  Get all your Houston dirt right...

Primary season is here! In these parts, we have roughly 90 races to vote on, which is a lot of platforms, issues, and campaign promises to keep up with! So, to help you navigate the Texas political murk, City Cast Houston contributor Evan Mintz offers ways to get a bead on the candidates so that you can vote smart all the way down the ballot. Make sure to follow along with Lisa Gray's weekday news...

Loop 610 is the city’s Mother Loop, its inner ring - the circle that defines Houston. (Either you’re in, or you’re out!) Today, City Cast listeners share their own stories from the loop: Funny, alarming, thoughtful, and sometimes, more poignant than you ever thought stories about a freeway could be.  You got a good Houston love story? Valentine's Day is coming… call our City Cast answering machine...

Whataburger is a Texas favorite but the invasion of the shiny West-Coast chain In-n-Out has sparked a debate: is In-n-Out better than Whataburger? Are both their burgers totally different or comparable. Today the team tackles a brewing debate on which burger is better and if either of them is worth a bite! Want more Houston news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter.  We’re also on...

Chester Chambers, the bright-eyed owner of the Bloom Foods food truck, also holds a degree in chemical engineering from MIT. But, down here in Houston, he focuses on the perfect chemistry his plant-based burger possesses (as well as nuggets, fries, sausage biscuits, and tacos). It’s fare that any late-night bar-hopping Houstonian could find delicious, and its biggest upside? It’s healthy. Chester...

Usually, when Houstonians talk about insects, it's about the ones that we want to kill. Mosquitoes, fleas, fire ants, but today one of the insects' biggest fans is joining bug-hating producer Dina Kesbeh. City Cast contributor, Scott Solomon studies ants. He's a Rice University entomologist, and he's just released a lecture series on why insects matter. Scott is going to make the case that yes, ev...

Something that every Houstonian can agree on is that potholes are the worst. Good thing we have Walter Hambrick on the job! (Assistant Director of the Houston Public Works Department.) He and his team even have a pothole “War Room” from which they rush to the battlefield each time a jarred Houstonian dials 3-1-1. On today’s episode, learn all about Mr. Hambrick and his team who are making Houston’...

Last year, Houston police responded to 470 deaths. It was one of the worst homicide rates we’ve seen in the past 30 years. City Cast contributor Evan Mintz joins Dr. Howard Henderson - founding director of Texas Southern University’s Center for Justice Research - to discuss ways Houston could be proactive instead of reactionary in this fight to end homicides. You can find Dr. Henderson's page at T...

Recently, H-E-B was ranked #2 on a national survey - just behind Amazon. Today, the City Cast crew breaks down what makes H-E-B special… and what makes it especially Texan. (Not to mention the Texas-shaped tortilla chips.) Here's Dina's favorite drink H-E-B carries: H-E-B Sparkling Prickly Pear ...And here's the Texas-shaped Corn Tortilla chips Finally, help us prepare for an upcoming showdown bet...

Today we continue with Raj Mankad’s bicycle journey around 610 — his personal quest, after pandemic isolation, to reconnect with the city. Today he covers the eastern part of the Loop – the industrial side, the Port of Houston side, the grimy sublime part that most Houstonians know least. City Cast and the Houston Chronicle Opinion section want to know all your 610 stories! Call us at 713-489-6972...

Raj Mankad, the Houston Chronicle's op-Ed editor and Houston's resident utopian, has made a project of riding his bike around Loop 610. How did it go and why on earth did he venture on this journey? Today, Lisa Gray asks Raj to map out his trip for us. In the first part of our two part series, Raj takes us on a ride through the lush greenery of Memorial park and through the upscale Bellaire. But,...

Seismique, in far west Houston, bills itself as both an “art museum” and an “intergalactic playground.” Inside a former Bed Bath & Beyond, more than 40 hallucinogenic, made-for-Instagram rooms house wildly different experiences born of everything from projectors and LEDs to crochet. The dizzying experience is less like a traditional art museum, and more like a concert, an escape room or an amuseme...

As Covid 19 has raged on, Independence Heights in Northwest Houston has suffered a loss of some historic housing - particularly with townhomes popping up right along Main Street. For Tanya Debose, a founder of the national group Black Towns Matter, MLK day on Monday will not be “a day off, but a day on,” as she continues to educate, inform and empower. For more information on how you can help, mak...

This March, on Black Heritage day, Lil’ Keke will join Bun B’s H-Town Takeover at the Houston Rodeo. Alongside some of the most highly revered Houstonian rappers ever (his fellow “elder statesmen” Bun B, Slim Thug, Z-Ro, and others), Lil’ Keke’s upcoming performance will draw inspiration from a career spent representing Texas. For more information on Lil’ Keke’s recently dropped song "We From Texa...