Heights - River Oaks - Montrose Edition | April 2024

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Heights River Oaks

Montrose Edition VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1 APRIL 9MAY 7, 2024

Construction crews work on drainage infrastructure on a section of West 19th Street in the Heights connecting Shepherd and Durham drives.

SHAWN ARRAJJCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Crews plan for next phase of $115 million Shepherd Drive reconstruction

various improvements. The project has multiple goals, MHRA President Sherry Weesner said, includ- ing lowering crash rates, and improving pedestrian access, drainage and congestion along a stretch of roadway that hasn’t seen upgrades since the 1950s.

Street, has been underway since 2022—while work on Phase 2—from West 15th to I-10—is expected to kick o in late 2024. The reconstruction is being led by the Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority, a government corporation that uses locally raised tax revenue for

BY SHAWN ARRAJJ

A $115 million reconstruction project is underway on Shepherd and Durham drives that ocials said they believe will reduce crashes and make repairs along the key Heights-area corridor. Work on Phase 1—from Loop 610 to West 15th

CONTINUED ON 16

Also in this issue

Impacts: Pickleball courts come to Washington Corridor (Page 6)

Government: Winners emerge from primary elections (Page 13)

Community: Local summer camp options (Page 15)

Business: Breweries partner on Timbergrove taproom (Page 18)

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HEIGHTS - RIVER OAKS - MONTROSE EDITION

Impacts

W. 34TH ST.

• Opening March 6 • 4444 Westheimer Road, Houston • www.hastens.com/us

W. 25TH ST.

W. 34THST. 5 610

290

20TH ST.

610

19TH ST.

7 Arhaus The business offers artisan-crafted, sustainably-sourced premium home furnishings. The new space showcases a variety of high-quality furniture. • Opened Feb. 5 • 1751 Post Oak Blvd., Houston • www.arhaus.com 8 Bassett Furniture The furniture manufacturer and retailer leased space that officials use to display a collection of sustainably- made indoor and outdoor furnishings. • Opened in mid-February Let’s Walk Houston The business offers one-on-one dog walking, with walk notifications that include the GPS route. Other services include vacation care, where staff either stay in a customer’s home while they’re away or do daily visits. • Soft opened in September; grand opening April 13 • www.letswalkhouston.com • 1721 Post Oak Blvd., Houston • www.bassettfurniture.com

W. 18TH ST.

T. C. JESTER BLVD.

W. 11TH ST.

WHITE OAK BAYOU

E. WOODLAND ST.

WHITE OAK DR.

W. 6TH ST.

WHITE OAK PARK

WASHINGTON AVE.

TAYLOR ST.

STUDEMONT ST.

MEMORIAL PARK

SAWYER ST.

BUFFALO BAYOU PARK

BUFFALO BAYOU

P K

610

W. GRAY ST.

UPTOWN PARK BLVD.

Com ing Soon

6 16

527

W. ALABAMA ST.

9 Thai Tail The fast-casual restaurant will feature a fusion of Thai and American cuisine presented in a self-service style. It will also offer Thai-inspired cocktails to go. • Opening in May • 1402 Westheimer Road, Houston • www.makiinconcepts.com 10 Yummy Pho & Bo Ne The eatery will serve authentic Vietnamese cuisine, including pho, vermicelli noodles, banh mi sandwiches and Vietnamese iced coffee. It specializes in bo ne, Vietnamese steak and eggs served in a sizzling pan with Spam, as well as its Yummy Pho, pho with beef cuts and beef dino rib. • Opening this summer 11 Lenox Timbergrove Ground broke Feb. 6 on the 293-unit project by OHT Partners, which will feature studio units, and one- and two-bedroom units with sizes ranging from 500-1,150 square feet. Amenities will include a resort-style swimming pool, an outdoor pavilion with a kitchen, an indoor pet spa, a coworking space, and a game lawn. • Opening in late 2025 • 2825 W. 11th St., Houston • www.ohtpartners.com 12 McNair interests project The unnamed 371-unit project will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom units averaging 813 square feet. Amenities will include electric vehicle charging, storage, a coworking space, a dog park, a fitness center, a rooftop deck, and a swimming pool area with cabanas and grills. • 1515 Studemont St., Ste. 109, Houston • www.facebook.com/yummyphobone

BUFFALO SPEEDWAY

RICHMOND AVE.

• Opened Feb. 28 • 1703 Gray St., Houston • www.nhpfoundation.org

Now Open

1 Duchess Restaurant and Bar The restaurant serves coastal food inspired by cultures from around the world, such as Mediterranean, Asian and South American. The menu includes dishes such as grilled octopus with truffle potato croquettes; and a roasted seafood platter. • Opened Feb. 19 • 1131 Uptown Park Blvd., Ste. 01, Houston • www.duchess-houston.com 2 Woodland Social Located on 2 acres, the pet-friendly bar features lawn games, three regulation-size volleyball courts, cabanas, 21 TVs and a 20-foot LED screen. Drink options include 20 beers on tap, cocktails, and 30 wine choices. Food options are centered on pizza, made using a brick oven and housemade dough. • Opened March 11 • 313 E. Woodland St., Houston • www.woodlandsocial.com 3 Rasmus-Temenos Temenos Community Development Corporation and The NHP Foundation, a not-for-profit provider of affordable housing, opened the 95-unit permanent supportive housing complex in efforts to combat homelessness. The $34.8 million project has a dedicated floor for at-risk youth.

4 River Oaks Salon Services at the full-service hair salon include hair cuts for men and women as well as coloring, highlights and balayage, among other services. The salon also has a selection of beauty products for sale. • Opened Jan. 2 • 3727 Westheimer Road, Ste. A, Houston • www.riveroakssalon.com 5 JuiceLand The plant-based juice, smoothie and wellness company sells raw, cold-pressed juices, superfood smoothies, smoothie bowls, wellness shots, lattes and plant- based meals, such as quinoa salad, frijole roller burrito, protein oats and Buffalo wrap. • Opened March 8 • 3444 Ella Blvd., Ste. B, Houston • www.juiceland.com 6 Hästens The Swedish luxury bed store doubles as a showroom for the brand’s mattresses, headboards, covers, linens, down pillows, quilts, mattress protectors and pajamas. Mattresses are typically priced between $30,000 and $80,000, which store officials attribute to the use of all- natural materials, and a private customization process.

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY COMMUNITY IMPACT STAFF

• Opening in the second quarter of 2025 • 3001 W. 11th St., Houston • www.mcnair.com

celebrated the park’s 100-year anniversary March 9. The park was established in 1924 and served as the grounds for World War I training camp, Camp Logan. Upcoming projects include a cafe by the timing track structure set

Now open

to open this spring or summer. • 6501 Memorial Drive, Houston • www.memorialparkconservancy.org

13 The Bunny Hive Houston The community is designed for children from 2 weeks old through kindergarten and their parents. Membership includes interactive classes; social events; and private events, such as birthday parties and baby showers. • Opening April 20 • 1526 Heights Blvd., Houston • www.thebunnyhive.com PNC Bank Officials plan to open 15 new locations across the Greater Houston area through 2028. PNC Bank locations offer various services, including retail and business banking, lending products, and wealth and asset management. • Opening through 2028 • Exact addresses TBA • www.pnc.com

15 Harold’s Bistro, Bar & Market Owner Alli Jarrett said the dine-in section of the restaurant closed March 3, and officials will focus solely on catering moving forward. Harold’s, which originally opened in 2013, serves Southern-style food such as fried chicken and shrimp and grits along with hand- crafted cocktails. • 350 W. 19th St., Ste. C, Houston • www.haroldsheights.com 16 River Oaks District Tilman Fertitta, Houston billionaire business mogul, acquired the River Oaks District, a retail and mixed-use space, in a $450 million deal. Fertitta said he will look to attract highly curated retail and restaurant concepts by utilizing his “home-town connections.” • 4444 Westheimer Road, Houston • www.riveroaksdistrict.com

17 PKL Social The bar and restaurant from the owners of FM Kitchen & Bar features a 10,000-square-foot patio, four pickleball courts, lawn games, more than 20 TVs, and a 130-inch video wall. A drink menu features, seltzer, wine, cocktails and beer, and a food menu features FM Kitchen & Bar favorites. • Opened March 21 • 1112 Shepherd Drive, Houston • www.pklsocial.com

In th e News

14 Memorial Park Officials with the Memorial Park Conservancy

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HEIGHTS - RIVER OAKS - MONTROSE EDITION

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Transportation

BY SHAWN ARRAJJ & CASSANDRA JENKINS

Houston, METRO to repair Westheimer Road The city of Houston and the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County are collaborat- ing to repair pavement and improve bus stops on Westheimer Road from Loop 610 to downtown. The gist According to a news release March 6, the project was originally planned for only repaving curb lanes where buses run. However, the revised $12.2 million project will now include: • Resurfacing the entire width of the street along certain sections of Westheimer between Loop 610 and Bagby Street • Upgrading bus stops with lighting, trash cans and real-time bus arrival information • Improving crosswalks and sidewalks Construction is expected to begin on the project in April.

Council OKs $150M for airport expansion Houston City Council unanimously approved an agreement March 20 to move forward with United Airlines on a $2.55 billion Terminal B upgrade at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport. What happened The city will allocate $624 million to the total cost of the project in three portions, which will each need their own separate council vote. The March 6 vote allocated $150 million for the project, which involves building two new gate concourses and 22 domestic gates, among other elements. Financing the project will involve the use of special facility revenue bonds and general airport revenue bonds. A feasibility study will be completed prior to the use of special facility revenue bonds.

610

BAGBY ST.

288

“The decision to expand this project is cost- effective, causes less disruption for drivers in the long term and will extend the life of the pave- ment,” METRO Chairwoman Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock said in the release. Other projects A separate project to upgrade intersections and add bike lanes along lower Westheimer stalled in 2021. Mayor John Whitmire’s office has not responded to questions regarding the priority of the project as of press time April 1.

Work progresses on Montrose water line project Crews reopened portions of Kipling, Hawthorne, Garrott, Audubon and Emerson streets in Mon- trose across February and March as work contin- ues on a $48.8 million water line project. The details to officials with the Houston Public Works Department. The project involves running a new 72-inch

Water line project route

W E S T H E I M E R R D .

water line from Mount Vernon Street in Montrose to Crawford Street in Midtown. The line will carry drinking water from the city of Houston’s south- west pump station. Work also includes improve- ments to sanitary sewer lines, storm systems and new concrete pavement for sidewalks.

527

Work on Holman, Fannin and Tuam streets will be carried out through the summer of 2024, when the project is expected to be completed, according

288

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HEIGHTS - RIVER OAKS - MONTROSE EDITION

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Real estate

Residential market data

Number of homes sold

February 2023

February 2024

-26.92%

-17.65%

-9.68%

-42.86%

+7.14%

The total number of homes sold was down in four of five local ZIP codes when comparing data from February 2024 with February 2023.

610

77006

77007

77008

77019

77098

77008

77007

Median home sales price

77019

February

2023

2024

77006

$524,950 $515,000 $570,000 $741,742 $594,750

$525,000 $517,500 $603,250 $674,500 $663,375

77098

77006

77007

288

77008

Homes sold by price point

77019

February 2024

77098

$$1 million+

$750,00-$999,999

Average days on market

$500,000-$749,999

-11.76%

-28.21%

-40%

-27.4%

-26.03%

$250,000-$499,999

<$250,000

MARKET DATA PROVIDED BY VICTORIA HAWES JAMESTOWN ESTATE HOMES 832-296-1663 VH@JAMESTOWNESTATEHOMES.COM WWW.JAMESTOWNESTATEHOMES.COM

77006

77007

77008

77019

77098

In-house custom home design In-house interior design center in The Heights Available homes in Oak Forest and The Heights

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HEIGHTS - RIVER OAKS - MONTROSE EDITION

Government

Education

BY WESLEY GARDNER

BY SHAWN ARRAJJ & CASSANDRA JENKINS

Proposed pay bumps

Houston ISD mulls teacher pay bumps

Houston to pay $650M to firefighters The city of Houston will pay $650 million in back pay owed to firefighters for the eight years they worked without a contract. The setup According to a March 14 news release, the settlement terms include all current firefighters, retired firefighters and families of firefighters who have died since 2017. The agreement also: • Makes permanent the temporary 18% pay increases given to firefighters in 2021 • Mandates additional raises of 10% starting July 1 • Ensures a five-year contract moving forward The $650 million will be paid through judgment bonds.

Primary results set stage for November election Following primary elections March 5, races have been set for several elected seats covering the Heights, River Oaks and Montrose areas. The big picture In primary elections, candidates compete within the Democratic and Republican parties to deter- mine who will represent each party on Election Day. In races where no candidate received more than 50% of the votes, the top two candidates will compete in a May 28 runoff election. Some local races for U.S. Congress and Texas Senate are headed to runoffs, including Senate District 15, where democrats Molly Cook and Jarvis Johnson will compete. In Harris County, Democrat Sean Teare will face Republican Dan Simons for district attorney in November, while incumbent Democrat Ed Gonzalez will face Republican Mike Knox for Sheriff.

Results breakdown

Minimum wage (hourly)

Base salary, non- NES teachers

Winner

Headed to runoff

$64,000

$61,500

Houston ISD officials revealed plans March 5 to increase the salaries and wages for several employees next school year as part of the district’s new compensation plan. The breakdown Officials said teacher salaries at New Education System schools, which are part of Superinten- dent Mike Miles’ district reform initiative, will largely remain the same. Teachers at NES schools make roughly $10,000-$20,000 more per year than their counterparts at non-NES schools. The average NES high school teacher salary with up to two years of experience is $82,780. The plan shows salaries for teachers with 0-2 years of experience staying largely the same at middle and high schools within the NES. Teachers with 0-2 years of experience at NES elementary schools will see slight increases in pay, depending on the position.

According to the plan, the district plans to increase minimum base salaries for teachers at non-NES schools from $61,500 to $64,000 and bump the minimum hourly wage for all employ- ees up to $15. Depending on the grade level taught, new teachers at non-NES schools will make between $64,000-$77,690. Keep in mind Next year, there will be 130 NES schools. Changes implemented at NES campuses include centralized schedules, district-approved class- room instruction and lessons, and additional staff who handle a variety of tasks outside the classroom. What’s next The board of managers will consider the new compensation plan when managers consider approving the budget in June.

82.4% Lizzie Fletcher 17.6% Pervez Agwan U.S. House of Representatives, District 7, Democrat 17.2% Tina Blum Cohen: 15.8% Carolyn B. Bryant 40.5% Kenneth Omoruyi U.S. House of Representatives, District 7, Republican

$15

$14

2023-24

2024-25

2023-24

2024-25

New Education System teacher salaries, 0-2 years of experience

2023-24

2024-25

26.5% Caroline Kane

$63,000- $85,000

$64,000- $86,000

Elementary

Texas Senate, District 15, Democrat

10.7% Michelle Anderson Bonton 10.5% Alberto “Beto” Cardenas 6.2% Karthik Soora 15.8% Todd Litton 20.6% Molly Cook

$65,000- $86,000

Intermediate

$70,000- $90,000

High school

36.2% Jarvis D. Johnson

SOURCE: HOUSTON ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE/COMMUNITY IMPACT NOTE: FIND MORE LOCAL RESULTS AT COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

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Community Camp Guide

BY ASIA ARMOUR & SHAWN ARRAJJ

2024

Grades: K-12 Dates: June 3-Aug. 16 Cost: $225-$675 per weekly class; $775-$995 per two-week class • 311 W. 18th St., Houston • www.hitstheatre.org Institute of Contemporary Dance Type: art / day Ages: 3-6 (Imagine! camps); 7-13 (Dance focus and Contemporary camp) Dates: June 10-13, 17-20 (Imagine! camps); June 10-14, 24-28 (Dance focus); June 17-21 (Contemporary camp) Cost: $240 per four-day camp (Imagine! camps); $400 per week (Dance focus and Contemporary camp) • 1302 Houston Ave., Ste. 300, Houston • www.icdhouston.com Kidventure Type: academic / day / art / sports Ages: 3-entering fifth grade (Camp Lodge 88); age 3-entering ninth grade (Camp St. Theresa) Dates: June 10-Aug. 9 (Camp Lodge 88); June 3-July 19 (Camp St. Theresa) Cost: $340-$360 per week • Camp Lodge 88, 1435 Beall St., Houston; Camp St. Theresa, 6500 Durford St., Houston • www.kidventure.com Language World Kids Type: academic / day Ages: 3-11 Dates: June 3-Aug. 16 (Heights camp); June 3-21 (Montrose camp) Cost: $295-$350 per week • 1245 Heights Blvd., Houston (Heights camp); 2120 Westheimer Road, Houston (Montrose camps) • www.languagekids.com/camps

Parents looking for day camps for their children have a number of options to choose from in the Houston area. This list is not comprehensive. The ARTZ Summer Aerial Camp Type: art / day Ages: 5-15 Dates: May 28-Aug. 16 Cost: $375 per week; $90 per full-day drop-in; $60 per half-day drop-in • 1824 Spring St., Ste. 124, Houston • www.theartz8.com CompuCamp Type: academic / day Ages: 6-17 Dates: June 3-July 12 Cost: $289-$325 per week • University of Houston-Downtown, 1 Main St., Houston • www.compucampuhd.com Creator Camp Type: art / day Ages: 6-13 Dates: June 3-Aug. 2 Cost: $159-$249 per two- and three-day options; $1,200 per summer pass • St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 1800 Sul Ross St., Houston • www.creatorcamp.org Elite University Type: academic / art / day / sports Ages: 5-13 Dates: June 10-Aug. 23 Cost: $285-$450 per week • First Lutheran Church, 1311 Holman St., Houston • www.elitesummercamps.com

Houston

Shakespeare) Dates: June 17-28, July 15-26 (Montrose camps); June 10-30 (Summer Shakespeare) Cost: $550 per two-week session (Montrose camps); $400 (Summer Shakespeare) • St. Thomas University, 3800 Montrose Blvd., Houston • www.mainstreettheater.com/summer-camps Zoofari Type: academic / day Ages: 5-9 (special session of All Access camp is available for ages 10-12) Dates: June 3-Aug. 2 Cost: Starts at $375 per week • 6200 Hermann Park Drive, Houston • www.houstonzoo.org/camp

Sur La Table Type: art / day Ages 7-17

Dates: May 27-Sept. 6 Cost: $349 per week • 1996 W. Gray St., Houston • www.surlatable.com

Main Street Theater Type: art / day Ages: 6-14 (Montrose camp); 11-18 (Summer

HITS Theatre Summer of Courage Type: art / day

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HEIGHTS - RIVER OAKS - MONTROSE EDITION

Crews plan for next phase of $115 million Shepherd Drive reconstruction From the cover

Vehicle crashes on Shepherd Drive

Two-minute impact

136

130

127

610

40.2% increase in vehicle

Phase 1

The $115 million project spans roughly 5 miles from the northern segment of Loop 610 to I-10 West. It will reduce the number of trac lanes on each road from four to three while adding protected bike lanes and installing sidewalks, according to MHRA information. Tree planting is also a major initiative of the project, Weesner said. Trees will create a shade canopy throughout the project’s boundaries and a barrier between pedestrians and cars, she said. Other elements include new trac signals, crosswalk striping, new signal timing, and the replacement of underground water and sewer infrastructure. Both phases have been fully funded, including with help from a $40 million federal grant, funds from the MHRA and funds from the city of Houston for water and sewer work, Weesner said. In March, city of Houston ocials requested a temporary pause of all projects that involve narrowing vehicle lanes or adding on-street bike lanes while the new administration of Mayor John Whitmire conducts a review. City ocials said it was a standard review for a new administration, and MHRA ocials said their timelines have not changed.

crashes from 2020 to 2023

2023

2020

2021

2022

Year

W. 19THST.

Based on crash data from 2012-2018, the project is expected to reduce: Vehicle crashes by 42% Pedestrian crashes by 67%

W. 18THST.

Bicycle crashes by

38%

Proposed typical section The reconstruction of Shepherd and Durham drives will entail the removal of one vehicle lane in each direction to make room for bike lanes and wider pedestrian zones.

Phase 2

WHITE OAK BAYOU

Pedestrian zone

Tree zone

Roadway (3 lanes)

Street light

Bike way

Tree zone

Pedestrian zone

SOURCES: MEMORIAL HEIGHTS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONCOMMUNITY IMPACT

What they’re saying

times, power was shut o by accident, without warning. “If it goes o in the middle of us sewing, I’ll probably have to start over and rework that whole piece of material,” he said. “It could cause damage to the machine.” Lopez also said he was concerned about whether the new bike lane would hamper access to the business’s main entrance from Shepherd, which leads to the shop’s main set of vehicle bays. He emphasized that, although the main parking area is along West 26th Street, the critical front entrance faces Shepherd. “Change is inevitable. I recognize that. I welcome the change,” he said. “I think that better communi- cation about it and how it impacts some things for business owners would help us all.” Weesner said the MHRA is carrying out con- struction in ways that are meant to keep the streets and driveways open for business owners as much as possible. The bike lanes are being designed in a way similar to sidewalks so that they will not block access to businesses, she said.

Kevin Strickland is president of the Greater Heights Super Neighborhood. He also lives several blocks away from where construction will soon be taking place at 14th Street. Although construction will be tough, he said the benets are well worth it. The project is already spurring developer interest, and it will improve drainage and mobility, he said. “It’s impossible to walk across four lanes of speeding trac,” he said. “It’s not reasonable to walk to a light that might be a quarter-mile away, so people are sort of running across the street. The improvements will address that.” Some business owners, including Larry Lopez, owner of Upholstery by Coleman on Shepherd, said they think the project will provide a big benet once completed to a street that has been long overdue for upgrades. However, Lopez said he wished the MHRA was better at communicating construction updates to businesses. On several occasions, Lopez said he has shown up to work only to have crews warn him they would be cutting o power in 30 minutes. Other

“Our frustrations with it is there’s really no communication. … No one’s ever come to us and said, ‘Here’s what we’re going to be doing.’”

LARRY LOPEZ, OWNER OF UPHOLSTERY BY COLEMAN

“The construction team works with individual property owners to manage

construction so that access is maintained.” SHERRY WEESNER, PRESIDENT, MEMORIAL HEIGHTS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY SHAWN ARRAJJ

Project studies at two key intersections show the use of dedicated left-turn lanes could reduce delay times based on 2040 traffic projections.

Digging in deeper

What’s next?

As of March, construction crews were focused on continuing work on the southern portion of Phase 1 of the project. Work on Phase 2 will start in late 2024 at White Oak Bayou, and crews will work north toward 15th Street. Depending on the location and space, the paving will be done in two or three steps, Weesner said. More details will be known after the authority hires a contractor, she said. Meanwhile, officials with the Houston Public Works Department said the city’s reviews of road narrowing and bike lane projects are ongoing. Construction on the remaining phases of Shepherd and Durham will take place according to the following timeline: • Construction on Phase 2 will begin in late 2024. • Construction on Phase 1 will be finished in fall 2025. • Construction on Phase 2 will be finished in late 2027.

Level of service grades (2040 projections)

AM peak hour

PM peak hour

Grade A: No delays Grade B: Minor delays

Grade C: Higher volumes lead to more controlled speed and maneuverability

Grade D : Volume near capacity, maneuverability restricted

Grade E: Volume at or over capacity with considerable delays

Grade F : Very low speeds with long delays

Durham at 11th Street (southbound)

Durham at 20th Street (southbound)

Shepherd at 11th Street (northbound)

Shepherd at 20th Street (northbound)

A C

C B

C C

C E

C D

F E

D C

A B

111

54.6

48.3

43.9

30.6

29.4

23.3

22.3

20.3 18.9

9.8

8.8 12.2

Future

Existing

Future

Existing

Future

Delay in seconds

SOURCES: MEMORIAL HEIGHTS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, TRANSPORTATION FOR AMERICA/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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Business

BY ASIA ARMOUR

Mathis’ favorite beer is a Kolsh, but the owners said they will help customers nd their personal favorites.

Founders Jen Mathis and Miguel Rodriguez said they are excited to have a space that caters to people who are new to the craft beer scene.

PHOTOS BY ASIA ARMOURCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Craft Culture X seeks to grow craft beer community For The Culture Brewing Company and Ovinnik Brewing—a Black- and Latino-owned craft beer business and a woman-owned brewery, respec- tively—banded together to create brewpub Craft Culture X in October.

It takes hard work, passion and precision to craft dierent styles of beer, Rodriguez said.

2018, Mathis said. Rodriguez’s professional background is in education. He’s taken time o from teaching fth grade math to learn the science behind the brewing process and to open this business. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere The co-op brewery owners take pride in provid- ing multiple options and helping customers nd what they like. Rodriguez said a lot of care and hard work goes into crafting beer. He emphasized the joy he feels in creating a space where diverse groups of people can grow the craft beer community together. “It’s a spot that you can be in on it from the ground up,” Rodriguez said.

DO IT ANYWHERE ANY T I ME Jen Mathis and her husband had been concoct- ing their own beer at home for nine years before they rst considered opening a craft brewery in Jen Mathis with Ovinnik and Miguel Rodriguez with For The Culture agreed that their goals are inuenced by diverse ownership. “I envision us as introducing people who nor- mally would be hesitant ... to go to a craft brewery ... willing to try something [new],” Rodriguez said. How we got here

WYNNPARK DR.

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Events

BY ASIA ARMOUR

blend theater and dance to tell Chinese folktales to teach lessons on family, life and humanity. It features 40 dancers, 10 actors, film, music and elaborate costumes. • April 19, 8:15-9:45 p.m. • Free (admission) • 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston • www.milleroutdoortheatre.com Top Taco This Denver-based event will be held for the first time at the cultural events center POST Houston. It features a competition between 30 Houston eateries for the title of “top taco.” Attendees can expect unlimited samples, tequila and mezcal tastings, voting for favorites, and

April

Pickleball Festival and Tournament STEM-E Youth Career Development Program will partner with The Greater Houston Pickleball Association and Houston Parks and Recreation for a pickleball tournament. The event will feature a bounce house, corn hole toss, face painting and raffles. • April 13, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. • $10 (spectator), $75 (players) • 1500 E. Memorial Loop Drive, Houston • www.steme.org/pickleball-festival PlantCon Attendees will hear from plant care experts and artisans at NRG Center at an event that includes showcases, panels, workshops and 150 global plant vendors. A grand opening reception will take place at the Houston

live entertainment. • April 25, 6-10 p.m. • $75-$115 • 401 Franklin St., Houston • www.toptacofest.com/houston

Houston Art Car Parade This annual event from The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art returns for its 37th season, featuring 250 mobile masterpieces from across the U.S. The four-day series features a parade around Allen Parkway, a ball, an awards ceremony and a children’s creative zone to promote visionary arts. • April 11-14, times vary by event • Cost varies by event, ($50-$100, Art Car Ball admission) • Location varies by event • www.thehoustonartcarparade.com

Botanic Garden on April 12. • April 13-14, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. • $25 • 1 Fannin St., Houston • www.plantcon.org

Adult Congenital Heart Association Walk This active fundraising event features a 1-mile walk through Houston’s Memorial Park picnic loop to raise $35,000 for advocacy efforts, research, educational programs and resources for the community. • April 27, 9 a.m. (check-in), 10 a.m. (opening ceremony)

Chinese Folktales: Wit & Wisdom of the Ancestors This performance at the Miller Outdoor Theatre will

• Free (donations encouraged) • 7575 Picnic Lane, Houston • www.achaheart.org/walk1in100

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