—————————————————— Best Go-carts 2001 | Speedy's Go Cart | Best of Houston® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Houston | Houston Press
Navigation
Support Us

Houston's independent source of
local news and culture

I support

Houston Press
Houston Press
Local
Community
Journalism
Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of the Houston Press free.
Support Us

Best Go-carts

Speedy's Go Cart

Don't you just hate it when a go-cart track is so crammed into the available space that the course is little but a series of traffic-jam-inducing hairpin curves? Don't you hate it when at least one car conks out every time, putting up the yellow caution flag for everyone else? Don't you really hate it when the car that conks out every time is yours? Then you should head out Hempstead Highway to the northwest part of town to Speedy's Go Carts, where you won't have to put up with those hassles. Our preteen go-cart expert rhapsodizes about the long straightaway, the broad curves and the well-maintained cars. The staff is friendly, the place is clean as far as go-cart places go, and the arcade is not one of those overwhelming Dave & Buster's-type multimedia extravaganzas. There aren't a lot of frills at Speedy's, but who goes to a go-cart track for frills?

Best Go-carts

Speedy's Go Cart

Don't you just hate it when a go-cart track is so crammed into the available space that the course is little but a series of traffic-jam-inducing hairpin curves? Don't you hate it when at least one car conks out every time, putting up the yellow caution flag for everyone else? Don't you really hate it when the car that conks out every time is yours? Then you should head out Hempstead Highway to the northwest part of town to Speedy's Go Carts, where you won't have to put up with those hassles. Our preteen go-cart expert rhapsodizes about the long straightaway, the broad curves and the well-maintained cars. The staff is friendly, the place is clean as far as go-cart places go, and the arcade is not one of those overwhelming Dave & Buster's-type multimedia extravaganzas. There aren't a lot of frills at Speedy's, but who goes to a go-cart track for frills?

Best Place to Inline Skate

Southampton

Asphalt. Beautiful asphalt. This area is jam-packed with it. You can roll from Rice University up to the Southwest Freeway and from Kirby Drive east to Mandell with nary a glimpse of concrete, gravel or potholes. We suggest you start somewhere on North or South Boulevard, where the rich folk live (how come they always get the good asphalt?). Take in the amazing century-old live oaks and multimillion-dollar homes. And when you've had all the high livin' you can handle, skate down to the Rice Village, where you can regain those lost calories with a cold pint at The Ginger Man or the Village Icehouse. Blading and beer: a classic combination.

Best Place to Inline Skate

Southampton

Asphalt. Beautiful asphalt. This area is jam-packed with it. You can roll from Rice University up to the Southwest Freeway and from Kirby Drive east to Mandell with nary a glimpse of concrete, gravel or potholes. We suggest you start somewhere on North or South Boulevard, where the rich folk live (how come they always get the good asphalt?). Take in the amazing century-old live oaks and multimillion-dollar homes. And when you've had all the high livin' you can handle, skate down to the Rice Village, where you can regain those lost calories with a cold pint at The Ginger Man or the Village Icehouse. Blading and beer: a classic combination.

Best Place to Drink Bloody Marys

Palace Lanes Bowling Alley

Forget brunch. We submit that the best time for a Bloody Mary is when you're bowling. Bowling can make you thirsty (it's a sport, you know), and Bloody Marys are light and refreshing. But they're also strong enough to help you take yourself a little less seriously in rented shoes. And at Palace Lanes, the Bloodys are quite good. Yes, they're made from a mix (it is a bowling alley), but it's a good mix -- nicely spiced and not too tomatoey. The Palace Lanes bartender is generous with the vodka, and the drink is served from the bar's take-out window in a plastic cup with a wedge of lime. Order one. Your beer-bowling friends will be jealous.

Best Place to Drink Bloody Marys

Palace Lanes Bowling Alley

Forget brunch. We submit that the best time for a Bloody Mary is when you're bowling. Bowling can make you thirsty (it's a sport, you know), and Bloody Marys are light and refreshing. But they're also strong enough to help you take yourself a little less seriously in rented shoes. And at Palace Lanes, the Bloodys are quite good. Yes, they're made from a mix (it is a bowling alley), but it's a good mix -- nicely spiced and not too tomatoey. The Palace Lanes bartender is generous with the vodka, and the drink is served from the bar's take-out window in a plastic cup with a wedge of lime. Order one. Your beer-bowling friends will be jealous.

Best Bike Path

West White Oak Bayou Trail

Would you believe Houston has more than 200 miles of bikeways? Well, it's true. And the West White Oak Bayou Trail comprises five of the best. Just a year old, the 12-foot-wide concrete path follows its namesake bayou from T.C. Jester at 11th Street in the Heights up to Pinemont, north of Loop 610. Plenty wide and plenty smooth, on a recent holiday morning the trail was sprinkled with families and singles on ten-speeds, Rollerblades, with strollers and on foot. You don't need to be Lance Armstrong out here; just dust off your old beater and join the folks enjoying the virtually uninterrupted ribbon of pavement, complete with bike/ped bridges and special underpasses. And if you dig it as much as we did, you'll be thrilled to learn that the White Oak Bayou Trail is just a small part of a planned bikeway network for Houston that will consist of bike lanes, shared bike routes and hike/bike trails, which we hope will encourage people to get out of their cars and take traveling into their own hands. Or rather, their own feet.

Best Bike Path

West White Oak Bayou Trail

Would you believe Houston has more than 200 miles of bikeways? Well, it's true. And the West White Oak Bayou Trail comprises five of the best. Just a year old, the 12-foot-wide concrete path follows its namesake bayou from T.C. Jester at 11th Street in the Heights up to Pinemont, north of Loop 610. Plenty wide and plenty smooth, on a recent holiday morning the trail was sprinkled with families and singles on ten-speeds, Rollerblades, with strollers and on foot. You don't need to be Lance Armstrong out here; just dust off your old beater and join the folks enjoying the virtually uninterrupted ribbon of pavement, complete with bike/ped bridges and special underpasses. And if you dig it as much as we did, you'll be thrilled to learn that the White Oak Bayou Trail is just a small part of a planned bikeway network for Houston that will consist of bike lanes, shared bike routes and hike/bike trails, which we hope will encourage people to get out of their cars and take traveling into their own hands. Or rather, their own feet.

Best Houston Comet

Tina Thompson

In the first season following Cynthia Cooper's premature retirement, fans were looking forward to Sheryl Swoopes to carry the team to its fifth WNBA championship. But when a knee injury sidelined Sheryl for the entire season, Tina Thompson took over at forward, with Janeth Arcain as her support at guard. The two took the team to the playoffs with a respectable 19-13 season. Thompson came in third in the league in scoring, and sixth in rebounds. She was the leading vote-getter in the West for the all-star game. But beginning with a suspension in July and then a sprained ankle, Thompson's Comets hit the skids in August. Before that, Thompson was being touted as an MVP contender. The Comets couldn't make it past the L.A. Sparks in the playoffs, and Thompson tore a calf muscle in the deciding game. Now she's recuperating for next season as the rest of us hang our hopes on the triumvirate of Swoopes, Thompson and Arcain picking up where the Comets left off this year.

Best Houston Comet

Tina Thompson

In the first season following Cynthia Cooper's premature retirement, fans were looking forward to Sheryl Swoopes to carry the team to its fifth WNBA championship. But when a knee injury sidelined Sheryl for the entire season, Tina Thompson took over at forward, with Janeth Arcain as her support at guard. The two took the team to the playoffs with a respectable 19-13 season. Thompson came in third in the league in scoring, and sixth in rebounds. She was the leading vote-getter in the West for the all-star game. But beginning with a suspension in July and then a sprained ankle, Thompson's Comets hit the skids in August. Before that, Thompson was being touted as an MVP contender. The Comets couldn't make it past the L.A. Sparks in the playoffs, and Thompson tore a calf muscle in the deciding game. Now she's recuperating for next season as the rest of us hang our hopes on the triumvirate of Swoopes, Thompson and Arcain picking up where the Comets left off this year.

Best Of Houston®

Best Of

California Privacy Policy California Collection Notice
Do Not Sell My Info
Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our terms of use, our cookies policy, and our privacy policy The Houston Press may earn a portion of sales from products & services purchased through links on our site from our affiliate partners. ©2024 Houston Press, LP. All rights reserved.
Powered By Foundation