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Best Emergency Room

Ben Taub Hospital

Photo by Angelica Leicht

If you're in a true medical emergency, just hope you get taken to the ER at Ben Taub Hospital. Located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center, Ben Taub has been renowned for years as a remarkable acute care center and one of the best Level I trauma centers in the world. If you've been shot in the gut or pulled from the wreckage of a car accident and you arrive at Ben Taub, you'll be treated in the Ginni and Richard Mithoff Trauma Center, which cares for more than 100,000 patients a year. The doctors at Ben Taub's ER have been known to pull off medical feats that sometimes seem like miracles, saving the lives of some of the most critically injured people who are brought into the hospital. Ben Taub is the only Level I trauma center in the Harris Health System, so the place gets packed and you can end up waiting a long time if your situation isn't life-threatening, but if you or your loved one is critical, the Ben Taub team, staffed by physician faculty and residents from Baylor College of Medicine, is the best emergency room to find yourself in.

Best Pawn Shop

Money Mart Pawn & Jewelry

Not all pawn shops are created the same. Some have the same dusty merchandise day in and day out; some are so dark and dingy that you just wind up feeling depressed; and some are so poorly organized that it can take half an hour to find the item you're looking for. But Money Mart is a real oasis: a huge, clean, well-lit, well-organized store with an ever-revolving inventory of quality merchandise — electronics, jewelry, designer handbags, you name it. The prices are fair and the customer service is superb. It's worth looking here before making a trip to your go-to retail store — chances are, you may wind up with a much better deal.

Best Place to Buy a Gun

Collectors Firearms

From the tiniest pea-shooter to the most exotic antique flintlock, Collectors Firearms has your back. Or your hip and ankle, for that matter. Started in 1975, this Houston mainstay has been providing people with a huge inventory of quality pistols, rifles, shotguns — and even knives and swords — at great prices, with excellent customer service from real experts. Colt, Winchester, Smith & Wesson, SIG Sauer — whatever your brand, you won't be disappointed. Collectors Firearms boasts a regular inventory of more than 12,000 guns, from as low as $100 to $500,000. (We like to stick somewhere in the middle.) You can also salivate over the new arrivals, along with the regular stock, online.

Best Manicure

Bliss Day Spa

Photo by Ruth Johnston via CC

Getting a manicure isn't only about a glossy coat of polish, but the overall experience during that manicure and the rejuvenated look of your nail beds and hands. Bliss Day Spa offers one of the best in Houston, with a price that includes it all. For $25 you're welcomed into the clean and organized salon, which boasts a spectrum exclusively of OPI polishes, followed by an exfoliating scrub, with a generous massage of the hands and forearms. The salon is extremely tidy and comfortable and has a variety of tasty drinks, both with and without alcohol. There's a two-drink maximum, but we say go for the screwdriver. One cocktail (or two) later plus a change of polish, and you'll be set for at least a week or more, assuming you don't go rock climbing with your bare hands.

Best Jewelry Store

Reiner's Fine Jewelry

Photo by ilovebutter via CC

This family-owned institution first opened its doors in downtown Houston in 1945. In 1992 the store moved to its current location in Upper Kirby/River Oaks, and all this time, Reiner's has prided itself on offering the finest-quality rings, necklaces, watches, earrings and other accessories in the city. Whether you want to choose from a wide selection of beloved designers like Benchmark, Goldman, Stuller and others, or want to custom-build your own piece, the Reiner family is there to help. (Check out their online Pendant Builder to get an idea of the possibilities.) This family has been a trusted name for more than 70 years — and there's a reason for that. Come by and see for yourself.

Best DIY Bike Shop

Third Ward Bike Shop

Photo by Doogie Roux

A project of the nonprofit Tour de Hood, Third Ward Bike Shop is a bike repair shop for the community and, often, by the community. Those who know nothing about fixing a broken chain can either drop it off for repair, or, more encouraged here, learn how to do it themselves from some of the shop's volunteers. For veteran cyclists, general manager Angelo Coletta offers a garage somewhat overflowing with tools and parts that anybody can use to fix up their bikes for $10 per hour. The shop often takes bike donations, and for Tour de Hood's weekly bike ride on Wednesday nights, anyone can borrow a bike for free. Coletta is always looking for knowledgeable volunteers to help with bike repairs and credits them $10 an hour toward purchasing a new bike if they'd like.

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