# Houston/North Houston

North Houston is known chiefly as the home of George Bush Intercontinental Airport, industrial parks, the busy office buildings of Greenspoint, and sleepy residential areas, but determined travelers will also find pleasant green spaces, cozy neighborhood eateries, and even a waterpark nestled among the towering pines of East Texas.

## Get in

* 29.984444-95.3413891 George Bush Intercontinental Airport, ☏ +1-281-230-3100. The airport is named after the 41st President of the USA, George H. W. Bush, the father of the 43rd President, George W Bush, despite the fact that the former only represented Texas for four years in the House of Representatives while the latter was a two-term governor of the state. The airport is located approximately 22 mi (35 km) north of downtown Houston.
I 45 North and Highway 59 (soon to be I 69) and the Hardy Toll Road are your main arteries in North Houston. Beware that I 45 (also called the North Freeway) Is a traffic nightmare. Traffic information is at Transtar. Hwy 59 (Eastex Freeway) is usually less congested but again check Transtar before making plans. The Toll road is your best bet for a price. It uses the "Easy Tag" to prepay.

## See

* 30.0064-95.26191 Humble Negro Cemetery. (updated Apr 2017)
* 29.98956-95.430492 National Museum of Funerary History, 415 Barren Springs Drive, Houston, ☏ +1-281-876-3063, contact@nmfh.org. M-F 10AM-4PM, Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. A well-organized museum that contains informative displays and an extensive collection of items relating to historical funeral practices and customs including hearses through history, caskets and coffins, the history of embalming and cremation, items relating to funerals of Presidents, Popes and celebrities. $10 for adults, $9 for 55+ and veterans, $7 for children (6-11), and free for children 5 and under. (updated Jan 2023)
* 30.03798-95.38173 Mercer Gardens, 22306 Aldine Westfield Rd, Humble, ☏ +1 713-274-4160. Daily 8AM-7PM. 300 acres of landscaped gardens with native plants, butterflies, and water features. free.

## Do

* 30.070723-95.4331641 Hurricane Harbor Splashtown, 21300 Interstate 45 North, ☏ +1 281 355-3300. Seasonal. Great water park located in the suburb of Spring next to I-45. (updated Jan 2025)
* 30.25393-95.840152 The Texas Renaissance Festival, 21778 Farm to Market 1774, Todd Mission. One of the nation's largest, most acclaimed Renaissance theme parks where the sights, sounds, tastes and beauty of the 16th Century come alive every Saturday and Sunday for 8 weekends October through November, from 9AM to dusk.

## Buy

* 29.9456-95.41171 Greenspoint Mall. A dismal, empty shell of a shopping mall that does its best business when an itinerant carnival sets up shop in its empty parking lot.
* 29.958996-95.5393442 Willowbrook Mall. A single-level mall that houses 160 retail stores and five anchors including Macy's, Dillards, JcPenny, Sears, and H&M.
* 30.079168-95.4206043 Old Town Spring (from I-45 get off at the Spring Cypress Road exit and head east on Spring Cypress Road.). Spring is an old town with over 150 shops, restaurants, and art galleries. Many of the original buildings, some over a hundred years old, now house places to buy antiques, collectibles, clothing, and gifts. (updated Jan 2020)
* 29.997057-95.7574684 Houston Premium Outlets, 29300 Hempstead Road (off of US 290 exit at the Fairfield Place Drive in Cypress). One of the largest outlet malls in the Houston area. (updated Jan 2020)
* 30.009535-95.2703955 Deerbrook Mall, 20131 US-59, Humble, TX 77338, ☏ +1 281 446 6626. 11AM-9PM. Complex with a cinema, department stores & retail outlets for clothing, toys, jewelry & electronics. (updated Dec 2024)

## Eat

* 30.004338-95.2894051 Brooklyn Pizzeria, 8910 Farm to Market 1960 Bypass Rd W, Humble, ☏ +1 281-446-5500. 11AM-10PM. NYC-style pies & slices, plus Italian classics, subs & homemade desserts from a family-run pizzeria. (updated Jan 2025)
* 29.94074-95.303642 Nee Hao, 5797 N Sam Houston Pkwy E, Houston, ☏ +1 281 442-3402. M-Sa 11AM-8PM. Chinese eatery serves huge portions of familiar dishes in a tiny interior. (updated Jan 2025)
* 29.98721-95.19773 Porky's Backyard Food Truck Park, 5131 Atascocita Road, Humble, ☏ +1 281-761-6844. F Sa 11AM-11PM, Su 11AM-10PM, M W Th 4-10 PM. A family friendly food truck park and bar that is located in the northeast side of Houston. (updated Jan 2025)

## Drink

* Hoot County Saloon, 15655 John F Kennedy Blvd (close to the airport), ☏ +1 281-987-9420. Relatively cheap drink prices, an outdoor patio area, and a juke box. (updated Jan 2020)

## Sleep

* 29.964226-95.5488111 Hilton Garden Inn Houston Northwest, 7979 Willowschase Blvd, ☏ +1 832-912-1000. This 171-room hotel is part of Chateau Court, a 13-acre mixed-use development that includes retail space and an office village. The rooms are equipped with work desks; speakerphones and high-speed Internet access. A hospitality center in each room includes a microwave, refrigerator and coffee maker. Iron/ironing board and hairdryer are also in all rooms. The hotel is decorated with slate flooring, leather chairs, cherry wood and hand picked French artwork.
* 29.941985-95.403722 Marriott Houston North Greenspoint, 255 N Sam Houston Pkwy East, ☏ +1 281-875-4000. 390 rooms and suites. Indoor/outdoor pool, whirlpool, and sauna.
* 29.986675-95.3417083 Houston Airport Marriott, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), 18700 John F Kennedy Blvd (connected by tram to George Bush Intercontinental Airport), ☏ +1 281-443-2310. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM-3PM. (updated Mar 2017)
* 29.942063-95.4004944 Hyatt Place Bush Intercontinental Airport, 300 Ronan Park Place, ☏ +1 281 820-6060, hyattplaceiah@gmail.com. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Comfortable hotel with large guestrooms, offering free, hot breakfast, pool, business center, and Wi-Fi. $119 and up.
* 29.987461-95.296735 Holiday Inn Houston NE - Bush Airport Area, 18555 Kenswick Dr, Humble.