Happy Birthday to HOU: H-Town Turns 180!

Fourth largest city, home of feats of engineering and medical breakthroughs, one of the best for food, art, theater and music—Houston is the land where it just don’t stop, trunks pop and tops drop. It’s a city equal parts ingenuity, scrappiness and welcoming, giving people exactly what they need to make things happen. It’s not the type to brag. No, no—we don’t have time for that. Houston is walk, not talk. (Unless you’re counting H-Town native/legend Bun B, who walks and talks in the best way possible.) It’s substance AND style, minus the hype. So, how do you celebrate a place that’s more of the “nose-down-let’s-get-to-work-we’ve-got-stuff-to-do” type? By talking to some of the people protecting the city for generations to come.

For Houston’s big 1-8-0 we sat down with the Buffalo Bayou Partnership (also celebrating their big 3-0 this year!) to talk about Hunter S. Thompson, the Turning Basin and why you should give a damn about those waterways crisscrossing our fair city. 

For Houston’s 180th birthday, let’s start with a popular quote about the city from Hunter S. Thompson: “Houston is a cruel, crazy town on a filthy river in east Texas with no zoning laws…”  This gem is making the rounds again—shared on social media by Houston enthusiasts—and we wanted to get your take on it. As an organization that looks to preserve Houston’s “Houston-ness,” why do you love the city? 

We love this city because of its can-do attitude and the many dedicated, enthusiastic and supportive Houstonians we have met and will continue to meet. Houston has the best of both worlds—a welcome, neighborly character but also richly steeped with culture and diversity. You can see this exemplified during a weekend visit to Buffalo Bayou Park! 

We’ve established that Houston is scrappy, which is one of our favorite parts of Houston’s spirit of innovation and “let’s get it done!” attitude. Tell us about how the Buffalo Bayou Partnership adds to this rich culture. 

We wouldn’t say Houston is “scrappy,” but we’re definitely a city filled with opportunities and folks who have a “get it done” attitude! Buffalo Bayou Partnership has been busy transforming neglected areas along our historic waterway with a strong focus on recreational opportunities that enhance our city and improve the quality of life for our citizens. To showcase these green spaces, BBP activates the bayou through pedestrian, boating and biking amenities; volunteer activities; permanent and temporary art installations; and wide-ranging tours and events that attract thousands.

Speaking of our culture, Houston is known as the Bayou City. Why are the bayous important to our culture and our history?

Our city was founded at the confluence of White Oak and Buffalo bayous by the Allen brothers who described the area as “handsome and beautifully elevated, salubrious, and well-watered…” We know that this famous marketing pitch was at least somewhat true!

The bayous have always played an important role in our culture and history – from acting as the city’s first port, to a recreational amenity where folks enjoyed summers in swimming holes or paddling down its slow waters… We’re glad to that Terry Hershey, President George H.W. Bush and George Mitchell in the 1960s were instrumental in reclaiming our city’s greatest natural feature for future generations to enjoy.

Allen’s Landing: It’s Houston’s first port, where we proved to the world in 1836 that we could indeed be a port city, that ships could travel all the way into the heart of the city. What’s going on there these days?

At Allen’s Landing, historic Sunset Coffee Building (built in 1910 and was most famously known for the Love Street Light Circus and Feel Good Machine psychedelic hub in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s) has been under renovation and is finally nearing completion! BBP officially “dropped anchor” at Allen’s Landing this past June – our administrative office has moved into the second floor. Soon, the public will get to enjoy a café, managed by Houston First, as well as a kayak/canoe and bike rental facility. Completion is slated for spring 2017.

Almost as important as Allen’s Landing, and slightly more humorous, we have the Port of Houston Turning Basin. The first ship that made it to Allen’s Landing proved that it was deep enough to support a port but too narrow to execute a full turn—meaning the ship had to reverse until reaching the turning basin before continuing back out to the Gulf.  This is kind of a fun tidbit of information for a lot of people. What’s the Turning Basin like now?

White Oak Bayou at Allen’s Landing was originally considered the “Turning Basin” back in the late 1880s and early 1900s when the port was active. Barges could back into this waterway to turn around and head back toward the Gulf. However, barges could not go west of Allen’s Landing because the waterway was too narrow and shallow. The current Port of Houston Turning Basin is the shape of a turkey neck and offers the same concept of barges being able to turn around. It is possible for barges (and they still do!) to make their way up along Buffalo Bayou at North York to the metal recycling company of Prohler, located in the East End of Houston.

The Cistern on Sabine… that’s been opened very recently for tours. What is the Cistern and how was it rediscovered? 

The Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern is a partially-underground drinking water reservoir built in 1926. It operated for many decades until it sprang a leak in the mid-2000s that could not be identified. (During this time Houston’s population was growing rapidly and the City was making the transition from below-surface to surface-level drinking water!) The reservoir was permanently decommissioned in 2007 and soon after, BBP initiated plans to transform 160 acres along Buffalo Bayou between Shepherd Drive and Sabine Street—now Buffalo Bayou Park. Curious to see the space and investigating options for parking, the park designers joined Public Works on an expedition of the mostly drained water reservoir. After seeing this mysterious and magical space, the designers realized the space had to preserved and open to the public.

Opened in May 2015, over 14,000 reservations have been made to tour the Cistern. You can enjoy a 30-minute guided tour (Thursday through Sunday), by reserving your spot today. Stay tuned for more news regarding an art installation coming to the Cistern in 2017!

We’re obsessed with Buffalo Bayou Park, which has been recently renovated. Tell us a little bit about how the project came to be. What are you guys most proud of?

The transformation of Buffalo Bayou Park stemmed from BBP’s 20-year visionary plan, Buffalo Bayou and Beyond, which was published in 2002. The master plan indicates how BBP would initiate incremental enhancements along the bayou by making improvements to a sequence of greenspaces, each with its own unique set of amenities and “moods” (from active recreation, large and small gathering spaces, quiet introspective places and wetland wilderness areas.) Additionally, it states how the organization would improve bayou access for current communities while encouraging compatible bayou-front development.

We are most proud to see so many visitors, from all walks of life, enjoying what Buffalo Bayou Park has to offer. This urban greenspace recently received the following awards: The Waterfront Center’s Top Honor and AIA Houston’s Design Awards for Buffalo Bayou Park and the Cistern.

Back to the partnership itself, what are ways people can get involved to help keep Houston great for generations to come?

We have many events and activities throughout the year—sign up to receive our monthly e-newsletters and stay up-to-date on the doings along Buffalo Bayou!

Every month, we have a community volunteer day where Houstonians, ages 9 and up, can lend a hand to keep Buffalo Bayou Park’s grounds green and growing.