This photograph was not manipulated. The motorcycle really is that high off the ground.
My Uncle Arnie Cooper is cool like you and I will never be. His Facebook vacation photos eschew Disneyland for backcountry America: here his family coasts through the red rock arches of Bryce Canyon on bikes, there they huddle inside a tent deep in the High Uintahs on a 20° night, two days into a weeklong adventure.
I have always wanted to be a smidgeon more like him, so I was all ears last summer when I heard him explaining his newest hobby over breakfast—geocaching.
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All photographs taken by Natasha Ostaszewski
OffCite presents the ninth submission to the Unexpected City challenge, made by Maria Oran. Click here to learn about making your own submission.
Just North of Downtown Houston, Airline Drive is not just a street. It is the home of Canino’s market, one of Houston’s largest produce markets, numerous other spice and food shops, seven produce companies, restaurants and bars, several taco trucks and one very popular Mexican bakery. It is a vibrant and energetic place, full of people at any given time. Beyond it being a unique place to shop for fresh and local produce, it is a great weekend destination for strolling and people watching.
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OffCite presents the eighth submission to the Unexpected City challenge, made by Mary Gloriod. Click here to learn about making your own submission.
Wabash Antiques and Feed Store advertises itself to be “A little bit of country in the heart of the city.” I’ve walked through the store and seen what looked like grandparents guiding their grandchildren through the rows of chickens, turkeys, ducks, and other livestock. I’ve bought some delicious food, vegetables, and jellies directly from people who grow and make the items, and who bring them to Wabash’s farmers market days.
According to Wabash’s website, the store began as a grain store that eventually evolved into an antique shop:
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Cite 84 cover photograph by Jack Thompson.
The Winter 2011 issue of Cite (84) was mailed and is at the Brazos Bookstore, CAMH, MFAH, Issues, Domy, River Oaks Bookstore, and other stores. Below is a letter by Raj Mankad about this special issue, followed by the Table of Contents.
The Houston region was named the nation’s number one job creator for the past five years in a ranking by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to Manufacturing News, Houston has the largest manufacturing workforce in the nation and is, in another measure, the home to the highest level of entrepreneurial activity out of the 15 largest cities.
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In May of 2010 I was one of the thousands of students across the nation who emerged from the brutal trials of the architectural academy into a profession unable to offer gainful employment. Among the many weeks of checking and rechecking online job boards and pestering personal contacts I received a particularly ominous email. It came from a principle from a major Houston architecture office and, while I won’t disclose the author, I will quote him directly, for his words sent a chill from my spine all the way to the bank that holds my student loan note:
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Every Valentine’s Day, people in the US exchange 141 million Valentine’s Day cards, give 189 million roses, and shell out over $1 billion on chocolate. That’s a whole lot of tokens of affection, and unfortunately, a whole lot of unoriginality. Is your sweetheart one of millions, or one in a million? Doesn’t he or she deserve something special this year? Not to worry: we’ve compiled some gift ideas for you from stores and artists that are local to Houston. Your gift will be as unique as your relationship, and your sweetie will find your support of local business extremely attractive. It’s a win-win situation. So, without further ado, here’s our handy Valentine’s Day shopping guide:
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Outside the Houston Fixed Gear party a young man hangs a bicycle, with gears, on a tree. All photos Raj Mankad.
When a young man hung his bicycle from a tree branch near the intersection of Fairview and Dunlavy, the crowd cheered. Upwards of 200 youths had come Friday January 28—on foot, on two wheels, but very few by car—for the opening of Houston Fixed Gear’s new location. What was it that made the one guy hoist his bike up and hang it as if it were a flag? On a night that the world will remember for the thousands of people who risked their lives for freedom in Cairo’s Liberation Square, did his act and the ensuing cheers celebrate anything beyond fashion and fun? Is it the appropriation of gritty bike messenger culture? Is it just hipsters marking their territory?
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