Houston, Texas gets a cowboy hat-sized "YUCK" from me. I really wish
that my experience with a Texas city contained Austin or Dallas or someplace
a little more interesting. For starters, you can SEE (yes, folks--not just breathe,
but visualize) Houston's smog from about ten miles. And while the skyline is
expansive and fairly impressive due to being one of the U.S.' tallest, the city is
sprawling and leaves a lot to be desired. I was astounded, when walking
downtown on a weekday, to see very few passers-by. The downtown indeed
felt abandoned, even though that isn't the case. I did enjoy the Montrose
neighborhood when visiting; it was one of Houston's few culturally-interesting
areas that I encountered.
Montgomery, Alabama is one of few cities which actually scares me. I do
think that it isn't a coincidence that most office buildings in Montgomery are
painted white. Both visiting and passing through this first Confederate capital
has always given me the impression that although it has been over 40 years
since the traumatic 1960s explosions of racial unrest, that tensions still simmer
just below the surface here. I have twice been in downtown Montgomery on
Saturday nights, and instead of seeing people out enjoying themselves, all I saw
were policemen. Equally odd was the fact that it was difficult to locate a coffee
shop. One nice thing about Alabama's capital is the historic, laid-back Clover-
dale neighborhood. Still, to experience Montgomery, passing through on I-65
is sufficient.
Atlanta, Georgia is a conundrum of a city. What can one say about a fast-
paced cosmopolitan center in the laid-back South whose metropolitan area
extends all the way to Alabama?! I like Atlanta. There are times when I wish
I would have stopped there in my early twenties, instead of continuing down I-
75 to Tampa Bay. I think that Atlanta realized its potential years ago, and
when other Southern cities chose to dwell not-so-contentedly in the past, it
moved on. The result is a fabulous skyline that goes on for days, countless
nightlife opportunities, and a rich history on display. The Virginia Highlands,
Druid Hills and Little Five districts impress with their culture and beautiful
architecture. Safely democratic, the city is a fabulous place for minorities to
thrive, claiming its status as the most thriving U.S. city if you're African-
American and one of the top ten most fabulous for "the gays" to feel right at
home.
