Houston Travel Forum

I am traveling to Houston on a business trip in June. I am allergic to everything, so I will probably have to eat dinner at Whole Foods Market. Google Maps Traffic has helped me rule out renting a car. So I was planning on taking the bus. How safe is the public transportation, are there any rules that I need to follow? And is the nearest Whole Foods safe? (I will be staying downtown near the ballpark)

Thanks in advance.

The nearest Whole Foods (West Alabama at Kirby) is totally safe and is one of the best areas of the city. The area you're staying can get sketchy though when there's not a sporting event happening. You should be okay, just don't walk east of 59. Are you staying at Hilton Americas?
Public transit isn't excessively safe after the work crowd gets off of it (past 7 or so), but it's not really excessively dangerous. You must understand that very few in Houston actually use the bus. It depends more on the neighborhood where you catch the bus though. Downtown is the nexus of METRO's system, and your bus to West Alabama should be fine.
Not sure of your gender, but, if you're a woman, I would strongly encourage you to reconsider this and either stay somewhere else and rent a car, or stay in a place in a better neighborhood and ride the bus to and from Downtown every day.

Get a car ... just make sure you count to five and look to both sides before proceeding after the light turns green. I've driven in Houston many times. Be careful where you park at night.

Because you are allergic to everything.. and you will be in Houston in June... I also have to echo the sentiments above. Rent a car. The pollen, the allergens in the air.. will kill you come June.

Depending on how long you are staying you can get everywhere you want to go on the bus www.ridemetro.org The Whole Foods on Kirby isn't very big (compared to the one in Austin) and you might find more choices at Central Market, it's at Westheimer and Weslayan, just before the Galleria when you are coming from downtown and the 82 bus can take you there. Feel free to e-mail me directly if you have any questions.