Today’s New York Times had a large feature article about the Project Row Houses here in Houston. For those who haven’t been, the Project Row houses is a very interesting permanent art project in one of the poorest parts of Houston, the Third Ward. It consists of a row of tiny shotgun houses that host ever-changing art installations. The Flower Man lives nearby, and the whole area is full of art, artists, and interesting things, although it is still very depressed. Most notable as you drive through is all the signs posted in yards saying “This is my neighborhood”, meaning that the residents do not want it to be gentrified as so many historically black neighborhoods have been (including Historic Freedmen’s Town, which is now mostly townhouses and yuppies).
This article was a nice surprise as we were eating breakfast, especially as I’ve met the man who started it all.