LOCAL Houston | The City Guide October 2016 | Page 48

WHERE TO LIVE NOW Clear Lake, and specifically Johnson Space Center, is what puts the “space” in Space City. From this humble enclave to the south, America’s trips to space are managed by JSC mission control, appropriately located on NASA Road One. Home to many astronauts, engineers and aquaphiles, this masterplanned community grew up around the space program and various lakes and inlets in the area. It is actually one of nine cities in the Bay Area (along with Clear Lake Shores, El Lago, Kemah, League City, Nassau Bay, Seabrook, Taylor Lake Village and Webster) where fishing, boating, sailing and jet skiing are top activities. Explore wetlands and wildlife at Armand Bayou Nature Center, and shop (and dine!) ’til you drop at the newly expanded Baybrook Mall. The area offers stellar education, from elementary to high school, with Clear Lake High School consistently one of the top-rated schools in Texas and the United States. There is also a University of Houston campus in Clear Creek ISD Clear Lake High School Clear Creek High School Clear Lake High School Space Center Intermediate School Clear Lake City Elementary School Ward Elementary School Primrose School of Clear Lake Westminster Christian Academy The Momentum Academy South Houston Bible Institute Texas School of Massage University of Houston – Clear Lake 48 L O C A L | october 16 the area, which is nestled on a 524-acre wildlife and nature preserve and offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Hungry for some local flair? Frenchie’s Restaurant is a “red sauce joint” and one of the oldest in the area (an astronauts’ favorite), or enjoy a burger and a game of pool while pumping coins in the jukebox at Carlos’s Beer Garden. Great steaks and BBQ at T-Bone Tom’s, and don’t miss the onion rings at Tookie’s! Head to nearby Kemah Boardwalk for amusement rides, and take in the sunset at any one of the restaurants on the water’s edge. It’s October, so don’t miss one of the area’s top events, Wings Over Houston at Ellington Field, where many a U.S. President and celebrity have landed. By LOCAL Expert Paula Murphy | Illustration by Christy Sanderson Clear Lake Shores Food Truck Park Clear Lake Shores Farmer’s Market NOKturne Tacos My Way Opus Bistro J. Henry’s Draught House & Kitchen Mogul Indian Restaurant Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Masa Sushi Japanese Fusion Restaurant Frenchie’s Italian Restaurant Franca’s Real Italian Restaurant Bombshells BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse Ichibon Seafood & Steakhouse Tommy’s Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar Alpine Brauhaus