This abounding amplitude of Houston — from the Texas Medical Center, Rice University and Hermann Esplanade thru the Rice Village arcade mecca to the adjacency ascendancy of Bellaire — is a residential paradise, with some of the town’s fine parks, familiar recreational opportunities and pinnacle-rated eating places.

WHAT TO DO

Hermann Park: The park’s 445 acreage are the leisure hub of the city. Visit the Houston Zoo, with its new babyish albatross and a advanced apache habitat; the Houston Museum of Natural Science and Cockrell Butterfly Center; the agreeable Japanese Garden; or the McGovern Centennial Gardens, a gathering of breadth that includes a Garden Mount with a decidedly desirable look of the neighborhood. Don’t balloon to booty a trip on the Hermann Esplanade Railroad or lease a paddleboat and examine McGovern Lake. (Miller Outdoor Theatre has canceled all contest through July.) 6001 Fannin, 713-524-5876, hermannpark.Org

Evelyn’s Park: The above Teas Nursery, donated to the burghal of Bellaire, is nestled on five acreage of beautifully cautioned and landscaped blooming space. Don’t absence the Mad Hatter tea-celebration sculpture, “Move One Place On,” tucked into the park’s southeast nook; attending for one hundred fifty hidden treasures from “Alice in Wonderland.” The esplanade hosts Gymboree, yoga and tai chi. It’s additionally home to Betsy’s, a fast-informal eating place valuable a bizarre craven abode alms picnic-pleasant fare. Catch alive song at the big patio. Be warned: No dogs are accustomed in Bellaire parks. 4400 Bellaire, 713-660-6692; betsysbellaire.Com

Rice University campus: The three hundred-acre okaytree-protected campus is a established weekend spot. The 2.Nine-mile beaten-granite aisle about the ambit is abundant for on foot or walking. James Turrell’s surreal “Twilight Epiphany Skyspace” ablaze show, a campus draw, is presently bankrupt because of the coronavirus. 6100 Main, 713-348-0000, rice.Edu

Texas Medical Center: The commune boasts sixty one institutions, including 21 hospitals, four scientific schools, eight nursing schools, two abounding universities, pharmacy colleges, a affiliation academy and a aerial academy that focuses on the pastime sciences. The TMS offers luggage of instructional seminars. Tmc.Edu

WHERE TO EAT

Goode Company Barbecue were given its alpha in Rice Village. So did Local Foods. Now there’s an extremely-famous Shake Shack inside the arcade district. But for one-of-a-kind restaurants, fact are those in the breadth that fabricated Alison Cook’s Top a hundred listing:

Costa Brava: This great-eating eating place has burdened a few doors bottomward into an affected new area. Spanish delicacies look tapas, garlicky shrimp, starting mussels and Scottish apricot over cauliflower purée. For dessert? Try the angel tart. 5107 Bellaire, 713-839-1005; costabravabistro.Com

Blood Bros. BBQ: You’ll acquisition Asian-prompted meats and abandon at this multicultural barbeque joint. The admixture works: red meat ribs with a ambrosial candied rub, smoked turkey banh mi, Thai blooming back-scratch boudin, watermelon salad. 5425 Bellaire, 713-664-7776, bloodbrosbbq.Com/

Goode Co. Seafood: Perfectly absurd attitude and french chips are the points of interest right here. But there’s additionally the mesquite-grilled shrimp and redfish mixture. The archetypal Gulf Coast card superbly blends Mexican and Creole flavors. 2621 Westpark, 713-523-7154, goodecompany.Com

Helen Greek Food