If you're considering joining The Downtown Met in Houston, do yourself a favor and don't. This…read moreplace is a complete disaster, hiding behind a nice location and slick marketing while delivering some of the worst customer service and member experience you'll find in the city. The communication is abysmal, particularly from Sarah and Alicia, who are repeatedly unresponsive and unhelpful. Emails go ignored, questions are dodged, and if you do finally get a reply, it's vague and often inaccurate. They don't follow up, they don't follow through, and unless you ask five or six times, you will not get any clear answers or confirmations. You are constantly left chasing them down just to get the most basic information. To make matters worse, they will charge you whatever they want, whenever they want, without warning, explanation, or approval. You won't be notified of fees or changes unless you hunt them down to ask. If you're offered a credit, promo, or adjustment, take a screenshot and save every email, because they certainly won't help you figure anything out after the fact. Once you've signed up, you're on your own. Bijan is somewhat more communicative, but not enough to make up for the chaos. There's clearly no leadership or accountability here -- it feels like a group project where no one knows what their role is, and no one really cares. Facility-wise, it's barely above average. Courts are often overbooked, the gym space is mediocre, and amenities are inconsistently maintained. You're paying premium rates for a second-rate experience across the board. Bottom line: The Downtown Met is a textbook case of mismanagement and indifference. For a place that calls itself a "premier fitness and tennis club," it operates more like a poorly run pop-up gym with no structure or respect for its members. Look elsewhere, literally anywhere else would be a better use of your time and money.

This place is full of friendly and dedicated employees. Many of them are like family. The food is…read moregood and the service is excellent. Did I mention 10 tennis courts? This is my home away from home.

CUTE park. As in,…read morecute little playground equipment with rabbits on giant springs, "toy" cowboys who hold up monkey bars, tall slides (medium tall by 60s/70s standards), wooden playground equipment. The only things missing were the tall slide, merry-go-rounds, and a jungle gym. However, the old (and now, kitschy), well made and maintained pieces make this one of my favorite parks in Houston. Also, its a piece of old Houston; it was established in 1926. This Rice University area park has a neighborhood organization that takes excellent care of the area. To the tune of $10,000 per year. As well they should, it's one of the last bastions of built-to-last playgrounds. Steel and wood and charm, no plastic. Who doesn't remember climbing on the pumpkin stagecoach at Pumpkin Park? Fleming Park is meant to be charming and unforgettable. If playground equipment isn't your thing, there are plenty of picnic tables, oak trees, and general relaxation areas. A perfect pocket picnic park. There's also a couple of tennis courts, two B-ball hoops, and a baseball diamond. There is no sign for the park, only a list of park rules and a community board. If you're uncertain that you are at the correct park, look for a 15' Totem Pole Bird House that was erected in 1991 by Fletcher Mackey. It is constructed of Cypress and Cedar Wood, ceramic, copper, and painted steel. One item of sadness, some idiot(s) stole the lamb spring ride back in January. There are signs on the community board with a photo and plea for its return. Rather, I should say "her." She was named "Mary the Lamb." Again, she's very, very cute, has a snow white fleece, and a giant metal spring attached to her underside.

Cute little park!…read more Playground for larger kids and infant swings and rocking horses for the smaller babies. There is also a large grassy area for toddlers to run around (ours loves to run on the grass). Lots of beautiful live oaks. Had no issue finding parking on the adjacent street. The only issue -- there was a lot of small broken glass pieces by one of the trees. I'm assuming this was an anomaly but definitely not what you want to see at a children's park.

Hey, y'all look no further if you're looking for a nice park. It is now time for picnic weather…read morebefore it gets really hot and if you know you know. Sunday me and my family visited spots apart and it was very beautiful and very peaceful although they need to trim the grass and do some landscaping other than that. It's a very nice part to visit. I would suggest barbecuing some food or bringing sandwiches make sure you have bug spray a blanket and a wagon. Those are must things that you should have. I really enjoyed myself. Follow me on TikTok to see plenty other places I have visited in Houston. @Thegifted_____

Cute little park off of Memorial Dr. Walking paths that wind around it, although today some spots…read morewere extremely muddy due to the recent snow and rain we had. This park has trees shading picnic areas, basketball and volleyball courts, and a playground for the littles. It's tucked down below street level, so if you're driving on Memorial you are likely to miss it. Easily connects to the Buffalo Bayou Park by way of the Rosemont Pedestrian bridge.

I've been a member a long time, but I've finally decided I won't be back to this location…read more Air conditioning has been broken or working poorly for the last few summers and attempts to repair haven't worked. Currently have "temporary cooling". The parent club of this location has removed equipment and sent it to its sister club. The equipment is adequate, but messy. No attempt to make sure dumbbells, plates etc. are put away after use. Its messy. The lack of investment in maintenance and facilities indicates that eventually this club will close. The parking is a pain. Although member parking is validated, the old ticket system would not work frequently, which means waiting and negotiating with parking management to get out. The newly installed program has similar problems. Parking management is not friendly. The on site staff is friendly and do their best under poor conditions. If you are looking for a fitness center on the east side of downtown, don't bother with the downtown club.

Amazing and friendly staff. Within just a couple visits they have your name and number memorized :)…read moreClean facilities. Nice locker room. Decent free weights. Decent cardio equipment. Ok functional training area. Nice full size basketball court. Decent indoor track. Couple of nice group rooms. Overall, the gym is clean, easy access for downtown workers and livers. It is a little pricey, but you also get most of the gym to yourself often. It is almost never busy, which I actually like quit a bit. No waiting, etc... Food service is currently closed, not enough members have come back yet. It was good before the big cough. There are also 2 racquetball courts.

Hermann Park was so nice. I ran the Marvin Taylor Trail. The trees are beautiful and offer so much…read moreshade. The trail is already "paved" so you know exactly where to go and where to follow. The trail follows around the golfing area. There were many people out so I felt safe. It is also very family friendly. There were many families around. There is also public parking right by the trail with plenty of parking spots.

Come here for outdoor walks during the day time! Pretty easy to find parking near the conservancy…read moreor the driving range. And such a great trail. Very scenic and safe during the day times

Menil Park is the large field that is right next to the Menil Museum. If you're into arts and have…read morenot been to The Menil Collection, I highly recommend you check out this FREE museum. Make sure you reserve tickets during the pandemic. After the museum, spend some time outdoors at the Menil Park. This a great spot for a hangout with friends or a picnic in the field. While you have time, walk over the Rothko Chapel next door as well and enjoy some time in front of the Broken Obelisk structure. The Broken Obelisk is an iconic sculpture sitting atop a reflecting pool. Six of these sculptures exist across the US and the one in Houston was dedicated to MLK at the request of John and Dominique de Menil in 1971. Parking is available on the streets surrounding The Menil. The park is within a neighborhood in the Montrose District of town. This park may get busy during peak hours, but there is always a parking spot available. Just pay attention to the no parking signs as Montrose is a heavy tow district.

Doesn't look like much except a large green patch of grass with a random sculpture in the middle…read more.. but it's such a hidden gem!! Saturday (April 23) was such a beautiful day with just the right amount of sunshine and wind. A great location for a super affordable and low key date! Just grab your favorite snacks, a book, and a blanket! It's even quiet enough that you can take a nap and there's a cute swing attached to a tree too!! Super clean park. Very family friendly and I saw several people bring their dog(s). Available free street parking (on the weekends) and this park is near University of St. Thomas. Also, The Menil Collection art gallery is just walking distance and admission is free! The only con to this beautiful and well-maintained park is that there's only one trash can!!!

I love Third Ward, especially its history rooted in Emancipation Park. The recent Juneteenth…read moreFestival held there was overflowing with Black joy, much like many of the other events I've attended there on there (Jazzy Sundays, Zydeco Festival, etc.). The nearby street parking makes it easy to access and the plentiful grassy areas, shaded huts, and even splash zone and well-maintained playground makes it an ideal family-friendly community gathering space. There was a full-on food cookoff and I got to meet some incredible chefs serving navy beans and rice, crawfish cornbread (a first for me!), and hands down the most tender barbecue I've tasted in all of Houston courtesy of Chef G. What I loved most was that even with the crowd and all the community and vendor booths, it never felt packed.Each community booth spotlighted a different historically Black neighborhood in Houston, and the live performances on stage kept the vibe going. To learn the deep history of Emancipation Park, there's a clean, beautiful mosaic pillar with biographical info on Richard Allen, serving as a reminder that this isn't just a park, but moreso a monument to freedom, resilience, and celebration.

Emancipation park is a local gem for 3rd ward. It's our local park. So we regularly walk the park,…read moreuse the playground and have gone swimming a few times during the summer. Poll hours can be hard to nail down, but it's fun when you can take a dip. Recently, hosted Jazzy Sundays in the park, which was a lot of fun. The community really came out for those Sunday evening concerts!

This park stays busy! Located in Eastwood right along the Metrorail, this park attracts…read moreneighborhood families and recreational sports enthusiasts. The park features a public swimming pool, community center, soccer fields, tennis courts, covered basketball court, playground, small skate park... There's always a good cart, or you can walk to the nearby Tampico for a raspa and other snacks.