Riviera East - Houston, TX

Riviera East and other communities make up Harris County, which became an official county in 1836 and is named after settler John Richardson Harris. This area centered around its railroad in the early 1900s, and the neighboring community of Cloverleaf sprang from its designation as a stop on the train route.

Just outside the neighborhood, area museums include the Proctor Museum of Natural Science, the National United States Armed Forces Museum and the Houston Railroad Museum. The museum district includes art galleries as well, and you can find more arts and culture in Houston's theater district, which features a variety of performing arts. Houston hosts annual events throughout the year, including the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the Worldfest Houston International Film Festival.

Riviera East has limited choices for dining out and nightly entertainment. Nonetheless, a few restaurants reside within its borders. This provides locals with the exciting flavors of Louisiana, Mexico, and China. Standard chain restaurants also exist here, including Domino's Pizza and Wingstop. To try a local favorite, check out Bonfire Wings. This restaurant puts its Creole and Cajun influences on the wings and other Louisiana-inspired dishes, which include fried catfish, gumbo and boudin balls.

Taqueria Los Charros provides a genuine Mexican restaurant experience with servers who speak Spanish. Order just about any Mexican food you can think of from the extensive menu - take your pick of tacos, burritos, tortas and gorditas. This restaurant gives you a choice of fillings, such as chicken or marinated pork, for each dish. Make the Spring Chinese Cafe your hangout for Szechuan-, Mandarin- and Hunan-style cuisine. Be aware that this place has limited seating for dining in, but many locals instead choose takeout and bring the loot home to eat. The staff here is friendly and gets to know the customers well.

When you feel like going out at night, head back to Bonfire Wings for voodoo daiquiris or crazy Cajun coladas. Other area nightlife options include Daiquiri Shack. When you want to dance the night away, boogie on over to Etro Lounge or into the downtown Houston area.

Certain parts of the Riviera East neighborhood are walkable. No bike lanes exist, but the residential sections enable you a safe, recreational ride. Bus stops along Woodforest Boulevard make it easy to catch a bus to other parts of Houston.

You can't hail a taxi on the streets of Riviera East; however, you can call a cab company or use the Uber app on your smartphone to have a car pick you up. This area has easy access to major highways, including Interstate 10, U.S. Route 90 and Beltway 8. Public parking is scarce, but many businesses provide parking for customers.

A number of free community parks surround the Riviera East neighborhood. Crooker/Moody Park has a community center, outdoor basketball court and sports fields for residents to get exercise and engage in team sports. It also has a playground for your kids. Maxey Park features a dog park with facilities that encourage canines to exercise and have fun, and some of the Houston area parks hold annual events, such as the Bayou City Art Festival at Memorial Park and the Houston International Festival at Sam Houston Park.

Riviera East has a comparable cost of living to Houston. The average rate for a one-bedroom apartment in this neighborhood costs $634 a month. Gas costs 12 percent less here than the national average, and a beer from the local pub sets you back $2 to $3. Expect to pay $1.25 to take the bus to downtown Houston.

The main shopping area of Riviera East sits at the top of the neighborhood. A few shopping centers dwell within it, including Woodforest Square, Woodforest Plaza and Coronado Village. These house a few chain stores, such as GNC, as well as some independent specialty and discount stores. At the bottom of the neighborhood is another shopping area with some scattered independents.

Within the neighborhood, Payless Furniture sells bedroom sets, mattresses, couches and dining room tables at a discount. It offers coupons, clearance merchandise and financing to help you make your desired acquisition a reality. Cartek Auto Sound sets you up with a new sound system for your car and sells car alarms, video systems and other security options, and it can also install items if need be.

On the whole, residents don't have extensive shopping options within Riviera East, so they generally need to leave the area to accomplish certain errands and recreational shopping. For these opportunities, head to the nearby The Shops at Stone Park, which has J.C. Penney, Staples and other major chains, or visit the Pasadena Town Square. Many choices also exist in downtown Houston and its surrounding area, where you can find more malls, plazas, boutiques and specialty stores.

Food shopping is definitely one area in which Riviera East has you covered. Residents can choose from chain supermarket Kroger and many small markets, such as Charlie Food Mart, La Michoacana Meat Market, Normandy Food Mart and Zohra Food Store. If you want to shop at a farmers market, you must drive closer to the Houston downtown area to find what you're looking for. Venues include Urban Harvest, the City Hall Farmers Market and the Houston Farmers Market.