| To deal with inclement
weather, which Houston has plenty of during the Summer, some cities
have built skywalk systems. Houston chose a different approach – a
tunnel system. So if you happen to be downtown on a weekday in,
say, August and don’t see any people, this is where they are –
either going somewhere or lost in this labyrinth. The tunnels
connect most of the major downtown buildings. The propensity to get
lost is induced by the lack of landmarks. It’s kind of like a
subterranean mall, except the stores are repetitive (Murphy’s Deli,
Starbucks, nameless card store, Starbucks, Murphy’s Deli, nameless
card store). Often you can be in the building you’re headed to and
have no clue that you’re actually there. This is a glimpse into the
work-a-day life of Houstonians few visitors ever see.
The coordinates are for the entrance to the tunnels in Two
Houston Center. It's only one of many entrances. It's also
accessible from the Fulbright Building, Macy's, the Reliant
Building, the Gulf Building, the Esperson Buildings, JPMorgan Chase
Tower, Pennzoil Place, the Bank of America Center, One Shell Plaza,
the El Paso Energy Building, CenterPoint Energy Plaza, Wells Fargo
Plaza (the only place where the tunnel opens up to the sky above),
Total Plaza, 1100 Louisiana, Allen Center, and the Continental
Center I. Hotels connected with the system are the Four Seasons,
the Doubletree and the Hyatt Regency.
If you are up to a challenge, find your way from the Shops at
Houston Center through One and Two Houston Center to the tunnels,
wind around in the labyrinth to Allen Center, and navigate the
skywalks of Allen Center to the Allen Center Parking Garage across
from Antioch Baptist Church. |
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