It’s a more complicated question that you may think. Even if you’ve always lived alone, or always shared your apartments, now might be time for a change. If you simply cannot afford to rent an apartment on your own, living with roommates is a great solution, but even if your finances are better, you may still choose to live with other people. Some renters choose roommates so they can afford to live in a more luxurious apartment or a more expensive neighborhood. Others do it just for the company, or to make housekeeping easier by sharing chores and errands. Roommate relationships aren’t just for young, single people, either: As the economy and culture shift, more families and people past their 20s are choosing to share their homes with roommates. Still, some people love the privacy, freedom, and drama-free advantages of living alone so much that they will tighten their budgets to make it happen.

The choice is a very personal one, and how you feel about living alone or with others will probably change as your life circumstances change. As About.com’s Apartment Living/Rental guide explains, a lot of roommate trouble starts when renters take a roommate just because external factors make it look sensible, because it’s what they’ve always done, or because everyone they know is doing it. This guide from About.com will walk you through the deeper, more personal reasons why living with roommates may or may not be right for you. Do you prefer privacy, or do you tend to feel lonely without other people around? Are you willing to risk personal conflict for a chance to save money and time? What matters most to you? Remember, though there are risks involved in sharing an apartment, you can take steps to set yourself up for roommate success, and in the worst case scenario, you can survive having a deadbeat roommate.

If you’re on the fence about whether to look for roommates or rent your Houston apartment on your own, read and listen to the stories of people who have done both. Which ones sound most like you, your lifestyle, and your personal preferences? Which story feels right to you? To get you started, check out “One is the Awesomest Number—5 Reasons Why Living Alone Rules” from Lemondrop, and “The Roommate Revolution: Why Living Alone is Overrated,” from Yes! magazine.

These at-home activities are classics for a reason. This article from CBS Houston reminds us all of those classic Mother’s Day traditions: letting Mom sleep in, helping the kids make her breakfast in bed, making a book of fun coupons (for hugs, massages, time to relax, and so on), and spending quality time with her. Wherever you are, remember that Mother’s Day is about honoring the mother in your life for the unique person she is, and giving her well-earned time to relax. The best Mother’s Day ideas are simple, personal, and full of love. The classics never get old.

Here’s how to find the perfect Mother’s Day brunch in Houston. One of the classic Mother’s Day activities is taking Mom out for brunch. If you’d like to celebrate this way, Houston has plenty of options. How to choose? Check out The Mother’s Day Thread on Yelp! Houston. There, you can read recommendations from your fellow Houstonites. If you prefer suggestions from professional restaurant critics, you can find them on Gayot’s post, “Houston Mother’s Day Brunch.” Once you have a few places in mind, you can look over their Mother’s Day menus at B4-U-Eat Houston Restaurant Guide.

Enjoy great deals on gifts and activities the mom in your life will love. The deal sites LivingSocial and Groupon both have special listings for Mother’s Day in Houston. You’ll find local and online discounts on massages, photography packages, wine tastings, high tea with the kids, flowers, jewelry, teddy bears, and more. Think of the mom in your life, and her unique tastes and interests. What would she love to have? There’s no shame in saving money on the perfect gift. You’ll just be able to spoil Mom all the more.

If you already have a job, ask your company for referrals. Even if your insurance hasn’t kicked in yet, your company’s human resources department or relocation specialist may be able to suggest low-cost providers in your neighborhood. It’s worth asking here first.

If you’re a college student, ask your school’s student services office. If you’re a student at one of Houston’s many colleges and universities, chances are good that you do have health insurance, paid for through your student fees, or that you can choose to join a student health plan. There may even be a convenient student health center on your campus. Check with your school’s student services office to find out what care your school provides. If there is no school plan, they may still be able to refer you to an affordable provider who will see you.

Try these clinics for specific services. These Houston healthcare clinics offer affordable care for specific services, whatever your income and whether or not you have insurance: For patients 18 months old and up who need check-ups, sports physicals, immunizations (those needed before you register your children for school, and other vaccines), and treatment of illnesses and minor injuries, you can visit the Minute Clinic in some CVS pharmacies or the Take Care Clinic in select Walgreens stores. For women, men, or teens who need care that has to do with the reproductive system—including birth control for females and males, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, urinary tract infection treatment, and pregnancy tests and referrals for prenatal care—Planned Parenthood offers services with or without insurance, and on a sliding scale for low-income patients.

Look into local medical schools. Houston’s two medical schools provide excellent care to insured patients. For the uninsured, they offer opportunities to participate in medical trials, and may have other opportunities for low-cost healthcare. Visit the web sites for the Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston for more information.

If you need help paying for medical care, these sites can help. Services for low-income Houston residents will require you to show proof of your income level, work through bureaucratic application procedures, and possibly wait a long time in the hospital or doctor’s office, but they do provide care for patients who would not otherwise be able to afford it. The Harris County Hospital District Gold Card is a discount program that provides healthcare for Harris County residents on a sliding scale based on income. You can learn about more Houston healthcare clinics that provide care on a sliding scale through Healthy Houston or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Location: Think safety, schools, and play spaces. There’s a lot for parents to think about when choosing a neighborhood. If you’re new to Houston, you may need a little help finding the best location for your family. Of course you’ll be on the lookout for parks, trails, and playgrounds, which can be found in many parts of the city. For help choosing Houston-area schools and getting your kids enrolled, visit our previous post “Moving With Kids: Enrolling in Houston Schools.” You can find school rankings, as well as neighborhood-by-neighborhood crime statistics, at both Neighborhood Scout and CityRating.com.

First baby on the way? Here are tips you may not have thought of. Bruce Bahlman at the Baby in the City blog offers this collection of apartment-hunting hints for anyone expecting their first child. He gives helpful hints that probably wouldn’t occur to anyone who hasn’t lived in an apartment with a baby before. The most surprising: Think handicap accessible. Any doorway, apartment complex, or public transit stop that a wheelchair could get through will also be easy to navigate with a stroller. Read the rest of his post for more practical advice, from safety tips to conveniences you won’t want to do without.

Houston is a great city for families, with plenty of healthy, fun, and educational things to do. Check out our previous post, “Summer Fun for Kids in Houston” to learn about day camps for kids aged 3 to 18 and a wide variety of interests—plus a few Houston attractions for year-round family fun.

Three Bike to Work Days in 2012—Starting Friday, April 13

National Bike to Work Day is May 18 this year, but Houston is getting started early. On April 13, Houston will celebrate the first of three Houston Bike to Work Days. In the morning, Mayor Annise Parker will join cyclists in Memorial Park at after 6:30 am for a 7:30 am ride to City Hall. Cyclists are also encouraged to meet at bike shops throughout Houston and ride in groups to City Hall, where Mayor Parker will greet all cyclists and host a press conference from 8:15 am to 9 am. Afterwards, cyclists are encouraged to ride to work. Afternoon rides from work are also scheduled. You can learn more about this and the two other Houston Bike to Work Days (Thursday, May 17 and Friday, May 18) at the City of Houston’s Bikeways web site.

Taking Bikes on Houston Metro Trains

If your commute is too long to bike all the way, consider traveling by a combination of bicycle and public transportation. Houston METRO buses come equipped with bike racks, and Houston METROrail trains allow cyclists to bring their bikes aboard during limited hours. Visit the METRO web site here to learn how to bring your bike on a bus, and here for the rules for brining bikes on commuter trains.

How to Find Houston Bike Routes

Houston is home to over 300 miles of bike lanes, bike routes, shared lanes, bayou trails, off-road trails built by Harris County, and rails-to-trails (trails built where railroad tracks once were). You can download a map of all of these trails, or maps of trails in specific Houston areas, at the Bikeways web site.

The Rules of the Road

Blogger Cesema of Pedaling Houston has compiled this useful collection the Houston laws that affect bicyclists, along with a few bits of trivia about cycling laws around the country. For example, Colorado has a law specifically against throwing things at bicyclists, but Houston does not. Texas’ governor, Rick Perry, vetoed a similar law here, saying that such behavior was already covered under reckless driving laws. In other news, rude and ignorant motorists are sometimes a problem for Houston cyclists, as they are for cyclists everywhere. Let’s hope that more Houston cycling events and our active and vocal cycling community can better educate them.

Houston’s Cycling Community

If you’d like to connect with other Texan cyclists, learn about Houston cycling events, find local bike shops, and get cycling tips, Texbiker.net is a great place to start.

Discuss severe allergies with your manager or landlord before you sign your lease. If your allergies are severe, be sure to discuss them with your potential landlord. The presence or absence of your allergen can make all the difference in your happiness in your new Houston apartment, so it should make or break your decision to rent there. Read your lease and the apartment complex’s stated rules carefully, and ask questions if it’s not perfectly clear how those rules will affect your allergies. For example, if smoking is prohibited inside the building, is it allowed on the building’s grounds? Neighbors who smoke outside may be worse for someone who is very sensitive to smoke. If your allergies are very severe or even life-threatening, find out whether they can be considered a disability under the Federal Fair Housing Act. If so, your landlord may be required by law to make reasonable accommodations to help you avoid allergens. This post from the Fair Housing Institute explains how and when landlords must make accommodations for severe allergies.

Choose an apartment that’s easier to keep clean. Depending on your allergen, certain details can make your apartment much easier to live in. Most allergens, including pet dander, dust, and pollen, are much easier to clean from hardwood or tiled floors than from carpets. If pollen is a problem, effective air conditioning is a must to keep you comfortable while your windows stay closed. Look for an apartment with newer windows that won’t let in allergy-aggravating drafts. Whatever you’re allergic to, also look for an apartment with a dehumidifier in its HVAC system. If your apartment doesn’t have one, consider getting your own small dehumidifier. The ideal humidity level for controlling indoor allergies is 30 to 50 percent. The average relative humidity in Houston is 63 to 90 percent. A dehumidifier can make the difference in mold growth and the ability of other allergens to travel through your apartment’s indoor air. 

Would you like to add a loving animal to your life? It is possible—and quite rewarding—to live in an apartment with one of many kinds of pets. If you don’t yet have a pet, but you’re thinking of getting one, here’s a short guide to choosing the pet that’s right for you and your Houston apartment:

Ask first.

The most important factor to having apartment pets with joy and peace of mind is making sure that your landlord is okay with your pet being there. Yes, many people have sneaked pets in against their landlords’ rules, but this is not worth living in fear, and certainly not worth the heartbreak of getting caught. If you’re shopping for a new apartment, Houston Apartment Insiders can help you find one of the many pet-friendly apartments in our great city. If you already have your Houston apartment, read your lease carefully and ask your landlord or manager before you get any new pet. This rule isn’t just for cats and dogs. Many apartments allow smaller pets (such as birds, rabbits, rodents, and reptiles), but some don’t. If your apartment’s official policy doesn’t allow the pet you want, there’s still a chance you can get them to make an exception. Apartment Therapy’s tips on negotiating pet policies may help.

Love dogs? Look for apartment-friendly breeds.

Dogs can make great pets for apartment living. Choose a breed (or mix of breeds) that does well in apartments.  The Dog Guide blog lists 10 breeds and PetVR.com lists 20 whose space requirements and mellow, quiet temperaments make them great choices for apartment life. Many small breeds made the list, but there are also some surprisingly large breeds—including mastiffs, great Danes, and standard poodles—whose personalities make them great apartment pets. To keep your dog in top shape, check out our post about the many great dog parks in the Houston area.

Think beyond cats and dogs.

Many small and exotic animals make great pets, and are more likely to get the okay from your landlord. Consider birds, fish, snakes or other reptiles, and small rodents (like guinea pigs and hamsters). Some surprising ideas may turn out to be the best ones for you: Pet rats are actually very clean, intelligent, and playful companions. Adorable exotic animals, including ferrets, hedgehogs, and chinchillas can also make great apartment pets. These and more possibilities are discussed in PetsDo’s  “Ten Apartment Pets That Can Be Better Than Cats and Dogs.” Keep in mind that some of these pets (We’re looking at you, sugar gliders!) require even more time and attention than dogs do. Do some research and choose the pet that fits your lifestyle.

Rabbits are great pets, but not great Easter basket filler.

As of this writing, Easter is coming soon, so we must say a word about rabbits: They are playful, adorable, loving pets, and great pets for apartment dwellers. Know, though, that the average lifespan of a well-cared-for rabbit is 10 years, and they require as much time and effort as dogs and cats do. If you’re up for the commitment, visit the web sites for the North Texas Rabbit Sanctuary or Bunny Buddies of Houston to learn all about rabbits, including how you can adopt a rescued rabbit who really needs you. If you’re looking for a cute, low-maintenance Easter gift, please choose a plush, stuffed bunny, instead.

Save a life: Adopt a rescue pet!

Besides rabbits, many types of rescued pets are available for adoption in Houston. There are cats and dogs, of course (including puppies, kittens, and even some purebreds), but many animal rescue organizations also have rabbits, rodents, birds, reptiles, and exotic pets. This web page from Citizens for Animal Protection gives contact information for 29 organizations that offer many kinds of pets for adoption in the Houston area. Once you decide what kind of pet is right for you and your Houston apartment, find out if there’s one waiting to be adopted. You will probably save money, and you will definitely save a life.

Whether you’re setting up your first Houston student apartment or downsizing after living in a house, the small scale of apartment living is something to get used to. As we’ve said before, one challenge of living in a small apartment is that most furniture simply isn’t designed for these types of spaces. Still, you can live in comfort and style in a small apartment, if you make the most of your space, use multipurpose pieces, and think creatively. With a little know-how, you can even customize your own furniture for small apartment living. Here are some resources to show you how:

Loft and Murphy Beds

If your Houston apartment has high enough ceilings, turning your bed into a loft bed will free up a lot of space. Built-in, wall-mounted loft beds will likely be more apartment modification than your landlord will accept, but a free-standing loft bed should be an option for any apartment, if ceiling space allows. This post from the Dornob design blog will give you a variety of loft ideas for kids and adults. For instructions on building a free-standing loft bed cheaply and easily, visit this post from Instructables, or this one from HGTV. If you’re a more experienced DIY builder, you can build a fold-away Murphy bed (workable even in apartments with low ceilings) with these instructions from the DIY Network, or these from Moddi.

IKEA Hacks

Houston’s IKEA store is one of our favorite sources of inexpensive, versatile apartment furniture. Many of their pieces will work well for small spaces straight from the store, but simple DIY projects can make custom furniture that’s even better suited to your unique space and lifestyle. The entire IKEA Hackers web site is dedicated to IKEA-based DIY ideas. You’ll find instructions here for everything from simple additions (like adding a recessed work bowl to a kitchen island cart) to complete furniture rebuilds. For even more IKEA hack ideas from around the internet, check out this post from the Houzz home design blog.

More Small-Space Hacks

Furniture from all sources can be modified to do more in a small apartment. For more space-saving ideas, visit Lifehacker. You can search this blog to find a variety of DIY and space-saving ideas, but their post, “Top 10 Space-Saving Household Projects,” is a great place to start. You’ll also find lots of ideas on the blog, Tiny-Ass Apartment. Its writer, Simone Chavoor, lives in a 300 square-foot studio apartment, but wants to use her space well and with style. Every post on her blog is about living large in a small apartment, whether it’s decorating for an open feel, or modifying furniture for multiple purposes.

Balcony or patio: Use it if you’ve got it.

If your Houston apartment has a balcony or patio, you can decorate your own outdoor space and enjoy it all spring and summer. ApartmentRatings.com explains the most basic steps for setting up a patio or balcony you’ll want to spend time on. If you’ve got a green thumb, this is a great place to exercise it. Check out our guide to balcony and patio gardening, complete with links to more information and advanced container gardening techniques.

Houseplants: Bring some life indoors.

No balcony? You can still make your apartment greener and more alive for spring. Houseplants will grow happily in any sunny window, and some even do well in shady rooms. If keeping plants alive is new to you, our blog post here will tell you how to choose inexpensive, easy-to-grow houseplants. More advanced indoor gardeners may be interested to know that you can grow your own food in your apartment, with or without a balcony.

Green crafts: Make old things new again.

This Apartment Therapy post lists 25 ways you can repurpose old stuff into fresh and fashionable accent pieces for your Houston apartment. Transform old t-shirts and sweaters into chic throw pillows, wine corks into funky trivets, mason jars into fun and functional bathroom storage, and more.

Colors: Add some spring to anything.

Some colors just feel like springtime, and adding those colors to anything makes it fresher, livelier, and more “now.” Pantone, creator of the color classification system that helps designers everywhere communicate just what hue they want, has listed the top colors for spring 2012. Their blog post here describes spring colors like Tangerine Tango, Sweet Lilac, and Sodalite Blue, and suggests ways to combine them for the perfect spring effect. Use these colors when you repaint furniture, cover throw pillows, choose wall art, or add anything to your apartment that you’d like to feel modern and fresh.

New apartment complexes are being built all the time, around Houston and across the country. Though you may love your new apartment now, the new complexes coming soon may entice you to relocate within Houston to a place even better suited to your lifestyle and tastes. We’ve already given you a taste of what to expect in the Houston real estate market in 2012. Here are the apartment building trends that will change the face of Houston apartments this year and beyond:

Two Generations Drive the Trends

According to The Philadelphia Enquirer, apartment builders across the U.S. cater to two groups of people: the young, up-and-coming Generation Y, and the affluent Baby Boomers just entering retirement. These two very different generations drive nearly opposite apartment building trends. Boomers are looking for more spacious, luxurious apartments. Even though many are downsizing from houses as they start their retirements, they want and can afford high-end amenities and plenty of space. Generation Y, those born between 1981 and 1999, are mobile, hip, tech-savvy, and mostly single people just beginning their careers. They’re interested in small-scale apartments, giving up extra space so they can afford to live in the part of town they like best. Both generations prefer walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods, where Boomers can easily get to everything they’ll need as they age, and young adults can stay on the pulse of everything fun and lively about city life.

Large Luxury Apartments

Clifford Pugh of Culturemap Houston suggests that 2012 will be “the year of the mid-rise in Houston.” Houston city ordinances now make building high-rise apartments legally challenging, so local builders are planning four- to eight-story, mid-rise apartment complexes throughout Houston. These new Houston apartments are large and luxurious, catering to those who have given up on home ownership after the recent mortgage crisis, but still want the space and amenities houses offer. The goal is to make apartment living even more comfortable than living in a house. Some builders are aiming at young professionals—older Generation Y and younger Generation X renters—but the comfortable mid-rise lifestyle will also appeal to new retirees.

Small, Sustainable, and Efficient

For the youngest, hippest adults, other builders are making tiny, high-tech, super-green apartment complexes. According to Ralph Bivins’ report on Culturemap Houston, many new Houston apartments (and apartments across the country) will be small and super-efficient, with tiny appliances and nearly nonexistent living rooms. These small spaces will make energy-efficient living in attractive neighborhoods affordable even to young adults just starting their careers. To make up for the lack of space inside each unit, apartment buildings will include attractive common areas, including well-equipped fitness centers, on-site dog parks, and community lounging areas.

Big, Inexpensive Chain Stores

In his post on saving money on groceries, Houston Economic Policy Examiner James Hamilton points out that big chain stores tend to have lower prices overall, since they can negotiate volume discounts from their suppliers. This is good to keep in mind if you’re watching your budget. Also, if you’re new to Houston, you may enjoy the comfort of shopping at a store you already know. Houston has plenty of big names with multiple locations throughout the city, including Sam’s Club, Albertson’s, Randall’s, H.E.B., Super Target, and Wal-Mart. The giant corporation that owns Kroger, City Market, and King Soopers calls its stores Kroger around here, but if you already have a loyalty card from another of their stores, it will also work at any of Houston’s Krogers.

Natural, Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten-Free

Whole Foods Market has stores in Houston, just as it does in almost every other major U.S. city. Houston is also home to a wide variety of smaller, local health food and natural food stores, including co-ops and stores catering to people with gluten-free diets. The Green People web site has an excellent list of these stores. Just scroll down to the “Texas” listing, then scroll further to see stores in Houston. We’ve also written two helpful posts on this blog, one full of resources for Houston vegetarians, and one for gluten-free living in Houston.

Farmer’s Markets and Gourmet Grocery Stores

The Official Visitors Site for Houston includes an excellent article explaining where to find the finest and freshest food in Houston. It gives short descriptions of some of Houston’s best gourmet groceries, and better yet, it lists farmer’s markets by the day of the week. Since most of Houston’s farmer’s markets are open only one day each week, this will help you decide which market fits your schedule.

One of the great perks of moving is being forced look over everything you own and reconsider which possessions you do and don’t want to keep. Whether you’re moving across the country, from one Houston neighborhood to another, or just down the block, don’t waste time, energy, and money moving anything you don’t use and love. Nothing will simplify your move more than decluttering before you start to pack. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Give yourself plenty of time. Last-minute moving is how unwanted stuff gets moved from home to home—when we’re up against the wire, we’ll fling everything into boxes, without taking the time to consider what we do and don’t want in our next homes. Don’t let this happen to you. Start to declutter and organize now.

2. Be kind to yourself. Going through everything you own is a big, tedious, and emotionally difficult task. Take care of yourself while you do it. Again, give yourself as much time as you can. During this process, make sure you eat well, exercise, sleep well, and take some time out to have fun. Start small, and work in short bursts. Breaking the job into pieces—one room per day, or one desk or drawer or shelf at a time—makes an overwhelming job doable.

3. Make two passes, if you need to. You can declutter in one pass, and that can be quite satisfying, but if you need to set some things aside and come back to them later, let yourself do that. Use the second pass to come to terms with things you feel a strong emotional connection to, to consider how many you really need of duplicate items, and to contemplate more deeply what you want in your new Houston apartment.

4. When in doubt, consider how easy each item would be to replace. If you’re not sure about an item, think about whether you could get another one if you change your mind later. Of course heirlooms and items with deep sentimental value are irreplaceable. Keep them. For everything else, think about whether you could easily buy or borrow one if you ever regret getting rid of it. If you can, out it goes!

5. Use your unwanted stuff to help finance your move. Much of the clutter you get rid of could be sold at consignment shops (especially if it’s clothing, sports equipment, or furniture), on eBay, or at a garage or yard sale. You could surely use some extra cash during your move. Think of the things you give up as money in your wallet.

6. Give some of your stuff to friends, family and people in need. The joy of giving can be a great motivation to simplify your move. If you’re leaving behind friends or family members when you move, consider giving them something to remember you by, or that item they’ve always admired. Give other stuff to charities that can deliver it to people in need or sell it to fund good causes. You’ll get the warm feeling of making the world a better place—and a potential tax deduction, too.

Valentine’s Day is a great time to get to know Houston better—romantic Houston, that is. Whether you’re new to Houston, new to romance, or just ready to step things up in your relationship, you can find lots of advice on where to go and what to do for that special date. We’ve sorted through advice from Citysearch, CBS Houston, KHMX Radio, KILT Radio, and the Houston Dating Advice Examiner. They agreed on some Houston romantic spots, and disagreed on others. These were the five most-recommended spots—plus one that gets honorable mention for being a marvelously quirky place to smooch. Here are our picks for the six most romantic places in Houston:

Williams Tower Water Wall

The most recommended romantic Houston spot is the Water Wall at 2800 Post Oak Boulevard, behind Williams Tower. It’s also the most photographed place in Houston. Set in a beautiful three-acre green park, this 64-foot man-made waterfall sends 11,000 gallons of water crashing down into mist and majesty every minute. Bring your love here when you want to be overwhelmed by the power of the moment—or when you need to cool off in the mist.

Reflection Pool and Japanese Garden at Hermann Park

Hermann Park Conservancy, at Cambridge Street and Hermann Park Drive, contains many of Houston’s best attractions, including two well-loved places for romance. The Mary Gibbs and Jesse H. Jones Reflection Pool is a peaceful, 740-foot by 80-foot water feature, black-bottomed for maximum mirroring, and flanked by stately oak trees. For more active romantic meditation, try the park’s famous Japanese Garden, where you can walk over stone paths and sculptural bridges, enjoying waterfalls, flowers, and exotic trees.

Burke Baker Planetarium

Also inside Hermann Park, you and your love can visit the planetarium inside the Houston Museum of Nature and Science. Smooch under artificial stars, rock out to a Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin laser light show, or learn about the Mayan prophecies, black holes, and more.

Galveston Seawall

Galveston Island is an hour’s drive away from Houston, but it’s worth the trip. The most stirring spot on the island is the Galveston Seawall. This 10-mile wall was built beginning in 1904 to protect the City of Galveston from hurricanes like the historic “Great Storm” of 1900, which destroyed one third of the city and killed 6,000 people. Now the wall stands between the city and the elements, and it also displays miles of ocean-life murals painted by Texan artists. Enjoy history, art, and the power of the sea with your sweetheart.

Marlfreless

Marlfreless Bar and Lounge, at 2006 Peden, is not your average noisy club—in fact, it was created in 1972 as an alternative to Houston’s loud and garish bar scene. Here, the music is mellow and low enough that you can hear your conversation. Houstonians know it as a quiet, cozy, romantic spot to relax with someone special.

Honorable Mention: Waugh Bridge Bat Colony

It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you and your honey like natural wonders and dark oddities, you must get yourselves to the Waugh Bridge at sunset. At the corner of Waugh Drive and Allen Parkway, 35 miles from Downtown Houston, this bridge is home to an estimated 300,000 Mexican Free-Tailed Bats. At sunset, they all fly out in a glorious, living cloud. You and your sweetie can watch from the sidewalk on the bridge, or take a pontoon boat tour and watch the bats from the water.

There’s a lot of great free stuff in Houston, but for free Houston events, services, movies, and more, look no further than your nearest Houston library. The Houston Public Library is not just for homework anymore. Of course it’s still an amazing place to research schoolwork, genealogy, or anything else you want to know about. You’ll have access to research databases on 36 subjects, as well as special collections of books and even government documents, plus, of course, helpful librarians who can guide you through your research. But the Houston Public Library offers so much more! For example, you can:

• Find nearly every book you can imagine. If the Houston Public Library system doesn’t have the book (or video, audio, journal, or magazine) you’re looking for, you can search libraries throughout Texas, or even worldwide, and order your materials to be delivered to your local Houston library branch. What if you can’t imagine what to read next? The library’s Reader’s Link system connects you to book clubs, book lists, and reviews from other readers like you.
• Do everything you need to do on a computer. New to Houston? Waiting for your computer to come off the moving truck, or your internet access to be hooked up? The library has you covered. Anyone with a Houston Public Library card can sign up for one-hour blocks of time to use their computers for internet searches or basic MS Office programs. The internet access is filtered, but patrons over 18 can ask for the filter to be removed for specific searches. The library also offers free computer skills classes—from the most basic computer use to advanced MS Office use, digital photography, and social media.
• Borrow movies, music, magazines, e-books, and audiobooks. The library doesn’t just loan books. You can check out DVDs (even recent popular movies), music CDs in many genres (even pop, metal, and rock), and magazines. Online from home, you can use your library card to download e-books, audiobooks, and videos.
• Teach and entertain your kids. Beyond storytime, the Houston Public Library offers lots of free events and resources for children and teens, from classes to crafts to age-appropriate web links. Homework tutoring is available for all ages, in person and online. Teens can also get personal help researching and applying for colleges.
• Find a new job or start a business. Unemployed or under-employed? The Houston Public Library’s Careers, Opportunities, Resources, and Education  center can help. They offer workshops, classes, and one-on-one advisers for both job seekers and entrepreneurs starting small businesses.
• Just have fun. Learn more about whatever you’re passionate about, and meet like-minded people. The Houston Public Library hosts all kinds of groups and events—film festivals, poetry readings, iPad workshops, scrapbooking classes, lunchtime meditation breaks, and Chinese language classes, to name a few.

Your Houston apartment is your home, and you’ll want to make it your own. Of course, in order to get your security deposit back, you’ll need to make sure any changes you make can be completely undone when you move out. This limits your options for apartment renovation, but not as much as you may think. Here are six ways you can make big changes to the look and feel of your Houston apartment, while keeping your landlord happy:

1. Set up room dividers.

Turn one large room into two or more. You’ve got lots of options here. Divide your space with a folding screen, a large bookcase, curtains, or some of the unusual room-dividing systems suggested in this post from Apartment Therapy.

2. Change knobs and handles.

If you’re not in love with the doorknobs, cabinet handles, or drawer pulls in your apartment, buy some you like at any hardware or home décor store. When you install your new hardware, save the old handles and knobs in an easy-to-find place so you can replace them when you move out.

3. Change window coverings.

Putting up different curtains or blinds is simple, but it can make a big difference in the look and feel of your Houston apartment. If you’re worried about putting holes and hardware into your walls, try hanging curtains from tension rods pressed into the window frames.

4. Paint.

If you’re thinking of painting your walls (or cabinets, or anything else), ask first. Some landlords will allow painting, but many won’t. Make sure you know the rules, and if you’re considering an extreme color, get your landlord’s okay on that, too.

5. Use removable “wallpaper.”

Most landlords won’t let you put up standard, pasted-on wallpaper—though some will. When in doubt, ask. If yours won’t allow painting or wallpaper, you can still change up your walls. Some completely removable ideas for your walls:

• You can get the effect of wallpaper by using fabric starch to apply fabric to your walls. Follow this tutorial. When you want to move away, or just to change your apartment décor, gently peel off the fabric, then sponge down the wall to remove the starch. Viola! Your apartment walls will be just as you found them. You can use the same technique to make unique, removable wall decals, too.
• If cornstarch isn’t your style, you can attach wallpaper, fabric, or even gift wrap with a staple gun. Be sure to take out all of the staples at moving time.
• Adhesive vinyl sticks on its own, but comes off without leaving a trace. Use it to make one bold wall or a fun and functional chalkboard wall, or use a craft knife to cut out your own wall decals.

6. Replace light fixtures.

Some apartments come with truly awful light fixtures, and other fixtures may just not fit your personal taste. You may be able to get lighting you like by simply replacing the shade. You can also redo the entire fixture, though you’ll need electrical know-how to do it safely. If you’ve never worked with wiring before, get a very good tutorial, get help from a friend who knows wiring, or hire an electrician to do the job for you. This ApartmentTherapy post has links to lots of resources for changing lighting, including a list of important safety precautions.