East of downtown, where Buffalo Bayou bends toward the ship channel, the Second Ward shifted from a German neighborhood in the 1800s to the heart of Mexican American Houston by the 1920s. Navigation Boulevard is its main street and its dining room. In 1973, Ninfa Laurenzo opened a small restaurant here, and The Original Ninfa's on Navigation still serves the fajitas that made her famous. Down the block, Merida brings Yucatecan cooking to the same stretch. Our Lady of Guadalupe, founded in 1912 as Houston's first Mexican ethnic Catholic church, anchors the neighborhood's faith and festivals, and Guadalupe Plaza Park sits nearby. The Navigation Esplanade, a three-block pedestrian park built in 2013, is the place to wander. The Green Line runs on Harrisburg Boulevard, a short walk from Navigation, and connects the area to downtown in minutes. Like much of inner Houston, it is changing fast, so support the long-running family businesses.
What to expect
- Murals line Harrisburg and Navigation; the Calle de Colores cluster is on Navigation.
- The Green Line runs on Harrisburg, south of Navigation, so expect a walk from the train.
- The Esplanade has marked crosswalks, solar street lamps, benches and bike racks.
- East End Street Fest on Cinco de Mayo weekend packs the Esplanade; come early.
What to do
- Order fajitas at The Original Ninfa's on Navigation
- Walk the Navigation Esplanade
- Visit Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
Where to eat nearby
- The Original Ninfa's on Navigation
- Merida
What to see
- Navigation Esplanade
- Guadalupe Plaza Park
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
- Original Navigation location opened in 1973Ninfa's
- Founded 1912, Houston's first Mexican ethnic Catholic churchOur Lady of Guadalupe
- Three-block pedestrian park built in 2013Navigation Esplanade
- Served by the METRORail Green Line on Harrisburg Boulevard, a walk from NavigationTransit