Photos by Alyssa Dupree

Walters and House of Creeps have relocated there. It's home to venues, businesses and homes. And now, the northeastern edge of Downtown near Nance Street -- an area coming to be known as the "Warehouse District" -- is home to the Doctor's Office, Houston's newest DIY house venue.

Named for its former use as a dentist's office, The Doctor's Office provides cheap thrills to anyone seeking out Houston's underground. That is, when it's not acting as home to four people in their early twenties.

"We want to provide a space for the community," says Matt, who relocated from Denton to Houston last May.

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Photos by Marco Torres

The Greater Northside Management District classifies "The Northside" as the "24 square miles north of Downtown Houston" between Interstate-10/Katy Freeway on the south, Studewood/Yale on the West, Little York to the north, and Interstate-59 Eastex Freeway to the East (although for this article, we set the boundary at Hardy Street). This is the real heart of the city, the real Northside... as opposed to Spring or The Woodlands. Scattered within the working-class barrios of Northside Village, Lindale and Northline Park are several hidden gems in the form of ice houses and drive inns that are arguably Houston's best.

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As does our sister blog Eating...Our Words, from time to time Rocks Off will be giving your our picks for the top taverns in various Houston-area neighborhoods. Of course, the lines can be porous, but here anything with a TABC license that cannot reasonably be considered either a restaurant, coffeehouse or live-music venue is fair game.

10. Cap's Piano Bar
Tuesday through Saturday, Caps Piano Bar boasts one of the best house bands in Houston. Jazz and blues hits from days long gone by are interspersed with present-day hits, though you'll need to keep the tips coming to ensure you hear the latter. But don't worry about racking up a huge bill: There's no cover charge, and the drinks are affordable.

While you wait on your beverages, enjoy some complimentary popcorn as you enjoy the tunes and watch couples cut a rug on the dance floor. Caps is hidden just behind House of Pies off Westheimer, but it's definitely a find.

2610 Briar Ridge 713-784-0024, facebook.com/capspiano.bar

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Photo by Julian Bajsel

Rich's in slightly happier times -- DJ Ferry Corsten's show in May 2012

UPDATE (Monday, 5:45 p.m.) Cade Michals is a spokesman for Rich's Sacred Ground, not a partner.

No doubt this is not the way Rich's wanted to celebrate its 30th anniversary this year. The most recent tenants of the long-running and equally star-crossed Midtown dance club closed their doors Friday with no reason given but a promise to return, according to a post on the club's Facebook page.

"We regret to inform you that Rich's has closed its doors," the message said. "Thank you for all the years of support and stay tuned for future announcements regarding shows, promotions, etc! Thank you Houston!"

A further note by Rich's in the comments section said, "We will be announcing new plans soon! Thanks for all the love and support!"

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Photos by Francisco Montes

Tom Lytle sits at the end of the bar, lamenting his last night at his favorite hole in the wall.

"It's an atrocity, it's an institution and it shouldn't be messed with," says the loyal patron of Marfreless for more than 40 years. "I moved with them here and I will be there if they move again."

Slideshow:

No More Making Out: The Last Night at Marfreless

Lytle first came to Marfreless as a college student, when the bar's motto was "Beer, Bach and Beethoven." It offered refined ambiance and lively conversation, with original owner Fred Hong manning the bar.

"No matter what your view was, he would argue the opposite, but it was always in fun," says Lytle.

Kay Fitzpatrick shares the same sense of wistfulness in coming out. "It's an important part of my life... so many memories," she says. "I needed closure."

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Rising property taxes in its expensive River Oaks surroundings have forced Marfreless, the most famous Houston bar without a sign, to close at the end of the month. The bar's owners announced the news on the Marfreless Web site Wednesday evening:

Dearest friends, patrons, charities, and fellow establishments of the evening - the owners and staff of Marfreless are grieved to announce the upcoming closing of our iconic Houston landmark bar and lounge. Our tentative last day of business will be Saturday March 30th, 2013.

While we are actively seeking a new place to call home and another door to paint blue, we have recently and unfortunately joined the ranks of those small businesses which have been forced to adapt to the ever-increasing cost of fees levied by property owners.

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Photos by Altamese Osborne

Cory Sinclair (left) and Justice Tirapelli-Jamail of The Manichean

CHARACTERS
The Manichean; apparently intoxicated gentleman; our narrator; assorted children up past their bedtime

SCENE 1
A breezy Saturday. 8:55 p.m. Tonight, we're told, is MKT's "Vinyl Night," sponsored by Heights Vinyl. This week's vinyl group is Justice Tirapelli-Jamail and Cory Sinclair of The Manichean, a "progressive rock band" with a sound that is "very grand," according to Tirapelli-Jamail.

But for a Saturday night, it sure is quiet.

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Photos by Altamese Osborne

A couple trips the light fandango at MKT Bar's Tasty Tango Tuesdays.

PREVIOUSLY
MKT Bar, the lounge within downtown supermarket Phoenicia Foods, was subdued and sparsely populated on a recent Monday evening, full of stray diners and none of the music that has made it such a popular downtown destination.

Rewind:

MKT Bar: Tale of an Unexpected Hot Spot, Act 1

CHARACTERS
A woman and her mother nursing matching lattes; a matriarch with a slice of cheesecake; two sporty guys drinking beers; assorted after-work suit-and-ties; waiters and waitresses including our own bubbly "Katy."

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Photos by Altamese Osborne

ACT 1
Winter. 4 p.m. The bar is not a bar in and of itself, but a bar within a bar, or more specifically, a bar within a grocery store. The housing structure is Phoenicia Foods' downtown store, located on the high-traffic corner of Austin Street facing Discovery Green.

Outside, Phoenicia is a mammoth structure, Goliath to the bar's David. Inside, the store maintains typical grocery expectations: walls whiter than white, myriad food options, puffs of freshly baked bread emerging, only to be flattened into pita pieces by a dedicated worker, who shuffles them down a conveyor belt.

But walk down an adjoining hallway, and the entire decor changes: White walls change to the brown bricks of a cozy little pub that can house a ravenous crowd, an art exhibit and a DJ's turntable tricks with equal dexterity on almost the same day. This is MKT Bar.

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Photos by Matthew Keever

This alley should look familiar to former patrons of The Mink.

"It doesn't smell like sewage anymore!"

Although a sign above the entrance still reads "The Mink," little inside this newly renovated drinkery feels quite the same. The layout is unchanged, but burgundy walls, low lighting and the soft sounds of jazz or blues now set the tone of The Alley Kat Bar and Lounge, the newest watering hole on "The Island" in Midtown.

The Alley Kat feels as though it has outgrown its awkward albeit charming teenage years, giving way to a fresh perspective on a well-liked Midtown nightspot that had deteriorated over time. The Mink used to have an allure all its own, but over the past few years it became seedier and dustier, and the restrooms became more of a risk than a convenience.

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