Meet Biju and Lydia Sukumaran and Schrandt | Authors, “Oldest Houston”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Biju and Lydia Sukumaran and Schrandt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Biju and Lydia, what principle do you value most?
While writing our book, “Oldest Houston”, one principle we followed was to always explore “one street back.” In a literally sense (and with Houston’s chaotic zoning laws) it helped us discover some hidden facets of the city we might not otherwise have come across.

In a more figurative sense, “one street back” can also symbolize highlighting lesser talked about communities and issues that are often overlooked by most conventional media. From the beginning, we promised ourselves that “Oldest Houston” (and any other book we write) would showcase Houston’s impressive diversity.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
For more than a decade, we roamed the world as travel journalists looking for that special magic in various destinations that we could share with readers. As one of the most diverse cities in the US (if not the world), Houston isn’t typically seen in that context; our experience has enabled us to see the world through the lens of this city and sparked a passion for sharing that with others.

We always feel particularly proud when we see that spark of wonder in the eyes of a native Houstonian upon introducing them to a little pocket of that magic that might lie just around the corner.

Getting into travel journalism ripped us out of our comfort zones both professionally and in terms of day-to-day life as we lived in eight countries, each vastly different than where we grew up in their own ways. A couple things helped along the way. We were so lucky to have supportive communities of fellow travelers, expats, and locals in every place we lived. These friends helped nurture our sense of curiosity and adaptability — two traits that made all the difference in the world.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Houston is one of the best food cities in the world, so any good trip should include all the icons: Viet-Cajun crawfish, Tex-Mex, and barbecue among them. With a week to explore, we’d recommend checking out some of the city’s many enclaves and markets for a mini tour of the world: Bellaire, the Mahatma Gandhi District, Korea Town, etc. There’s also so many festivals nearly every weekend that often serve as a window into communities that might not be otherwise easy to access.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We’d love to give a shoutout to the many historical preservation groups that are fighting to keep Houston’s historic spots safe for future generations. A few organizations that helped us with the book include The Heritage Society, Black Heritage Society, the Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy, Houston History Archives, and the Houston Public Library Digital Archives.

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