Meet the walking group giving Houston women a new sense of community

To celebrate the end of the year, the group will host a special walk on Saturday, December 31, to Allen Parkway's Love Lock Bridge. Participants are encouraged to bring a lock or memento to fasten to the bridge in honor, memory, or celebration of someone or something from 2022.

Nelson first got the idea for the Houston group after seeing similar events pop up in Chicago and New York City in early 2022. "I saw how special it was and I wanted the women of Houston to have the same opportunity," she said. "I waited about a month for someone else to launch (in Houston), and when nobody did, I stepped up."

CGWWH's first event was May 1, 2022. Eighteen women showed up, having heard about the event through social media. Since then, the City Girls have walked every single week. Walkers come from all backgrounds and range in age from 18 to 80. (Children and well-behaved dogs are also welcome.)

"There's no agenda, it's just literally getting together and walking. It's that simple," Nelson says. "It does take people a little while to realize that. And that's when the magic happens. Nothing's expected of anybody. There's no requirements, no entry to membership, it's free and open to the public. Just show up and walk and we'll be there to walk with you. It gives people this whole level of acceptance and freedom that it is shocking to them."

The group has created a community for women, Nelson says, and a sense of safety in walking together. After each walk, the women usually gather at Blendin Coffee, 3201 Allen Parkway, to socialize, though that's not required either.

"It's very special to watch what happens at the walks," she says. "At least half of the people at every walk are new to City Girls, so they come alone and not knowing anybody. And then afterwards they're having coffee and then you hear about the weekend trip and you hear about them going to dinner together and being in a book club together. There have been so many friendships formed from people who otherwise would not have met."

Several other activities have emerged from the original Sunday morning walkers. CGWWH occasionally hosts pop-up events like hikes through the mountain bike trails of Memorial Park or midweek walks. The group also hosts a monthly brunch and monthly Wellness Wednesdays, which focus on other forms of movement, like yoga. 

Spin-off groups have also formed. There's now a City Girls Who Walk Katy and a Baytown Babes Who Walk—both groups formed with the idea of making walking accessible to women who might not want to drive all the way to Buffalo Bayou Park.

City Girls has partnered with some community businesses, including Blendin Coffee and Outdoor Voices, who co-hosted a walk this past summer. The group picks a new local restaurant to support with each monthly brunch gathering, and spotlights a locally-owned business each week with their #WomenOwnedWednesday initiative. Nelson said her goal is to partner with organizations "aligned with our values such as educating girls, supporting single moms, and providing resources for individuals and families who are historically underserved."  And City Girls also hosts school supply drives, non-partisan get-out-the-vote events, and fundraisers. 

Karla Soto first joined the group in June. The "adopted Texan," as she calls herself, moved to Houston from Puerto Rico in 2018, not long after Hurricane Maria decimated the island. "I wanted to start a new chapter in my life, so I took a leap of faith," she said. Then Covid hit, making it hard for the newly-minted Texan to meet new people. When she saw CGWWH on social media she was immediately drawn to the group's message of inclusivity. After her first walk, she was "instantly hooked." "Walking heals you physically and mentally," she says.

Because many of the walkers are first-timers who come alone, Soto saw a need for an ambassador-like role to help welcome people and answer questions. She's now in charge of community-building for the group."It's a safe space," she says. "There's no competition, it's come as you are. You walk at your own pace and rhythm."

Michelin Willie also quickly graduated from walker to volunteer with the group. She showed up to her first walk, in July 2022, a bit late. She and four other women ended up walking alone, but eventually caught up with the main group and stayed after for coffee. She was also attracted by the group's inclusive ethos and wanted to lead a walk in Hermann Park. That walk, which paid homage to Beyoncé's Renaissance album, was one of the group's best-attended to date. "I love having a weekly walk," she says. "It's very low pressure, and it's always there."

Nelson sees the group as unofficial ambassadors for the City of Houston." Our walks bring many women out into parks and onto trails they may not have otherwise experienced," she says. "We feel like we've become the 'cheerful well-wisher' of the city by amplifying the public spaces we walk, the natural beauty of the city, and the public amenities available in Houston."

In addition to the Love Lock walk on December 31, the group is also looking forward to the new year. They'll host a Houston Marathon cheering station on January 15 at Allen Parkway and Rochow Street (that week's walk will take place on Saturday). They'll begin a monthly collaborative walk with Bee Abled, a nonprofit that supports athletes with disabilities and their families. Nelson also wants to create a scholarship program for young women.

More than anything, though, she says she'll stick with the no-pressure formula that has made CGWWH a hit. "The beauty is in the simplicity."

City Girls Who Walk's Love Lock Walk will begin at 9 a.m. December 31 at the Gus Wortham Fountain, 2904 Allen Parkway. Walks in January and February will begin at 10 a.m. on Sundays, also meeting at the Wortham Fountain.