Houston, Texas?

Question

I'm going there for my first time...

what kind of things are there to do?
is it nice there?
what do you recommend?

Answer 1

Well, there are a lot of things to go and do. It all just depends on what you like to do. Here are a "few" things that you can go, do, or see:
MIDTOWN (Midtown Houston is a district southwest of Downtown Houston, Texas, bordered by the Montrose area and U.S. Highway 59.) Midtown has become one of the hotest nightspots in town, and is filled with a number of restaurants, bars, theatres, and art galleries.
Some notable restaurants are:
Julia's Bistro The Fish The Breakfast Klub Farrago World Cuisine Ponzo's Italian Food T'afia Van Loc
The Ensemble Theater in Midtown Houston. Also seen are the two kinds of street signs on the same pole (one for Midtown and one for the Main Street Corridor) that are seen along Main Street in Midtown.Bars include:
Pub Fiction Red Door Front Porch Pub Wet Spot
Little Woodrow's Tipsy Clover
Theatres, art galleries, and museums, which include:
The Ensemble Theater (a theater that focuses on African-American themed plays)
The Community Artists' Collective
Houston Fire Museum
Houston Center for Contemporary Arts
Lawndale Art Center
Midtown Art Center
Destiny's Child's Recording Studio

THE GALLERIA (just outside the city's I-610 inner beltway)
Anchor Stores:
Macy's
Neiman Marcus (opened 1969)
Nordstrom (opened 2003)
Saks Fifth Avenue {opened 1997)
Other notable stores in the Galleria include:
Adrienne Vittadini Anne Fontaine Apple Store A/X Armani Exchange Baccarat Bally of Switzerland Bang & Olufsen
Barneys New York CO-OP BCBG Max Azria Betsey Johnson Brooks Brothers Bulgari Burberry Cartier Chanel CH Carolina Herrera Christian Dior Christofle Club Monaco Coach Cole Haan David Yurman Discovery Channel Disney Duo Emporio Armani Energie Fendi Fila Forth & Towne French Connection Gianni Versace Giorgio Armani Gucci Jacadi Jessica McClintock Jimmy Choo Kate Spade Kenneth Cole Lacoste Lalique Louis Vuitton Luca Luca Marmi Max Mara Michael Kors Miss Sixty Montblanc Movado Oakley Puma Ralph Lauren Salvatore Ferragamo Sony Style St. John Stuart Weitzman Swatch Tiffany & Co. Tourneau Tumi Wolford Yves Saint Laurent Zara
There is also an ice skating rink inside!

THE MUSEUM DISTRICT (http://www.houstonmuseumdistrict.org/def...
The Houston Museum District is an area of Houston, Texas where many of the city's museums are located. The district is centered on the Hotel Zaza (currently being renovated) and the adjacent Mecom Fountain. The Museum District also houses Rice University, the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research and Hermann Park which includes the Houston Zoo and the Miller Outdoor Theatre. The Museum District is also near the University of Saint Thomas.
Some of the museums and institutions include:
Holocaust Museum Houston
Children's Museum of Houston
John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Museum of Natural Science
The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum
Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston Center for Photography
John C. Freeman Weather Museum

THE THEATRE DISTIRCT (DOWNTOWN)
The Houston Theater District, a 17-block area in the heart of Downtown Houston, is home to Houston's nine world-class performing arts organizations, the 130,000 square-foot Bayou Place entertainment complex, restaurants, movies, plazas and parks.
The district is ranked second in the United States for the number of theater seats in a concentrated downtown area and is one of only five cities with permanent professional resident companies in all of the major performing arts disciplines (the Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Ballet, and The Alley Theatre).
One of the several attractions in the district is the Bayou Place Entertainment Complex—a large multilevel building that is home to full service restaurants, bars, live music, billiards, multiple theatres and art house films. The Houston Verizon Wireless Theatre stages a variety of live concerts and the Angelika Theatre presents the latest in art, foreign and independent films.

NEARTOWN--AKA MONTROSE (Neartown is bounded by U.S. Highway 59 to the south, Allen Parkway to the north, Bagby Street on the east, and Shepherd Drive to the west.)
Neartown is an area located in west-central Houston, Texas and is one of the city's major cultural areas. The location comes with distinctive character of eccentricity and diversity. The location and boundaries of Neartown is colloquially referred to as Montrose. Once a magnet for the hippie movement, Houstonians would consider it as a hybrid of San Francisco's the Haight-Ashbury and The Castro.
Museums
Menil Collection art museum
Rothko Chapel
Houston Center for Photography
Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum
Museo Guadalupe Aztlan
Museum of Printing History
Dan Flavin permanent exhibit

CLEAR LAKE
http://www.spacecenter.org/
NASA

GALVESTON
Galveston is known for its historic neighborhoods and a ten-mile long seawall designed to protect the city from floods. It is also home to the infamous Balinese Room, a historic nightclub and former illegal gambling hall located on a 600-foot pier extending into the Gulf of Mexico.

The city houses many tourist attractions. The attractions include the Galveston Schlitterbahn waterpark, Moody Gardens, the Lone Star Flight Museum, a downtown neighborhood of historic buildings known as "The Strand," many historical museums and mansions, and miles of beach front. The Strand plays host to a yearly Mardi Gras festival, Galveston Island Jazz & Blues Festival, Texas Beach Fest, Lone Star Bike Rally, and a Victorian-themed Christmas festival called "Dickens on the Strand" (honoring the works of novelist Charles Dickens, especially A Christmas Carol) in early December. There are lots of shops along The Strand that you can have fun in. Other attractions in Galveston include Moody Gardens, the Galveston Island Railroad Museum, Schlitterbahn, the Strand and the Lone Star Flight Museum. Galveston is also home to several historic ships: the tall ship Elissa at the Texas Seaport Museum and USS Cavalla and USS Stewart, both berthed at Seawolf Park on nearby Pelican Island. Galveston is also home to a symphony orchestra and a small ballet company.

Seabrook/Kemah
There are quite a few hole in the wall restaurants that are much better than anything that you will find on the Kemah Boardwalk.

Washington County/Brenham
You should go and see the wild flowers that will be in serious bloom here very soon. You should also go to Chappell Hill Sausage Company (http://www.chappellhillsausage.com/) for some really good food and really great prices. (They have the BEST hamburgers!) You could also go and take a tour of Blue Bell Creameries. After the tour, you get a few sample of their delicious ice cream. http://www.bluebell.com/

Answer 2

The weather is great right now high of mid 70s. Pack for spring like weather.

They have lots of shopping areas if that is what you are into Galleria is one of it's major malls.

If you are into the arts they have a wonderful museum district downtown

NASA space center is close by

Have a great trip

Answer 3

houston texas

Answer 4

the galleria mall downtown . . . galveston is a cute beach town about an hour away . . umm downtown is cool . . theres the bluebell ice cream factory about an hour north in brenham thats cool and nasa is a must lol have fun welcome to the lone star state!!!

Answer 5

Houston is the largest city in the state of Texas and fourth-largest in the United States. As of the 2005 U.S. Census estimate, Houston had a population of more than 2 million. The city covers more than 600 square miles (1,600 km²). Houston is the county seat of Harris County and part of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. with a population of more than 5.2 million.

Houston was founded on August 30, 1836 by brothers Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen on land near the banks of Buffalo Bayou. The city was incorporated on June 5, 1837 and named after General Sam Houston, the first president of the Republic of Texas. The burgeoning port and railroad industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in Houston's population. In the 20th century, Houston became the home of the Texas Medical Center, the world's largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions, and NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.

Houston is known for its broad industrial base in the energy, aeronautics, and technology industries. Only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters than Houston. The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled.[4] Houston is also home to Rice University, one of the United States's leading teaching and research universities, and the University of Houston, Texas's third-largest public research university which has more than 36,000 students from 130 countries.

Houston is a multicultural city with a large and growing international community. The Museum District is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits, attracting more than 7 million visitors a year. Houston has an active visual and performing arts scene and is one of only five U.S. cities that offer year-round resident companies in all major performing arts.

Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Geography
2.1 Climate
2.2 Geology
2.3 Cityscape
3 Government and politics
4 Economy
5 Demographics
6 Culture
6.1 Arts and theater
6.2 Tourism and recreation
6.3 Sports
6.4 Media
7 Architecture
8 Transportation
9 Healthcare and medicine
10 Education
11 Notes
12 Further reading
13 External links



[edit] History
Main article: History of Houston
See also: Historical events of Houston

Sam HoustonIn August 1836, John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen, two real estate entrepreneurs from New York City, purchased 6,642 acres (27 km²) of land along Buffalo Bayou with the intent of founding a city.[5] The Allen brothers decided to name the city after Sam Houston, the popular president of the new Republic of Texas.[5] Houston was granted incorporation on June 5, 1837, with James S. Holman becoming its first mayor.[6] In the same year, Houston became the county seat of Harrisburg County (now Harris County) and the temporary capital of the Republic of Texas.[7] In 1840, the community established a Chamber of Commerce in part to promote shipping and waterborne business at the newly created port on Buffalo Bayou.[8]

By 1860, Houston had emerged as a commercial and railroad hub for the export of cotton.[7] Railroad spurs from the Texas inland converged in Houston, where they met rail lines to the ports of Galveston and Beaumont. During the Civil War, Houston served as a headquarters for General John Bankhead Magruder, who used Houston as an organization point for the Battle of Galveston.[9] After the Civil War, Houston businessmen initiated efforts to widen the city's extensive system of bayous so the city could accept more commerce between downtown and the nearby port of Galveston.

In 1901, oil discovered at Spindletop, an oil field near Beaumont, prompted the development of the U.S. petroleum industry.[10] In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt approved a $1 million improvement project for the Houston Ship Channel. President Woodrow Wilson opened the Port of Houston in 1914, 74 years after digging began. By 1930, Houston had become Texas's most populous city.[11]

When World War II started, tonnage levels at the port decreased and shipping activities were suspended; however, the war did provide economic benefits for the city. Petrochemical refineries and manufacturing plants were constructed along the ship channel because of the demand for petroleum and synthetic rubber products during the war.[12] Ellington Field, initially built during World War I, was revitalized as an advanced training center for bombardiers and navigators.[13] The M. D. Anderson Foundation formed the Texas Medical Center in 1945. After the war, Houston's economy reverted to being primarily port-driven. In 1948, several unincorporated areas were annexed into the city limits, which more than doubled the city's size, and Houston proper began to spread across the region.[6][14]


The space shuttle, atop its Boeing 747 SCA, flying over Johnson Space CenterThe increased production of the local shipbuilding industry during World War II spurred Houston's growth,[15] as did the establishment in 1961 of NASA's "Manned Spacecraft Center" (renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in 1973), which created the city's aerospace industry. The Astrodome, nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World",[16] opened in 1965 as the world's first indoor domed sports stadium.

During the late 1970s, Houston experienced a population boom as people from Rust Belt states moved en masse into Texas.[17] The new residents came for the numerous employment opportunities in the petroleum industry as a result of the Arab Oil Embargo. The population boom ended abruptly when oil prices fell in 1986, due to the embargo being lifted. The space industry also suffered in 1986 after the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after launch. The late 1980s saw a recession for the city's economy. Since the 1990s, as a result of the recession, Houston has made efforts to diversify its economy by focusing on aerospace and biotechnology and by reducing its dependence on the petroleum industry. In 1997, Houstonians elected Lee P. Brown to be the city's first African American mayor.[18]


Hurricane Rita evacuationIn July 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped up to 37 inches of rain on parts of Houston, causing the worst flooding in the city's history; the storm cost billions of dollars in damage and killed 20 people in Texas.[19] Many neighborhoods and communities have changed since the storm. By December of that same year, Houston-based energy company Enron collapsed into the second-largest ever U.S. bankruptcy during an investigation surrounding fabricated partnerships that were allegedly used to hide debt and inflate profits. In August 2005, Houston became a shelter to more than 150,000 people from New Orleans who evacuated from Hurricane Katrina.[20] One month later, approximately 2.5 million Houston area residents evacuated when Hurricane Rita approached the Gulf Coast, leaving little damage to the Houston area. This event marked the largest urban evacuation in the history of the United States.[21][22]


[edit] Geography
Main article: Geography of Houston

A simulated-color image of HoustonAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 601.7 square miles (1,558.4 km²); this comprises 579.4 square miles (1,500.7 km²) of land and 22.3 square miles (57.7 km²) of water.

Most of Houston is located on the gulf coastal plain, and its vegetation is classified as temperate grassland and forest. Much of the city was built on forested land, marshes, swamp, or prairie, which are all still visible in surrounding areas. Flatness of the local terrain, when combined with urban sprawl, has made flooding a recurring problem for the city.[23] Downtown stands about 50 feet (15 m) above sea level,[24] and the highest point in far northwest Houston is about 125 feet (38 m) in elevation.[25][26] The city once relied on groundwater for its needs, but land subsidence forced the city to turn to ground-level water sources such as Lake Houston and Lake Conroe.[27][6]

Houston has four major bayous passing through the city. Buffalo Bayou runs through downtown and the Houston Ship Channel, and has three tributaries: White Oak Bayou, which runs through the Heights neighborhood and towards downtown; Brays Bayou, which runs along the Texas Medical Center; and Sims Bayou, which runs through the south of Houston and downtown Houston.[28] The ship channel continues past Galveston and then into the Gulf of Mexico.


[edit] Climate
Main article: Climate of Houston
Houston's climate is classified as humid subtropical (Cfa in Köppen climate classification system). Spring supercell thunderstorms sometimes bring tornadoes to the area. Prevailing winds are from the south and southwest during most of the year, bringing heat across the continent from the deserts of Mexico and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.

During the summer months, it is common for the temperature to reach over 90 °F (34 °C), with an average of 99 days per year above 90 °F (32 °C).[29][30] However, the humidity results in a heat index higher than the actual temperature. Summer mornings average over 90 percent relative humidity and approximately 60 percent in the afternoon.[31] Winds are often light in the summer and offer little relief, except near the immediate coast,[32] To cope with the heat, people use air conditioning in nearly every vehicle and building in the city; in fact, in 1980 Houston was described as the "most air-conditioned place on earth".[33] Scattered afternoon thunderstorms are common in the summer. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Houston was 109 °F (43 °C) on September 4, 2000.[34]

Winters in Houston are cool and temperate. While the average high in January, the coldest month, is 61 °F (16 °C), Houston sees an average of 18 days per year of 32 °F (0 °C) or less.[35] Snowfall is rare. The last snowstorm to hit Houston was on December 24, 2004. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Houston was 5 °F (−15 °C) on January 23, 1940.[36]

Houston has excessive ozone levels and is ranked among the most ozone-polluted cities in the United States.[37] Ground-level ozone, or smog, is Houston’s predominate air pollution problem. The industries located along the ship channel are a major cause of the city's air pollution.[38]

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 61 (16) 66 (18) 73 (22) 79 (26) 85 (29) 91 (32) 94 (34) 93 (33) 89 (31) 82 (27) 72 (22) 65 (18) 79 (26)
Average low °F (°C) 41 (5) 44 (6) 51 (10) 58 (14) 65 (18) 71 (21) 73 (22) 73 (22) 68 (20) 59 (15) 50 (10) 44 (6) 58 (14)
Average precipitation:
inches (mm) 3.9 (99) 2.9 (74) 3.5 (89) 3.6 (91) 5.6 (142) 5.1 (129) 3.4 (86) 3.7 (94) 4.3 (109) 4.7 (119) 3.7 (94) 3.6 (91) 47.9 (1217)
Source: Weatherbase[130]


[edit] Geology
Underpinning Houston's land surface are unconsolidated clays, clay shales, and poorly-cemented sands up to several miles deep. The region's geology developed from river deposits formed from the erosion of the Rocky Mountains. These sediments consist of a series of sands and clays deposited on decaying organic matter that, over time, transformed into oil and natural gas. Beneath the layers of sediment is a water-deposited layer of halite, a rock salt. The porous layers were compressed over time and forced upward. As it pushed upward, the salt dragged surrounding sediments into salt dome formations, often trapping oil and gas that seeped from the surrounding porous sands. The thick, rich, sometimes black, surface soil is suitable for rice farming in suburban outskirts where the city continues to grow.[39][40]

Despite over 150 active surface faults (estimated to be 300 active faults)[41] with an aggregate length of up to 310 miles (500 km)[42][43] within the city of Houston alone, the region is generally earthquake-free. This is because clay below the surface precludes the build-up of friction that would normally produce the ground shaking in earthquakes. These faults also tend move at a smooth rate in what is termed "fault creep,"[27] which further reduces the risk of an earthquake.


[edit] Cityscape
Further information: Geographic areas of Houston

Midtown and DowntownHouston was incorporated in 1837 under the ward system of representation. The ward designation is the progenitor of the nine current-day Houston City Council districts. Locations in Houston are generally classified as either being inside or outside the Interstate 610 Loop. The inside encompasses the central business district and many residential neighborhoods that predate World War II. More recently, high-density residential areas have been developed within the loop. The city's outlying areas, suburbs and enclaves are located outside of the loop. Beltway 8 encircles the city another 5 miles (8 km) farther out.

Houston, being the largest city in the United States without zoning regulations, has expanded without land use planning.[44][45][46] Rather than a single central business district as the center of the city's employment, multiple business districts have grown throughout the city in addition to downtown which include Uptown, Texas Medical Center, Greenway Plaza, Westchase, and Greenspoint.


[edit] Government and politics
Main article: Politics of Houston
The city of Houston has a strong mayoral form of municipal government.[47] Houston is a home rule city and all municipal elections in the state of Texas are nonpartisan.[47][48] The City's elected officials are the mayor, city controller and 14 members of the city council.[49] As of 2007, the mayor of Houston is William "Bill" White,[50] who is serving his second term. Houston's mayor serves as the city's chief administrator, executive officer, and official representative. He is responsible for the general management of the city and for seeing that all laws and ordinances are enforced.[50] As the result of a 1991 referendum in Houston, a mayor is elected for a two-year term, and can be elected to as many as three consecutive terms.

The current city council line-up of 9 district based and five at large positions was based on a U.S. Justice Department mandate which took effect in 1979[51] At-large council members represent the entire city.[49] Under the current city charter, if the population in the Houston City Limits goes past 2.1 million residents, the current nine-member city council districts will be expanded with the addition of two city council districts.[52]

Criminal Law is enforced by the Houston Police Department. Houston's murder rate ranked 18th of U.S. cities with a population over 250,000 in 2005.[53] Despite the rise in homicides of 23.5 percent, nonviolent crime in the city dropped by 2 percent in 2005 compared to 2004.[54] Since 2005, Houston has been experiencing a spike in crime, which is due in part to an influx of people from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.[55] After Katrina, Houston's murder rate increased 70 percent in November and December 2005 compared to levels in 2004. The city recorded 336 murders in 2005,[54] compared to 272 in 2004.[56]

Houston's homicide rate per 100,000 residents increased from 16.33 in 2005 to 17.24 in 2006.[57] The number of murders in the city increased to 379 in 2006, although this increase was smaller than in 2005;[54] Houston, like other cities, faces crime related to gang activities: in 1996, there were about 380 gangs with 8,000 members, of which 2,500 were juveniles.[58]


[edit] Economy
Main article: Economy of Houston
Further information: List of companies in Houston

The Port of HoustonHouston's energy industry is recognized worldwide—particularly for oil—and biomedical research, aeronautics, and the ship channel are also large parts of its economic base. The area is the world's leading center for building oilfield equipment. Much of Houston's success as a petrochemical complex is due to its busy man-made ship channel, the Port of Houston.[59] The port ranks first in the United States in international commerce, and is the sixth-largest port in the world.[4][60] Unlike most places, where high oil and gasoline prices are seen as harmful to the economy, they are generally seen as beneficial for Houston as many are employed in the energy industry.[61]

The Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown MSA's Gross Area Product (GAP) in 2005 was $308.7 billion, up 5.4% from 2004 in constant dollars. When comparing Houston's economy to a national economy, only 29 nations have a gross domestic product exceeding Houston's regional gross area product.[62] Mining, which in Houston is almost entirely exploration and production of oil and gas, accounts for 11% of Houston's GAP; this is down from 21% in 1985. The reduced role of oil and gas in Houston's GAP reflects the rapid growth of other sectors, such as engineering services, health services, and manufacturing.[63]

Houston ranks second in employment growth rate and fourth in nominal employment growth among the 10 most populous metro areas in the U.S.[64] In 2006, the Houston metropolitan area ranked first in Texas and third in the U.S. within the category of "Best Places for Business and Careers" by Forbes magazine.[65] Forty foreign governments maintain trade and commercial offices here and the city has 23 active foreign chambers of commerce and trade associations.[66] Twenty foreign banks representing 10 nations operate in Houston, providing financial assistance to the international community.


[edit] Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Houston

The annual Houston International Festival spotlights a different culture each yearHouston is a diverse and international city, in part because of its many academic institutions and strong industries. Over 90 languages are spoken in the city.[67] Houston has among the youngest populations in the nation,[68][69][70] partly due to an influx of immigrants into Texas.[71] The city has the third-largest Hispanic and third-largest Mexican population in the United States.[72] An estimated 400,000 illegal immigrants reside in Houston.[73]

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 1,953,631 people and the population density was 3,371.7 people per square mile (1,301.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 49.27 percent White, 25.31 percent Black, 0.44 percent Native American, 5.31 percent Asian American, 0.06 percent Pacific Islander, 16.46 percent from other races, and 3.15 percent from two or more races. Persons of Hispanic origin, regardless of race, accounted for 37% of the population.

Houston has a large population of immigrants from Asia, including the largest Vietnamese American population in Texas and third-largest in the United States.[74][75] Some parts of the city with high populations of Vietnamese and Chinese residents have Chinese and Vietnamese street signs, in addition to English ones. Houston has two Chinatowns: the original located in Downtown, and the more recent one north of Bellaire Boulevard in the southwest area of the city.[76][77] The city has a Little Saigon in Midtown and Vietnamese businesses located in the southwest Houston Chinatown.[78]


[edit] Culture
Main article: Culture of Houston
See also: List of events in Houston and List of famous people raised in Houston

Houston Art Car ParadeHouston is a multicultural city with a large and growing international community.[79] The city is home to the nation’s third largest concentration of consular offices representing 86 nations.[80] Houston is designated as a world-class city by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network.[81] Houston received the official nickname of "Space City" in 1967 because it is home to NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.[82] Other nicknames include "H-Town," "Bayou City," "Clutch City," and "Magnolia City."

Many annual events celebrate the diverse cultures of Houston. The largest and longest running is the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, held over 20 days from late February to early March. Another large celebration is the annual night-time Houston Pride Parade, held at the end of June.[83] Other annual events include the Greek Festival,[84] Art Car Parade, the Houston Auto Show and the Houston International Festival.[85]


[edit] Arts and theater

Wortham Center in the Theater District of Downtown HoustonHouston has an active visual and performing arts scene. The Theater District is located downtown and is home to nine major performing arts organizations and six performance halls. It is the second largest concentration of theater seats in a downtown area in the United States.[86][87][88] Houston is one of only five United States cities with permanent, professional, resident companies in all major performing arts disciplines: opera (Houston Grand Opera), ballet (Houston Ballet), music (Houston Symphony Orchestra), and theater (The Alley Theatre).[89][90] Houston is also home to many local folk artists, art groups and various smaller progressive arts organizations.[91] Houston attracts many touring Broadway acts, concerts, shows, and exhibitions for a variety of interests.[92]

The Museum District is home to many popular cultural institutions and exhibits, attracting more than 7 million visitors a year.[93] Notable facilities located in the district include The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Holocaust Museum Houston, and the Houston Zoo.[94][95][96] Located in the nearby Montrose area are The Menil Collection and Rothko Chapel.

Many venues scattered across Houston regularly host local and touring rock, blues, country, hip hop and Tejano musical acts. Unfortunately, there has never been a widely renowned music scene in Houston. Artists seem to relocate to other parts of the United States once attaining some level of success.[97] A notable exception to the rule is Houston hip-hop, which celebrates the unique southern flavor and attitude of its roots. This has given rise to a strong, independent hip-hop music scene, influencing and influenced by the larger Southern hip hop and gangsta rap communities.[98] Many Houstonian hip-hop artists have attained commercial success, including Bun B, Chamillionaire, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, and Beyoncé.


[edit] Tourism and recreation

Downtown AquariumSpace Center Houston is the official visitors’ center of NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Here one will find many interactive exhibits including moon rocks, a shuttle simulator, and presentations about the history of NASA's manned space flight program.

The Theater District is a 17-block area in the center of downtown Houston that is home to the Bayou Place entertainment complex, restaurants, movies, plazas, and parks. Bayou Place is a large multilevel building containing full-service restaurants, bars, live music, billiards, and art house films. The Houston Verizon Wireless Theater stages live concerts, stage plays, and stand-up comedy; and the Angelika Film Center presents the latest in art and foreign and independent films.[99]

Houston is home to many parks including Hermann Park, which houses the Houston Zoo and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Lake Houston Park, Memorial Park, and Sam Houston Park. The city has 337 city parks and over 200 greenspaces—totaling over 19,600 acres that are managed by the city—including the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. The Houston Civic Center was replaced by the George R. Brown Convention Center—one of the nation's largest—and the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, home of the Houston Symphony Orchestra and Society for the Performing Arts. The Sam Houston Coliseum and Music Hall have been replaced by the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.

Other tourist attractions include the Galleria (Texas's largest shopping mall located in the Uptown District), Old Market Square, Tranquility Park, the Downtown Aquarium, and Sam Houston Park (which contains restored and reconstructed homes which were originally built between 1823 and 1905).[100] The San Jacinto Battlefield State Historic Site where the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution was fought is located on the Houston Ship channel east of the city.


[edit] Sports
Main article: Sports in Houston
See also: Former professional sports teams in Houston

Minute Maid ParkHouston has teams for nearly every major professional sport. The Houston Astros (MLB), Houston Texans (NFL), Houston Rockets (NBA), Houston Comets (WNBA), Houston Aeros (AHL), Houston Undertakers (ABA) and Houston Dynamo (MLS) all call Houston home.

Minute Maid Park (home of the Astros) and Toyota Center (home of the Rockets, Comets, and Aeros) are located in a revived area of downtown. The city has the Reliant Astrodome, the first domed stadium in the world; it also holds the NFL's first retractable-roof stadium, Reliant Stadium. Other sports facilities in Houston include Hofheinz Pavilion and Robertson Stadium (both used for University of Houston collegiate sports), and Rice Stadium (home of the Rice University Owls football team). The infrequently used Reliant Astrodome hosted World Wrestling Entertainment's WrestleMania X-Seven on April 1, 2001, where an attendance record of 67,925 was set.[101]

On October 19, 2005, The Houston Astros advanced to the World Series for the first time in the team's history, subsequently losing to the Chicago White Sox. In 2006, the Houston Dynamo won the MLS Cup in their first year after moving from San Jose, California.

Houston has hosted major recent sporting events, including the 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the 2005 World Series, the 2005 Big 12 Conference football championship game, the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships from 2001-2006, and the Tennis Masters Cup in 2003 and 2004, as well as the annual Shell Houston Open golf tournament. The city hosts the annual the NCAA College Baseball Minute Maid Classic every February and NCAA football's Texas Bowl in December. Houston hosted the Super Bowl championship game twice. Super Bowl VIII was played at Rice Stadium in 1974 and Super Bowl XXXVIII was played at Reliant Stadium in 2004. In early 2006, the Champ Car auto racing series returned to Houston for a yearly race, held on the streets of the Reliant Park complex.


[edit] Media
Further information: List of newspapers in Houston, List of television stations in Houston, List of radio stations in Houston, and Houston featured in films
Houston is served by the Houston Chronicle, its only major daily newspaper with wide distribution. The Hearst Corporation, which owns and operates The Chronicle, bought the assets of the Houston Post — its long-time rival and main competition — when The Post ceased operations in 1995. The Post was owned by the family of former Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby of Houston. The only other major publication to serve the city is the Houston Press, a free alternative weekly with a weekly readership of more than 300,000.[102]

Houston Community Newspapers (owned and operated by ASP Westward, L.P.) is a news source for smaller localized communities in and around the city. Houston Community Newspapers publishes 35 suburban newspapers, including 2 daily papers and 33 weekly papers. These "community" papers include, among several others, the 1960 Sun, the Dear Park Progress, the Fort Bend/Southwest Sun, the Humble Observer, the Katy Sun, the Kingwood Observer, the River Oaks Examiner, and the Villager.[103]


[edit] Architecture
Main article: Architecture of Houston
See also: List of tallest buildings in Texas

The JPMorgan Chase Tower stands as the tallest building in Texas as of 2007Houston's skyline has been ranked fourth-most impressive in the United States when judged primarily by height;[104] it is the country's third-tallest skyline (after Chicago and New York City) and one of the top 10 in the world.[105] Houston has a system of tunnels and skywalks linking buildings in downtown which contain shops, restaurants, and convenience stores.

In the 1960s, Downtown Houston comprised of a modest collection of mid-rise office structures, but has since grown into one of the largest skylines in the United States. Downtown was on the threshold of a boom in 1970 with huge projects being launched by real estate developers with the energy industry boom. A succession of skyscrapers were built throughout the 1970s—many by real estate developer Gerald D. Hines—culminating with Houston's tallest skyscraper, the 75-floor, 1,002-foot-tall (305 m) JPMorgan Chase Tower (formerly the Texas Commerce Tower), which was completed in 1982. It is the tallest structure in Texas, 11th-tallest building in the United States and the 30th-tallest skyscraper in the world based on height to roof. In 1983, the 71-floor, 992-foot-tall (302 m) Wells Fargo Bank Plaza was completed, which became the second-tallest building in Houston and Texas. Based on height to roof, it is the 13th-tallest in the United States and the 36th-tallest in the world. As of 2006, downtown Houston had about 43 million square feet (4,000,000 m²) of office space.[106]

Centered around Post Oak Boulevard and the Galleria, the Uptown district boomed during the 1970s and early 1980s when a collection of mid-rise office buildings, hotels, and retail developments appeared along Interstate 610 west. Uptown became one of the most impressive instances of an edge city. The highest achievement of Uptown was the construction of the 64-floor, 901-foot-tall (275 m), Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed landmark Williams Tower (known as the Transco Tower until 1999). At the time, it was believed to the be the world's tallest skyscraper outside of a central business district. The Uptown District is also home to other buildings designed by noted architects such as I. M. Pei, César Pelli, and Philip Johnson. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, there was a mini-boom of mid-rise and High-rise residential tower construction, with several over 30 stories tall.[107][108][109] In 2002, Uptown had more than 23 million square feet (2,100,000 m²) of office space with 16 million square feet (1,500,000 m²) of Class A office space.[110]


[edit] Transportation
Main article: Transportation in Houston
Houston’s freeway system is made up of 575.5 miles of freeways and expressways in a 10-county metro area.[111] Its highway system uses a hub-and-spoke freeway structure serviced by multiple loops. The innermost loop is Interstate 610, which encircles downtown, the medical center, and many core neighborhoods with around a 10-mile diameter. Beltway 8 and its freeway core, the Sam Houston Tollway, form the middle loop at a diameter of roughly 25 miles. A proposed highway project, State Highway 99 (The Grand Parkway), would form a third loop outside of Houston. Currently, the completed portion of State Highway 99 runs from just north of Interstate 10, west of Houston, to U.S. Highway 59 in Sugar Land, southwest of Houston, and was completed in 1994.

Houston also lies along the route of the proposed Interstate 69 NAFTA superhighway that will link Canada, the U.S. industrial Midwest, Texas, and Mexico. Other spoke freeways either planned or under construction include the Fort Bend Parkway, Hardy Toll Road, Crosby Freeway, and the future Alvin Freeway.


METRORail along the Main Street Corridor in DowntownThe Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas, or METRO, provides public transportation in the form of buses, light rail, trolleys, and lift vans. METRO's various forms of public transportation still do not connect many of the suburbs to the greater city, causing Houstonians to rely on the automobile as a primary source of transportation.

METRO began light rail service (METRORail) on January 1, 2004. The inaugural track runs about 8 miles (13 km) from northern Downtown at UH–Downtown to the Texas Medical Center and Reliant Park. METRO is currently in the design phase of a 10-year expansion plan that will add five more lines to the existing system.[112]


George Bush Intercontinental Airport's Terminal EHouston is served by two commercial airports. The largest is George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), the ninth-busiest in the United States for total passengers, and seventeenth-busiest worldwide.[113] Bush Intercontinental currently ranks third in the United States for non-stop domestic and international service with 182 destinations.[114] In 2006, the United States Department of Transportation named George Bush Intercontinental Airport the fastest-growing of the top ten airports in the United States.[115] Houston is the headquarters of Continental Airlines and Bush Intercontinental is Continental Airlines' largest hub. The airline offers more than 700 daily departures from Houston. [116]

The second-largest commercial airport in Houston is William P. Hobby Airport (named Houston International Airport until 1967). The airport operates primarily small to medium-haul flights and is the only airport in Houston served by Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. Houston's aviation history is showcased in the 1940 Air Terminal Museum located in the old terminal building on the west side of Hobby Airport. The third-largest airport is Ellington Field, a former U.S. Air Force base, used by the military, commercial, government and general aviation sectors.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the state of Texas selected the "Houston Airport System as Airport of the Year" for 2005,[117] largely because of its multi-year, $3.1 billion airport improvement program for both major airports in Houston.


[edit] Healthcare and medicine
Main article: Texas Medical Center
See also: List of hospitals in Texas

Texas Medical CenterHouston is the seat of the internationally-renowned Texas Medical Center, which contains the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions.[118] All 45 member institutions of the Texas Medical Center are non-profit organizations. They provide patient and preventive care, research, education, and local, national, and international community well-being. These institutions include 13 renowned hospitals and two specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools, and schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy, and virtually all health-related careers. It is where one of the first—and still the largest—air emergency service was created, and a very successful inter-institutional transplant program was developed. More heart surgeries are performed at the Texas Medical Center than anywhere else in the world.[119]

Some of the academic and research health institutions in the center include Baylor College of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, The Methodist Hospital, and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center has consistently ranked as one of the top two U.S. hospitals specializing in cancer care by U.S. News & World Report since 1990.[120]


[edit] Education
Main article: Education in Houston
Further information: List of colleges and universities in Houston

Rice UniversityThere are more than 55 colleges and universities and dozens of institutions engaged in research and development in Houston. The city is home to Rice University, one of the United States's leading teaching and research universities and ranked the nation's 17th-best overall university by U.S. News & World Report.[121] The University of Houston (UH) is Texas's third-largest public research university with more than 36,000 students from 130 countries, making it one of the most diverse campuses in the country.[122] UH is a doctoral degree granting comprehensive research institution with more than 40 research centers and institutes. South Texas College of Law, Houston's oldest law school founded in 1923, has one of the nation's top programs for trial advocacy.[123][124] Other institutions of higher learning in the city include University of St. Thomas, Houston Baptist University, and Texas Southern University, a historically black university. The Houston Community College System serves most of Houston and is the fourth-largest community college system in the United States.[125]

There are 16 school districts serving the city. The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the seventh-largest in the United States.[126] HISD has 112 campuses that serve as magnet or vanguard schools—specializing in such disciplines as health professions, visual and performing arts, and the sciences. There are also many charter schools that are run separately from school districts. In addition, some public school districts also have their own charter schools.

The Houston area is home to more than 300 private schools,[127][128][129] many of which are accredited by Texas Private School Accreditation Commission (TEPSAC) recognized agencies. The Houston area Catholic schools are operated by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.


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