Houston's Downtown District
Downtown Houston is central to the largest city in state of Texas.
Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, and is one
of the top producing economic areas in the Gulf Coast region. The city
of Houston is located in Harris County which holds title to that of
the third most populous county in the United States. The City of Houston
extends beyond Harris County with a portion of its southwest region
extending into Fort Bend County and northeast a portion extending into
Montgomery County.
Downtown Houston holds the site in which the Allen brothers first landed
to establish the city of Houston. At Allen’s Landing, (which
lies across from the University of Houston Downtown) John Kirby Allen
and Augustus Chapman Allen founded Houston in 1836. Houston continues
to be one of the fastest growing major cities in the United States
and has held this title for quite some time. The 2004 Census estimates
Houston's population at more than 2 million. Downtown Houston is central
as the main cultural and economic center of the Harris, Fort Bend,
and Montgomery County area. These counties coupled with 7 addition
counties make the Greater Houston Area the seventh largest metropolitan
area in the United States with a population beyond 5.2 million residents.
Downtown Houston and the Greater Houston area are world renowned for
its energy, medical, and aeronautics industries. Houston is also famous
for its ship channel. The Port of Houston is one of the busiest ports
in the United States and second in the world in foreign tonnage. As
the result of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Port of Houston is handling
even greater tonnage as the Port of New Orleans undergoes repairs.
Second only to New York City in Fortune 500 headquarters, Houston is
home to the Texas Medical Center. The Texas Medical Center is the world's
largest and most important concentration of research and healthcare
institutions. This city unto itself is also experiencing a phenomenal
rate of expansion as biotechnology and nanotechnology emerge as Houston
dominated industries.
Houston has much to offer, including the lowest cost of living and
the least-expensive housing among 27 major U.S. metropolitan areas
with populations of more than 1.7 million.
Houston ranks in the top 10 in the follow categories:
#1 Least-Expensive Housing among 27 Metropolitan
Areas with Populations of More Than 2 Million
ACCRA Cost of Living Index, First Quarter 2003
Least-Expensive City for Cost of Living Alone
Forbes.com, Best Cities for Singles, June 2004
Largest Collection of African-American Art in the Country, Museum
of Fine Arts
Los Angeles Times, September 9, 2004
Most Diverse University Campus (University of Houston)
U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges
Guide,” September 2002
#2 Fortune 500 Headquarters (in the city)
Fortune 500, April 5, 2004
Best Cities for African-American Families
BET.com, September 2002
#3 Top U.S. Cities for Starting or Expanding a Business
ING U.S. Financial Services Gazelle Index, February 2004
#5 Top Metro Areas Favored for Relocations or Expansions
Plants Sites & Parks Magazine, March 2003
Top U.S. Cities for Black Americans
Black Enterprise Magazine, June 2004
#7 Potential for Economic Growth
The Rise of the Creative Class
By Professor Richard Florida of Carnegie Mellon University, May 2002
#8 Fastest-growing Metro Areas for Women-Owned Businesses
Center for Women’s Business Research, February 2004
Houston has been nicknamed the Space City as it is home to the Lyndon
B. Johnson Space Center, home of the Mission Control Center (referred
to by space missions as simply "Houston"). Houston offers
a wide range of business, entertainment and cultural opportunities,
including a respected and thriving theater district central in Houston
Downtown. For residents living in Downtown Houston the sunny beaches
of Galveston are less than an hour’s drive away. Residents in
Houston’s Downtown area also enjoy the benefits of proximity
as Downtown has apartments, lofts and luxury residential high rises
to fit all tastes and lifestyles. Downtown Houston is also home to
shopping and retail with tunnel, street level, and high-rise shops
numbering in the hundreds. Additionally the benefit of being centrally
located between both major Houston airports insures that Downtown Houston
is the center of Houston’s mass-transit system. For those on
the move in both career and education, the University of Houston Downtown
offers an environment that caters to the working professional in Houston’s
Downtown area. Additionally South Texas College of law furthers central
Houston’s role in success and achievement. For those with few
hours in the day Downtown Houston offers such amenities as childcare
centers, a hospital, clinics and dozens of doctors and dentists.
