Houston Texas Overview

Houston has grown up with Texas. It started the same year the Republic of Texas was founded and was named after one of Texas' most significant figures-Sam Houston . It's a sprawling city of close to two million. Some have criticized the city for its sprawl, but, although the city is as large as ever, it's working hard to develop its downtown so there's a center for both locals and visitors to enjoy.

Houston is a relatively new city. It started out as a trading post founded by two brothers-John and Augustus Allen, who were looking for lots of land, cheap. Houston remained a fairly sleepy city through 1901, when oil was discovered and folks looking for a quick way to get rich started pouring in. The city expanded even more when air-conditioning arrived in the city and life in the summer became bearable. Oil remained the center of Houston 's economy through the 1980's, when the price dropped significantly. Fortunately, Houston is also home to a busy shipping area and the Johnson Space Center, so there were plenty of other businesses to support Houston 's economy.

The Houston downtown area is experiencing a major revitalization, with numerous corporations moving in and new restaurants and bars opening up all the time. Old buildings are being converted to new uses, and there are new entertainment venues opening up frequently. There are also numerous other neighborhoods worth a look, including Montrose, an eclectic area with funky shops and restaurants, the Museum District, with, obviously, museums, University Village, with over 300 shops and nightspots, Houston Heights, a nice spot to go antiquing, and Post Oak/Uptown, home to the Galleria shopping center. To get around Houston , a car and a map are definitely recommended; after all, the city is as big as some countries.

Houston is becoming a city that's more enjoyable then ever. It's home to numerous businesses, shops, neighborhoods and cultural venues, and its downtown is developing into a city center locals can be proud of. There's plenty to enjoy in Houston , so grab, or preferably rent, a car and head on out to one of Texas' most interesting cities.