HOUSTON, TEXAS New Homes (texas real estate), Real Estate Articles

As the largest city in the state of Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States, Houston has a population exceeding 2 million and boasts the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Situated in the heart of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metro area, the city has the largest cultural and economic center of the Gulf Coast region. Businesses thrive, not only in downtown Houston, but also in the additional five business districts known as Uptown, Texas Medical Center, Greenway Plaza, Westchase and Greenspoint. Houston locations are known to be either inside or outside the Interstate 610 Loop, with the central business district inside the Loop, accompanied by pre-WWII residential neighborhoods as well as modern developments, lending the inner loop to an urban lifestyle. Outside the Loop, you’ll find suburban living and Houston’s airports. While many residents refer to Houston as the “Bayou City”, its official nickname is “Space City” because it is home to NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center where Mission Control Center is situated.

It doesn’t take long to notice the incredible skyline (ranked fourth-most impressive in the U.S.) once you arrive in Houston. Downtown buildings are linked by a system of tunnels and skywalks, which include ships, restaurants and convenience stores. The METRORail also travels along the Main Street Corridor.

Summer temperatures include an average of 99 days with the thermometer passing the 90 degree F mark, with a usual late-day temp of 94 degrees F.The relative humidity in the summer months averages over 90% in the morning and dropping to 60% in the afternoon.

It is common to see a rain shower every afternoon during the hotter months. Winter temperatures can vary, with an average high during the coldest month (January) at 61 degrees F.

Houston hits the freezing mark an average of 18 days each year.
Snowfall is rare, but can occur.

Known for its oil and other energy sources, Houston is also renowned for its biomedical research, aeronautics industries and the sixth-largest port in the world, the man-made Port of Houston, which has the esteemed ranking of first in the country in international commerce. Following New York City, Houston is the second city for Fortune 500 headquarters. It is the world’s foremost center for building oilfield equipment. Houston boasts the Texas Medical Center, a complex that includes the largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions in the world!

Ranked second in employment growth of the 10 most populous metropolitan areas, Houston also bears the distinction of being the first in Texas and third in the U.S. to top FORBES magazine’s “Best Places for Business and Careers.”

Demographically, Houston is a diverse city, with close to 90 languages spoken by its residents. Trade and commercial offices are maintained by forty foreign governments and there are 23 active foreign chambers of commerce and trade associations. Ten nations are represented in Houston by twenty foreign banks, providing financial assistance to the international community.

Houston’s Theater District seats 12,048 patrons for live performances and has close to 1,500 movie seats, giving it the second spot for the largest number of theater seats in a concentrated downtown area in the U.S. Located centrally in the downtown area, the Theater District houses 9 of Houston’s performing arts organizations and 6 performance halls in a 17-block area. There are permanent professional resident companies in ballet (Houston Ballet), music (Houston Symphony Orchestra), opera (Houston Grand Opera), and theater (The Alley Theater). Many touring companies travel through Houston as well, including Broadway troupes. Smaller progressive arts organizations have also found their niche in downtown Houston. The nation’s largest quilting show is held in Houston, which also hosts auto, boat, home and gun shows.

The Museum District boasts major museums, such as The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, the Holocaust Museum, the Children’s Museum, and more! The Museum District receives close to 4 million visitors every year!

There are 337 city parks, as well, including Hermann Park, which is home to the Houston Zoo and the Houston Museum of Natural Science. There are also over 200 greenspaces, which – when combined with the parks – create close to 20,000 acres that are managed by the city.

The official visitor’s center of NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Space Center Houston, has many interactive exhibits, from moon rocks to a shuttle simulator, as well as Texas’ largest IMAX theater.

Sports lovers don’t have to look far to find a professional team that will suit them, because Houston hosts teams in practically every major professional sport, including: the MLB Houston Astros, NFL Houston Texans, NBA Houston Rockets, WNBA Houston Comets, AHL Houston Aeros, ABA Houston Undertakers, and MLS Houston Dynamo. Minute Maid Park and Toyota Center are located in downtown Houston, which adds to the urban renaissance that has taken Houston’s center from a hub of daytime activity to one of nighttime activity as well.

The internationally renowned Texas Medical Center contains the biggest concentration of research and healthcare institutions, including 13 hospitals, 2 specialty institutions, 2 medical schools, and 4 nursing schools. There are also schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy, and most other health-related careers. There are more heart surgeries performed at the Texas Medical Center in Houston than anywhere else worldwide.

Other academic and research health institutions located in Houston 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, considered to be one of the world’s most highly-respected institutions devoted to cancer.

With more than 55 colleges and universities and dozens of institutions doing research and development, Houston is a city focused on education! There are 16 school districts in the city, with the Houston Independent School District (HISD) being the seventh-largest district in the U.S. Numerous charter, magnet and vanguard schools, as well as over 300 private schools make Houston a center for education.

Neighborhoods are what really make a city and Houston’s thriving communities succeed in making Houston a wonderful place to reside.