What Houston Is Famous For
Home to a respected and energetic cultural arts scene excellent dining establishments featuring tastes from more than 70 international regions, world-renowned theater groups, and the brains behind U.S. space exploration, Houston is a varied metropolitan area brimming with personality. Speaking of space exploration, the space station in Houston made headlines as a bat infestation stopped a shuttle from a test launch prompting space officials to call a wildlife removal service in Houston, TX bat control was promptly executed to have the mission back on track.
With a revitalized Downtown Houston and broadened conference facilities, Houston provides a cosmopolitan setting for all conventions and meetings. From Downtown’s George R. Brown Convention Center and the adjacent Hilton Americas-Houston to the brand new 1,000-room Marriott Marquis and the multi-building NRG Park campus, Houston provides exceptional meeting places. Plus, the practical Metro Rail connects Downtown with the Museum District, the Texas Medical Center, and NRG Park, making it easy to travel within the city.
In late 2016, a significant remodeling effort of the GRB convention center was finished, consisting of a brand-new front facade for the building, an interior concourse, and an art-inspired pedestrian plaza running the length of the structure complete with ground-level restaurants.
On any given night there’s most likely a program someplace in Houston’s Theater District. The 17-block area is house to Houston’s resident performance business consisting of the symphony, opera, drama, and ballet. 19 first-rate institutions, including the Menial Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Houston Museum of Natural Science are clustered in this area, drawing 7 million visitors to the district each year.
No Zoning Laws
Houston is the only major American city that doesn’t have land-use zoning laws. “Every time someone states San Jose is spread out and haphazardly prepared,” tell them to check out Houston.
World Capital of Space Exploration
Houston is called the world capital of space exploration, the world capital of air conditioning, the world capital of the international energy industry, the world capital of petroleum exploration and the world capital of capital punishment. What it isn’t the capital of is Texas; that’s Austin.
“Fat-test” City
A 2001 study found that Houstonians ate out more than residents of the other 39 significant cities surveyed. Houston apparently likewise has more than 11,000 dining establishments.
Since Men’s Physical fitness Publication began listing the nation’s “Fat-test Cities” in 1999, Houston has actually topped the list each year except 1999 (Philadelphia) and 2004 (Detroit).
Houston Is Popular
The tune “Going Back to Houston”, with the memorable lyrics, “Well it’s lonesome in this old town/ Everybody is putting me down/ I’m a face without a name/ Just walking in the rain” was made popular by Dean Martin, who matured in Steubenville, Ohio.
The city is named after Sam Houston, the very first president of the Republic of Texas. He was nicknamed “the Raven” by the Cherokee tribe with whom he lived for 3 years and went on to end up being the governor of Tennessee, president of Texas, twice, member of the Texas House of Representatives, U.S. senator from the state of Texas and governor of Texas.
Theater District
According to the city’s Website, Houston has “a Theater District second only to New York City in terms of a concentration of seats (more than 12,000) in a single (17-block) geographic area.” No mention of the quality of its theater, however, it’s reassuring to know that there are lots of areas to sit.
Houston Colts
The original home of the Houston Colt.45s was Colt Stadium, a much-maligned, outdoor park, and sanctuary for mosquitoes. The team, rechristened the Astros, transferred to the Astrodome in 1965. Colt Stadium stood for a year, used mostly for storage; Astros owner Judge Roy Hofheinz painted the stadium gray so that it could not be seen in aerial photos of the Astrodome. It was taken apart and sold to the Mexican league Torrean Cotton Pickers for $100,000. It later was transferred to Tampico, where it was home to the Mexican league Tampico Stevedores. It was eventually taken apart, however, some of its seats went to a factory workers’ league near Pasteje and the rest to a public playground in Tampico.
Sells the Most Furniture
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale’s Gallery Furniture apparently offers more furniture per square foot than any shop worldwide.
Home of Famous People
A partial list of famous people born and raised in Houston includes football player Lance Alworth; heart surgeon Denton Cooley; golfer Jimmy Demaret; novelist Allen Drury; auto racer A.J. Foyt; teacher and politician Barbara C. Jordan; singer Barbara Mandrell; siblings Dennis and Randy Quaid; poker player Kenny Rogers; dancer Patrick Swayze; actress/singer Hilary Duff; singer Beyonce Knowles; starlet Phylicia Rashad; and possibly the most eccentric rich person ever, Howard Robard Hughes, who is buried there in a substantial mausoleum.
Other Things You Should Know About Houston
Houston’s environment is humid sub-tropical. Anyone who has actually ever been there in the summertime knows that translates into hot. A Houston summer season makes a Chicago summer season feel like Alaska. It’s not the heat; it’s not the humidity; it’s both.
Houston’s Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest rodeo on the planet with 1.8 million visitors.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, of Houston, supposedly once asked for a corridor in her Washington office complex be blocked off for 8 hours so that she might meet privately with singer Michael Jackson.
Houston has the least expensive housing cost amongst 27 major U.S. cities with populations of more than 1.7 million. Of course, the odds that your house may one day be sitting in the shadow of a commercial skyscraper may have something to do with that.
One hundred years ago Houston commissioners began enforcing a city ordinance that prohibits males “to make goo-goo-eyes” at girls.
Houston has an outstanding selection of attractions, consisting of the National Museum of Funeral Service History. Current displays include a re-creation of a 1900s coffin factory and a diorama showing embalming methods used on Civil War battlefields.
Read More On:
Why Is Houston So Hot?