Houston, seat of Harris County, Texas, United States, located on the upper Gulf Coast, 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico – this vibrant city is the fourth largest city in the United States. Houston has long been recognized as the energy capital of the world and home to NASA/Johnson Space Center. On July 20, 1969, the first words spoken from the moon was the name of the city, when Neil Armstrong reported, “Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed.”
Houston is a vast and diverse city, which has a 17-block theater district that attracts 2 million people annually. The theater district resident companies include the Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony and the 1996 Tony Award winning Alley Theatre. Houston is one of only five U.S. cities with resident companies in all four major performing art fields of ballet, symphony, opera and drama.
In Houston, the museum district offers a range of museums, galleries, art and cultural institutions for over 4 million people to experience each year. Almost equal distance between the Astrodome and downtown, the museum district offers a full complement of major city museums and critically acclaimed art galleries. The private art collection of Menil comprised of 15,000 art objects concentrated in antiquities is resident to the Museum of Fine Arts. Whereas, the Museum of Natural Science, is internationally known for its collection of minerals and gems and is the most highly attended museum in Texas.
Houston’s downtown is home to the CART Circuit Texaco-Havoline Grand Prix and the towering Minute Maid Park which seats 42,000 fans and was built for the Houston Astros. The opening of this new stadium was celebrated at the beginning of the 2000-2001 baseball season. Houston is also home to the two-time NBA world champions the Houston Rockets and also to the International Hockey League champion Aeros.
Furthermore, amid the skyscrapers, office buildings and sport facilities, there are 53 recreational parks offering 32,000 acres of open space for all to enjoy. Houston area colleges and universities have more than 240,000 students enrolled at institutions such as the renowned Rice University, University of Houston, University of St. Thomas, Texas A&M University, Baylor College of Medicine and The University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center. Houston is also home to the Texas Medical Center, the largest and most successful medical care and research facility in the world. The Port of Houston is the second largest port in the United States and is a major gateway for international trade and commerce. The port is located along on an inland waterway channel that is approximately 6 miles east of the downtown business district. The business district is home to over 3,500 companies and comprises a work force of approximately 137,000 people. Houston ranks 7th nationally in 2002 among the U.S. metro areas in number of corporate headquarters of Fortune 500 companies.
Houston’s prestigious billing as the “Energy Capital of the World” is a fact that is well known, but energy is only a small part of what makes the city the thriving corporate center it has become. The chemical industry produces almost half of the United States’ petrochemical supply. Manufacturing firms are valued at over $54 billion, and one out of every three jobs in the area is tied to international business in some way. With the Port of Houston serving as the second largest port in the U.S. in total tonnage, the import/export trade always thrives as well.
Numerous computer companies have located their headquarters and data processing operations here—including Compaq Computer Corporation—and over 400 local firms are involved in software development. Electronics companies abound, and engineering firms employ nearly 47,000 engineers and architects in various fields.
Houston medical facilities oversee the health of residents and people across the globe; local medical centers provide some of the best patient care, medical research and medical education in the world. The renowned Texas Medical Center is highly respected for its pioneering work in cardiac and organ-transplant surgery and cancer treatment. Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, M.D. Andersen Cancer Center and many other prestigious institutions are located here.
And last, but certainly not least; remember those first, fateful words spoken from the moon? “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” Houston’s past and future impact on the aerospace industry is in a league of its own. Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, the mission control headquarters for manned U.S. space flights, has played a significant role in further developing and expanding Houston’s contribution to scientific fields.
Ethnic Diversity
The city’s extreme industrial diversity has resulted in a cultural blend that is equally impressive. With over 60 primary languages spoken in the homes of Houston Independent School District families, Houston is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States. It has been further estimated that an additional 30 languages are also spoken on a smaller scale.
Residents typically have a broad knowledge of and a great deal of respect for other world cultures and enjoy numerous cultural events every year. Along with common neighborhood events, Express Theater has become extremely popular over the years by offering productions that illustrate the values of these different ethnic cultures. Needless to say, ethnic diversity has also broadened the horizons in the restaurant world. The number of cultures and cuisines represented throughout Houston is both impressive and appreciated.
Cultural & Artistic Growth
Ima Hogg, a renowned local philanthropist, first blessed Houston’s arts and culture scene back in 1913 when he established the Houston Symphony. In the years since then, Houston has gained a formidable reputation as a world-class center for the arts. The 17-block Theater District is home to numerous performing arts organizations and is second only to New York’s Broadway for number of theater seats (over 12,000) in a concentrated area. It is also one of the few U.S. cities that has its own professional symphony orchestra and resident professional companies in ballet, opera and theater. More than 200 visual and performing arts organizations are currently active in the Houston arts scene.
The visual arts are equally represented in the numerous museums and galleries that are located primarily in the Museum District. In 1987, The Menil Collection opened and added a new sense of prestige to Houston’s museum scene. It boasts what is recognized as one of the finest private collections in the country. With more than $100 million poured into the economy by the television and motion picture industry recently, the city is also emerging as a prominent force for Hollywood businesses.
Education
To a large extent, the growth and development of Houston has been based on the education of its residents. The city has always put significant emphasis on the education of children at both the primary and secondary levels. Several of the local school districts traditionally win state and national achievement awards for academic aptitude.
To this day, residents of Houston are more likely to have completed four years of college than the rest of the U.S. adult population. The city boasts some excellent universities and colleges. Among them are the very prestigious and highly acclaimed Rice University, which first opened for classes in 1891, the University of Houston (1927), Texas Southern University (1947), University of Saint Thomas (1947) and Houston Baptist University (1960). Also, both Baylor and the University of Texas have prominent medical schools in the Texas Medical Center. More than 240,000 students are currently enrolled in colleges and universities in the area.
From its humble beginnings as a cotton-shipping port to its designation as the “Energy Capital of the World,” Houston has enjoyed more than 160 years of existence.
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