Furnished Apartments in Houston

Facts About Houston

Houston is the highest populated city in Texas State and the 4th highest populated city in the U.S. while being the highest populated city in the Southern United States. It is also the sixth highest populated city in all of North America, lying in Southeastern Texas near the Gulf of Mexico and Galveston Bay.

Here are some interesting facts about Houston:

• Houston is the administrative seat for Harris County and the principal city within the Greater Houston Metropolitan Area. 
• It is the biggest city by total area in the U.S. where the Government is not consolidated with any Parish, County or Borough. 
• It is primarily within Harris County although some parts are part of the Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties. 
• Land investors established Houston City on 30th August, 1836, at the intersection of White Oak Bayou and Buffalo Bayou. This point is today called Allen’s Landing. 
• Incorporation as a city took place on the 5th of June, 1837 and the city is named after previous General Sam Houston, former President of the Republic of Texas. He played a crucial role in winning independence for Texas from Mexico at the vital Battle of San Jacinto. 
• Houston steadily became a regional trading hub in the 19th century after being the capital of Texas Republic throughout the late 1830s. 
• The railroad industry and port brought economic progress to Houston in the 20th century. The oil boom in Texas and Houston Ship Channel construction were other key factors. It also housed the Texas Medical Center, the biggest concentration of healthcare and research institutions in the world along with the NASA Johnson Space Center. 

Houston is known for its industrial prowess along with its growth in sectors like transportation, manufacturing, energy and aeronautics. It has the second-highest headquarters of Fortune 500 entities within any U.S. municipality in city limits after New York City. The Port of Houston is ranked first in global waterborne tonnage for the U.S. The Houston-TheWoodlands-Sugar Land metro area had GDP of $478 billion in 2016.

The Houston Airport System supervises functioning of three key public airports, namely the William P. Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport that offer commercial aviation services to several destinations and Ellington Airport which houses the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base. The George Bush Intercontinental Airport is the 8th busiest in the U.S. and served a whopping 40 million passengers as of 2016.

Cost of Living in Houston

Average meal prices at restaurants are anywhere around $10-50 in Houston while one-way transportation tickets are priced at around $1.25-2. Monthly passes come for approximately $40 while average housing rentals vary between $835-2,500 in the city. Basic utility costs may hover around $145.98 approximately every month. 

Tips for Visiting Houston

Here are some tips that will come in handy if you are visiting Houston:

• Houston has hot and humid weather throughout the year. The weather is also unpredictable. Make sure you have sunscreen along with a light jacket for cooler temperatures at times. 
• The best time you should visit is between mid February and April if you wish to avoid heat waves. 
• Do not forget to try the iconic Tex-Mex cuisine that is a specialty of Houston, ranging from steak fajitas to chile con carne and queso. 
• Southern charm is a distinct feature of Houston and manners are given high importance here with yes sir and no Ma’am being regular occurrences. Speech is slower here and there is a southern drawl that you should be prepared for. Howdy is a popular greeting style in the city. 
• Houston is a diverse city with 90+ cultures represented and numerous cultural and culinary events taking place round the year. 
• The city is perpetually witnessing construction of some sort. Expect regular repairs and expansion activities. 
• Traffic jams are common occurrences in Houston; venture out between 9 AM-3 PM for bypassing the hectic rush. 

Things to Do in Houston 

Houston has numerous fun activities and attractions on offer. Here’s taking a look at some of them. 

1. What are popular things to do in Houston? 

Popular things to do in Houston include visiting the Houston Space Center, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Aquarium, shopping in the underground tunnels, exploring the Children’s Museum and also the Houston Zoo. 

2. What are some free things to do in Houston? 

Some free things to do in Houston include Buffalo Bayou, Discovery Green, Market Square Park, Eleanor Tinsley Park, Tranquility Park, Houston Arboretum and Nature Center and Glenwood Cemetery. 

3. Does Houston have many romantic attractions?

Romantic attractions in Houston include bike rides around the city, going berry picking, getting CityPASS-es and visiting all major landmarks, witnessing bats flying at sunset and venturing into the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. 

4. What are family-friendly things to do in Houston? 

Family-friendly things to do in Houston include visiting the Children’s Museum of Houston, Space Center Houston, Express Children’s Theater and Main Street Theater, Houston Zoo, Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera. 

5. What are unusual things to do in Houston?

Unusual things to do in Houston include exploring The Big Bubble, Eclectic Menagerie Park, The Orange Show, Art Car Museum, Beer Can House, National Museum of Funeral History, David Adickes Studio and Buffalo Bayou Cistern. 

Places to Visit in Houston

Some of the top places to visit in Houston include the following: 

• Space Center Houston - The Space Center Houston is an affiliate museum of the Smithsonian and houses several interesting exhibits related to space exploration and space travel. It is also an official visitor center for the NASA Johnson Space Center. This is a functional NASA facility where research and human spaceflight training are key activities. It also houses the Mission Control facility at NASA. A guided tram tour of the Space Center is a must. 
• Houston Zoo – The Houston Zoo has a collection of 6,000+ animals from 900+ species while covering 55 acres. This is a key attraction in the city and the country’s second-highest visited zoo. The key highlights include Asian elephants, African lions, flamingoes and giraffes. 
• Downtown Aquarium – The Downtown Aquarium is a key attraction in Downtown and includes a smaller amusement park and restaurants. The Aquarium houses 200+ aquatic animal species accommodated within almost half a million gallon of tanks. These cover 5 key zones, namely the Rainforest exhibit, shipwreck zone, Louisiana Swamp exhibit and others. 
• Houston Museum of Natural Science – The Houston Museum of Natural Science houses 16 permanent exhibitions and several exclusive exhibits which change periodically. They cover everything from dinosaur fossils and wildlife in Africa to Faberge jewellery. Visitors will also enjoy the planetarium and giant screen movie theater along with the butterfly center. 
• Children’s Museum of Houston – The Children’s Museum of Houston focuses majorly on kids with more than 8,000 square feet of attractions such as physical challenge courses, hydropower exhibits and hands-on displays. 

Places to Eat in Houston 

Top restaurants in Houston include Brenner’s on the Bayou, Bloom & Bec, Z On23 Rooftop Bar, The Breakfast Klub, Lucille’s, Blue Onyx Bistro, The Turkey Leg Hut and Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille. 

Street Food in Houston 

Street food in Houston comprises of several top joints including Pho Binh by Night, Rudi Lechner’s German Restaurant, Crawfish & Noodles, Himalaya Restaurant, Kenny & Ziggy’s Deli and Christie’s Seafood & Steaks. 

Shopping in Houston

Key shopping destinations in Houston include The Galleria, The Shops at Houston Center, Memorial City, Highland Village, Willowbrook Mall, Houston Center and Trend Mall. Other stores include the Harwin Central Mart, Dress World, Just In, Hello Lucky and Zara. 

Transportation in Houston

Houston has a majority of people traveling via their own private automobiles. Many carpool to work while some bicycle and a nominal chunk use public transit. The METRO (Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County) offers public transit via light rail, buses, HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lanes and para-transit to 15 municipalities in Greater Houston. The local bus network encompasses 1,200 buses and 75 routes locally. Houston has three airports, namely the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Ellington Airport and William P. Hobby Airport. The George Bush Intercontinental Airport is the 8th busiest commercial airport in the U.S. and served 40 million people as of 2016. 

Weather in Houston

Houston has hot and uncomfortable summers along with cool winters. The best time to visit is between late March and mid May or between late September and early November.