Houston, Texas

Areas we cover

HOUSTON, TEXAS

The History

Houston was founded in August 1836 by real estate entrepreneurs Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen, who purchased over 6,600 acres of land along the Buffalo Bayou. The brothers named the settlement after General Sam Houston, the hero of the Battle of San Jacinto and first president of the Republic of Texas. The city officially incorporated in 1837 and quickly grew as a regional rail and shipping hub for cotton and timber. The discovery of oil at Spindletop in 1901, combined with the opening of the Houston Ship Channel in 1914, sparked a massive industrial boom that permanently transformed the local economy. In 1961, the establishment of NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center—later renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center—solidified Houston's position as a prominent global leader in science, technology, and aerospace engineering.

Things To Do

Recreation in Houston offers an incredible range of world-class cultural institutions, massive green spaces, and legendary entertainment complexes. The world-famous Museum District stands as a central attraction, featuring 19 distinct institutions including the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Museum of Fine Arts. Space Center Houston provides an unmatched look into real space exploration with interactive exhibits, historic spacecraft, and behind-the-scenes mission control tours. For outdoor lovers, the sprawling 160-acre Buffalo Bayou Park and the massive Memorial Park feature pristine hiking paths, modern bike trails, and premium golf facilities. Sports enthusiasts regularly gather downtown to catch the Astros at Minute Maid Park or watch the Rockets at the Toyota Center, while the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo draws millions of global visitors.

Local Restaurants

Widely celebrated as one of the premier culinary capitals of the world, Houston features an incredibly rich dining scene driven by authentic international flavors and deep-rooted Texas traditions. Killen's Barbecue is a highly reviewed regional staple, celebrated for its premium, hand-carved smoked brisket and classic southern comfort sides. For highly rated, authentic Tex-Mex dining and legendary fajitas, El Tiempo Cantina provides a high-energy atmosphere that neighborhood families frequent weekly. The historic Montrose and Heights neighborhoods host an array of innovative, chef-driven concepts, while the vibrant Mahatma Gandhi District and Southwest Houston boast world-class, authentic South Asian, Vietnamese, and West African eateries. Gourmet coffee lovers and brunch seekers regularly gather at local outposts like Tout Suite or Tiny Boxwoods for upscale patio dining.

What It's Like Living There

Living in Houston offers a highly dynamic, metropolitan lifestyle paired with exceptional economic opportunities and distinct neighborhood diversity. The vast real estate inventory is highly competitive, offering everything from historic bungalows in the Heights to luxury high-rises in Uptown and sprawling single-family properties in premier master-planned communities. The local economy is exceptionally robust, heavily anchored by Fortune 500 corporate headquarters, the massive energy sector, and the Texas Medical Center, which stands as the largest medical complex in the world. Families benefit from top-performing public institutions across multiple independent school districts alongside prestigious universities like Rice University and the University of Houston. While peak-hour highway congestion is a typical reality, residents love the city's vast park systems and its lower overall cost of living compared to other major global hubs.