Everything’s bigger in Texas, Houston aims to prove it!

The style-savvy residents of the country’s fourth-largest city and third-largest county (Harris) know that there’s no place quite like Houston. With more than 2.2 million residents, the city attracts visitors and transplants with a wonderful mix of world-class arts, flourishing businesses, pro sports and award-winning cuisine. As the rest of the country discovers what locals have known all along, Houston is finally enjoying the recognition it deserves. Just last year, the city landed on several “best of” lists, including the Travel + Leisure roundup of America’s Favorite Cities and the Hotwire.com index of most affordable U.S. vacation destinations.

Take the food, for example. Countless cutting-edge chefs have made a home in Houston, where diners eat out more than residents of any other city. Here, you’ll find James Beard Award winners and internationally renowned chefs serving up innovative cuisine that frequently catches the attention of foodies in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine and Saveur. But the stylish dining scene is only a slice of Houston’s epicurean offerings—a fact that the city’s culinary masterminds intend to prove with the Houston Culinary Tours. Each of the intimate, 16-person, chef-led tours aim at showing the underbelly of the city’s food scene—one taco truck and ethnic market at a time. The diversity found in Houston leads to phenomenal dining.  From Chinatown to Tex Mex giants, Local BBQ joints to French Cuisine, the most delicious foods in the world have found their way to Houston. You can always stop at your favorite local place or take the opportunities to try something exotic from a place you have always wanted to visit.  

Venture Downtown during your stay and discover a thriving professional arts scene, with professional resident companies in ballet, opera, symphony and theater; only four other U.S. cities can say the same. Houston hosts the second largest theater district in the United States. The nearby Museum District stakes its claim as the country’s fourth largest, with 18 cultural powerhouses set within blocks of one another.

Houston has its own version of Central Park, too, offering nearly 1,500 acres of green space in the heart of the city. Just inside "the loop," Memorial Park is home to a public golf course, swimming pool, tennis courts, trails and more. Downtown, Discovery Green park is outfitted with WiFi, a farmers market, dog runs, fine dining and ice-skating during the winter—just one more of the 650-plus urban green spaces filling the city.

Not surprisingly, businesses also recognize the allure of Houston’s offerings.  Twenty-five companies on the Fortune 500 list call the Energy Capital of the World home. Houston’s job growth has been driven by the world renowned Energy Corridor. Companies like BP America, Conoco Phillips, Citgo Petroleum, Exxon Chemical, Shell Oil, Worley Parsons, and many more have a major corporate presence in the Houston metropolis. Houston truly is an energy town, but there is so much more to the coastal jewel of Texas. Aeronautic research is unsurpassed at NASA headquarters—the facility responsible for putting the first man on the moon—and Texas Medical Center remains the largest in the world with 47 highly lauded research and treatment institutions. Patients from all over the world come to Houston for treatment. 

See for yourself, here in Houston, where much of daily life happens outdoors, thanks to mild, year-round temperatures. Take time to explore the eclectic, culture-filled neighborhoods, gallery spaces and attractions, which offer diverse flavors that can only be found here. The energy in the city is electrifying. Come. Live like a local for a few days and discover why Houston’s mix of international appeal and Southern charm have captured the imagination of tastemakers the world over. 

There is something for everyone in Houston. An experienced Realtor® is needed to help handle Houston's large size and changing real estate trends.  The Upshaw Group has been helping families find their dream homes in Houston for over a decade. Contact us today for a free consultation. 281-220-2110