Community - Welcome to Houston!
Even though Houston is the fourth largest city in the US, one of the best aspects of the city is that it has all of the amenities and arts as New York, LA, or Chicago, but it also has a strong and diverse/international community feel. After moving to Houston, you’ll quickly realize that Houstonians are friendly, helpful—and you’ll always receive a warm greeting from a stranger on the street, or someone will hold the door open for you, even without knowing one another’s name. As a native Houstonian, I’ve realized that there is a feeling of comfortability and familiarity in Houston that comes from the community and Texas charm.
It's what makes this city so appealing!
14 things you'll love about Houston, TX infographic!
Houston’s diverse communities can be found within the 610 loop (inside the loop), to the West in the Energy Corridor, Sugar Land, and Katy area, to the North in The Woodlands and Spring, or to the South in Friendswood and Pearland. Houston is large enough that you’re always meeting new people, and small enough where you will run into your neighbors, coworkers, and other friendly faces that you’ve previously met.
The People You’ll Meet in Houston
Part of what makes the community so great in Houston are all the people who call the city home. Living in the diverse neighborhoods of Houston you will meet some of the nicest, most welcoming people in the world. The happiness, diversity, and generosity of the people who live in Houston is a product of everything Houston has to offer, including the robust and diverse job market, affordability, amazing restaurants, and cultural scene! Houston was ranked as one of the coolest cities, best city for building wealth, best quality of life, best hospitals, best value for college, best place for veterans, greenest city, top city for new residents, best city to attract investments in a variety of industries, and so much more!
Whether you’re moving to Houston from California, New York, or anywhere in between, you’re sure to notice immediately how welcoming and generous the people in Houston are. You’ll find just about anything you want in Houston. You'll quickly meet native Houstonians and new Houstonians that enjoy the same activities whether it's arts, restaurants, green space and dog parks, beach, and more! After I graduated from college and came back to Houston, I realized how much I’ve missed the contagious personality of the city and Houstonians in general. When you move to Houston, look forward to finding yourself a happier person because you’re surrounded by people who are happy!
Houston is the Best City for High-Paying Jobs
If you’re moving to Houston you will have a much easier time finding jobs than anywhere else. Houston is more than just oil and gas companies, and the economy is diverse enough to weather $40-50/barrel oil. Houston is home to the world’s largest medical center. Health service companies, as well as med school programs have kept employment expanding with the oil and gas downturn. Also, the chemical, refinery, and Port of Houston are still growing strong and investment has increased due to cheaper oil and natural gas inputs.
With more than 49,000 job openings you’ll be sure to find a great opportunity whether it's in Greenway Plaza, Downtown, Energy Corridor, Medical Center, or The Woodlands. Houston’s job markets has diversified immensely in the past 20 years. Previously the city and economy was based on oil and gas prices, but today Houston is well known for its world-class Texas Medical Center, Port of Houston, manufacturing and distribution, engineering, space/NASA, and startup/entrepreneurial spirit.
The Food in Houston is Incredible and SOOO many options!
Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the world, which luckily for you means amazing and varied cuisine! Whether you’re eating banh mi sandwiches at Les Givral’s or Pho down the street at Simply Pho, BBQ at Goode Co, Gulf seafood at Tony Mandola's, oysters at Caracol, Tex Mex at Lupe Tortilla or El Tiempo, authentic Mexican in the East End (The Original Ninfa's on Navigation or one of the many taquerias), steaks at Killen’s in Pearland, Turkish at Istanbul near Medical Center/Rice Village, tapas at Oporto in midtown, or anywhere in between you won’t run out of different types of foods and restaurants to try in Houston! In fact, NYT recently featured a number of Houston’s amazing world-class restaurants (Helen Greek Food & Wine, Underbelly, BCN Taste & Tradition, Pax Americana) in a recent article.
Houston’s Restaurant Weeks, yes weeks, lasts for more than a month! Houston is a city full of oil and gas and medical employees with a big heart and healthy appetite. HRW lasts from August to Labor Day—and a portion of the proceeds benefit the Houston Foodbank. Check out the menu and participating restaurants here. Great to try out new places with clients or a date!
Check out this article for some of the best neighborhoods to eat in Houston!
Local Craft Breweries will Keep You Cool in Houston
Saint Arnold Brewing Company is the oldest craft brewery in Texas and started it all! Seasonal and specialty brews (Divine Reserve!) keep the brewery’s beer hall packed every Monday through Saturday. Lunch can be bought and you can sit at the many tables in the beer hall, or you can bring snacks, games, folding chairs, and picnic blankets for your own feast while sampling the beers. 8th Wonder Brewery is located in EaDo/East End and features an indoor tap room as well as a huge backyard to hangout and play frisbee or eat at their food trucks. Other awesome breweries include Karbach Brewing Co, Lone Pint Brewery, No Label Brewing, Buffalo Bayou Brewery, Texan Brewing Co in Richmond, Southern Star Brewing and B-52 Brewing Company in Conroe, and Galveston Island Brewing in Galveston.
Affordability of Homes for Sale in Houston
In Houston, the homes for sale are some of the most affordable in the nation. Whether you're searching for a house in Houston’s East End, North Houston, or in a suburb of Houston you'll find the homes are priced fairly for the quality of life and economy. Houston Real Estate offers great value. Whether you are shopping for a home in Katy, Pearland, North Houston communities, or Sugar Land, you’ll have easy access to the city at an affordable price.
Weather
While Houston can reach up to 100 degrees in July and August, you may be surprised about the delightful weather the other 8-10 months of the year. Houston rarely has snowfall and you don’t ever have to worry about shoveling snow off your driveway or sidewalks. The roads may ice over once or twice a year but normally schools and businesses will shutdown so their students and employees don’t have to make the treacherous drives—oh and the ice will usually melt within a few hours. If you live in Houston make sure to have a good pair of rain boots and rain jacket, as well as an umbrella in the car or on your porch. Living so close to Galveston and the Gulf of Mexico will invite a few tropical storms, flooding, and possibly a hurricane every once in a while. Safety first!
Education is Some of Best in Nation
Houston has 14 major institutions of higher education and more than 100 colleges, community colleges, technical, and trade schools. The 14 higher learning institutions include Baylor College of Medicine (the only private medical school in the Greater Southwest), Houston Baptist University, Rice University (constantly ranked as one of the top institutions in the country!), South Texas College of Law (one of the largest private law schools in the country), Texas Southern University, University of Houston (including a Space Architecture graduate program and more than 70 students participating in the olympics and earning 33 medals), University of St. Thomas, University of Texas Health Science Center, and many more! Believe it or not, the greater Houston area has over 80 school districts, check out the list!
GreatSchools.Org is a great resource if you want to look up the ratings of schools in the Houston area—HISD has over 280 schools!
The Arts in Houston
Houston is one of the few U.S. cities with local resident companies in all major fine arts! You can also find exciting performances all season long. Houston residents receive an extra special award since two or more of the fine art companies often perform together, resulting in an even more phenomenal production! The Houston Theater District is located downtown and home to eight performing arts organizations and more than 12,000 seats. Only New York City has more seats concentrated in one geographic area. We Houstonians are proud of our top notch, award winning and globally acclaimed performing arts groups! Enjoy the excitement of a symphony, ballet, opera, and live performances (sometimes all under one roof!). Whether you're looking for the newest or most popular theater, ballet, symphony and opera you will find it in Houston's theatre district!
The Museums in Houston
Houston also shows its devotion to the arts through a full complement of diverse museums and critically acclaimed galleries. Almost midway between Reliant Stadium and downtown, Houston's Museum District offers a range of museums, galleries, and art and cultural institutions, including the city's major museums. The Houston Museum District is one of the largest museum campuses in the country. It includes 18 institutions within walking distance of one another and approximately 4 million people visit institutions in the Museum District every year. PS - Most museums are free on Thursday! The Menil Collection is always free and features an amazing park to spend the day and/or reflect at the nearby Rothko Chapel!
For those with a great appreciation of art, it's just one more reason to relocate to Houston!
Sports in Houston
Houston and the surrounding area have an amazing array of spectator and participant sports as well as a rich sporting culture and die-hard fans! Houstonians enjoy attending events from major professional sports as well as collegiate teams. Houstonians also enjoy participating in activities at Memorial Park, Buffalo Bayou, or even sailing in Galveston Bay or Clear Lake. There are a number of after school and after work sports groups such as Houston Sports & Social Club.
Houston’s major league teams include Houston Astros baseball, Houston Texans football, Houston Rockets basketball, Houston Dynamo soccer, Houston Dash women's soccer, and Scrap Yard Dawgs women's softball. The Astros were in the World Series most recently in 2005. In 2006 and 2007 the Dynamo won the MLS cup, and the Rockets won the NBA championship back-to-back in 1994 and 1995!
Houston has been transformed by its major league teams due to their popularity and their stadiums! The home of the Astros, Minute Maid Park, BBVA Compass Stadium (home of the Dynamos and Dash) and the Toyota Center (home of the rockets and many concerts) are all in Downtown Houston. The stadiums have transformed the east side of downtown to a vibrant day-and-night destination (Downtown—it's not just for work anymore!). Both Minute Maid Park and the NRG Stadium (home of the Texans) are drop top/retractable roof stadiums. Also, you can’t visit Houston without stopping by the world-famous, eight wonder of the world, the Astrodome! In fact, the city's stadiums hold over 150,000 fans collectively!
The Houston area hosts five division I college athletic programs including the University of Houston, Rice University, Houston Baptist University, Texas Southern University, and Prairie View A&M University (in Prairie View). UofH just opened a new stadium, TDECU Stadium, and most schools have facilities for other NCAA sports such as basketball and baseball. Other annual events hosted in Houston include the Houston Marathon, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Shell Houston Open, Houston College Classic, US Men’s Clay Court Champions, SWAC Championship game, and many college bowl games! Also, don’t forget Houston is home to upcoming Super Bowl LI!
Live Music
Whether you are in the mood for indie bands, honky tonk, blues, zydeco, funky, pop megastars, or anything in between you’ll feel right at home in Houston! Walter’s, Numbers, Boondocks, Cactus Music, Last Concert Cafe, or Anderson Fair is your best best for the indie and eclectic groups, while the House of Blues, Revention Music Hall, and Toyota Center (or Minute Maid) is your go-to spot for the world-wide touring acts. Don’t forget about Miller Outdoor and the Houston Symphony for a more traditional experience. While you’re in Houston don’t forget to check out some favorite local bands such as Kam Franklin and the Suffers, The Tontons, and Los Skarnales—local Houston music is as diversified as the city! Great websites for local music and concert events include Houston Press, Culture Map, and Houstonia.
Nightlife
Whether it's Monday or Saturday night there is always something fun to do in Houston! If you’re looking for Vegas-style dance clubs (Limelight, Lilly and Bloom, Gossip, Rich’s), sports pubs, wine bars, or anything in between you’re in the right city! There are numerous areas to go out on the town in Houston including Main St downtown, midtown, Montrose, Washington Ave, Rice Village, Energy Corridor, and more—each with a different vibe. Or hangout in one of the above music venues, one of the many coffee shops, or even an art gallery or museum (Natural History Museum and Museum of Fine Art Houston host parties after dark!).
The Beach
Looking to catch some rays and relax next to the water? Houston is less than an hour from Kemah, Seabrook, Galveston (East Beach, Jamaica Beach, Pirate’s Beach, Moody Gardens), Surfside, and Bolivar’s Peninsula! Kemah is great for seafood and spending the day on the Kemah Boardwalk. Or go to the Galveston area to enjoy even more seafood and surf in the gulf or build a sand castle. The beach is amazing during the summer and holidays such as 4th of July and Labor Day weekend. After the beach enjoy some cold beers or head to the Strand for some shopping. Nearby is La Porte, where you can find Pine Gulley Park or the Sylvan Beach and Pavilion, or visit the tea rooms and enjoy some bread pudding after soaking up some sun. Don’t forget about Armand Bayou, which is a must do for environmental and ecology enthusiasts! If you want to drive a few hours then head to Corpus Christi and South Padre to experience some blue green crystal water!
Whether you are a Houston newbie or moving within Houston — give Mike Brombacher a call (832-656-1932) or email mike@ResideResidentialTX.com for any neighborhood or real estate questions!
