|
|
Houston, Texas
Population: 2,144,500
Located in Harris County
Houston, Texas
What do you get when you combine southern hospitality, Old West charm, and over 2 million people from all over the world? Well, the city of Houston, of course! The nation's fourth-largest city is not shy when it comes to welcoming visitors, tourists and new residents. In fact, nearly 40 million people per year use Houston's two major airports. The city is indeed an active one, and the strength of the economy is simply one indicator of its lively character. Employment in Houston continues to rise as new businesses choose this wonderful city as their new home. Houston is a multicultural city, with a large and growing international community rife with many cultural institutions and exhibits, attracting more than 7 million visitors a year.
Economy
Currently, there are eighteen Fortune 500 companies that call Houston home, and with an unusually high number of energy firms per capita the city has been called the "Energy Capital of the World". Houston's energy industry is recognized worldwide?particularly for oil?and biomedical research, aeronautics, and the ship channel are also large parts of its economic base. The area is the world's leading center for building oilfield equipment. Much of Houston's success as a petrochemical complex is due to its busy man-made ship channel, the Port of Houston. The port ranks first in the United States in international commerce, and is the tenth-largest port in the world. Unlike most places, where high oil and gasoline prices are seen as harmful to the economy, they are generally seen as beneficial for Houston as many are employed in the energy industry.
Houston ranks second in employment growth rate and fourth in nominal employment growth among the 10 most populous metro areas in the U.S. In 2006, the Houston metropolitan area ranked first in Texas and third in the U.S. within the category of "Best Places for Business and Careers" by Forbes magazine. Forty foreign governments maintain trade and commercial offices here and the city has 23 active foreign chambers of commerce and trade associations. Twenty foreign banks representing 10 nations operate in Houston, providing financial assistance to the international community.
Healthcare & Medicine
Houston is the seat of the internationally-renowned Texas Medical Center, which contains the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions. All 45 member institutions of the Texas Medical Center are non-profit organizations. They provide patient and preventive care, research, education, and local, national, and international community well-being. These institutions include 13 renowned hospitals and two specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools, and schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy, and virtually all health-related careers. It is where one of the first?and still the largest?air emergency service was created, and a very successful inter-institutional transplant program was developed. More heart surgeries are performed at the Texas Medical Center than anywhere else in the world.
Some of the academic and research health institutions in the center include Baylor College of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, The Methodist Hospital, and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The University of Texas M. D.
Anderson Cancer Center has consistently ranked as one of the top two U.S. hospitals specializing in cancer care by U.S. News & World Report since 1990.
Education
There are more than 55 colleges and universities and dozens of institutions engaged in research and development in Houston. The city is home to Rice University, one of the United States's leading teaching and research universities and ranked the nation's 17th-best overall university by U.S. News & World Report. The University of Houston (UH) is Texas's third-largest public research university with more than 36,000 students from 130 countries, making it one of the most diverse campuses in the country. UH is a doctoral degree granting comprehensive research institution with more than 40 research centers and institutes. South Texas College of Law, Houston's oldest law school founded in 1923, has one of the nation's top programs for trial advocacy.
Other institutions of higher learning in the city include University of St. Thomas, Houston Baptist University, and Texas Southern University, a historically black university. The Houston Community College System serves most of Houston and is the fourth-largest community college system in the United States.
There are 16 school districts serving the city. The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the seventh-largest in the United States. HISD has 112 campuses that serve as magnet or vanguard schools?specializing in such disciplines as health professions, visual and performing arts, and the sciences. There are also many charter schools that are run separately from school districts. In addition, some public school districts also have their own charter schools.
The Houston area is home to more than 300 private schools, many of which are accredited by Texas Private School Accreditation Commission (TEPSAC) recognized agencies. The Houston Area Independent Schools, or HAIS, offer education from a variety of different religious as well as
secular viewpoints. The Houston area Catholic schools are operated by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
Arts & Theatre
Houston has an active visual and performing arts scene. The Theater District is located downtown and is home to nine major performing arts organizations and six performance halls. It is the second largest concentration of theater seats in a downtown area in the United States. Houston is one of only five US cities with permanent, professional, resident companies in all major performing arts disciplines: opera (Houston Grand Opera), ballet (Houston Ballet), music (Houston Symphony
Orchestra), and theater (The Alley Theatre). Houston is also home to many local folk artists, art groups and various smaller progressive arts organizations. Houston attracts many touring Broadway acts, concerts, shows, and exhibitions for a variety of interests. Houston is home to the Bayou City Art Festival, which is considered to be one of the top
Find homes for sale in Houston Texas
|
