Houston is Texas’s largest city and the fourth largest in the US. The city is big in all respects – from business, finance and land. The city’s population is around 2 ½ million, with its wider metropolitan area home to around 6 million people and is true multicultural city with large Asian, Arab and Latin American communities. It is also physically huge with an area of just under 600 square miles – the city was built on the idea of “urban sprawl and it as such, everyone drives here. However, the centre city regions of Midtown and Montrose are becoming more walkable and most attractions are around the Downtown and Galleria (Uptown) areas which is home to the second largest theatre district in the US as well as the Houston Ballet, Opera and Symphony companies. Neartown is home to the city’s LGBT community, as well as some quirky antique, vintage and boutique shopping opportunities. Uptown (Galleria) , is home to a massive high-end shopping mall as well as the tallest building in the United States outside of a main downtown area, the Williams tower. The Nearby River Oaks is home to some of the city’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, home to huge mansions and some fabulous Art Deco architecture with great restaurants, bars and clubs.
The Space Centre Houston is a fascinating museum and just a quick tram ride along is the NASA/Johnson Space Centre where you can also watch astronauts and engineers at work. The city has an abundance of varied attractions, including the fascinating National Museum of Funeral History, the Menil Collection Museum, Byzantine Chapel Fresco Museum, The Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston Zoo, Houston Holocaust Museum, Houston Contemporary Art Museum and the quirky Beer Can House.
Houston has a reputation as being the most restaurant-focused city in the US with a huge variety of ethnic cuisines, excellent local Tex-Mex and fine steakhouses. Its affordable too, with literally hundreds of restaurants costing less than £20 per head. Accommodation is plentiful too with a good amount of comfortable 2-3 star rooms from £40-£100 per night and 4 star costing up to £200 per night. 5 star luxury can be found at a handful of hotels including the Italian-style Hotel Granduca.