THEN - In August 1836,
two real estate
entrepreneurs—Augustus
Chapman Allen and John
Kirby Allen—from New
York, purchased 6,642
acres (26.88 km2) of
land along Buffalo
Bayou with the intent
of founding a city.
The Allen brothers
decided to name the
city after Sam
Houston, the popular
general at the Battle
of San Jacinto, who
was elected President
of Texas in September
1836. Houston was
granted incorporation
on June 5, 1837, with
James S. Holman
becoming its first
mayor. In the same
year, Houston became
the county seat of
Harrisburg County (now
Harris County) and the
temporary capital of
the Republic of Texas.
In 1840, the community
established a chamber
of commerce in part to
promote shipping and
waterborne business at
the newly created port
on Buffalo Bayou.
NOW - Houston has
teams in every major
or semi-major
professional sport
except the National
Hockey League and
Major League Lacrosse,
including the Houston
Astros (MLB), Houston
Texans (NFL), Houston
Rockets (NBA), Houston
Dynamo (MLS), and
Houston Aeros (AHL).
Minute Maid Park (home
of the Astros) and
Toyota Center (home of
the Rockets and Aeros)
are located in
downtown—contributing
to an urban
renaissance that has
transformed Houston's
center into a
day-and-night
destination. Also, the
city has the first
domed stadium in the
United States and also
holds the NFL's first
retractable roof
stadium—Reliant
Stadium. This stadium
is also home to the
worlds largest big
screen TV. Other
sports facilities in
Houston are Hofheinz
Pavilion, Reliant
Astrodome, Robertson
Stadium, and Rice
Stadium. Houston will
also host the 2016 NFL
Super Bowl.
THEATER AND ARTS - The
Theater District is a
17-block area in the
center of downtown
Houston that is home
to the Bayou Place
entertainment complex,
restaurants, movies,
plazas, and parks.
Bayou Place is a large
multilevel building
containing
full-service
restaurants, bars,
live music, billiards,
and Sundance Cinema.
The Houston Verizon
Wireless Theater, now
Bayou Music Center,
stages live concerts,
stage plays, and
stand-up comedy. Space
Center Houston is the
official visitors'
center of NASA's
Lyndon B. Johnson
Space Center. The
Space Center has many
interactive exhibits
including moon rocks,
a shuttle simulator,
and presentations
about the history of
NASA's manned space
flight program. Other
tourist attractions
include the Galleria
(Texas's largest
shopping mall located
in the Uptown
District), Old Market
Square, the Downtown
Aquarium, and Sam
Houston Race Park. Of
worthy mention are
Houston's current
Chinatown and the
Mahatma Gandhi
District. Both areas
offer a picturesque
view of Houston's
multicultural makeup.
Restaurants, bakeries,
traditional-clothing
boutiques and
specialty shops can be
found in both areas. -
Source
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