A Very Houston Thing.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, officiated an astronauts wedding at Discovery Green.

This was a very Houston thing to happen. This is the second couple, that Mayor Sylvester Turner has officiated, as husband and wife. Astronaut Scott Kelly, was married to Amiko Kauderer, at Discovery Green. This is as Houston as it gets.

Documentary About Houston's Third Ward to be Aired at The Houston Museum of Fine Arts.

Brian Ellison’s “A Day in the Tr3” will air at the Museum of Fine Art’s Houston.

 “A Day in the Tr3” is an excellent documentary about life in Houston’s Third Ward. Brian Ellison moved to Houston’s Third Ward from Tulsa, OK eight years ago and currently works as a special education teacher at YES Prep. He describes the Third Ward as a welcoming community where neighbors wave at each other, neighbors know one another and business owners know their customers.

The seven-minute film follows Dominique Elam and captures scenes such as elders playing dominoes on the porch, a woman dancing in a church and the rubble that piled up after Harvey. The project premiered at a Project Row Houses event last fall. It was presented along with photographs of the third ward and a wall of sticky notes informing guests about the neighborhood. The Museum of Fine Arts Houston is lucky to host such an excellent film and it will teach many people about life in Houston’s Third Ward.

Houston's Bank of America Center named "The Most Beautiful Building in Texas"

According to Business Insider, Texans have voted the Bank of America Center, in Houston, Texas the most beautiful building in Texas.

The Bank of America Center, in Houston, deserves this title. Business Insider asked Texans to vote on what they thought was the states best “architectural master piece” and the winner of the poll was Houston’s Bank of America Center.

Built in 1983 and standing at 780 feet tall, it was designed by Philip Johnson. The building is currently being renovated, as the building has a bank in its lobby, a bank the building was actually built around. The renovation, will make the bank accessible from the street outside the building and the renovation will also add more office space in the building, above where the bank stands. Houston’s Bank of America Center deserves the title as the most beautiful building in Texas.

Exploring History in Houston

In this blog, I will showcase various historic experiences in Houston, that you can experience.

Houston has several locations you can go to, to experience Houston’s history.

There is a downtown historic district that extends from Allen’s Landing (which is a port on Buffalo Bayou, that Houston was founded on) to Market Square Park. It is filled with restaurants, hotels, lofts and nightclubs. The Antioch Missionary Baptist Church is often pointed out in a picture of a historical church, next to a postmodern skyscraper. There is a reason for this, however. It is the first black church founded in the city. Founded in 1875. The Heritage Society, is a park in Downtown Houston, where residential buildings downtown, of a historical importance, were moved to, in order to preserve them. You can take a tour in which you will explore the park and experience its various historic residential buildings. Finally, Bayou Bend, in Memorial Park, is a historic mansion, filled with various pieces of art, collected by Houston Philanthropist, Imma Hogg. Houston has several instances of its history that you can experience today. I hope you go out and experience them!

50th Anniversary of Astroworld Opening!

Today marks 50 years since the opening of Houston’s Astroworld.

Astroworld was a fantastic theme park, which opened on June 4^th, 1968. Astroworld was built as a part of the Astrodome development. Astroworld was a great part of our cities history.

Three New Murals Painted in Gulfton.

Three new murals have been added to the Gulfton neighborhood. Houston continues to become more and more beautiful. The three new murals depict a priest, activist and retired police officer. Gulfton is Houston’s most diverse neighborhood. The murals were painted in order to replace gang graffiti. Houston continues to beautify our city.

Houston Number One Destination for U-Haul Moving Services

Houston is the number one U-Haul destination in America. More good news on Houston’s economy and population growth. Houston saw a five percent increase in U-Haul migration since last year. The reasoning for this success is likely the cost of living and the amount of companies moving jobs here. Good news for Houston’s economy!

Houston Breaks Records in Job Growth.

Houston added 22,600 jobs in April of 2018. Houston’s economy continues to boom! This jobs report breaks records, as it is the new record for highest amount of jobs created in the month of April in Houston. Houston’s economy is among the strongest in the country and is only getting better, record breaking better!

Congratulations Houston Rockets!

Congratulations Houston Rockets on their 16 game winning streak!

Houston No. 2 City for Corporate Growth

Houston has been named the number 2 city in the country for corporate growth. This is good news for Houston’s rapidly growing economy.

Site Selection Magazine named the Houston metro area, the number 2 city in the country for corporate growth. In 2017, the Houston metro received 196 new and expanded corporate facilities. Putting it in second place across the country. Texas also earned the number one spot in their state rankings.

The ranking only counts corporate expansions which have a significant impact. It only considers headquarters, manufacturing plants, research and development operations and logistic sites. It does not include government projects, schools or hospitals. New facilities and expansions included must involve a capital investment of at least $1 Million, create at least 20 new jobs and at least 20,000 sq ft of new floor area. This is great news for rapidly growing Houston.

Six Houston Museums you don't know about.

Houston is known for its Museum District, with 19 museums but here are six museums in Houston that you have never heard about.

Houston’s hidden museums outside the Museum District are very eccentric

First off, the National Funeral History Museum, yes, the nationwide museum for our nation’s history of our funerals, is right here in Houston. Located just north of Beltway 8. The 1940 Air Terminal museum is located close to Hobby Airport, showcasing the history of aviation. The Rosenburg Railroad Museum is located in the southwestern suburb of Rosenburg and teaches guests about railroads and their history. The Oceanstar Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum is located in Galveston. Not only does it showcase oil drilling but it specializes in offshore ocean drilling. Believe it or not, there are some museums in the Museum District that Houstonians don’t know about. These are the Bicycle Museum and the Station Museum of Contemporary Art. Houston has great museums, whether you’ve heard of them or not.

Houston to build New Rugby Stadium

The city of Houston will receive a new rugby stadium.

This new stadium will be excellent for sports in Houston. The stadium will be a 3,500-seat stadium and will host the Houston Sabercats in Major League Rugby. The project will be built at the Houston Amateur Sports Park on Texas 288 in south Houston. The Sabercats will begin playing at the stadium during the 2019 season. The city will retain ownership of the site and lease it to the Sabercats for 43 years. The city will use $32 Million from its 2012 bond package to reimburse the team for the cost of building a 760-space parking lot and public utilities. As part of the deal, the Sabercats will provide at least 200 hours of children’s rugby training annually along with hosting high school rugby matches and free rugby camps for children aged 6 through 14. Houston continues to grow as a sports powerhouse.

Siphon's Proposed to Help with Flooding in Houston

One solution to better prepare Houston for future flooding catastrophe’s is something called a “siphon”.

The idea is proposed by a UH Civil Engineer and is being considered by authorities in Houston and Harris County. The siphon is an upside down U-shaped tube that, when placed in two separate vessels, causes liquid to flow upward, into the higher one, thanks to pressure differences and the force of gravity. The proposal is to turn the Katy Prairie Rice Fields into temporary holding tanks which could hold thousands of gallons of water until the bayou system and watershed drains, allowing them to handle more water. The proposal would not solve all of our flooding problems in Houston but it would help the situation. This is an interesting proposal that could possibly happen in Houston.

Houston Conventions Broke Records in 2017!

Houston had a record breaking year in hotel reservations for conventions in 2017.

This is good news for Houston’s convention scene. This is the third straight year that Houston has broken records in convention reservations. 429 Conventions were secured, with 802,852 rooms reserved. This is great news for Houston as our convention scene continues to get stronger.

Happy Laura Day!

Many Houstonians have forgotten that today is Laura Day!

Laura Day was a day, long celebrated by Houstonians but today the memory of Laura Day has passed.

On August 30^th, 1836, The Allen Brothers, soon after founding the City of Houston, ran an ad for the city through many newspapers.

This ad included this quote. “The town of Houston is situated at the head of navigation, at a point on the river which must ever command the trade of the largest and richest portions of Texas.” Houston was founded where Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou meet. Many found this statement suspicious and many asked if large ships could make it down Buffalo Bayou to the Port of Houston.  On January 22, 1837, the packet steamer Laura arrived at the port on Buffalo Bayou, proving that ships could navigate to Houston. This event was for many years celebrated as “Laura Day” in Houston but it has now been forgotten over time. It is always fun to learn more about the history of Houston and Happy Laura Day!

Mini-murals

The City of Houston has a program which selects artists to paint murals on traffic signal control cabinets.

This program has led to many beautiful murals all across Houston!

These murals can be found in the Central Southwest, the East End, The Heights, Montrose, Acres Homes, Gulfton, Near Northside, The Second Ward and the Third Ward.

Mayor Sylvester Turner said “Mini-murals are a fun and creative method the city is using to add more art to Houston’s many thriving communities. This program showcases our artists, reflects our history and creates opportunities to enjoy creative expression in places people pass by every day.”

A total of 551 artists submitted qualifications to paint the murals. A panel of art experts, community stakeholders, artists and city representatives reviewed submissions and selected the winners. The murals will help beautify our city and I am happy we have begun this program.

Congratulations Houston Rockets!

Congratulations to the Houston Rockets for ending the Golden State Warriors 14-game winning streak!

Houston's Credit Rating Upgraded.

Houston’s credit rating has been upgraded. This is good news for taxpayers of Houston! The S & P Global Ratings Service upgraded Houston’s financial rating from “AA Negative” to AA Stable”. The move most likely follows, as a result of the city passing its $1 Billion Pension bond. The rating company cited Houston’s “very strong fiscal management, with strong financial policies” and its “strong economy” as factors. This is good news for Houston taxpayers.

Houston Icicle Photos

Houston dealt with freezing temperatures over the past several days. Here are some pictures of some of the icicles that formed across the city.

DowntownHoustonParking.com

Downtown Houston has a website which will give you interactive information on Downtown Houston Parking.

DowntownHoustonParking.com is a great service for residents of the city. DowntownHoustonParking.com will take you to an interactive map of parking in Downtown Houston. You can see where parking is available, type in what facility you are going to Downtown and the website will instantly tell you where the best place to park is. You can also zoom to a specific Downtown District and see the parking options there. DowntownHoustonParking.com is a great service to the city which makes Houston operate much more efficiently.

Downtown Houston to Get New Food Hall

There is another food hall coming to Downtown Houston. Yet another development that we are excited about for Houston.  Lyric Market will be 31,000 square feet and will be located at the foot of the Lyric Center in Downtown Houston’s theater district. The project will be worth $58 Million and it will open in the fall of 2018.

It is not the first food hall built in Downtown Houston. The Conservatory Underground Beer Garden and Food Hall opened in 2016 and is located at 1010 Prairie St. There are two other food halls coming to Downtown soon as well. The Finn Hall and the Bravery Chef Hall. The Finn Hall is at 712 Main and is a European designed food hall set in an art deco design. The Bravery Chef Hall will open this summer at the foot of the Aris Market Square residential tower.

The owner of the Lyric Market project said that he could see Houston having 20 food halls by 2020. Great news for Houston and great news for downtown!

Houston in 2018!

Now that 2018 is here, here are some goals for things you should do in Houston for 2018. Keep this list in mind when exploring what you should do in Houston in 2018.

First of all, eat breakfast at The Breakfast Klub. The restaurant in Midtown has the best soul food in the city.

Visit the Houston Rodeo in 2018, one of the biggest events in the city. Houston’s Art Car Parade is also a must attend. A parade of cars that have been turned into art pieces by artists across the world competing for first place. There is no other parade like it in the country.

Watch a free performance at the Miller Outdoor Theater in Hermann Park.

Visit the Beer Can House and the Orange Show. The beer can house is a house made out of beer cans and the Orange Show is a museum dedicated to Oranges.

Visit The Williams Waterwall. At the base of the 900-foot tall Williams Tower, the Waterwall is a fountain which operates as the cooling system for the building. One of the most beautiful fountains you will see.

Spend a day at the Houston Museum District, particularly the Museum of Natural Science and the Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum District is filled with 19 museums all within walking distance of one another.

Burp the Buffalo Bayou when you visit the Preston Street Bridge. Without instructions, you will see a red button on the Preston Street bridge, be brave enough to push it and the button will aerate the Buffalo Bayou, causing a stream of bubbles to pop up on Buffalo Bayou before you.

Don’t forget to visit NASA! Feed the giraffes at the Houston zoo!

Visit the Cistern underneath Buffalo Bayou. Long forgotten, the Cistern was accidentally unearthed during the construction on Buffalo Bayou park. While in operation, the cistern collected and stored floodwater. Now, it is an eerie cave underneath downtown that you can take a tour of. Don’t forget to get some good Bar-B-Que at Goode Company! Houston is filled with things to do and will keep you busy in 2018!