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!