Living a Cultural Center Lifestyle in Houston, Texas

Houston is a cultural powerhouse - its museum district alone attracts over 7 million visitors a year. The downtown Houston Theater District hosts nine major performing arts organizations and six performance halls. As the largest city in the largest contiguous state, Houston does a good job of living up that challenge.  For starters, its population is over 2.3 million and the city ranges over an area of almost 600 square miles.

It is named after former President of the Rebublic of Texas, General Sam Houston. The city is home to a very large number of Fortune 500 corporations, many of them energy related, as well as being one of the busiest ports in the U.S. As the home of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston has been dubbed the "Space City."

Photo of Hobby Center for the Performing Arts courtesy of Wikipedia and Daniel2986.

Where to Retire in Houston and Home Prices

Houston and a vast area around it are home to countless developments that are either 55+ or comprised mostly of baby boomer and older residents (see links at right). National Association of Realtors reports the median sale price of a home in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land area to be $349,500 in the 3rd quarter of 2022. The area is so big and diverse that there is certainly the right community or neighborhood for just about anybody.

What Is Special about Houston

Being the "Space City" for NASA adds a lot of excitement. Houston is a cultural and economic powerhouse - it is big on everything.

What Is Not Special about Houston

Houston is hot and humid in the summer, and there is a lot of sprawl, traffic, and crime.  Some parts of the city do not have sidewalks, and mass transit has been an afterthought. It is not thought of as a walkable city, although there might be some parts that are.

Climate and Physical Environment

Houston has a humid subtropical climate which makes for hot and humid summers with temperatures over 90 degrees. Houston does have a very high ozone level.

Restaurants & Cultural Scene

Because Houston's population is composed of various ethnic and religious backgrounds, it is a large international community with many cultural institutions in its Museum District. Houston's Theater District offers all major performing arts.

Crime

Houston has a high crime rate when compared to the national average.

Medical Facilities

Texas Medical Center, located in Houston is the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare facilities. MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine are also in Houston.

Transportation

Houston is serviced by the George Bush Intercontinental/Houston airport along with several smaller airports. Amtrak also services Houston. Houston is average in walkability when compared to other cities. Biking is a popular means of transportation in Houston, with 160 miles of bikeways and a very popular biking network. There is a bicycle sharing system with many downtown stations.

Valuable Links

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