TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2023 - HOUSTON

 TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2023 - HOUSTON 

Last week was Texas Independence Day, and yesterday we looked at the Alamo and San Antonio.  Today I’d like to look at Houston, Texas.

Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States (after New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago), and the largest city in Texas (about 50% larger than the second-largest city - San Antonio).

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SPORTS

Let’s hit sports first.

Houston has a major league (and very successful) baseball team - the Houston Astros.  Houston has a National Football League team - the Houston Texas.  Houston has a National Football League team - the Houston Rockets.

If college sports interest you, Houston has Rice University (“the owls”), and the University of Houston (“the cougars”).  

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DIVERSITY

Houston is more diverse than New York or Los Angeles.  

More than 145 different languages are spoken in Houston

Houston has the third largest number of languages spoken in the U.S. behind New York and LA. While Spanish and English are prevalent in the area, you will hear people speaking Vietnamese, Chinese, Hindu, German, and even Tagalog.

The first traditional Hindu Mandir in the nation was built in Houston

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir was assembled in Houston like a puzzle. Consisting of 33,000 pieces of Italian marble and Turkish limestone, the temple was carved by hand and took 28 months to build. Not only is it the first temple built in the nation but also the largest of its kind in Texas.

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SPACE

Houston has one of the largest land areas in the United States - 665 Square Miles. (By comparison, New York City is only 302 square miles - in five boroughs).

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FOOD

Residents in Houston eat out more times a week than in any other city in America

It might be because the average meal costs less than the national average, or it can be because Houston has some of the most delicious foods and restaurants. But Houstonians seem to eat out more than your typical American. Either way, eat on!

Houston has one of the best culinary scenes in the country

With more than 10,000 restaurants, which represent more than 70 countries and American regions

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MEDICAL

It is home to the largest medical center in the world

The Texas Medical Center is located in Houston and contains 54 medicine-related institutions. The medical center exceeds 1,000 acres and gets an average of 7.2 million visits per year. That’s more than the populations of Los Angeles, Houston, and San Francisco combined. Also, did you know that more heart surgeries are performed in the Texas Medical Center than anywhere else in the world?
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MISCELLANEOUS

Houston has an underground pedestrian tunnel system

The tunnel is 20 feet below the ground and runs for seven miles, linking 95 city blocks. The tunnel originally connected two downtown movie theaters but now connects much more, including major city buildings, restaurants, and retails stores – almost like a mini-mall!

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The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is one of the biggest rodeos in the world

This month-long rodeo attracts over 2.5 million attendees each year. But do you blame them? With foods like deep-fried Nutella and fried Twinkies, who can resist? The live performances, games, and carnival sure do help, too.

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Houston is home to Texas's largest shopping mall

The Houston Galleria, or just The Galleria, opened in 1970 and is the largest mall in Texas, with over 375 stores filling the four floors. It’s the 9th largest in the U.S. If you’re looking for something, the Houston Galleria will surely have it.

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It is also home to the world’s first domed stadium

The Astrodome opened in 1965 and served as a second home to the Houston Astros. It’s the world’s first multi-purpose domed sports stadium.

SPACE CITY

Houston currently has one official nickname, "Space City", signifying the city's global importance to space exploration and historical role as a prominent center of activity by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Cities adopt official nicknames such as this one to establish a civic identity, promote civic pride, and build community unity. Houston has had other nicknames in the past which have faded in common usage, going as far back as the 1870s.

NASA's center in Houston has its origins in the Space Task Group which directed its first manned spaceflight program, Project Mercury. In 1961, it grew into a bigger organization as the Manned Spacecraft Center, and in 1962 moved into a newly built campus on land donated by Rice University.  It was renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) in honor of Texas U.S. Senator, Vice President, and President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1973, the year Johnson died. As Senate Majority Leader, Johnson played a decisive role in the passage of the legislation which created NASA in 1958. JSC contains the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center, which coordinates and monitors all human spaceflight for the United States, and directed all Space Shuttle missions and activities aboard the International Space Station The visitor center of JSC is Space Center Houston.

Some of the first words transmitted by Neil Armstrong from the moon, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed", are written in 15 languages on bronze plaques placed along the main entrance of Tranquility Park in downtown Houston. A replica of one of the footprints left on the moon by Neil Armstrong is also on display inside the park. (And, of course, “Houston, we have a problem”)

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So, the fourth largest American City, the largest Texas City - Houston.  

I spent two weeks in Houston two years ago.  The zoo is excellent, and the medical center is huge and exceptional.  (And, the traffic is horrendous!!!)

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

KAREN ANNE WHITE, © MARCH 7, 2023