Houston’s Inner Loop is a great location made up of several unique communities including Downtown, The Heights, Montrose, River Oaks, the Medical Center, West University, Bellaire, and more. The Loop has a reputation for its eclectic charm and vibrant energy. Of course, the greatest advantage of living in The Loop is the close proximity to all of the cultural offerings and employment opportunities of Houston. Houston has excellent highways and public transportation systems that make getting around the city a breeze. The neighborhoods in the Inner Loop offer a great variety of life styles including historic and new single family homes, lofts, apartments, and condominiums.
The Houston Inner Loop area is historically rich as neighborhood organizations make every effort to preserve their special buildings and places. Gorgeous churches dating back to the 1800’s as well as a variety of historic architecture grace the Inner Loop neighborhoods. Each neighborhood has is unique character but all offer lovely neighborhood parks that provide opportunities for all types of recreation including jogging, swimming, team sports, tennis, and much more. The climate is perfect for outdoor activities. There are no freezing winters and many enjoy the Houston area simply because they can fish or golf all year round!
The population of the entire city of Houston is estimated at over 2 million people.
Location
The Houston “Inner Loop” is located in Harris County in southeastern Texas. The term “Inner Loop” or “The Loop” refers to the innermost highway (Interstate 610) that encircles Houston, forming approximately a 10-mile loop around the Houston downtown area. The cities, communities, neighborhoods, and districts that fall within this area are generally classified as the Inner Loop.
Houston is a great location as it is only 46 miles from Galveston and the Gulf of Mexico with all its tourist appeal and recreational opportunities. It is 147 miles from Austin and 225 miles from Dallas. Houston is only 86 miles from the Louisiana border and 256 miles from Baton Rouge.
Geography
Houston is called “The Bayou City” as it has 4 major bayous that pass through the city. These bayous include Buffalo Bayou that runs through downtown and near River Oaks, Brays Bayou that is near the Texas Medical Center, White Oak Bayou that is near The Heights and the northwest area, and Sims Bayou that is near south Houston and merges into the ship channel.
The Houston Ship Channel is sixteen miles long from downtown Houston to the Gulf of Mexico. The channel passes Galveston. The Port of Houston is the third largest ocean port in the U.S. and also is one of the busiest.
The City of Houston is quite flat with an elevation of 50 feet above sea level.
Houston climate is classified as being humid subtropical. Houston and the surrounding area was built on forested land, marshes, swamp, or prairies.
Jobs
Houston is one of the most desirable cities for professionals wishing to relocate. It is no wonder as Houston is famous for international trade and The Port of Houston. Houston’s energy, aeronautics, and medical industries are also top-notch. NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center and Mission Control Center is located in Houston.
Houston is home to a network of more than 100 hospitals and medical facilities that provide state-of-the-art health care and employment opportunities for health professionals. The Texas Medical Center is one of the world's most important research and health care institutions. These world-renowned institutions include 13 hospitals, 2 specialty institutions, 2 medical schools, 4 nursing schools, and schools of dentistry, public health, and pharmacology.
Inner Loop Neighborhoods
Housing costs in the Houston area average almost 30 percent lower than the national average. Houston's median home price is approximately $125,000, as opposed to $174,000 nationwide. Homes range from as low as $80,000 for a small starter home to as much as $1 million+ for a luxury estate. That is significant and draws many young families, businesspersons, and retirees to the area.
Chinatown
Downtown is also home to one of the city's two Chinatowns. The original Chinatown is situated near the George R. Brown Convention Center downtown, while the newer, larger Chinatown is located mostly on Bellaire Boulevard west of the Sharpstown neighborhood.
Downtown
Downtown Houston is attracting more and more residents for the convenience of having business and culture nearby. Downtown offers many condo units, lofts, efficiencies, penthouses, and luxury apartments. Downtown includes the Skyline District with its multinational trade and financial firms, and the Theater District that is second only to New York,
Greenway Plaza
The Greenway Plaza business district is west of Midtown and southwest of Downtown Houston. This area is the location of the Compaq Center and Lakewood International Center.
Houston Heights
“The Heights” is a desirable 100 year old community in the heart of Houston's Inner Loop. Lovely Victorian’s, tree-lined streets, great schools, historic landmarks, great boutiques and antique shops, restaurants and galleries create an eclectic community hard to resist for many families and businesspersons. The Houston Heights is also home to the Art Car Museum, a tourist attraction. During the early 1990s, the Heights area was known as an artist community.
Main Street Corridor
The Main Street Corridor has become a popular nightlife spot, particularly now that the city has light rail service. This is because the light rail line begins near the University of Houston-Downtown.
Midtown
Midtown, southwest of downtown, is a recently redeveloped area with many newly-constructed, trendy apartments and condos. It is also home to Little Saigon, the center of the Vietnamese/American community.
Montrose District
The Montrose District is the artist haven of Houston, and often compared to Greenwich Village. Montrose has lots of culture, antique shops, and eclectic appeal. Housing options include historic homes, lofts, and apartment buildings. The Montrose District attracts artists, musicians and students as well as tourists. The nationally-known Museum District is found in the southern portion of Montrose. "The Montrose" is the location of the Menil Collection and the University of Saint Thomas.
Museum District
Superb museums in the Houston Museum District include the Museum of Fine Arts, The Holocaust Museum, the John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science, the Lawndale Art Center, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, the Children’s Museum of Houston, and many more excellent museums. Hermann Park, the Houston Zoo and the Miller Outdoor Theatre are also found in this district.
River Oaks
River Oaks is a beautiful neighborhood with a high quality of life. River Oaks provides up-scale living in garden-like settings. River Oaks quickly became one of Houston's most prestigious areas and it remains so today, often compared to Beverly Hills. River Oaks is home to many celebrities and political figures. It is characterized by large estates, beautifully landscaped homes, and very large properties. Much of the architectural style is from the elegant 1920’s.
Southside Place
Southside Place is one of wealthiest neighborhoods in Texas by per capita income. It is one of the highly desired areas of the Houston Inner Loop. Many businesses as well as residents call Southside Place home.
Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical complex in the world. Rice University and Rice Village is north of the Medical Center and Reliant Park and Six Flags Astroworld are to the south.
Uptown
The Uptown area is also known as the Galleria shopping district, as it is the center of Houston's fashion scene, home to many high-end retailers and local and national fashion designers. It is Houston’s second largest business district and the well known Williams Tower is located here.
Inner Loop Recreation
Houston has major league football, baseball, and basketball teams, and in Houston, sporting events are a big deal. The Houston Astros won the 2005 National League pennant and play at Minute Maid Park. The Houston Texans' Reliant Stadium was the site of the 2002 Super Bowl. The Houston Center is the home of the Houston Rockets and Houston Comets. Sam Houston Race Park also draws 1000’s to exciting racing events.
Houston’ Memorial Park is one of the largest parks in the Inner Loop and borders River Oaks to the north. The banks of the Buffalo Bayou have great hiking trails in River Oaks.
The Kemah Boardwalk is located 40 miles south of Houston and across the channel from Galveston Island. It has become extremely popular with Houston’s “hip” crowd. The Kemah Marina has a spectacular array of beautiful boats and yachts of all kinds.
Houston is also a great location for outdoorsman. Fishing, boating and water sports are popular due to Houston’s close proximity to water including the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Livingston and Lake Conroe.
Golf in the Houston area can’t be beat as there are almost 200 golf courses in the Houston metro area, and over 100 of them are public courses. The area has some of the best golfing weather in the US.
Houston has 2 city-run golf courses including Memorial Park Golf Course, which is rated one of the best municipal golf courses in Texas. In the Museum District, Hermann Park Golf Course is one of the city's oldest municipal courses, built in 1922. Graceful and majestic oaks shadow the greens.
Inner Loop Special Attractions
The Houston Zoo exhibits animals in realistic habitats. With over 50 acres and 3,000 excellent exhibits, The Houston Zoo is one of the most popular attractions in the Houston area. The Discovery Zoo is a great hands-on animal experience for children of all ages.
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion provides world-class entertainment including classical performances by the Houston Ballet, the Houston Grand Opera, and the Houston Symphony.
The Barbara Bush Library opened to the public in 2002. It is an incredible 32,000 square foot facility with room for over 116,000 books and over 50 public access computers.
Houston is the city of choice for many conventioneers with its 3 large convention centers, George R. Brown, the Astrodome Complex, and the Humble Civic Center.
The Houston Theater District, located in the northern downtown area, is top-notch and home to many performing arts organizations. It is the one of the largest performing arts districts in the U.S.
There are more than 25 excellent colleges and universities in the Houston area including the University of Houston-Downtown, North Harris Montgomery Community College, Houston Community College, The University of Texas Health Science Center, University of St. Thomas, Rice University, and the University of Houston-University Park.
“Houston” was the 1st word spoken on the moon because NASA's Johnson Space Center and Mission Control Center is located near Houston.
Interesting Facts
The Texas Medical Center is famous for many accomplishments including having one of the first and largest air emergency service centers and a very successful heart transplant program. Even today, more heart surgeries are performed in the Texas Medical Center than anywhere else in the world.
We all know that Texas is famous for its oil industry. Oil was discovered in Texas in the early 1900’s and the 1920’s oil boom greatly increased the population of Texas.
Construction on the Houston Ship Channel began in 1902 and was completed in 1914.
Houston is the 4th largest city in the United States by population. Its metropolitan area is larger than the State of Rhode Island.
In River Oaks, The Hogg family home of Bayou Bend is listed on the National Register for Historic Places. It now is a museum with works of art dating from the 1660s to the 1860s. The home is “Latin Colonial” style architecture and sits on 14 beautiful acres with gorgeous gardens and beautiful grounds.
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