Houston/Downtown

Downtown is the central business district of Houston. It is bounded by the I-10, I-45, and I-69 freeways.

Understand

Downtown is, like many American cities, strictly a 9AM-5PM operation. Most restaurants close after business hours, but there have been some efforts lately to encourage more activity.

If you visit downtown during the day, don't be surprised to see fewer people on the street than a typical city. Most people use an underground walkway system that connects many buildings and food courts.

Just north of the core of downtown, across the Buffalo Bayou, is a warehouse district that has attracted unique music venues, artists, and Oxheart, a popular upscale restaurant. Houston's biggest brewery, St. Arnold's, lies just a mile from the UH-Downtown rail station, but the journey requires crossing a freeway and walking through a sleepy industrial area.

Get in

By car

Interstates 10 and 45 link together and form a tight loop around downtown. Many exits are marked as leading to downtown.

By public transit

The METRO Rail light rail has several downtown stops along the red line: Downtown Transit Center, Bell, Main Street Square, Preston, and UH-Downtown. Most of the restaurants and bars are located near Preston and Main Street Square.

By bus

Megabus, Greyhound and the Mexican bus services all have their stations located near the Downtown Transit Center light rail station.

By train

Long-distance Amtrak trains arrive just west of downtown. Services include the daily Texas Eagle route and the thrice-weekly Sunset Limited. Unfortunately, reaching downtown from the station includes crossing some streets with minimal pedestrian facilities.

See

  • 🌍 Chase Tower, 600 Travis St. The Chase Tower is the tallest building in Texas and the tallest five-sided building in the world. 
  • 🌍 Discovery Green Park. Discovery Green opened April 13, 2008. The downtown Houston park is located across Avenida de las Americas from the George R. Brown Convention Center and the Hilton Americas Hotel. Toyota Center, Houston Center and Minute Maid Park are only blocks away. (updated Jun 2019)
  • 🌍 Downtown Aquarium, 410 Bagby St (at Memorial Dr), ☏ +1 713 223-3474. Seen as pretty mundane by locals, but might still appeal to fish fanatics. Situated right on Buffalo Bayou. Not just an aquarium, it has a ferris wheel and other carnival-style rides. $9.25 (adult), rides cost extra. 
  • Downtown Tunnel System. The majority of Downtown Houston's buildings are connected by an intertwining, complex tunnel system. Scores of lunch restaurants and easy access to building entrances from underground keep Houston's workforce primarily underground during the day. Only open during the weekdays, the tunnels are an interesting spectacle to observe, but try to avoid getting lost. There are a few street level entrances, but it can also be accessed from various buildings. 
  • 🌍 Market Square Park, 301 Milam. 6AM-11PM, daily. Surrounded by some of the city's oldest buildings, the site was once home to City Hall in previous years. In 2010, the block-sized space was transformed into a modern park, with features akin to Discovery Green but on a more compact scale. At the center of the park is local favorite Niko Niko's. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Sam Houston Park, 1000 Bagby. (updated Feb 2020)

Do
  • 🌍 Houston Grand Opera, 510 Preston St (Wortham Theatre Center), ☏ +1 713-228-6737. World-class opera in the heart of downtown's Theatre District. 
  • 🌍 Houston Symphony Orchestra, 615 Louisiana Ave (Jones Hall). Concerts throughout the year including both a classical series and a pops series. 
  • Mercury Baroque, 510 Preston St (Cullen Theatre, Wortham Center), ☏ +1 713 533-0080. Baroque music for the historical purist. 
  • 🌍 Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS), 800 Bagby TUTS (Hobby Center for the Performing Arts), ☏ +1 713 558. Broadway style big theatre productions in one of Houston's newest downtown arts venues. 

Professional sports

Events and festivals
  • 🌍 Art Car Parade. The worlds largest and oldest Art Car Parade. The event features over 250 Art Cars, more than 200,000 live spectators, and media from all over the world, making Houston ground zero of an international phenomenon. Held in April. 
  • 🌍 Bayou City Art Festival. Built on an 8/10 mile asphalt loop surrounded by lush trees, foliage, and picnic areas, the annual fine art event boasts a stress-free outdoor gallery brimming with 300 artists working in 19 artistic media. Held in October. 
  • FotoFest. Exhibitions and art installations, film and video programs, lectures and forums. 
  • 🌍 Houston Children's Festival, 901 Bagby. The largest celebration for children in the United States. The Houston Children's Festival offers over 350 events packed into a couple of hectic days. Held in April 
  • The Houston International Festival (AKA iFest). Annual international festival featuring juried arts, crafts, food, music, games and events for adults and children. Held in April. 

Eat
  • 🌍 Tejas Grill & Sports Bar, 1201 Lamar St, ☏ +1 713 739-8352. Western-style sports bar featuring several TVs, draft brews & a menu of Tex-Mex food & burgers. 
  • 🌍 Oxheart, 1302 Nance St, ☏ +1 832 830-8592, . Th-M 5:30PM-10PM. Nestled in a small, nondescript space in the Warehouse District, culinary couple Justin Yu and pastry chef Karen Mann dish out 4- or 8-course seasonal Texas Gulf Coast tasting menus (including a veg-centric option - "oxheart" is also a type of carrot, cabbage, and tomato, after all) in a restaurant lauded locally and nationally as one of the best around, period. Sit back with a beer or glass of bubbly from the expertly curated beverage list, watch the crack team of chefs go to work, and be prepared to be wowed. By reservation only. $49-79. (updated May 2015)
  • 🌍 Treebeards, 315 Travis St,, ☏ +1 713-228-2622. Located right on Old Market Square, this restaurant serving New Orleans style Creole cuisine. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Zydeco Louisiana Diner, 1119 Pease St, ☏ +1 713-759 2001. If you are unable to head into Louisiana for whatever reason just go to this restaurant instead. This restaurant specializes in Cajun/Creole fare such as oyster po'boys, jambalaya and étouffée. They even have frequent after work crawfish boils too. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Bombay Pizza Company, 914 Main St, Suite #105, ☏ +1 713-654-4444. Restaurant known for their unique take on combining Indian/Italian cuisine. It was also featured on the Food Network and they also offer online ordering and delivery. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Irma's Original, 22 N. Chenevert St, ☏ +1 713-222-0767. A Houston institution! Fun, traditional atmosphere with authentic, unwatered down Tex-Mex cuisine. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Hearsay Gastro Lounge, 218 Travis Street, ☏ +1 713-225-8079. Located in a historic building, the restaurant has a creative menu and bar. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 La Calle Tacos, 909 Franklin St,, ☏ +1 832 735-8226. Vibrant taqueria in warm, funky digs serving classic tacos, tortas & tostadas, plus beer & horchata. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Thai Cafe, 917 Franklin St #101, ☏ +1 713 228-8424. Relaxed Thai choice serving curries, noodles & other classic fare in a lofty space with a warm vibe. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Andalucía Tapas Restaurant & Bar, 1204 Caroline St Unit # 161, ☏ +1 832 319-6673. Traditional Spanish small plates, paella & more accompanied by sangria & live flamenco dancing. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Pappas Bar B Q, 1217 Pierce St, ☏ +1 713 659-1245. (updated Feb 2020)

Drink
  • 🌍 Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, 705 Main St. A staggering variety of beers, some wine, scantily clad staff. $3-6/pint. 
  • 🌍 The Saint Arnold Brewery, 2000 Lyons Ave. Billed as Texas' oldest microbrewery. Their brews are often sold in local bars. Very popular beers are the Texas Wheat, Oktoberfest (August through October), and Christmas Ale (November through December). Brewery tour every Saturday at 1PM. 
  • 🌍 Public Services Wine & Whisky, 202 Travis St #100,, ☏ +1 713 516-8897. Spacious wine & whiskey bar with art deco furnishings in the historic 1884 Cotton Exchange building. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Lilly & Bloom, 110 Main St,, ☏ +1 832 819-0065. 2-story lounge with velvet furniture for bespoke cocktails, guest bartenders & rotating DJs. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Dirt Bar, 1209 Caroline, ☏ +1 713 426-4222. 6PM-2AM. Dive bar located right across from the House of Blues. They mainly play rock music. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Molly's Irish Pub, 509 Main Street, ☏ +1 713 222-1033. This pub has the feel of a small town Irish pub transplanted into downtown Houston. The pub offers a good selection of Irish and American beers on tap as well as respectable pub food. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Hard Rock Cafe, 502 Texas St, ☏ +1 713 227-1392. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 House of Blues, 1204 Caroline St,, ☏ +1 888 402-5837. Rock- & blues-themed chain with Southern dishes such as po' boys & jambalaya, plus live music. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Pete's Dueling Piano Bar, 1201 Fannin St #310,, ☏ +1 713 337-7383. Lively local bar chain offering speciality cocktails, dueling-piano shows & singing waitstaff. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Spire Night Club, 1720 Main St,, ☏ +1 713 515-1082. Swanky multi-room nightclub offering a range of dance music styles most weekend evenings. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 Jet Lounge, 1515 Pease St,. Local party destination for DJ dance parties & live musical performances, from metal to hip-hop. (updated Feb 2020)

Sleep

Mid-range

Splurge

Connect
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