When astronauts reached the moon in 1969, the first words spoken were “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” Today, the city’s official nickname, “SpaceCity,” takes on an additional meaning. Encompassing 600 square miles, Houston is the biggest city in Texas. With a population of 2.1 million, it’s also the fourth-largest city in the country. The metropolitan area covers eight counties and is just a tad smaller than Massachusetts.

The headquarters of 18 Fortune 500 companies are in Houston. The city is friendly to entrepreneurs. Many new businesses — even some now listed on the Fortune 500 — trace their roots to Houston. No wonder Houston is considered one of the best cities in the United States to start a new business. For three consecutive years, it has ranked first in the nation in new business growth, according to American Business Information. The most recent survey shows that more than 31,000 new local businesses were started in Houston. Los Angeles was a distant second with 16,780.

Houston began as the dream of two entrepreneurs. In 1836, the Allen brothers of New York City envisioned a thriving metropolis. Financed by an inheritance, they paid $5,000 for 6,000 acres where the muddy waters of the Buffalo and White Oak bayous converged. Allen’s Landing — at the present-day junction of Main and Commerce streets — became the gateway to the city. Oceangoing vessels and steamers loaded and unloaded on the docks. Real estate developments grew along the embankments overlooking the waters. Settlers began to call the city home.

“If you build it, they will come,” is a favorite saying of the staff at the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. They aren’t referring to the Allen brothers. They are talking about the revitalization of Houston’s downtown. The president and CEO of the bureau, G. J. “Jordy” Tollett credits Super Bowl 2004 with giving the community the impetus to promote Houston as a desirable destination for leisure travelers and conventioneers. “In the last five years, Houston has accomplished more than any other American city, and that is despite September 11,” said Tollett, a.k.a. “Mr. Downtown.”

If that sounds like bragging, it isn’t. More than $2.5 billion from public and private sources was invested in Houston’s dormant downtown. The city is now poised to compete for the lucrative convention market. A prominent feature in the downtown transformation is the $165 million expansion of the George R. Brown Convention Center. Completed in 2003, the center is now one of the top 10 largest convention centers in the country.

In the past three years, Houston’s downtown hotel inventory has more than doubled. It has gone from a mere four properties to 14 offering 5,000 rooms. The new 1,200-room Hilton Americas-Houston Hotel is linked to the convention center on two levels via a pedestrian skywalk. The Magnolia Hotel, Sam Houston Hotel and Hotel Icon are all boutique hotels housed in historic properties. Houston’s most distinctive hotel is the new Inn at the Ballpark. Opened in January 2004, the luxury baseball-themed hotel is walking distance from Minute Maid Park.

Main Street is Houston’s newest hot spot. Each Friday and Saturday night, four blocks are closed to traffic to accommodate Houston’s biggest street party — The Main Event. Live entertainment, street performers and laser light shows bring an added dimension to the bars and restaurants that line Main Street, and the Downtown Aquarium’s Ferris wheel lights up the night sky. Also downtown, the Bayou Place entertainment complex offers restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. Tollett, a native Houstonian, likens the nightlife to that of the 1940s or ’50s, when people got dressed up and headed downtown for a big night out.

The Houston Theater District spans 17 blocks and is second only to New York City in the number of seats located in one geographic area. One of only five U.S. cities with permanent professional resident companies in opera, ballet, music and theater, Houston embraces the arts.

Texans love sports. Minute Maid Park, home to the Houston Astros, is the ticket for baseball fans every season. Toyota Center, which opened in October 2003, is the new home of the Houston Rockets, Comets and Aeros. Reliant Stadium, one of Houston’s two retractable-roofed stadiums (the other is Minute Maid Park), is home to the Houston Texans and the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the largest rodeo in the world. Next to Reliant Stadium is the world’s first domed stadium, the Reliant Astrodome.

Just 10 minutes from downtown, mixed among lush lawns and stately home, is Houston’s Museum District — the fourth largest in the country. Landmark museums include the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Contemporary Arts Museum.

METRORail, Houston’s 7.5-mile rail system, connects downtown, midtown, the Museum District, Texas Medical Center and Reliant Park. At $1 per one-way trip, METRORail is an inexpensive and convenient way to experience some of Houston’s highlights without a car. Launched in January 2004, the rail transports convention-goers between downtown hotel properties and the two major convention centers — the George R. Brown Convention Center and Reliant Park.

Houston has the attractions, the arts, the accommodations and the access to draw visitors to its new and improved downtown. Like the Allen brothers, Houstonians had a vision of what they could become. On Main Street Square, above the fountain, there is an arch etched with these words: “As we build our city let us think that we are building forever.”

Quality of Life

Ranked as one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, Houston has the second-lowest cost of living among major American cities. The median price for a single-family home is $133,800. The national median price is $188,500, 37 percent higher. Houstonians are young. The median age is 32.5 and more than a third are under the age of 24. The residents of Houston are ethnically diverse: 90 different languages are spoken in their homes.

Houston is sprawling, with unbridled suburban growth mostly to the north and west. Families are drawn to planned communities such as The Woodlands and Kingwood. Cinco Ranch in Katy, Texas, is one of the area’s newer master-planned communities with 6,000 homeowners. Opened in 1999, Cinco Ranch High School serves more than 3,600 students.

All of Houston’s growth contributes to longer commute times. Nearly 80 percent of the city’s commuters drive alone. Less than 12 percent of commuters ride in carpools, and a mere 3.5 percent use public transit. Houston’s reputation as a town with traffic problems might be changing. Last year, newly elected Mayor Bill White initiated a program to synchronize traffic lights and revised towing regulations to rapidly remove wrecks. The Texas Transportation Commission’s Mobility Plan will give the Houston region $4.1 billion to expand highways over the next decade, moving up construction start dates on at least a dozen local projects.

Energy and Economic Diversification

Known as the Energy Capital, Houston is home base for some 30 percent of all U.S. jobs in the crude petroleum and natural gas industries. The city has 5,000 energy-related businesses.

Ever since oil was discovered at Spindletop in 1901, Houston’s history has been intertwined with the energy industry. In 1981, the city’s economic base was dominated by energy-related business with 85 percent of all jobs in those sectors. Then the boom years went bust. Jobs were lost. Thousands of homes were put on the market. The energy industry downsized.

Houston is synonymous with oil, but the city has deliberately been diversifying its strong energy-based economy for the past two decades. Today, less than half of Houston’s economy is energy-related. Businesses that are not directly affected by energy prices, such as medical, aerospace, transportation, manufacturing and information technology sectors, contribute to the city’s ability to grow.

The largest medical center in the world is the Texas Medical Center. Locally, it represents an economic impact of $13.5 billion. Sixty-one thousand people work at the TMC, which includes 13 hospitals, two medical schools, and four nursing schools.

For more than 30 years, Houston has played a starring role in space exploration. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Johnson Space Center is just 23 miles south of the city. Named for President Lyndon B. Johnson, the center is the training facility for all America’s astronauts and the control point for U.S. manned space-flight.

Despite being 50 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, the port of Houston ranks as the nation’s largest in terms of international tonnage and is second in total tonnage. Each year, more than 6,400 vessels from around the world call at the Port Authority’s public terminals.

International trade accounts directly or indirectly for one-third of all the jobs in Houston. Eighty-one foreign governments have consular offices in SpaceCity.

LODGING

HOTEL DEREK

Sleek, sexy and somewhat tongue-in-cheek, Hotel Derek echoes the cosmopolitan flavor of the Galleria area. The huge lobby encourages guests to linger and sip imported Italian coffee while seated on a leather sofa watching a roaring fire on a 42-inch plasma TV screen. (In the warmer months, an aquarium appears on the screen.) Each loftlike guestroom features a bed with goose down duvet, coffeemaker and CD player. The hotel understand the needs of business travelers. Each room containes a large glass desk, high-speed Internet access and in-room FedEx supplies. Upgrade to a suite and the private workstation includes a fax/printer/copier. Shopaholics can catch a ride with the Derek Mobile, a black stretch SUV, which transports guests within a three-mile radius of the hotel. A business center, 24-hour gym, outdoor pool and on-site restaurant round out the hotel’s offerings.
HOTEL DEREK
2525 W. Loop South, Houston, TX 77027
tel 713 961 3000, fax 713 297 4392
www.hotelderek.com

THE LANCASTER HOTEL

The Lancaster Hotel is located in Houston’s financial and theater district. Built in 1926, the hotel is a historic landmark and the only Houston property that is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Guests are greeted by a doorman under the signature burgundy awnings. A beveled glass and brass door opens into a lobby furnished with antiques. The 93 rooms and suites are decorated in traditional European style. Oversized robes and four-poster beds provide a warm welcome. Guests can dine at the Bistro Lancaster before seeing a show. There is no need to hurry, both the Alley Theater and Jones Hall are across the street.
THE LANCASTER HOTEL
701 Texas Ave., Houston, TX 77002
tel 713 228 9500, fax 713 223 0336
www.lancaster.com

HYATT REGENCY HOUSTON

The 30-story atrium Hyatt Regency Houston hotel is, with 977 guestrooms, one of the larger downtown properties. The final phase of an $18 million guestroom renovation is expected to be completed this month. Located in the heart of downtown, guests who choose the Business Plan Rooms receive a variety of complimentary services including: continental breakfast, local and 1-800 calls, daily Houston Chronicle newspaper, photcopying/printing services and high-speed Internet access. A heated outdoor swimming pool, health club, business center and three restaurants provide all the expected amenities.
HYATT REGENCY HOUSTON
1200 Louisiana St., Houston, TX 77002
tel 713 654 1234, fax 713 951 0934
www.hyattregencyhouston.com

DINING

ARISTA

Located on the second floor of the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in the downtown theater district, Artista is a stone’s throw from City Hall. Its floor-to-ceiling windows provide patrons with a sweeping view of Tranquility Park. The restaurant’s post-modern décor is comfy chic. Try the sautéed shrimp with cheese ravioli floating in a lime-tabikko sauce. During lunch, design your own salad by choosing eight items from a list of nearly 50. How about grilled jalapeno with California goat Chevre on a bed of baby savoy spinach? The restaurant is a hot spot for theatergoers before and after the shows.
ARTISTA
Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
800 Bagby, Houston, TX 77002
tel 713 278 4782
www.cordua.com

CAFÉ ANNIE

The 20-year-old Café Annie restaurant has a southwestern menu. The sleek mahogany walls, checkered limestone floors and leather banquettes are unpretentious. The signature cheeseburger and fries come with homemade ketchup. For those with a more experimental palate, order the cocoa-roasted chicken with BBQ Sweet Potatoes Watercress, toasted pumpkin seeds and crème frâiche.
CAFÉ ANNIE
1728 Post Oak Blvd.
Houston, TX 77027
tel 713 840 1111
www.cafe-express.com/www/html/ca/ca_home.htm

CAFÉ ADOBE
The inexpensive Café Adobe is a favorite with locals for Tex-Mex. The frozen margaritas are tart. The fajitas are sizzling. The interior is dark. When the weather is pleasant, patrons choose the large outdoor patio that looks out on Westheimer.
CAFÉ ADOBE
2111 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77002
tel 713 528 1468

SHOPPING

The place to shop in Houston is the Galleria, which is about a 10-minute drive from downtown. In 1970, developer Gerald Hines created the first part of his megamall, Galleria I.With the addition of Galleria IV, the entire complex on Westheimer at Post Oak is a 2.4 million-square-foot mall where 375 stores and restaurants are anchored by Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Lord and Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and Foley’s. The centerpiece of the three-story complex is a vast indoor ice rink beneath a soaring glass roof.

To Market, To Market

The world’s largest gathering of sporting event organizers and travel planners met in Houston in October 2004 to attend the TEAMS Conference and Expo. The annual conference is organized by SportsTravel magazine. G. J. “Jordy” Tollett, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, was a conference speaker.

During his presentation, “Houston’s Renaissance: How Sports Helped Redefine and Reposition a Great American City,”Tollett explained that using sports to market the city all began in 1997 with Houston’s bid for the Olympics. Webber Schanwick of New York was hired to conduct a focus-group study. Their task was to gauge the public’s perception of Houston.

Prior to 1997, the city had tried a variety of slogans attempting to find its niche and define its image. “A key piece of information was uncovered which has helped shape much of the GHCVB’s marketing efforts. The focus group revealed that Houston was known as SpaceCity,” said Tollett.

From that time on, the tag line “SpaceCity — a space of infinite possibilities,” was officially adopted. The slogan defines Houston’s sky’s-the-limit enthusiasm for everything from sports to business to economic growth potential to tourism to quality of life.

“Houston has always been crazy about its sports teams,” said Tollett. “Through the years and particularly in 2004, sporting events have played a major role in shaping the city’s marketing efforts.” Last year, Houston hosted three major events: Super Bowl XXXVIII, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the Tennis Masters Cup 2004.

The GHCVB used the Super Bowl as an opportunity to showcase the city. That effort paid off in the form of an estimated $51 million worth of positive media coverage during the event.

TouchPoll Solutions surveyed Super Bowl visitors and found 71 percent would recommend Houston to their friends and business associates. More than half of the respondents expressed an interest in returning to Houston in the near future. Houston was described as a fun and friendly place to visit, easily accessible by air, that offers affordable accommodations.

“We have a good feeling about the years ahead,” said Tollett. “Houston has shown that we can successfully execute major events and have fun while we’re doing it. Houston’s events, attractions and cultural arts attract visitors from all over the world, and we are dedicated to providing them the best experience possible.”

INFO TO GO

Houston has two major airports located on opposite sides of the city. On the north side, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is approximately 40 minutes from downtown. On the south side, Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) is approximately 20 minutes from downtown. If you are staying in the downtown area, getting around is fairly easy with the METRORail, cabs and hotel shuttles.