Recently dubbed SpaceCity, Houston is looking into the future inspired by the idea of being "a space of infinite possibilities." Houston's vibrancy and cultural diversity provides a welcome atmosphere if you are looking for a modern city with the drive and resources to prosper.

Houston takes advantage of its culturally diverse population, with over 9,000 restaurants offering every imaginable cuisine, residents find themselves with more options than they could hope to enjoy. Even just within the downtown area, more than 200 restaurants and clubs are available that offer a variety of dining and entertainment options, both day and night.

For those searching for culture, Houston provides the Museum district as well as the Theater District. The downtown area of the city is second only to NYC in the number of theater seats available and some of the more notable performing arts groups include the Houston Ballet, Grand Opera, Symphony Orchestra, and the recently added Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, which features the Houston Broadway Series and Theater Under the Stars.

Of course, if you're overwhelmed by too much 'culture', you can always count on Houston to provide some diverting amusements that can hardly be deemed cultural in the traditional sense. The Orange Show Foundation today cares for several of Houston's more original monuments such as the monument to oranges. Begun in 1954, Jeff McKissack began with a house and added sculptures, observation decks, wishing wells, folk wisdom sayings, and more. All of it orange of course! In another stroke of genius/madness, a man named John Milkovisch covered his house with beer cans, 50,000 of them by some estimates. Today there is also an entire fence made of beer cans.

The inhabitants of Houston love their sports, and many of Houston's facilities awe visitors year-round. The Houston Astrodome (an indoor, air-conditioned, domed stadium) is sometimes referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World, and also impressive are the new Toyota Center and Reliant Center. Houston is home to the Astros, Texans, Rockets, Comets, and Aeros. The mild winter months allow many sports to continue uninhibited, and the city is also famous for its golf courses and tennis facilities.

Houston is also a city of technology and development. The Texas Medical Center is the largest in the world with thirteen hospitals and several medical schools offering state-of-the-art facilities and procedures that bring people from all over the world. Only Boston spends more time and money on medical research. Houston also boasts the tallest building west of the Mississippi, the Chase Tower. For spectacular views, take the 40 second ride to the sky lobby on the 60th floor.

And of course it would be pointless to discuss Houston's technological accomplishments without mentioning NASA and the nearby space center. The Johnson Space Center is responsible for much of the training and planning behind the space missions of the US, and in 1969, "Houston" became the first word spoken by a human being on the surface of the moon. Space Center Houston provides the visitors to the space center with a peek into the complexities of what is going on there.

Sources:

( City of Houston - History in the Making ) (Accessed November 12, 2004)

( Lonely Planet - Houston ) (Accessed November 12, 2004)

( Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau ) (Accessed November 12, 2004)