Exploring Downtown Houston
New to the city and looking to go to the Downtown area of Houston?
Join us as we explore the best parts of Downtown Houston, and its different districts – which has all the places to check out during the day and all the spots to go at night.
Downtown is the heart of Houston, so everything essential, fun, and enriching can be found here. So without further ado, let’s go!
Planning
Looking at Downtown Houston from above, you can see how it was designed for accessibility. It has a grid-like street pattern, keeping each node and district organized and contained.
Even for a city known for traffic and car use, this layout also makes it a walkable and pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. Restaurant or destination hopping is certainly achievable in this case.
It’s also good that the civic centers, government buildings, institutions, and the access to the underground tunnel system is also confined to a certain portion of the area.
Parks and Green Areas
Discover Green is accessible via the Avenida de las Americas, and is a spectacular green park that is open 24 hours. The Market Square Park is another highly accessible open area that has become a crowd-favorite for public events and daily activities.
The Jones Plaza, Root Square, and the parks of the Theater District are also effective ways of matching open space with compelling structures.
The Districts
When going around downtown, it is best that you divide each area into districts. This way you can easily determine what’s there and if that’s the best place to go.
The Warehouse district is up north, and this eclectic part of Houston is a hub for creatives and art lovers. This is also the location for events like the Fotofest Biennial and ArtCrawl.
Historic district is a great place if you like quaint bars and cafes with impressive architecture. Meanwhile, the Theater district is an entertainment zone where you can eat, listen to music, watch shows or plays, or enjoy some performances.
The Civic Center is the core of downtown, and outlined by the Skyline district, the most developed and urbanized part of this zone. Adjacent to it is the Shopping district, the place to be for casual shopping and dining.
Another go-to district is the Ballpark, where the well-loved Minute Maid park is located. Avenida Houston is situated just beside it, where main parking garages are located – as well as a number of hotels and convention centers.
Alongside it Harris County, the most populous county in Texas. This district houses plenty of residential neighborhoods that are moderately-cost to accommodate the fast-growing surrounding districts.
Lastly, the Southern District is an essential area because the St. Joseph Medical Center and the Steward Health Care System is located here. Other medical complexes are also situated on this side of downtown, and are in close proximity to the downtown transit center.
