About Houston

Conference Preview 2: Around the Conference Hotel: Downtown Houston

In the first Preview [available as the Conference Hotel page], we looked at the Houston Americas Hotel, our 2005 conference venue. Here's a little more on the neighborhood around the hotel—the city's downtown, and theater district.

"Neighborhoods in Houston?" Yes, America's fourth largest city is famous for its sprawl. For many folks, however, the "real" Houston lies "inside the Loop," the city's orbital highway. Inside the Loop, distinctive neighborhoods abound: Montrose, River Oaks, the Heights, Midtown, Galleria, the Museum District, the Third & Fourth Wards, and Downtown, among others.

Downtown, and within a short walk of our hotel, you can expect to find an array of new and renovated residential buildings, parks both natural and historic, a range of bars, clubs and restaurants (forthcoming post), signature buildings by many of America's greatest modern architects, top notch professional sports facilities, and the largest number of seats for the performing arts outside New York. Many of the facilities have gone up in just the last several years. As an appetizer, here is a sampling of things to see, hear and do, within a half mile of the hotel.

• Houston Public Library
• Sam Houston Park and Heritage Society
• Bayou Place, with the Angelika Film Center
• Jones Hall, home of the Houston Symphony
• Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
• Houston Ballet
• Houston Grand Opera
• Verizon Wireless Theater
• Alley Theater
• Wortham Center
• Houston Rockets, at the Toyota Center
• Houston Astros, at Minute Maid Park
• For performing arts, a little further afield are Rice University and the University of Houston—both renowned for their programs in music. In the spring, each department offers performances almost every night of the week.