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Five Surprising Facts About Houston

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with 2M Realty

As most of the country struggles during the slow economic recovery, Texas has garnered attention for how well we've been able to weather the storm. We're not totally unscathed, but with a relatively stable real estate market, no state income tax and a business-friendly environment, the Lone Star State is looking more attractive to many Americans.

Almost half a million people moved to Texas from mid-2008 to mid-2009, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with the Houston real estate market being one of the top draws. So, maybe you're considering a move to the area, but have visions of a distant Texas town devoid of culture, pick-up trucks filled with oilmen and a "yee haw" at every turn. Well, think again, because the Houston of today is eclectic, modern and, dare we say it, sophisticated. Here are five facts about the Bayou City that might surprise you:

Houston is a green city - literally and figuratively. Houston is the # 1 purchaser of green power in the nation, according to visithoustontexas.com, with a third of the city's total electricity coming from wind energy alone. And while the city's temperate climate naturally lends itself to a lush landscape, Houston has made a concerted effort to increase the city's green space. The most visible result of these efforts is Discovery Green, a 12-acre park opened in 2008 with spacious green lawns, jogging trails, a playground, amphitheater and lake, all in the heart of downtown. In fact, Houston has more parkland than any of the 10 most populous cities in the U.S.

You can get a world-class, ivy-league-level education in Houston. What's that? Ivy league - in the town that added "ya'll" to the dictionary? Yep. Houston is home to Rice University, one of the top research universities in the country and named by Newsweek as one of the "new" ivy league universities. Of course, there are over a dozen other colleges and universities in the city, including the medical schools of Baylor and UT, which take advantage of Houston's world-class medical center. Looking for a great Houston neighborhood school for your kids? Over 400 Houston-area schools were rated as "exemplary," the highest rating given by the Texas Education Agency.

Houstonians have a sophisticated palate. Although steaks, barbecue and - of course - Tex-Mex, are ample, Houston has dozens of award-winning restaurants, often blending food genres to create menus labeled as Southwest-inspired seafood or "Texas Tuscan." The New York Times recently raved about Houston's "world-class food scene," and local restaurants have gotten notice in publications such as Travel + Leisure, bon appetit and Esquire.

Houston has culture. You don't have to live in New York to get access to world-class entertainment. Houston has a vibrant theater district, and is one of the few U.S. cities offering year-round resident companies in all major performing arts - opera, ballet, music and theater. Of course, if sports are more your style, we have you covered there, too, with major league teams in football, baseball, basketball and soccer.

Houston has a sense of community. Houston is truly Texas-sized, covering an area roughly the size of Maryland. For all that size, though, the city has a way of coming together - whether cheering on the Astros in the World Series (yes, that really happened) or helping out in the face of a natural disaster. Houston welcomed 150,000 evacuees from Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, earning the city the nickname "The Big Heart", and the city's response to Hurricane Ike in 2008 was reportedly one of the most organized and civil that federal officials had encountered. Houstonians believe it is possible to be a friendly, big city.

Sure, we still have oil men and you'll see pick-ups on our roads, but the city is much, much more than that. Not only are Houston homes for sale some the best values in the country, Houston is a leader in green energy usage, more parkland than any other major US city, and ranks amongst the best in entertainment, culture and, of course, friendliness.

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Mark W. Martin is President of 2M Realty. He is active in real estate sales and develops land in the Houston real estate market. To view real estate listings in the Greater Houston market, please see our Houston MLS and Houston Homes for Sale pages.

2M Realty has simple goals in mind: Simplify the real estate process, reduce stress for Buyers and Sellers, earn client trust, and keep client trust. These simple but lofty goals are backed by over 20-years experience as a Texas real estate broker and Houston Realtor.

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