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CAPITAL ONE BANK CULTURE COLLISION, MAY 12

Heather Pray - noemail@houstondowntownalliance.com — Wed, 04 May 2011 18:00:00 GMT

CAPITAL ONE BANK CULTURE COLLISION, MAY 12

A one-of-a-kind happy hour uniting Houston urbanites with the visual and performing arts

WHAT: Houston is full of things to do and Capital One Bank Culture Collision brings the people, the music, the art and scene together for one night each year giving Houston urbanites the opportunity to find out how they can be involved in the Houston art scene. With hosts Houston Young People for the Arts, Emerging Leaders, Capital One Bank Bayou City Art Festival, DiverseWorks 3D, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Ensemble Theatre Act One, Fresh Arts Coalition, Health Museum Professionals’ Circle, Houston Ballet Barre, Houston Grand Opera O.N., Houston Symphony YPB, NiteSPA, Spacetaker, The Studio at the CAMH and Theatre Under The Stars’ UP @ TUTS – guests will get all the info they need to incorporate the arts into their lives for the next season. The evening also features a trapeze aerial dance performance byVault and music by DJ Hardware with light bites by Phoenicia Specialty Foods, beverages courtesy of Republic Tequila and Saint Arnold Brewing Company and complimentary valet. All attendees will be invited to sign up to win a Awesome Advantage BMW weekend complete with a BMW from Advantage BMW Midtown, one-night-stay at Hotel ICON, tickets for a performance during the 2011-2012 Houston Symphony season and dinner for two.

WHEN/

WHERE: Thursday, May 12, 2011

5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Advantage BMW Midtown, 1305 Gray, Houston, TX 77002

COST: $5 suggested donation to presenter, HYPA; 21 and up only.

WHO: Participating organizations include: Houston Young People for the Arts, Emerging Leaders, Capital One Bank Bayou City Art Festival, DiverseWorks 3D, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Ensemble Theatre Act One, Fresh Arts Coalition, Health Museum Professionals’ Circle, Houston Ballet Barre, Houston Grand Opera O.N., Houston Symphony YPB, NiteSPA, Spacetaker, The Studio at the CAMH and Theatre Under The Stars’ UP @ TUTS.

SPONSORS: Capital One Bank, Advantage BMW Midtown, Republic Tequila, Phoenicia Specialty Foods, Saint Arnold Brewing Company, CultureMap, Houston Young People for the Arts, Hotel ICON, Houston Symphony.

FOR MORE

INFO: Visit www.houstonarts.orgor Houston Young People for the Arts’ Facebook page at www.facebook.com/houstonartsfor the latest event updates or follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/houstonarts.

About Houston Young People for the Arts

The concept of Houston Young People for the Arts (HYPA) was conceived by two Houston residents acknowledging the need for an umbrella organization to help the next wave of art supporters experience the Houston art scene through monthly events. HYPA is a committee of the Houston Downtown Improvement, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes Downtown Houston and manages the Theater District through the Houston Downtown Alliance.

HYPA aims to promote education of the visual and performing arts; advance cultural awareness of current events in the Houston art scene, particularly among young people; and to collaborate with companies, governmental and not-for profit organizations to achieve these goals.

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4-May-11 1:00 PM

HOUSTON YOUNG PEOPLE FOR THE ARTS BRINGS AN ANDALUSIONAL NIGHT TO HOUSTON FEBRUARY 5, 2011

Heather Pray - noemail@houstondowntownalliance.com — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:00:00 GMT

HOUSTON YOUNG PEOPLE FOR THE ARTS BRINGS AN ANDALUSIONAL NIGHT TO HOUSTON FEBRUARY 5, 2011

WHAT Houston Young People for the Arts celebrates six years with an evening of whimsical, magical and surreal proportions with Andalusional: A Spanish Dream World on Saturday, February 5, 2011. Kathryn Lott Neumann will serve as Honorary Chair and Chairs Michael Coppens and Rowena Sahulee bring a night of dillydallying with Solero flamenco dancers, astonishing audio-visual and unique entertainment with the tunes of DJ Derek Jones, Spanish cuisine, Build-Your-Own Sangria bar, cocktails and much more. The party will continue with transportation available to Vinoteca Quattro at Four Seasons Hotel Houston with DJ Ash and guests taking the music reins, $4 tapas and drink specials to conclude this annual must-attend party for Houston art lovers and supporters.

WHEN Saturday, February 5, 2011

7 p.m. to 11 p.m. – Gala

11 p.m. to 1 a.m. – Post-Party

WHERE Gala: Vine Street Studios

1113 Vine Street

Houston, TX 77002

Post-Party: Vinoteca Quattro at Four Seasons Hotel Houston

1600 Lamar St.

Houston, TX 77010

WHY Houston Young People for the Arts, a committee of Houston Downtown Alliance, aims at introducing Houstonians 21 & up to the Houston art scene to ensure and continue Houston’s rich history of philanthropy and support. Andalusional: A Spanish Dream World is inspired by Houston Symphony’s upcoming performance of Ravel’s Spain with Bolero and HYPA’s celebration will conclude February 11, 2011, with attending a performance of Ravel’s Spain with Bolero and after party with Houston Symphony Young Professionals Backstage. Proceeds from the evening benefit HYPA’s programming for 2011-2012 as well as their annual donation to Houston Theater District which hosts the annual Theater District Open House.

CONTACT For more information, or to purchase tickets, contact Heather Pray at 713-658-8938 or visit www.houstondowntownalliance.com/hypa.

COST $50 individual HYPA/EL/HDA members

$90 couple HYPA/EL/HDA members

$75 individual non-member

$140 couple non-member

$70 individual + HYPA/EL/HDA membership

$100 non-member + HYPA/EL/HDA membership + Houston Symphony Ravel's Spain with Bolero

INFO Visit www.houstondowntownalliance.com/hypafor more information.

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11-Jan-11 2:00 PM

If You Want It...OMD brings North American Tour to Downtown Houston's House of Blues

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:00:00 GMT

In the past there have been grumblings of bands passing Houston by as they tour their way to our northern friend's illustrious music festival, South by Southwest; however, with OMD announcing Houston as a stop before their stint (THREE DAYS...!) in Austin, it starts to give me hope that other bands will follow suit.

Whether you were an actual fan of them in the 80s or know of them just through the Pretty in Pink soundtrack, it's definitely not a show to-be-missed. If you're super hardcore or you have a teenager that has gone to the synth side and loves 80s music, then you'll want to pony up for the VIP packages.

It's been practically a new generation since their last album and Andy McCluskey calls it 'our best album since Architecture and Morality.' 'History of Modern' was produced by OMD and mixed by one of the UK’s most in demand producers Mike Crossey (Artic Monkeys/Blood Red Shoes/Razorlight).

Last autumn the classic OMD line up of Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Martin Cooper (keyboards) and Malcolm Holmes (drums) embarked on their sold-out 'History of Modern' European tour. The press raved. The Times praised their “well-crafted song structures, lush arrangements and energetic stage performance” while Q Magazine declared them 'soaring synth-pop of the highest order'.

OMD are offering special VIP tickets which can be purchased at omd.brightantenna.com.

Pre-sale tickets are available Monday, January 10th while normal ticketing goes on sale Friday, January 14th via each venue's websites and Ticketmaster.

VIP package $150

Admittance to show, intimate soundcheck experience AND band meet and greet. Exclusive autographed 8x10 photo and exclusive t-shirt. Plus tour program and your choice of "History of Modern" CD or 180-gram vinyl w/ digital download. Limited to 30 people per venue.

GOLD Package: $100

Admittance to show AND intimate soundcheck experience. Exclusive autographed 8x10 photo and exclusive t-shirt. Plus tour program and your choice of "History of Modern" CD or 180-gram vinyl w/ digital download. Limited to 70 people per venue.

All tickets are general admission.

To view a selection of live performances by OMD: watch here

HISTORY OF MODERN U.S TOUR DATES:

March 5^th Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre

March 6^th Montreal, QC Le National

March 7^th Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club

March 8^th New York, NY Webster Hall/Irving Plaza

March 10^th Washington, DC 9.30 Club

March 12^th Chicago, IL Park West

March 14^th Atlanta, GA The Loft

March 16^th Houston, TX House Of Blues

March 17^th Austin, TX SXSW

March 18^th Austin, TX SXSW

March 19^th Austin, TX SXSW

March 20^th Dallas, TX House Of Blues

/Granada Theatre

March 22^nd Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre

March 23^rd Salt Lake City, UT Depot

March 25^th Los Angeles, CA The Music Box

March 26^th San Francisco, CA Regency Ballroom

10-Jan-11 3:00 PM

EADO GETS LUCKY: ANTHONY WEGMANN OWNER OF NEIGHBORHOOD MAINSTAY LUCKY’S PUB AND RECENTLY OPENED CORK SOAKERS WINE BAR TO DEBUT GOURMET MARKET IN AUGUST

Stuart Rosenberg - noemail@houstondowntownalliance.com — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:00:00 GMT

EADO GETS LUCKY: ANTHONY WEGMANN OWNER OF NEIGHBORHOOD MAINSTAY LUCKY’S PUB AND RECENTLY OPENED CORK SOAKERS WINE BAR TO DEBUT GOURMET MARKET IN AUGUST

HOUSTON, TX – July 11, 2010 – While the approval of a stadium for the Houston Dynamo has put a new kick in the step of EaDo district landowners and businesses, it’s news of a gourmet market that has area residents yelling “goal.” Currently under construction at St. Emanuel – EaDo’s primary north/south corridor – and Rusk, the approximately 3,500-square-foot Epicurean Express is slated to open in early August adjacent to the recently launched Cork Soakers wine bar and directly across St. Emanuel from popular restaurant and bar, Lucky’s Pub.

The three venues – all important milestones in the development of EaDo as a sustainable urban neighborhood – are endeavors of entrepreneur Anthony Wegmann, who was first introduced to EaDo in 2006 by Brent Silberstein of Warehouse Live. Epicurean Express and Cork Soakers will both inhabit a 1960’s era shopping center currently being revitalized by Wegmann. The center is currently identifying appropriate tenant candidates for the remaining 3,500-square-feet of retail space with the goal of complementary businesses that will create further synergy.

According to Wegmann, “When I opened Lucky’s next to Warehouse Live, we were somewhat of an island with guests coming for a specific reason. With the support of our local residents and growing awareness of the great offerings in the EaDo district, there is a strong reason for people to come and stay in EaDo for a full night of entertainment. Our goal with Lucky’s Pub, Corks Soakers and Epicurean Express is to create a unique experience that does not currently exist in Houston. A guest can watch a game on the 21-foot mega screen, order from one of the largest selections of beers in Houston, enjoy a flight of wine in our gorgeous wine bar and pick up groceries or a gourmet prepared meal all within walking distance of downtown and Houston’s top sporting venues.

The market concept evolved in part due to feedback from Wegmann’s clientele – more than half of whom live nearby in downtown, EaDo and the East End – who often mention the lack of service-driven businesses to support the urban lifestyle and increasingly sophisticated tastes, especially from the grocery/market side with current offerings either inconveniently located, outdated or lacking in quality.

Epicurean Express is poised to meet the growing demands and needs of the EaDo and downtown area with a site and décor unquestionably more appealing than an access road gas station corner mart and a product and food range much broader than the closest market offering, Byrd’s on Main Street. Wegmann describes Epicurean Express as a premium, small scale grocery store. The interior will incorporate stained concrete floors, earth tones and salvaged ceiling beams and rustic wood accents, creating a modern but warm feeling. While gourmet prepared meals will debut in fall, the initial opening will highlight a coffee bar; fresh produce, meats, poultry and fish; spices, specialty import foods, and other sundries; and a range of household items such as cleaning supplies and paper goods with a focus on green offerings.

Wegmann is bullish on the concept for good reason. Not only is he optimistic based on current feedback, but he is an enviable position of being the master of this burgeoning block.

“I see this as a viable business not only from the standpoint of a serving a need, but given that I am a restaurateur, I am able to take advantage of cost benefits associated with buying food for Cork Soakers and Lucky’s and using product at several venues, insuring I can keep a high quality, stocked inventory to meet those needs.”

Epicurean Express is located at 2018 Rusk. For more information, call 713-222-9463 or log onto www.epicureanexpress.com.

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13-Jul-10 10:00 AM

Houston Young People for the Arts presents an evening fit for a Maharajah and Maharani with I Dream of Maharani on February 6, 2010

Heather Pray - noemail@houstondowntownalliance.com — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:00:00 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 6, 2010

CONTACT: Heather Pray, Co-Founder Houston Young People for the Arts

713-658-8938, heather@downtownhouston.org

HOUSTON YOUNG PEOPLE FOR THE ARTS PRESENTS AN EVENING FIT FOR A MAHARAJAH AND MAHARANI WITH I DREAM OF MAHARANI ON FEBRUARY 6, 2010

HOUSTON, TX… Houston Young People for the Arts (HYPA) announces their largest fundraiser of the year, the annual HYPA Gala: I Dream of Maharani on Saturday, February 6, 2010 from 7 pm to 10 pm at House of Blues Houston Foundation Room & Bronze Peacock Room. I Dream of Maharani celebrates HYPA’s 5^th year of introducing Houston’s young, urban enthusiasts to the Houston art scene and raises funds for them to collaborate with other non-profit arts organizations to promote all that is going on in Houston’s art scene. Always true to form, HYPA’s I Dream of Maharani is always one of the most anticipated parties of year with the arts enthusiast in-crowd. This year is even more special as it celebrates HYPA’s 5^th year, recognizes Randall Jamail for his vision and dedication to the arts in Houston and furthers HYPA’s mission by partnering with Houston Ballet Barre and Houston Ballet’s community outreach program, DanceWorks!

Chairs Elizabeth Abraham, Sarah Bray, Liz Cleveland, Joshua Espinedo, Melissa Fitzgerald, Heather Oglesby and Heather Pray set the stage for an evening fit for royalty and transport guests to Bollywood immediately through the entrance of House of Blues’ exclusive Foundation Room and Bronze Peacock Room at Houston Pavilions with its lush décor, Indian cuisine, and flowing premium drinks. The entertainment at each HYPA Gala speaks to the passion and purpose of HYPA and spotlights the artistry here in Houston. Highlights this year include DJ Yogi G of Bollywood Music and Generasian Radio taking the helm at the turntables with music & film. Houston’s vibrant Indian artist community will be the source of this year’s arts performancs. I Dream of Maharani’s Indian bazaar will feature Henna artists, delectable dessert delights, bangles to behold and feature Prashe, designers of Indian-inspired fusion pieces.

“I am extremely pleased to see HYPA reach its 5^th year and continue with its mission of connecting young professionals to the wealth of local art and artists in Houston. When we started, I had recently read an article of how Houston was not a place for young professionals and it has been really great to prove that statement incorrect. I am extremely fortunate to be a part of an organization where we can showcase and support all that is happening in the Houston arts scene and introduce people to the amazing city in which we live,” says HYPA co-founder Heather Pray.

HYPA adds a new layer to its support of the Houston art scene by recognizing not only the necessity of supporting Houston’s many artists and arts organizations but also to inspire school-aged children, our future artists, through pre-existing community outreach programs. This year, HYPA will lend their support to Houston Ballet’s DanceWorks! as I Dream of Maharani was loosely inspired by the upcoming world premiere of Stanton Welch’s La Bayadere. HYPA members will attend opening night of La Bayadere for their monthly event in February with Houston Ballet Barre.

Tickets for I Dream of Maharani are as follows: Houston Downtown Alliance members (includes HYPA and Emerging Leaders) are $50. Houston Ballet Barre members also enjoy $50 tickets. HYPA introduces members’ couple pricing for two tickets for $90. Non-members: $75, non-member couples: $150. Each year HYPA also offers an additional ticket package to encourage new participants; for $100 young professionals receive a ticket to the gala and a one year membership to Houston Young People for the Arts. Visit http://www.houstondowntownalliance.com or call 713-658-8938 to purchase your tickets.

About Houston Young People for the Arts
Houston Young People for the Arts (HYPA) is a committee of the Houston Downtown Improvement, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes Downtown Houston and manages the Theater District through the Houston Downtown Alliance.

HYPA aims to promote education of the visual and performing arts; advance cultural awareness of current events in the Houston art scene, particularly among young people; and to collaborate with companies, governmental and not-for-profit organizations to achieve these goals.

About Houston Ballet Dance Works!
Houston Ballet’s Dance Works! The program reaches over 3,000 school-aged, Houston-area children a year. It is designed to introduce students to different types of dance and offers school three options: Chance to Dance (students from diverse communities are invited to participate in 6 Academy classes, all fees paid); Learning from the Masters (dance classes taught by professional dancers from Houston Ballet); and Studio To Stage (introduces high school students to different career options available to people interested in the arts).

25-Jan-10 3:00 PM

Gloworama Lights The Way Thanksgiving Weekend

Heather Pray Melissa Fitzgerald - noemail@houstondowntownalliance.com — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:00:00 GMT

GLOWORAMA LIGHTS THE WAY THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

A 1st annual evening of lights, colors, art cars and artists illuminating Downtown Houston

HOUSTON, TX (November 10, 2009) - Downtown Houston will be glowing brightly with an evening of lights, artists and machines kicking off the holiday season on Saturday, November 28, 2009. The night procession of art cars in H-E-B's 1st Annual Illuminated Art Car Parade will begin immediately following the 9 p.m. closing of the 50^th annual O'Reilly Auto Parts AutoRama.

Location 1001 Avenida de las Americas (in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center & Discovery Green)

Admission Admission varies depending on event; please see below, visit www.illuminatedartcarparade.com or call 713-658-8938 for ticket prices and information.

When Saturday, November 28, 2009

7:30 pm - 2 am (please see schedule below for specific events)

Schedule The Invincible Czars perform "Nutcracker Suite"

7:30 pm

Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney

Free

Austin's The Invincible Czars, known for composing a "...frenzied, turn-of-the-century riot inducing classical music..." The Dallas Observer, continues to spread a unique variety of holiday cheer by performing their zealous take on Tchaikovsky's classic "Nutcracker Suite" at Discovery Green on Saturday, November 28 at 7:30 p.m. to open the park's ice skating season. Their re-imagined "Nutcracker Suite" appeals to everyone from children to the young at heart seeking to experience the classic holiday tradition in a radical new format that is certain to delight.

VIP Balcony Viewing Party

7 pm - 10 pm

George R. Brown Convention Center balconies

$150, advance purchase only

Get a bird's eye view of the illuminated art car parade complete with cuisine, open bar and complimentary access to AfterGlow, the official afterparty of Gloworama.

H-E-B's 1^st Annual Illuminated Art Car Parade

9 pm - 10 pm

1001 Avenida de las Americas

Free

See art cars like you've never seen them before! It's Gloworama with spectacular lighting, fire and music making this a parade you will never forget. An electrifying procession of illuminated art cars, brimming with light and color, will weave its way down Avenida de las Americas in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center. An incredible, new 3D light show projected on the George R. Brown Convention Center and never-before-seen in the United States, accompanies the cars and artists as they travel down the avenue and empty into the George R. Brown Convention Center and bask in the Afterglow!

AfterGlow

10 pm - 2 am

George R. Brown Convention Center, Hall A
1001 Avenida de las Americas

$25 advance purchase

$35 at the door

Party the night away with the illuminated art cars, artists, live music from the Rich Latimer Band, pop-up performances from Luminosity, Ninja Noodles, The Renegades and Their Collection of Carnies, Red Agent Aerialist, Roller Derby Girls and other visual delights you have come to expect from the art car artists. Illuminated costumes encouraged, cash bar.

GLOWORAMA BOX OFFICE

Tickets for all events with Gloworama are available on-line at www.illuminatedartcarparade.com or at the door on event night. VIP tickets are only available for advance purchase. Ticket prices may be subject to increase at the door.

A full listing of Gloworama's events can be found at: http://www.illuminatedartcarparade.com

Gloworama is generously sponsored by H-E-B, Houston Downtown Alliance, Art Cars of Houston, ABC-13 KTRK, City of Houston Convention & Entertainment Facilities of Houston, City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Bud Light, LD Systems, Continental Airlines and O'Reilly Auto Parts AutoRama in Houston.

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About Houston Downtown Alliance and Houston Downtown Improvement, Inc.

Houston Downtown Alliance is a broad-based civic organization of individuals, businesses, arts and entertainment organizations dedicated to promoting, advocating and participating in a vital and vibrant Downtown Houston. Houston Downtown Improvement, Inc., the 501 (c)(3) arm of HDA is home to Houston Theater District, Emerging Leaders and Houston Young People for the Arts. HDI creates events and programs for the downtown community including Downtown Home Tour, Haute Town - Summer in the City, Theater District Open House and many other programs to foster awareness as well as to make Downtown Houston an enjoyable place to live, work and play. www.downtownhouston.org

About Arts Cars of Houston

Art Cars of Houston, Inc. was formed in 2009 to promote art cars as a celebrated mode of daily transportation as well as a sophisticated art form within the City of Houston. Goals include increasing exposure of art cars to more diverse groups, encourage new art car artists/builders and increase participation by established art car artists and owners through a variety of events and workshops. www.artcarsofhouston.org

About the O'Reilly Auto Parts AutoRama in Houston

The 50^th annual O'Reilly Auto Parts AutoRama presented by Super Start Batteries in Houston is sponsored by O'Reilly Auto Parts and is part of the . Event hours are Thursday from 3-9 p.m.; Friday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Discount tickets are available at Houston-area O'Reilly Auto Parts stores; regular admission tickets may be purchased at the George R. Brown Convention Center with children five years old and under admitted for free. Additional information about the show is available at www.autorama.com.

10-Nov-09 3:00 PM

50th Annual O'Reilly AutoRama in Houston to Feature Major Firepower for Golden Anniversary Event

Luke DeRouen - noemail@houstondowntownalliance.com — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:00:00 GMT

HOUSTON, TX -- (Marketwire) -- 10/20/09 -- The annual O'Reilly AutoRama® presented by Super Start Batteries will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Nov. 26-29, 2009, in downtown Houston. The Thanksgiving weekend event, which is one of the largest and longest running indoor car shows in the United States, will feature a salute to the past five decades, as well as a stellar lineup of custom cars, motorcycles, racecars, tuners, trucks and family entertainment at the George R. Brown Convention Center at 1001 Avenida De Las Americas. The O'Reilly AutoRama is sanctioned by the International Show Car Association (ISCA).

A 50th anniversary reception will be held on Friday, Nov. 27 to recognize the individuals and local car clubs who have helped produce the show for decades.

"I'm proud that AutoRama has become such an important part of the culture in Houston that we're now celebrating our golden anniversary," said Bob Larivee Jr., CEO of Championship Auto Shows Inc. "For over 50 years, enthusiasts of every age have celebrated their passion for the automobile at AutoRama. Many of them have grown up with the show and now bring their kids and grandkids."

A new highlight at the 2009 show will be a GlowoRama parade in conjunction with Art Cars of Houston Inc. A collection of illuminated Houston art cars will parade down Avenida De Las Americas in front of the convention center at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28. A party will follow the parade inside Hall A of the convention center.

Additional attractions will include an automotive swap meet and toy show, AutoRama Women's World, an All American Motorcycle Show, the Tuner Galleria for imports and the Chevy Vette Fest section. One of the most anticipated displays will be the Ol' Skool Rodz with over 100 traditional rods.

Feature cars will include the legendary ZINGER Corvette and Volkswagen, the Hudson Hornet from the hit movie "Cars," "El Tiki" from the pages of "Ol' Skool Rodz" and the "Ratical Rod" street coupe. The top show cars in North America will also be on display as part of the ISCA Championship Finals.

"Custom cars are king at the Houston AutoRama," added Larviee. "We have a fine group of area cars and award-winning national vehicles lined up for the show this year."

The Action Arena will be staged outdoors behind the convention center this year. Highlights will be a "Cacklefest" for 1960s vintage nitro dragsters, an AutoRama Burnout Competition and XSBA Streetbike Freestyle Shows. Celebrities scheduled to appear include the Houston Texans Cheerleaders, Houston Rockets Power Dancers and Clutch the Bear mascot, the Texas Bikini Team, SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer.

About the O'Reilly AutoRama in Houston

The 50th annual O'Reilly AutoRama presented by Super Start Batteries in Houston is sponsored by O'Reilly Auto Parts and is part of the Summit Racing Show Car Series. Event hours are Thursday from 3-9 p.m.; Friday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Sunday from 11a.m.-7 p.m. Discount tickets are available at Houston-area O'Reilly Auto Parts stores; regular admission tickets may be purchased at the George R. Brown Convention Center with children five years old and under admitted for free. Additional information about the show is available at www.autorama.com.

21-Oct-09 10:00 AM

HYPA & The Fodice Foundation - The Life of the Party....And the After-Party

Heather Pray - noemail@houstondowntownalliance.com — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:00:00 GMT

NEWS RELEASE:

HYPA & The Fodice Foundation

The Life of the Party. . ..And the After-Party

Houston Young People For The Arts & The Fodice Foundation Keep it Fresh with an Exclusive After-Party Following Houston Magazine's Summer Cocktail Tour on August 20.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Lauren Lovell, PR Representative

Lauren.B.Lovell@gmail.com 713-828-6123

Heather Pray, Houston Downtown Alliance Liaison/Co-Founder

Heather@downtownhouston.org 713-658-8938

HOUSTON, TEXAS. . .Following the Houston Magazine Summer Cocktail Tour on August 20th, Houston Young People for the Arts (HYPA) will host an exclusive arts-focus after-party in conjunction with The Fodice Foundation at the studio of innovative local artist couple and Fodice founders, Katy Anderson and Patrick Medrano. The after-party will take place from 8:00pm - 12 Midnight at 2020 Commerce Street, Studio D, where the artists' work will be on display alongside a rendering of the Fodice Art Farm and documentary video, No Paved Roads. HYPA members attend at no cost. Admission to the after-party is available to the public for a donation of $35 to The Fodice Foundation. Donations can be made at the door.

The Fodice Foundation and its Art Farm Residency Program are being established to foster artistic development, support arts education and advancement in the state of Texas while at the same time protect and preserve an important piece of African-American history. During the late 1800's Fodice, which is located 2 hours outside of Houston, was a thriving African American community. During the 60's, desegregation consolidated schools and left the Fodice schoolhouse unused. Gradually, the entire community evaporated as people moved to other cities for work and education. The Fodice Foundation is revitalizing and repurposing the Fodice School grounds to encourage diverse, cultural events, shows and exhibitions, while at the same time, educating and promoting a very special and unique piece of Texas history.

About The Artists:

Fodice Foundation founders Katy Anderson and Patrick Medrano are some of the hottest local artists and advocates in the "under 40" community. The pair are individual artists in their own rights (Katy is a photographer and Patrick, a sculptor and painter) and have worked on collaborative pieces as well. Their artwork will be on display at the after-party.

About Houston Young People for the Arts:

Houston Young People for the Arts (HYPA) is a committee of Houston Downtown Improvement, a 501(c)(3) organization of Houston Downtown Alliance that promotes living, working and playing in Downtown Houston through established programs including the Houston Theater District, Live Downtown Initiative, Emerging Leaders and Houston Young People for the Arts. Houston Young People for the Arts aims to promote the visual and performance arts; to advance awareness of current events in the Houston art scene, particularly among young people; and to collaborate with governmental and not-for-profit organizations to achieve these goals.

For information about The Fodice Foundation visit http://www.fodicefoundation.org.

For more information visit http://www.houstondowntownalliance.com or HYPA's blog at http://www.houstonarts.org.

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17-Aug-09 12:00 PM

Brennan's of Houston to Re-emerge This Fall One Year After Hurricane Ike

Amber Holst - noemail@houstondowntownalliance.com — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Eighty Percent of Original John Staub Structure to be Restored; Brings 125 Jobs to Midtown

HOUSTON (March 3, 2009) – Houston Mayor Bill White and restaurateur Alex Brennan Martin announced at a press conference today that the esteemed Brennan’s of Houston would re-emerge at its long-standing Smith Street address this fall, just 13 months after having been damaged by fire as a result of Hurricane Ike. Slated to open in October 2009, the restored Brennan’s is expected to bring an additional 125 jobs back to Midtown.

“Adding jobs and welcoming back a Houston institution like Brennan’s to Midtown is all great for Houston,” said Mayor White. “Rebuilding this historic structure in the process is like extra sugar on our Banana’s Foster.”

Particularly in a downturn economy, the Houston community looks forward to the creation of 125 new jobs that range from service employees to managerial positions.

Eighty percent of the historic building, designed by the great Houston architect John Staub in 1930, will be restored. Houston-based Linbeck Construction – whose portfolio includes the Omni and St. Regis hotels in Houston – will oversee the project alongside Pin Oak Interests and Studio Red Architects whose architects have participated in such notable projects as Moody Gardens, Wortham Theater Center, and Texas Heart Institute.

“We didn’t burn down, we burned up,” said Brennan Martin. “We are honored and humbled by the outpouring of support we have received over the past year and are looking forward to opening our doors this fall and welcoming back our guests.”

Long before the Brennan’s put their name on the building in 1967, it was a Houston landmark. Designed by architect John F. Staub to house the Houston Junior League, the building’s façade was intended to evoke an image of the Vieux Carré. Today, the building is recognized as one of Houston’s most beautiful structures, having inspired the neighboring development of an area that is often touted as Houston’s French Quarter.

Additionally, Brennan-Martin is in dialogue with the City of Houston and Houston Parks and Recreation Department to relocate a mature tree from the Museum of Natural Science at Hermann Park. The tree will replace the historic Oak that shaded Brennan’s courtyard for over 40 years, which was lost in Hurricane Ike.

Forty-two years ago, the Brennan’s family of New Orleans opened the doors of Brennan’s of Houston, one of America’s most beloved dining destinations and the forerunner in serving Texas Creole cuisine. Led by Commander’s Palace Family of Restaurants co-owners Alex Brennan-Martin, his sister, Ti Adelaide Martin, and their cousin, Lally Brennan, Brennan’s remained on top by constantly innovating while remaining connected to its Creole roots and maintaining a familial level of warmth and hospitality. The Brennan family’s restaurants also include Commander’s Palace and Café Adelaide & the Swizzle Stick Bar in New Orleans and Commander’s Palace in Destin, Fla.

ABOUT BRENNAN’S OF HOUSTON

The Brennan’s kitchen has explored the vast spectrum of Creole’s evolution in the “Bayou City.” Cultural influences in South Texas and an abundance of fresh produce unique to the region have provided more than a few opportunities for delicious Texas variations on time-honored Louisiana themes. Along the way, the passionate Brennan’s team has received accolades establishing the restaurant as one of the finest in the city. Awards such as Exxon Mobil’s Four-Star designation beginning in 2000 and a nod from restaurant critic John Mariani in 1997 to former Executive Chef and General Manager, Carl Walker, as “one of America’s most influential chefs” are just a few of the accomplishments Brennan’s counts on its list of accolades. Brennan’s has also been regularly rated among Houston’s “Best” and “Most Popular” restaurants in the Zagat Survey.

XXX

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

WAGSTAFF WORLDWIDE AT (312) 943-6900

3-Mar-09 11:00 AM

Volunteer for the Texas Bowl

Monica Rhodes - noemail@houstondowntownalliance.com — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Hello Friends,

Monica Rhodes is working with Heather Houston of the Texas Bowl to stock and staff the Houston Hospitality Booths at the two team hotels for this year's Texas Bowl. She needs your help! read on...

The purpose of the Houston Hospitality Booths is to have a central place where the teams & coaches & families can get information about events the Texas Bowl is hosting, learn about other options available to them and gather general information on Houston, things to do, places to eat, etc.

The booth will be stocked with materials like the Official Visitors Guide magazine, a list of things to do in Houston and various brochures/materials from some of Houston's top attraction and destinations.

One of the booths will be at the JW Marriott (on Westheimer across the street from the Galleria). Rice University will be at the JW Marriott. The other booth will be at the Hyatt in downtown Houston (1200 Louisiana). The Hyatt is where the Western Michigan team will be headquartered.

Here's how you can help...

1. Take a look at the schedule (/attachments/wysiwyg/1/TexasBowl08HospitalityBoothSchedule.xls)and let me know if you are interested/available to staff the table during one or more of the available shifts.

2. Help me get the word out about this opportunity by forwarding this message on to all your contacts. Please keep in mind - we are looking for volunteers who are knowledgable about Houston and things to do around town.

Please be in touch ASAP if you can help man the booth....send me an email, give me a call, Also, let me know if you have any questions.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thanks for considering this volunteer opportunity!

Happy Holidays,

Monica Rhodes

(formerly of the Houston Museum District; now with Elmore PR)

munum308@gmail.com

979.285.8512 cell

24-Dec-08 11:00 AM

Houston Young People for the Arts plays it cool with a HOT event

Heather Pray - noemail@houstondowntownalliance.com — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:00:00 GMT

The HYPA Fire + Ice Gala

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Houston Young People for the Arts plays it cool with a HOT event. . .

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 15, 2008

Contact: Lauren Lovell, PR Representative

713-828-6123, lauren.b.lovell@gmail.com

Heather Pray, Event Coordinator

713-658-8938, heather@downtownhouston.org

HOUSTON, TX. . . Houston Young People for the Arts (HYPA) announces their largest fundraiser of the year, the 3rd annual HYPA Gala: Fire & Ice on Saturday, January 24, 2009 from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight at one of the hottest new venues in downtown, Houston Pavilions. The Fire and Ice Gala will take place on the third level in and around the sky ring and feature performances by musical guest Glasnost, fire dancers from Luminosity, ice sculptures and more! True to form, the HYPA Fire + Ice Gala is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated parties of the year. It's a HOT ticket. . .excuse the pun.

The entertainment choices, from local fire dancers to ice sculptures, speak to the passion and purpose of HYPA and spotlight the artistry present here in Houston. Musical highlights of the evening include DJ Ceeplus Bad Knives and the local indie electronic band Glasnost, known for their unique sound and multi-layer live performances. Featuring both electronic and live instrumentation, buoyant dance beats, layered vocals and the influence of bands such New Order, Glasnost proves a great example of the local talent offered by Houston.

"We're fortunate to live in such a culturally rich city and the synergy between the arts scene and the business community is amazing. I am happy to be part of an organization where we can showcase and support all that is happening in the Houston arts scene and ensure that it continues for many years to come, "says HYPA co-founder Heather Pray. Dedicated to their mission of connecting young professionals to the wealth of local art and artists in Houston, HYPA presents their largest fundraiser of the year with the sponsorship of Houston Pavilions, Houston magazine, McCormick & Schmick's - Houston Pavilions, Stockholm Krystal Vodka, LD Systems, Reprogram Music, Courtesy Valet, Avanti Transportation, Fit Athletic Club, Bikram Yoga Houston, GABE, Robeks Juice, Ice Designs, St. Arnold Brewing Company, Continental Airlines and Advantage BMW. "It's an honor to be working with HYPA on one of the freshest events of the year, a great start for 2009," Says Kim Castillo of Reprogram Music. Karen Mulville, General Manager of Houston Pavilions says "As a new venue, we've been very well received by Houston. We're glad to be able to give back by supporting organizations like HYPA."

Tickets for Houston Downtown Alliance and Houston Young People for the Arts members are $50, $75 for non-members. Each year HYPA also offers an additional ticket package to encourage new participants; for $100 young professionals receive a ticket to the gala and a one year membership to Houston Young People for the Arts. Visit http://www.houstondowntownalliance.com/ or call 713.658.8938 to purchase your tickets.

For more information visit http://www.houstondowntownalliance.com or HYPA's blog at http://www.houstonarts.org.

###

16-Dec-08 4:00 PM

Save up to 50% for 12/19 Houston Rockets vs. Sacramento Kings

Stephen Jones - noemail@houstondowntownalliance.com — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Bring Your Friends Friday, December 19

Houston Rockets vs. Sacramento Kings

Houston Toyota Center

Special offer for Friends & Family of our Houston Rockets Season Ticket Holders and Group Leaders!

Save up to 50% on select sections!

Call: Stephen Jones @ 713-758-7293

Email: stephenj@rocketball.com

Lower Bowl

$75 ($110)

$60 ($75)

$45 ($63)

Upper Bowl

$21 ($42)

$16 ($32)

$12 ($15)

*All tickets subject to availability and price changes. *Special pricing only available through the Houston Rockets Front office.

11-Dec-08 12:00 PM

Street Closures for 9th Annual Latin Grammy Awards

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Closures include: Clay between Austin and La Branch from 7:00 a.m. Sunday, November 9, to 12:00 noon Friday,

November 14; Bell between Jackson and La Branch from 3:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight on Monday, November 10;

Bell between Jackson and La Branch from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight on Tuesday, November 11; La Branch

between Polk and Bell from 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 11, to 12:00 noon Friday, November 14; Bell between

Jackson and La Branch from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight on Wednesday, November 12; Bell between Jackson and

La Branch from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Thursday, November 13; Bell between Hamilton and San Jacinto / Polk at

Avenida de las Americas / La Branch between Lamar and Leeland / Clay between San Jacinto and La Branch /

Jackson, Austin and Chenevert at Leeland / Caroline between Lamar and Bell / Dallas at San Jacinto from 12:00

noon to 12:00 midnight Thursday, November 13; and, La Branch at Polk from 12:00 midnight to 12:00 noon Firday,

November 14, 2008.

Closures include:

Clay between Austin and La Branch from 7:00 a.m. Sunday, November 9 to 12:00 noon Friday, November 14

Bell between Jackson and La Branch from 3:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight on Monday, November 10

Bell between Jackson and La Branch from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight on Tuesday, November 11

La Branch Between Polk and Bell from 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 11 to 12:00 noon Friday, November 14

Bell between Jackson and La Branch from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight on Wednesday, November 12

Bell between Jackson and La Branch from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Thursday, November 13

Bell between Hamilton and San Jacinto / Polk at Avenida de las Americas / La Branch between Lamar and Leeland / Clay between San Jacinto and La Branch / Jackson, Austin and Chenevert at Leeland / Caroline between Lamar and Bell / Dallas at San Jacinto from 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight Thursday, November 13

La Branch at Polk from 12:00 midnight to 12:00 noon Friday, November 14, 2008.

12-Nov-08 12:00 PM

Downtown Holiday Spectacular

Angie Knust Christie Peeler - noemail@houstondowntownalliance.com — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:00:00 GMT

DOWNTOWN DISTRICT DECKS THE HALLS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

WITH NEW FAMILY TRADITIONS

_____________________

Downtown District’s First Annual Holiday Spectacular

Kicks off Thanksgiving Day

HOUSTON – Traditions give a sense of importance to the holidays, and in most cases, they are never outgrown. Many seasonal family traditions focus on community events – a holiday parade, letters to Santa, ice skating or a magical night at the Nutcracker ballet. With the help of various downtown organizations including Discovery Green, the Mayor's Office of Special Events, the City of Houston Entertainment and Facilities Department and others, Downtown District is excited to take these existing traditions and package them with new ones to create the ultimate Holiday Spectacular – one that draws families time and time again during the season, and year after year.

Downtown District’s Holiday Spectacular will kick off with the H-E-B Holiday Parade Thanksgiving Day and continue through December with the Theater District’s merry medley of shows from the Nutcracker to A Christmas Carol; Downtown Aquarium’s Winter Wonderland and Breakfast with Santa; holiday programming at the newly renovated Central Library; and City Hall’s fabulous Holiday Tree. The festive five-week celebration is the first of many to come as this new holiday tradition begins in downtown Houston.

“Traditionally, Downtown Houston has been the main stage for many major city celebrations, and we promise Downtown District’s Holiday Spectacular will be one of the city’s biggest and brightest,” said Bob Eury, executive director, Houston Downtown Management District.

Downtown District’s Holiday Spectacular will bring life to the streets of downtown with two new holiday components located at Main Street Square, downtown’s pedestrian plaza and retail core featuring Macy’s, The Shops at Houston Center and the new Houston Pavilions; and the new urban park, Discovery Green. New holiday décor featuring peppermint sticks, snowflakes and 25 foot festive trees with jeweled red, green and white LED lights will illuminate Main Street Square, as the area bustles with holiday shopping activity while Discovery Green will be transformed into an outdoor wonderland, featuring a 7,200-sq. ft. outdoor ice skating rink on a portion of Kinder Lake with a variety of family-friendly programming including a Christmas Market.

Wrapping all of the holiday happenings into one holiday package, these destinations and others will be connected by two Holiday Trolleys, making it simple for visitors to park once and experience multiple downtown destinations during their visit. Trolley stops will be conveniently located close to parking and marked with holiday-centric signage positioned at the approximately 10 pick up and drop off stops. The trolley service will be FREE to the public and will operate on Friday evenings and all day Saturday and Sunday beginning the day after Thanksgiving and through the end of December.

“We are excited to bring new faces to downtown to experience the existing and new holiday destinations and events,” said Angie Bertinot, director of marketing and communications, Houston Downtown Management District.

What makes Downtown District’s Holiday Spectacular spectacular, is the partnering between the Downtown District and all the downtown destinations in order to make a more dynamic and festive experience for the public—there is truly something for everyone. “Each year, the experience will grow with new concepts and events, becoming the premier annual tradition for Houstonians,” said Bertinot.

Downtown District’s Holiday Spectacular Guide & Trolley Map will be available to the public (in November) and Information on downtown events and happenings throughout the holiday season will be located at www.houstondowntown.com.

About the Houston Downtown Management District

The Houston Downtown Management District (Downtown District) was formed by an act of the Texas Legislature in 1995 and has been in operation since 1996. During this time, downtown has experienced an exciting renaissance and a remarkable economic rebound. Today more Houston residents as well as visitors see downtown as a place to do far more than work—downtown is now a place to live, dine, visit, play, enjoy the arts, worship and learn.

###

3-Nov-08 3:00 PM

After Ike Along Buffalo Bayou

Trudi Smith - noemail@houstondowntownalliance.com — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Dear Bayou Friends:

All of us at Buffalo Bayou Partnership hope you made it through Hurricane Ike safe and well! Our hearts go out to all those affected by this devastating storm.

We want to update you on how Ike affected life along BuffaloBayou:

We appreciate the support of our board members, volunteers, and donors during this time and look forward to seeing you enjoying Buffalo Bayou soon!

We Are All Connected
Buffalo Bayou is a tidal system linked to Galveston Bay. While there was significant flooding due to the tremendous storm surge caused by Hurricane Ike, we are pleased to report Buffalo Bayou performed extremely well during the storm! Our most recent project, Sabine Promenade, showcases BBP’s efforts to improve and redevelop Buffalo Bayou. While there is evidence of Ike’s presence, such as downed trees and debris marking the peak water line, the recent improvements to Buffalo Bayou were designed to handle increased amounts of stormwater. This is evident in before and after pictures, especially in locations like the Hobby Center amphitheater. The water was stored and has been slowly draining into Galveston Bay.

(L) Ruellia plants located along the water’s edge were selected to tolerate substantial floods (R) An image of banks graded back behind the Hobby Center

(L) Downtown view (R) Sabine Street Bridge between Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive

(L) Downtown’s Sabine Street Promenade (R) Sesquicentennial Park in the Theater District

Mighty Tidy
We also want to report that the docked Mighty Tidy skimmer boat capsized during the storm and floated down Buffalo Bayou. The skimmer boat was seen near the Port of Houston and has been retrieved. Because of the extensive water damage, this vessel may have to replaced.

Thank you Mighty Tidy for five years of cleaning efforts along Houston ’s historic waterway.

Clean Up and Volunteer Opportunities
With rain…floatable trash follows. Any trash not disposed of properly makes its way through our streets, storm drains, and eventually dumps into the outfalls located in the 52-mile stretch of Buffalo Bayou, through the Port of Houston, and finally onto the beaches of Galveston.

Please make sure the Houston streets are litter-free for cleaner bayous.

For those who would like to help in our cleanup efforts to ensure litter does not find its way to the beaches of Galveston, the following volunteer opportunities are available:

September 27
October 11, 18, 25
November 8, 22
December 6

All volunteer activities take place on Saturdays. We’ll provide all supplies.
To join us on one of these days and for volunteer information, please contact Jessalyn Ballard, our Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, at jballard@buffalobayou.org or 713.752.0314 ext. 4.

And speaking of cleaning up Houston , here are a few tips for handling Ike’s aftermath:

While the City of Houston resumes regular and heavy trash pick-up today, much of the storm debris removal will be carried out by DRC and other contractors, says Marina Joseph, public information officer for the City of Houston’s Solid Waste Department .

Stack broken tree limbs (8- to 12-foot-long bundles on the curb away from storm drains, which can block drains and contribute to flooding. Do not mix trash with other vegetative debris.

Houston residents can also haul their own vegetative and other storm debris to any of the neighborhood trash depositories from 9 a.m.-7 p.m., seven days a week. You’ll need to show a current utility bill plus your drivers license or a photo I.D. to leave trash. Centers are at:

• Northeast: 5565 Kirkpatrick, 713-675-3208
• Northwest: 6023 Windfern, 713-895-1003
• Southeast: 2240 Central, 713-837-0311
• South: 5100 Sunbeam, 713-738-1936

22-Sep-08 10:00 AM

House of Blues rolls out big-name Houston opening schedule

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Several big-name musicians are scheduled to christen the stage at Houston's House of Blues, which will officially open on Oct. 18.

Los Angeles, Calif.-based Live Nation Inc. (NYSE: LYV), parent company of House of Blues, released a performance line-up Monday that includes concerts by B.B. King, Willie Nelson and The Black Crowes during November.

The grand opening celebration on Oct. 18 will feature The Blues Brothers, with Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi. The VIP event, which includes dinner, hors d’oeuvres and a poster signed by Dan Aykroyd, will be sold through a Ticketmaster auction from Aug. 8 through Aug. 15.

Once the Blues Brothers have broken in the multilevel music hall, All Time Low, TV on the Radio and Los Lonely Boys will be among other acts in October.

House of Blues expects to produce more than 200 live music events each year at the venue, which is located in the Houston Pavilions development downtown, at the corner of Caroline and Dallas streets.

Anthony Nicolaidis, who currently books HOB Dallas, will be heading up the venue’s talent department. Mason Jambon is general manager of the new facility.

5-Aug-08 3:00 PM

Houston: No. 1 to Live, Work and Play

Jane Bennett Clark - noemail@houstondowntownalliance.com — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:00:00 GMT

No. 1: Houston, Texas

By Jane Bennett Clark, Senior Associate Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance

July 2008

COMEBACK KID

Population: 5,542,048
Population Growth Since 2000: 14.9%
Percentage of Workforce in Creative Class: 31.3%
Cost-of-Living Index: 88.1 (100 being national average)
Median Household Income: $50,250
Income Growth Since 2000: 13.1%

It's the city of big plans and no rules, beat-the-heat tunnels and loop-the-loop highways, world-class museums and wiry cowboys, humidity that demands an ice-cold martini and the biggest damn liquor store on the planet. How could you not love Houston?

VIDEO EXTRA:
	Take Our Walking Tour Through Houston

You can hardly afford not to. Back with a roar after the oil bust of the 1980s, Houston has reclaimed its title as energy capital of the U.S. and added aerospace, technology and medical companies to the mix, generating more than 100,000 jobs in 2007. Not only does the Houston metro area lead the nation in job growth, but also its cost of living stands well below the national average. Housing prices run half those of other metro areas its size.

Houston's comeback didn't happen by accident. "Before the energy business returned, the city made the wise decision to invest in its downtown," says Guy Hagstette, who directs Discovery Green, a new 12-acre park in central Houston. Upgrades include an expanded convention center, a new stadium, a spiffed-up Main Street and a light-rail system.

Those improvements attracted couples and empty nesters, as well as Fortune 500 companies. Laura Van Ness, business director of Central Houston Inc., exchanged her 4,400-square-foot suburban house a few years ago for a condo within shouting distance of Houston's museums, theaters, sports venues and restaurants (and Spec's, the world's largest liquor store). She walks to work -- ducking into the pedestrian tunnels on steamy days -- and comes home to a building with a rooftop pool and spectacular views of the skyline. She could cook, but she doesn't. "When I have a party, I take my platter to the Four Seasons Hotel and have them put appetizers on it."

If dinner on a skewer isn't your style, you could settle in Sugar Land, a fast-growing, family-friendly suburb 20 miles southwest of the city. Sugar Land's penchant for planning borders on the prissy compared with Houston's chaotic energy. But for many, that's the appeal. Attractions include solid schools, a strong local economy and an affluent population (average household income is $133,354, more than twice the national average).

As for housing, Sugar Land defines itself by its master-planned communities, each of which mixes homes, retail and recreation. Houses are affordable: $350,000 will buy you a four-bedroom, two-bath home in the attractive Commonwealth development. Socializing revolves around each community's tennis courts, golf course, pool and clubhouse. "Sugar Land is exactly as it sounds," says Theresa Worsham, who lives in the Sugar Creek community with her husband and two sons. "It's a sweet lifestyle."

30-May-08 11:00 AM

St. Joseph Building Gets New Owners

Jennifer Dawson - noemail@houstondowntownalliance.com — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:00:00 GMT

A joint venture between Mission Equities GP LLC and Alex Brown Realty Inc. has purchased the St. Joseph Professional Building, located next to the St. Joseph's Medical Center in downtown Houston.

The buyers picked up the 139,000-square-foot building in March from ORIX Capital Markets LLC. Terms of the deal, which was announced this week, were not disclosed.

The 18-story medical office building at 2000 Crawford was built in 1964. St. Joseph's Medical Center was acquired in 2006 by Hospital Partners of America, which has spent more than $10 million to improve the urban hospital.

Houston-based Mission and Baltimore-based Alex Brown Realty plan to spend $7.8 million to renovate and reposition the medical office building, which is only 54 percent leased. The joint venture will replace the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system; install a sprinkler system; upgrade elevators; and renovate the façade and common areas.

ORIX was represented in the sale by Tim Gregory of Transwestern, which also is the firm that handles leasing for the building. Mission Equities will oversee building management going forward.

Others involved in the deal include Robert LaRue of Live Oak Capital Ltd., which arranged the equity and debt financing; and Whitney National Bank in Houston, which provided the acquisition and redevelopment loan for the project.

9-May-08 12:00 PM

Waste Management and Houston Astros Team Up on Recycling

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Waste Management Inc. and the Houston Astros are teaming up again this summer to promote recycling at Minute Maid Park.

The Houston waste collector is placing eight automatic recycling machines at the park for 20 games beginning April 22 through June 11.

When fans drop in plastic and aluminum beverage containers, the machines will randomly distribute coupons good for prizes including discounts at the Astros store, offers for half-price Astros tickets and other Astros items.

The new recycling option complements the existing 125 recycling containers at the park. So far, fans have recycled 129 tons of aluminum and plastic bottles.

21-Apr-08 2:00 PM

Lone Star Rising

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:00:00 GMT

In 1995, during his senior year at Texas Southern University, a predominantly black school in Houston, accounting major Al Colbert and his cousin, Ja Ja Ball, a TSU senior studying business, hatched a plan to make some money during the January-to-mid-April tax season. They rented an inexpensive storefront in a low-income neighborhood and offered tax-preparation services, specializing in electronic filing and quick refunds for clients. The Colbert/Ball Tax Service handled 270 tax returns the first year. The two natives of Beaumont, Texas, sensed an opportunity and kept the fledgling company going after graduation.

“Our goal,” recalls Colbert, now in his early 30s, was to become “the black H&R Block. We knew that market and felt it would be the right one for us to serve.” The business quickly took off, doubling the returns it prepared the next year and increasing to 1,800 in 1997. By then the company’s main office was in the Astrodome area, with two satellite offices in the city, still catering to a largely black clientele.

“It’s easier to start with people you know,” says Colbert, the company’s chief executive. “These are people who stuck with you in the beginning—they are the base.”

But Colbert and Ball soon realized that Houston’s large Hispanic population might also be a reservoir of unmet demand. The company began targeting Hispanics and indeed found a receptive market of working-class people, often self-employed, making $35,000 to $50,000 a year—just the sort of clients Colbert/ Ball sought.

Today, Hispanics account for more than 30 percent of Colbert/Ball’s business, which has spread far beyond Houston. The company began franchising its operation in 2000 and has since grown to 200 affiliates in 23 states, preparing more than 35,000 returns annually.

“Who would have thought of a black business growing in the Hispanic market?” Colbert says. “But in free enterprise you don’t worry about the color of your customers—you take advantage of opportunities.”

The Opportunity City

An opportunity city with only modest links overseas can certainly grow rapidly, but only an urban center with powerful ties to global commerce is likely to achieve greatness.

Al Colbert’s emphasis on the importance of seizing opportunity would have warmed the hearts of the city’s founders. In an era when many other cities try to position themselves with trendier distinctions (as “smart growth” exemplars or as magnets for high-income households, for instance), Mayor Bill White, a Democrat, is happy for Houston to be known simply as an “opportunity city,” which is a pretty good description of what the place has been since its inception: a venue where people who work hard can get ahead.

That was certainly the attitude of Augustus and John Allen, New York real estate speculators, when they arrived in Texas in the early 1830s and began looking for investment opportunities. In 1836, a few months after the Mexican army was defeated at the battle of San Jacinto and the establishment of the Republic of Texas was assured, the Allens purchased 6,000 acres along the barely populated Buffalo Bayou several miles from the battleground. The brothers resolved to build a city there, and named it after the conflict’s Texan hero, Sam Houston. They drew up a map of the planned city, laying out broad streets with only a very vague notion of who would live there. Then the Allen brothers started selling plots of land in what they billed as the future “great interior commercial emporium of Texas.”

“Interior” was the word that critics might have seized on. The site that the Allens had chosen was 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, spread out on a flat, humid, almost featureless expanse of heavily wooded and soggy ground. The Buffalo Bayou might indeed provide a passageway to the developing Texas midsection, but what was that compared with the assets of trading cities like Laredo and San Antonio—which had commercial histories extending back into the 18th century—or to the already established port of New Orleans farther along the coast? Even Galveston, down the Bayou but on the Gulf, seemed a better candidate for greatness.

It took a certain type of settler to look at a sun-blasted, mosquito-infested flatland far from any major river or port and think: ‘Here is where I’ll make my success.’

First appearances—then and even now—often didn’t help. Early visitors were struck by the settlement’s largely shack-like housing. And in those days, long before air conditioning, there was the Houston weather, which often combined scalding temperatures with soupy humidity. “Heat is so severe during the middle of the day that most of us lie in the shade and pant,” wrote a doctor, Ashbel Smith, in 1838. Yet the Allen brothers had not really chosen so badly. Houston possessed powerful assets. It sat on an enormous fresh-water aquifer, which today guarantees a water supply in a way that other growing cities, such as Phoenix and Las Vegas, can only dream about. The area also abounded in natural resources such as timber and rich soil that was ideal for growing cotton. And when oil drillers hit a gusher in Spindletop, about 90 miles from Houston in East Texas, in 1901, Houston suddenly found itself positioned as the nearest city to some of North America’s richest oil and gas reserves.

None of this, however, adequately explains Houston’s ascendancy. Other cities enjoy better locations for shipping, richer agricultural resources, or similar proximity to oil fields. The answer, I have come to understand as I have worked in Houston as a reporter and consultant, echoes something that the late Soichiro Honda once told me: “More important than gold and diamonds are people.” This critical resource, more than anything, accounts for Houston’s headlong drive toward becoming not only the leading city of Texas and the South, but also a player on the global scene: it is emerging as one of the world’s great cities.

It took a certain type of settler, back in the 1830s, to look at a sun-blasted, humidity-drenched, mosquito-infested flatland far from any major river or port and think: “Here is where I’ll make my success.” That tradition of hopefulness and determination can readily be found in the city to this day. As Rice University sociologist Stephen Klineberg notes, roughly 80 percent of Houstonians, according to his annual local surveys, consistently agree with the proposition that “if they work hard, they can succeed here.”

A major figure in Houston’s civic folklore of hard-charging business leaders is Jesse H. Jones (1874–1956), a towering bull of a man who made his fortune in lumber, real estate, and banking, and whose manner led some—including, reportedly, Franklin Roosevelt, who named him secretary of commerce during World War II—to refer to the big Texan as “Jesus H. Jones.” Believing that determined, even ruthless leadership made the difference between great cities and also-rans, Jones used his political connections to win federal dollars to expand the city’s infrastructure and wartime industries.

‘Heat is so severe during the middle of the day that most of us lie in the shade and pant,’ wrote a doctor in 1838.

Like Chicago’s early leaders, who used influence in Washington (including with Illinois native son Abraham Lincoln) and on Wall Street to steer public works, investment, and vital rail lines through their city, Houston’s patriarchs worked assiduously to create competitive advantages. In the aftermath of the hurricane that devastated Galveston in 1900, for example, Houston’s business elite secured local and federal funds to develop a 50-mile-long ship channel to the Gulf of Mexico. The channel would allow Houston eventually to become the nation’s second-largest port.

Bold opportunism also enabled the city, as America’s space program was getting underway, to snag NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center, beating out more natural candidates such as Los Angeles, with its then-dominant technology base, or Florida, home of Cape Canaveral. The political connections of Senator Lyndon Johnson, the Senate majority leader at the time (and for whom the center would later be renamed), and House Speaker Sam Rayburn played a crucial role winning the terrestrial space race, as did the city’s willingness to ease construction costs for the project, which was completed in 1961.

Most important, Houstonians worked desperately to ensure that their city emerged from the early-1980s oil bust as the undisputed center of the energy industry. Many observers saw the oil bust as a harbinger of Houston’s inevitable decline. And indeed office construction nosedived along with rents, housing prices, and the job market. Yet, looking back, it is clear that Houston turned the oil bust to its advantage.

Using the lure of its relatively inexpensive office space and housing stock, as well as its ties to energy executives and leading engineers, the city attracted firms to locate there. In 1960, Houston was the home of hardly any major energy companies, ranking behind New York, Los Angeles, and even Tulsa; today, 16 large companies make their headquarters there, more than all those cities combined.

Rather than lapsing into a tailspin in the 1980s, Houston continued its rapid growth. A place with fewer than 300,000 people in 1930 is now a mega-region with a population nearing five million. The population of the metropolitan area itself, which did not even rank in the U.S. top 20 in 1940, is today the fourth largest in the country. The 2006 census estimate pegged Houston’s population at 2,144,491, only 700,000 behind third-place Chicago. In 1960, Houston was the home of just one Fortune 500 company; as of 2007, the area has 23. And the city is well positioned to benefit from its important place in the energy industry, a sector of the global economy that is only going to grow in strategic importance in the early 21st century.

What Makes a City Great?

Lauding Houston to urban planners is not much different than extolling red meat at a convention of vegans.

Despite an impressive growth record and positive signs for the future, Houston is hardly regarded by most journalists, academics, and urbanists as anything close to a model for a successful city. Many seem to share the impression expressed by journalist John Gunther in Inside U.S.A. in 1947 when he described Houston as a place “where few people think about anything but money.” Its other negative attributes included being “the nosiest city” in the country, Gunther said, “with a residential section mostly ugly and barren—a city without a single good restaurant.”

Opinions do not seem to have changed much even as Houston has developed a high-tech infrastructure and a spectacular skyline. The New Urbanist guru Andres Duany, whose city planning emphasizes cozy, walkable neighborhoods, seems horrified that Houstonians—driving SUVs across the sprawling distances of the city and its suburbs—appear to regard the galleria shopping center as Houston’s social center. Lauding Houston to urban planners is not much different than extolling red meat at a convention of vegans.

Ultimately, it’s a question of defining what makes a city great. Many city planners today focus largely on aesthetics, the arts, and the perception of being “cool.” Academics and many economic-development experts link urban success to cities’ appeal to the “creative class” of college-educated young people. In this calculus, the traditional practice of gauging a city’s success by studying patterns of population or employment growth, or noting the opportunities available for working-class or middle-class families to flourish, rarely registers as important. One prominent academic, Rutgers University’s Paul Gottlieb, has even offered an elegant formula for what he calls “growth without growth”—focusing on increasing per-capita incomes without expanding either population or employment. Indeed, Gottlieb suggests that successful post-industrial cities might well do best if they actually “minimize” the influx of new people and jobs.

Such an approach may work, at least superficially, in an attractive older city such as Chicago, New York, or Boston, but it’s an unlikely model for most cities in a country where the population is expected to reach 420 million by 2050. Growth-without-growth cities might be great to visit, and they might prove exciting homes for the restless young or the rich, but it is doubtful that they can create the jobs or the housing for more than a small portion of our future urban population. For these and other reasons, the Houston model of the opportunity city—welcoming new jobs and new families—may prove far more relevant to the American future.

‘Growth-without-growth’ cities might be great places to visit, but it is doubtful that they can create jobs or housing for more than a small portion of our future urban population.

Chicago, the great growth city of the late 19th century, whose trajectory most resembles Houston’s, left many early visitors unimpressed. A settlement of barely 350 people in 1835, Chicago mushroomed to a population of 100,000 by 1860. Aesthetically pleasing the city was not; Chicago, a Swedish visitor commented in 1850, was “one of the most miserable and ugly cities” in the United States. But Chicago’s economy barreled ahead, while that of St. Louis, its midwestern rival, stalled. The more genteel St. Louis business establishment, noted the Chicago Tribune in 1868, “wore their pantaloons out sitting and waiting for trade to come to them,” while Chicago’s “wore their shoes out running after it.”

An updated version of that story has been playing out in several cities across the country over the past half-century. The years since World War II have seen the emergence of a new roster of opportunity cities, including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix, Charlotte, San Jose, Las Vegas, and, of course, Houston.

Like New York in the 19th century and the midwestern boomtowns of the early 20th, these cities have been led by aggressive entrepreneurs. They have appealed to newcomers, whether arriving from elsewhere in the country or from abroad, seeking a new start and a better life. Some of the cities have grown by nurturing new industries—Los Angeles with entertainment and aerospace, Las Vegas with gambling, and San Jose with electronics. Others, such as Phoenix, Dallas, Atlanta, and Charlotte, took advantage of their growth to challenge established cities in property development, banking, manufacturing, and other industries.

These cities have redrawn the country’s demographic and corporate maps. In 1950, St. Louis, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh ranked among the nation’s ten largest metropolitan areas; today they have been replaced by Houston, Dallas, and Miami. Equally significant has been the shift in the location of the nation’s largest companies away from the traditional centers of commerce. In 1960, greater New York dominated the corporate world with 140 of the top 500 companies, followed by Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland. New York remains first among equals but now the region is home to barely 60 of the largest firms. In addition to Houston, cities such as Atlanta, Charlotte, and Dallas have also carved out a powerful presence in American business.

In 1950, St. Louis, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh ranked among the nation’s ten largest metropolitan areas. Today they have been replaced by Houston, Dallas, and Miami.

These cities have achieved their success not through “growth without growth” but through the prodigious expansion of both employment and population. Over the past decade, Houston, Phoenix, and Dallas each have matched the employment growth of New York, Boston, San Francisco, and the Silicon Valley area combined. One of the most powerful weapons of opportunity cities in this contest is the growing divergence in costs between them and “superstar” cities. The latter clearly provide somewhat higher wages to professional, financial, and engineering workers. Yet for most people, the vast differences in the cost of living and real estate prices allows professionals working in Phoenix, Charlotte, or Houston to enjoy a considerably higher standard of living.

Over time, these cost differences, as well as the associated continuing shift in employment opportunities, has begun to alter one of the most critical indicators of future economic growth: the flow of educated labor. Indeed, since the late 1990s there has been a rising outflow of workers with postsecondary education from increasingly expensive cities like Boston, New York, and San Francisco and a parallel shift toward more family-friendly, modestly priced metropolitan areas.

The Next Great World City?

Given these trends, it seems likely that the next great American city will emerge from the ranks of the opportunity cities. The ultimate winner will come from those that keep up with the infrastructure needed to accommodate their growth. They also will have to deal with issues of education, crime, and creating a skilled workforce— issues that are important anywhere, of course, but can be particularly challenging in a rapidly growing metropolis.

Perhaps the key factor that will influence the rise of the next great American city is the ability to fit into the global economy. An opportunity city with only modest links overseas can certainly grow rapidly, but only an urban center with powerful ties to global commerce is likely to achieve greatness.

This may be where the case for Houston’s emergence is strongest. From its inception, Houston has been oriented to markets outside the country, first through its exports of timber and cotton and later as a major oil port. Trade and the global connections of the energy industry have also paced the development of internationally minded banks, business-service firms, hotels, and specialized shopping areas. An indicator of Houston’s international reach: it now ranks third among U.S. cities, behind Los Angeles and New York, in the number of consulates located there.

Another of Houston’s advantages is its history of tolerance. In the antebellum period, Houston was home to a large proportion of Texas’s “free people of color.” For decades after the Civil War, blacks certainly suffered the indignities of segregation, but Houston largely avoided the ugly desegregation battles of the 1950s and ’60s (for one reason, business elites realized that such conflict would be bad for economic growth). Perhaps nothing better reflects Houston’s openness to minorities than its willingness to accommodate upwards of 150,000 poor, predominately African-American evacuees from the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina. The massive humanitarian undertaking was largely a joint effort of the city’s African-American churches and its largely white evangelical congregations.

In the future, Houston’s culture of tolerance will no doubt be tested by the challenge of assimilating immigrants. Houston’s traditional racial mix of blacks, whites, and a much smaller Hispanic population has been upended by an immigrant wave that began in earnest after the oil bust of the 1980s. Attracted by low housing prices and economic opportunities, large numbers of immigrants from Mexico, Vietnam, China, India, Nigeria, Venezuela, and other countries swarmed into the city. In the 1990s, Houston’s foreign-born population soared by 94 percent—the biggest increase of any major city. Today the newcomers account for over 21 percent of the population.

To be sure, an entrepreneur like Al Colbert enjoys the city’s diversity—and the staggering array of restaurants, cultural offerings, and shops that it has produced—but above all he sees one thing: more customers. They are people like him, seeking their futures in a city of promise. “The key to success is finding an underserved market, and if you look beyond your own, you will see plenty of people in need of service,” Colbert observes. “You don’t care if the client is black or white, you just go to the people who can get you the revenues. And I don’t think there’s any place better than this place to do it.”

Joel Kotkin is the author of “The City: A Global History” (Modern Library). He is currently writing a book on the American future.

1-Mar-08 11:00 AM