The Uptown District in Houston

The Uptown District in Houston was the first district of its kind in the city. The area offers something for both the tourists and locals. Shopping, hotels, and restaurants are the three main streams of revenue that keeps the Uptown District hustling and bustling with urban energy. The Uptown District is also a premier dining area and is home to over one hundred restaurants. The variety of casual and fine dining the district offers brands it as the top spot in Houston for general entertainment. The district is located west of downtown near the prestigious Post Oak Boulevard.

Shopping and high-end fashion contribute to the local economy of the Uptown District. Designer boutiques and trendy shopping areas draw in crowds to the Uptown District on a daily basis. An estimated 200,000 people visit the Uptown area to shop each day. On an annual basis, 22 million visitors come to the area to tour or shop. The main shopping center in the Uptown area is the Houston Galleria, it has nearly four hundred stores that can offer consumers almost anything they want or need during a shopping trip. The Houston Galleria is considered the most upscale shopping district in Houston and contributes greatly to the prominent image the Uptown District wishes to portray. Although shopping contributes greatly to the popularity of the Uptown District among tourists and locals; it should be noted there are 2,000 commercial businesses in the area that represent a diverse range of corporate entities.

What many truly admire about the Uptown District and the entire city of Houston for that matter is the area's diversity. Although the Uptown District is prestigious, it's not regulated to housing those of upper-class status. People from all backgrounds and social classes live in the area together and are able to do so because of the broad housing options available in the Uptown District. Historical and Modern homes, condos, high-rises and apartments fit a diverse range of housing needs to the 30,000 residents who live in the area. Housing cost in the area start at about $20,000 and can exceed several million. Rental costs in the area can start at a few hundred dollars each month to tens of thousands on a monthly basis depending on location and size factors.

The Uptown District has its own neighborhood association called the Uptown District Organization. It was formed in 1987 with the goal and purpose of transforming Uptown Houston into an urban oasis of amenities. Developers of the area wanted a cosmopolitan environment that would attract both families and single professionals. Today, the Uptown District is considered one of the greatest urban centers in the world and the organization that has contributed to the Uptown area have achieved their goal of reaching international prominence.

In order to maintain the international prominence the Uptown district has achieved, the organization has the goal of renovating and maintaining old buildings, keeping the area clean and beautiful, increasing the number of parks and public benches, and reducing traffic in the area so that people can maneuver around Uptown without congestion.