1. Houston is Texas’ largest city
That’s right, Dallas. At 665 square miles, and with over 2.3 million people in the area, Houston is the largest city geographically and by population.
Wikimedia/ via Hequals2henry
2. Houston is the 4th largest city in America.
By population, according to 2020 data.
3. Beyonce was born and raised in Houston, Texas.
All hail Queen Bey.
4. Hilary Duff was born and raised in Katy, which is right outside of Houston.
5. Houston was rated the number 1 best city to live in by Business Insider in 2014.
6. Houston is home to some of the biggest names in rap.
Bun B, Slim Thug, Z-Ro, Pimp C, to name a few. Bun B is also a lecturer at Rice University.
7. The current mayor, Annise Parker, is an out lesbian.
Despite general stereotypes that Houston and Texas cringe at the thought of anything progressive, Annise Parker, whose been elected mayor three times, has openly claimed her sexuality and is a strong proponent of equal rights.
8. Houstonians don’t ride horses to work and school every day.
In fact, Houston has a complex freeway system that will probably confuse you for the first 6 months of being there.
9. Academy Award-winning director, writer and producer, Wes Anderson, was born in Houston.
Anderson wrote, directed and produced “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “The Fantastic Mr. Fox,” and “The Darjeeling Limited,” to name a few.
10. Houston has one of the best cancer treatment centers in the nation.
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is number 2 on U.S. News’s Best Hospitals for Adult Cancer Rankings.
11. Yao Ming owns a Chinese restaurant in Houston.
The restaurant serves Chinese cuisine and houses Yao Ming memorabilia.
12. Houston was once Texas’ state capital.
One of six others, but still.
13. Houston houses more publicly traded companies than any other city in the U.S. except for New York.
Basically, according to Forbes, we’re badasses.
14. Houston’s rodeo is NOT just a bunch of horses and lassos.
Although, that’s definitely part of it. Houston is home to the largest livestock and rodeo show in the world, packed with a huge carnival with roller coasters and rides, every fried food you can possibly imagine, and football stadium-packed concerts with performances from the likes of Maroon 5, Bon Jovi, Mary J. Blige, Jackson Five, Destiny’s Child and more. This year, you can catch Ariana Grande, Miranda Lambert, John Legend, Luke Bryan andmore.
15. Houston has the largest medical center in the world.
It’s called the Texas Medical Center, and takes up 21 million square feet.
16. Oscar nominee and director of “Boyhood,” Richard Linklater, was born in Houston.
Much of “Boyhood” took place in Houston, and the film also received the award for Best Motion Picture at the Golden Globes this year.
17. Nasa headquarters is located in Houston.
You know … “Houston, we have a problem.”
18. Houston houses an extensive bar scene all throughout the city.
From Midtown, to Montrose, to Downtown and the Heights, there are so many places you can go.
19. Miller Outdoor Theatre, located in the Museum Districts, has free showings of plays, musicals, movies, and more.
The grassy amphitheater located right next to the scenic Hermann Park exhibits musicals like “Legally Blonde: the Musical” and generally has free showings every Friday during the summer. See their full schedule here.
20. Houston’s unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the nation.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in December 2014, Houston has an unemployment rate of 4.1%.
21. Houston is a foodie utopia.
Houston is home to a plethora of diverse, award-winning restaurants.
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