"As a teaching university, we have a commitment to medical student and resident physician education."
Susan M. Ramin, M.D.
Professor and Emma Sue Hightower Chairman
Life in Houston
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the U.S. (population 2 million), located 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, 240 miles from Dallas and 200 miles from San Antonio. Houston Intercontinental Airport (a Continental Airlines hub) is located 22 miles north of Downtown and Hobby Airport (a Southwest Airlines hub) is located 11 miles southeast of Downtown. Weather in the spring and fall is perfect (80s during the day, 60s at night). The summer is hot and humid (but air conditioning is ubiquitous) and the winters are mild (low temperatures in the 50s for the most part). The Texas Medical Center is the world’s largest medical complex, situated on 675 acres and housing 42 institutions and 13 patient care facilities. Housing in the area is affordable ($ 700 - $800 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1200 – 1500 for a two bedroom house) and there are no state taxes. Apart from the UT Health Science Center, there are several other institutions of higher education in the area, including Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, the University of Houston, Houston Baptist University, St. Thomas University and the Texas Southern University and School of Law.
Sports and Recreation:
The Houston Astros play at the beautiful Minute Maid Field featuring a retractable roof, views of the downtown skyline and easy access to the nightlife of downtown. The two-time NBA champion Houston Rockets and the forever-WNBA champion Houston Comets play in the Compaq center along with the International Hockey Leagues’ 1999 champion Houston Aeros. The NFL will be coming back to the city with the Houston Texans opening a brand new Reliant Energy stadium in the Astrodome complex. Some of the myriad of public parks in the area include Bay Area Park located south on Interstate 45 that has baseball and soccer fields, tennis courts and a boat ramp on Taylor lake. Armand Bayou Nature Center and the Bay Area Hike and Bike Trail are adjacent to the park. Brazos Bend State Park, an hour south of Houston has a wide variety of plants, birds and alligators and one of the largest public telescopes in the US. Buffalo Bayou park, Braes Bayou and Cullen Park offer miles of trails for walking, jogging, cycling and in-line skating. There are several public golf courses that are open year round and numerous boating opportunities in the area.
Museum District:
Within a mile of Memorial Hermann Hospital are11 museums including the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, the Contemporary Arts Museum, The Children’s Museum of Houston, The Museum of Natural Science (housing an IMAX theater, Planetarium and Cockerell Butterfly Center), The Houston Museum of Health Science and the Holocaust Museum. The museums are usually not very crowded, admission is generally very reasonable, and the exhibits change frequently and are well displayed. The Houston Zoo is located in Hermann Park, adjacent to Memorial Hermann Hospital. It houses a broad array of animals, a newly renovated Tropical Bird house and primate area and newly constructed interactive children’s zoo.
Cultural Activities:
Houston is one of only five cities in the US with permanent ballet, opera, symphony and theater companies. Only New York City has more seats concentrated in one geographic area (and the tickets here are more affordable and obtainable!). The local Alley Theater recently won a Tony award. Bayou Place recently opened in the 17-block Theater District and offers dining, live music, billiards and a multiplex cinema. The new Hobby Center, located downtown is home to the Houston Broadway Series.
Shopping and Restaurants:
The Galleria is anchored by Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Lord and Taylor and Sak’s Fifth Avenue and has a large indoor skating rink. There are hundreds of stores and restaurants in this mall that is one of more than 30 malls in the Houston area. There are many smaller shopping areas with more personality, including Rice Village (5 minutes from the Texas Medical Center), Highland Village (with many upscale stores, boutiques and restaurants), and antiques and craft stores in the Upper Kirby District, Heights, and Montrose area. There are numerous factory outlets in the area and Old Town Spring offers antiques, art galleries and unique shops north of Houston. Eating out is a huge local pastime! There are hundreds of fabulous restaurants featuring every possible imaginable type of cuisine in this city that likes to eat out more often than any other in the country, after New York. Again, they are much more affordable and accessible than New York, and tend to be less formal.
Johnson Space Center: The five story, 183,000 square foot Space Center Houston opened in 1992 adjacent to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in the Clear Lake area, 25 miles from Houston. Clear Lake has one of the largest concentrations of recreational boats in the US, a pleasant boardwalk and great seafood.
Galveston: Galveston Island, in the Gulf of Mexico, is 50 miles from Houston and the beaches are usually ten degrees cooler than the city. Moody Gardens in Galveston has acres of gardens, a Rainforest Pyramid, a brand new Aquarium, Discovery Museum, 3-D Imax theater and Palm Beach recreation area.
Special events:
Ask us about the Texas Renaissance Festival, Wings over Houston Airshow, Dickens on the Strand Christmas Festival, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and the Outdoor Iceskating Plaza. There are also numerous international festivals, reflecting the multicultural nature of the city (including the Houston International Festival, Greek Festival, Chicano festival and the Chinese New Year Celebrations to name a few).
