Come and see how Houston's Main Street         

                                                      has  Changed our City

Traveling down Main Street, past huge sky scrapers, high-rise apartments, and many diversified shops and restaurants, down town resembles a huge melting pot of culture, commerce and  growth.  When researching the unique history of Main Street, it is easy to wonder why this street is central to down town.  Main Street tells us a lot about how our city has grown.  The city of Houston was established on the development of Main Street back in August, 1836, when Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen decided to build a huge commercial emporium for Texas.  They named their empire Houston, after Sam Houston, the first president of the Republic of Texas.

Because Houston was originally designed to be a huge economic advantage for the state of Texas, the Allen brothers wanted a huge street to flow down the center of the town they created.  They wanted this street to be the center of business.  Main Street was designed to be that street.  The Allen brothers began to advertise Houston through newspapers al over America and Europe, as a developing city, with good climate, vegetation and  a place of great opportunity.

Texas, being a southern state, still endorsed the slave system, and blacks were the back bones upon which towns and early developments depended on.  As Houston grew, it began to develop strong commerce.  Houston developed the ship channel, express ways, free ways, and later the interstate highway system.  Along with these developments came better communication networks.  By extending and improving  the mail system, the telegraph and later the telephone, Houston became more attractive and better known, by interested settlers far and near.  With all these improvements, including the discovery of Texas oil, Houston soon flourished into the strong economic commodity, for the state of Texas, as it was planed to.  main Street is soon to be the center of all this economic development. 

As the news of Houston spread, more settlers began to flock to Houston.  Main Street began to house different craft shops, such as black smiths, carpenter shops, barber shops, and a variety of other merchants.  Even restaurant owners settled on Main Street, making it the busiest street in town.  Main Street soon became the central street, from which the rest of down town was drawn

San Jancinto, Fannin, Milam, Travis, Louisiana, and Austin were street added onto down town, that were named to praise the Texas Revolution.  Later, Commerce Street, Congress Ave., Brazos Street, and Franklin were built, and their names were chosen to acknowledge Houston's trade, and affairs concerning the government.  Other streets, such as Carolina, Preston, and LaBranch got their names from states, and officials, who supported Texas as an addition to the United States of America.

Main street, began the center of all growth and expansion in down town Houston, also reflected a lot of cultural growth.  In the area of business, merchants from many different European countries, came to Houston in search of opportunity.  Italians, Germans, and the French, were among the many immigrants who flocked to Houston, and opened new businesses and restaurants.  The new immigrants caused Main Street to grow in its diversity because these immigrants brought their rich culture with them to Houston.

When we look at Main Street today, in many ways it still reflects the uniqueness of its historical beginnings.  There are still many businesses, law firms, banks, convenience stores, and shopping centers surrounding Main Street.  Many people still own their own shops, taverns and dozens of ethnic restaurants.  All of this reflects Main Street's diverse historical background.  Truly, Houston has succeeded in its struggle to become a worthy financial investment for the state of Texas, and Main Street is where it all started.   Down town Houston is responsible for $703 million dollars worth  of commerce to our city.  Over half, $388 million, is acquired through eating and drinking sales, and the remaining 315 million, is attributed to selling down town's general merchandise, such as apparel, furnishings, hardware etc.  By 2005, down town Houston will be filled with new attractions, such as new entertainment centers and stadiums, and hot spots where people party all night long.  Because of these new additions to Houston, as well as, our current attractions, such as the medical center and our prestigious universities, visitation to Houston is expected to increase form 78 million to 92 million.  This will increase down town's net retail worth, form $703 million to $856 million.

Major down town employers have also increased in numbers, expanding the business potential for central Houston.  Companies like Foley's, Chevron and Texaco, have added additional sparks to the fiery success of down town Houston.

Hotels and high rise apartments, like the Travis Tower and Sam Houston Hotel, flood the boarders of Main Street, making the total demographic population down town increase by 2,303, according to statistical data of 2003.  The majority of the population is 34 to 49 years of age, with an average income of about $47,350 a year.

New developments have also added interest to Houston's Main Street.  Camille's Sidewalk Cafe just opened December 31, 2003, on 1000 Main Street, and the night life is getting more flash with the addition of two night clubs, a new bar and a recording studio club, that is due to open sometime this year, 2004.

Main Street Square, just opened this past new year, the night before the Metro rail launched.  This new featured attraction, is a pedestrian plaza, with a reflective pool, civic art displays, a water fall, beautiful landscaping, and night-time light displays.  This three block attraction is located between 900 and 1100 blocks of Main Street.

Currently, down-town's newest and biggest attraction, is its $324 million dollar rail system, which began construction in 2001.  The light rail stretches 7.5 miles from down town Main Street, to the Reliant Stadium.  By 2025, Houston plans to extend the rail line 73 miles, costing the city a total of 11.9 billion dollars.  The rail is expected to carry 33,000 riders a day, which is less than 1% of Houston's population.

The history of Main Street is an interesting one.  This street has grown and expanded into the empire called down town Houston.  Although overly congested and  full of traffic, down town Main Street is still the busiest and now, because of the rail, the most expensive street in Texas.  Hopefully, the rail system is worth its investment to our city.

As Houston continues to grow, its down town legacy continues to expand.  New streets and new developments all flock the down town arena, and Main Street is the center of its beginnings.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tcsp/hstntxdf.htm                               Specially  

                                                                                                For Houston DT !!! Check    

                                                                                                 out hyper link!!!!