Houston/Downtown



Downtown is the central business district of Houston. It is bounded by the I-10, I-45, and I-69 freeways.

Understand
Downtown is, like many American cities, strictly a 9AM-5PM operation. Most restaurants close after business hours, but there have been some efforts lately to encourage more activity.

If you visit downtown during the day, don't be surprised to see fewer people on the street than a typical city. Most people use an underground walkway system that connects many buildings and food courts.

Just north of the core of downtown, across the Buffalo Bayou, is a warehouse district that has attracted unique music venues, artists, and Oxheart, a popular upscale restaurant. Houston's biggest brewery, St. Arnold's, lies just a mile from the UH-Downtown rail station, but the journey requires crossing a freeway and walking through a sleepy industrial area.

By car
Interstates 10 and 45 link together and form a tight loop around downtown. Many exits are marked as leading to downtown.

By public transit
The METRO Rail light rail has several downtown stops along the red line: Downtown Transit Center, Bell, Main Street Square, Preston, and UH-Downtown. Most of the restaurants and bars are located near Preston and Main Street Square.

By bus
Megabus, Greyhound and the Mexican bus services all have their stations located near the Downtown Transit Center light rail station.

By train
Long-distance Amtrak trains arrive just west of downtown. Services include the daily Texas Eagle route and the thrice-weekly Sunset Limited. Unfortunately, reaching downtown from the station includes crossing some streets with minimal pedestrian facilities.