Inner Loop (Inside the loop generally encompasses the Central business district and the “island cities” of West University Place (West U.), Southside Place and a portion of Bellaire. “Island cities” refers to the City of Houston’s practice of annexing around the existing boundaries of incorporated municipalities. Other “island cities” include the Memorial Villages — Bunker Hill Village, Hedwig Village, Hilshire Village, Hunters Creek Village, Piney Point Village, and Spring Valley Village. Excerpted from Wikipedia)
Downtown – (zip codes 77002)
DOWNTOWN began its renewal in the mid-1990s, and since then, almost $4 billion of buildings, parks and infrastructure have been completed. We are now entering a new and amazing era of development, as it takes advantage of previous investment and foresee some $3 billion more of upcoming projects. Recently completed developments include One Park Place, a 346-unit high rise apartment building overlooking Discovery Green, a two-year-old 12-acre park; and Houston Pavilions, a $170 million mixed-use entertainment, retail and office complex. Projects under construction include MainPlace, a 47-story, one million square-foot office tower by Hines; Hess Tower, a 29-story, 844,763 square-foot office tower by Trammell Crow; the new Houston Ballet building; and a new YMCA
Heights – (zip code 77008)
The Houston Heights, one of the earliest planned communities in Texas, is located 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Downtown Houston. A National Geographic article says “stroll the area’s broad, tree-canopied esplanades and side streets dotted with homes dating from the early 1900s and you may think you’ve landed in a small town.”
(http://www.visithoustontexas.com/travel-tools/houston-neighborhoods/medical-center-nrg-park/)
The Texas Medical Center started with a dream to create a medical center, where people from all walks of life could have access to the best health care anywhere – whether they were rich, poor, famous, alone, young, or old. Sixty-five years since that dream originated, it has been realized many times over. The 49 institutions of the Texas Medical Center each exist to serve all of mankind. On any given day, one can find people from every social circumstance and many of the world’s nations seeking treatment at the center’s renowned institutions.
Montrose – (zip code 77006)
(http://montrosedistrict.org/)
Montrose is a residential neighborhood located in the Near town area of Houston, Texas, USA.[1][2] Established in 1911, the neighborhood is a demographically diverse area with renovated mansions, bungalows with wide porches, and cottages located along tree-lined boulevards. Montrose is one of the more pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods in Houston
Museum District – (zip codes 77030)
The Museum District comprises more than 16 institutions, Hermann Park, the Houston Zoo and the Miller Outdoor Theatre. It is one of the most visited museum districts in the country
River Oaks and the Galleria – (zip code 77019, Galleria 77056)
An affluent community located in the geographic center of Houston, Texas, United States. Located within the 610 Loop and between Downtown and Uptown, the community spans 1,100 acres (450 ha).[1] Established in the 1920s by brothers William and Michael Hogg, the community became a well-publicized national model for community planning. River Oaks is considered to be one of the wealthiest communities in Texas and has one of the wealthiest zip codes in the United States. The community is home to River Oaks Country Club which includes a golf facility designed by architect Donald Ross. With a median home value of $1.5 million – and a number of houses worth many times more – this fabled expanse of oak-shaded lawns and jaw-dropping mansions ranks among the most luxurious in Texas, if not the United States. Some of the city’s richest and most prominent characters have called River Oaks home since it was founded in the 1920s around a country club that shares its name. Just across I-610, the Galleria provides the well-to-do a huge, air-conditioned mall that manages to retain the feel of a high-end shopping district.
West University Place (aka West U) – (zip code 77005)
West University Place, often called West University or West U for short, is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area and southwestern Harris County, Texas, United States.[3] As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population of the city was 14,211. The city is nicknamed “The Neighborhood City” and the city is mainly a bedroom community for upper-middle class families. West University Place is completely surrounded by the city of Houston. The United States Postal Service even uses “Houston” as the city designation for all West University Place addresses, although the actual name of “West University Place” is also acceptable. As of 2000, West University Place is the 8th wealthiest location in Texas by per capita income. West University continues to develop as one of the most desirable and affluent parts of the Houston area. Almost all streets in West University Place are allusions to universities, colleges, and poets throughout the United States and the world.