You could spend a lifetime in Houston and still not experience everything this city has to offer! From world-class museums and theaters to family-friendly entertainment, you'll find what you're looking for in Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States of America and the largest in the state of Texas. The city has a population of over 2 million people from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and a large and growing international community. Houston is multicultural in part because of its many academic institutions and strong industries as well as being a major port city. Over 90 languages are spoken here. Rated as a global city, Houston's economy has a broad industrial base in energy, manufacturing, aeronautics, and transportation. It is also leading in health care sector. Only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters.

Recreation: Houston is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits, which attract more than 7 million visitors a year to the Museum District. There is a thriving visual and performing arts scene in the Theater District, offering year-round resident companies in all major performing arts and attracting many touring Broadway acts, concerts, shows and exhibitions. In addition, a 17-block area in the center of downtown is home to the Bayou Place entertainment complex, filled with restaurants, movies, plazas, and parks. If that's not enough, there's always the beach! Less than an hour's easy drive from Houston you'll find beautiful beaches that are great for running, swimming, surfing and more. 

Education: Seventeen school districts exist within the city of Houston. The Houston Independent School District (HISD) has 112 campuses that serve as magnet or vanguard schools—specializing in such disciplines as health professions, visual and performing arts, and the sciences. There are also many charter schools that are run separately from school districts. In addition, some public school districts also have their own charter schools. The Houston area encompasses more than 300 private schools, many of which are accredited by Texas Private School Accreditation Commission recognized agencies. The Houston Area Independent Schools offer education from a variety of different religious as well as secular viewpoints. The Houston area Catholic schools are operated by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. There are four separate and distinct state universities in Houston: University of Houston, University of Houston–Clear Lake, University of Houston–Downtown, and Texas Southern University. In addition, there are several private institutions of higher learning, from smaller liberal arts colleges to Rice University, widely recognized as one of the top twenty universities in the nation. Three community college districts exist with campuses in and around Houston, as well, two of which are within the 10 largest institutions of higher learning in the United States.