Midtown - Trendy and Pedestrian Friendly in Houston

Horizontal image showing a Houston, Texas, Metro, passenger train going through an intersection. Office buildings, street lights, cars and a bricked road surface are all part of this scene

The Midtown Neighborhood in Houston is a lesson in redevelopment. Since the beginning of the 20th century, it has morphed from a thriving residential neighborhood to a thriving commercial district and now it is a popular mixed-use neighborhood.

Sometimes called "Little Saigon'' because it once was home to a large Asian population, Midtown is now occupied by young professionals and families who enjoy the convenience of the neighborhood. Many residents enjoy the active lifestyle that is promoted by the walk-or-bike-everywhere philosophy.

In the early 1900's, Midtown became the second residential neighborhood in Houston. Most of those who lived in Midtown were the families of those who had founded the Humble Oil and Refinery Company. With a decline in oil production later in the century, the neighborhood began to decline as well .

A walk through Midtown today, however, would leave a visitor in doubt that it was ever anything but a hip and thriving community. There are modest apartments and luxury condos in Midtown. There are also abundant dining choices as well as shopping.

Thanks to the Midtown Redevelopment Authority, the neighborhood continues to be improved upon and beautified through projects such as the addition of sidewalks, streetlights, a park and even a technology center.

Additional improvement projects are completed by the Midtown Management District, which collects an assessment from both residential and commercial residents and uses those funds for marketing, public safety and service and maintenance projects. Some of the projects completed by this group include the purchase of bikes for use by the police department, opening a storefront police precinct in the neighborhood, the addition of street signs as well as several marketing efforts aimed at improving the image of the Midtown neighborhood.

One of those marketing efforts was the creation of a Midtown newspaper, appropriately titled "The Midtown Paper.'' The paper allows for the distribution of positive news about the area and provides a venue for local businesses to advertise directly to their target audience of Midtown residents.

Because of the neighborhoods close proximity to Houston's medical centers and the financial district as well as all of the amenities that are within walking distance, many Midtown residents rarely need to drive. When residents do need to leave Midtown, there is an excellent public transportation system in place as well as easy access to the interstate .

For many Houston residents, Midtown offers the best of both worlds: a close-knit community with big city amenities.