Getting Oriented

Getting Oriented

Viewed from above, Houston resembles a dartboard: a series of concentric rings (highways) spreading out from the bull's eye, downtown. Since the city spreads—OK, sprawls—far and wide, encompassing an area of more than 600 square mi, your best game plan is to rent a car, get a map, and prepare for some exciting freeway driving.

The main thing to remember is that most locations can be characterized as being "In the Loop" or "Outside the Loop," the Loop being I-610, the highway that encircles the inner part of the city. (Not to be confused with "the Beltway," a larger loop highway that rings Houston near George Bush Intercontinental Airport.) Radiating out from the city's center are I-10, heading east to Louisiana and west to San Antonio; U.S. 59, heading northeast to Longview or southwest to Victoria; and I-45, heading southeast to Galveston or north to Dallas.

Houston & Galveston Top 5

World-class Art. Houston is home to eclectic institutions like the Menil Collection, the Rothko Chapel, and world-famous Museum of Fine Arts, as well as off-the-wall places like the Art Car Museum and the kitschy Orange Show.

Sports Lovers' Paradise. Root for any number of home teams. Major League Baseball's Astros, the National Basketball Association's Rockets, the National Football League's Texans, the American Hockey League's Aeros, the WNBA's Comets, and Major League Soccer's Dynamo are all here.

Black-belt Shopping. Houston's famed Galleria—with a Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Cartier, Chanel, YSL, Louis Vuitton, and an indoor-skating rink—draws affluent shoppers from all over the world.

Affordable International Dining. Houston's best-kept secret is that it's one of America's best dining cities. Korean barbecue? Check. Texas Barbecue? Check. You'll find pretty much every cuisine imaginable in the Bayou City, without pretense and at a great price.

Parks & Trees. Skyscrapers loom in the distance, yet the natural beauty along Allen Parkway reminds you that Houston was built along a wild bayou. Green spaces flourish in all corners of the city. The two crown jewels are Memorial Park and Hermann Park.