The six miles of tunnels under downtown Houston
Downtown Houston’s pedestrian tunnel system links about 95 blocks of office buildings. Its food courts and shops serve office workers on weekdays.
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The Astrodome is still standing, and still waiting
The first domed stadium opened in 1965. Since the Oilers and Astros left, Harris County has debated what to do with it.
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Lightnin’ Hopkins, the Third Ward bluesman who recorded hundreds of songs
Sam “Lightnin'” Hopkins came to Houston from the East Texas countryside and played the blues along Dowling Street for decades.
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Saint Arnold, the oldest craft brewery in Texas, and the laws it fought
Brock Wagner and Kevin Bartol started Saint Arnold in 1994. The brewery later pushed to change Texas laws on taproom sales.
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James Coney Island has been selling hot dogs in Houston since 1923
Greek immigrant brothers James and Tom Papadakis opened James Coney Island downtown in 1923. The chain is a Houston institution.
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Shipley Do-Nuts started on a Houston street corner in 1936
Lawrence Shipley Sr. began selling doughnuts in Houston in 1936. The family business grew into a chain of hundreds of stores.
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George H.W. Bush’s Houston years, from oil to Congress
George H.W. Bush moved his offshore drilling company to Houston in 1959. The city launched his political career and was his home after the presidency.
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Gallery Furniture and the Houston store that doubles as a shelter
Jim McIngvale opened Gallery Furniture on the North Freeway in 1981. His TV ads made him famous; his storm shelters made him a local hero.
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A.J. Foyt learned racing in his father’s Houston garage
A.J. Foyt grew up in Houston, won the Indianapolis 500 four times and remains one of the most versatile drivers in racing history.
