The dynamics of Downtown Houston have changed considerably since 1998, thanks to some major new developments along with the restoration and revitalization of older buildings into residential properties, entertainment venues and imaginative workspaces. All of this has created an exciting and livable environment and drawn more and more people into the area.

During the 1980s, Downtown Houston's resident population increased from approximately 1,200 to 1,400. By 2001, the downtown area had added almost another 1,000 urban dwellers specifically due to loft renovation projects. Currently there are over 2,500 housing units in Downtown and projections are that Downtown Houston will grow by an even faster rate than in the past. By 2005, it is expected that there will be 3,201 housing units accommodating an estimated 4,645 people with a phenomenal 15% annualized growth rate. In a separate survey by The Brookings Institution Center on Urban Metropolitan Policy and the Fannie Mae Foundation (November 1998) , Houston's Downtown residential population was expected to quadruple by 2010, rising from 2,374 to 9,574. That increase is the largest projected among the 24 cities in their survey.

Downtown offers a wide variety of lifestyle options with loft and traditional high-rise condominium residences for purchase and for lease. Several developers have restored or are converting older, historic buildings such as the Bayou Lofts, Capitol Lofts, Commerce Towers, Franklin Lofts, Hermann Lofts, Keystone Lofts and San Jacinto Lofts Downtown, and projects such as Villa Serena and W. Webster Lofts in Midtown. On the popular East Side, an area formerly occupied by warehouses, developers are converting projects like Live Oak Lofts or building new projects such as The Stanford and Lofts at The Ballpark.

The central location and simplicity of high-rise and loft living remains a favorite choice for urban professionals, empty nesters, traveling families, reverse commuters and executives searching for the security, low-maintenance, and uncomplicated existence that it offers. These projects tend to be priced for the mid to upper income level range. Loft prices vary from approximately $150,000 to penthouses over $2,000,000. On a per square foot basis, Downtown sales prices averaged $181 per square foot in 2002, while current sales for the first quarter of 2003 averaged nearly $204 per square foot. Rents vary from $1.00 to $1.54 per square foot per month with some rising to $2.00 per square foot.

downtown Houston parkHouston's vibrant Theater District, a 17-block area in the heart of Downtown, is home to eight world-class performing arts organizations, as well as a 130,000 square foot entertainment complex with concert hall, restaurants, movies, plazas and parks. Downtown also includes several new hotels, two sports arena, a thriving convention center that is undergoing a two-block expansion, over 200 restaurants and clubs, shopping and entertainment. Clearly, for many Downtown Houston is THE place to be.