Bay Area Houston | |
|---|---|
Region | |
 Kemah boardwalk and marina | |
 Location of Bay Area within Texas | |
| Country | United States of America |
| State | Texas |
| Metro Area | Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land |
| Named after | Galveston Bay |
| Largest city | Pasadena |
| Other cities | List
|
| Population | |
• Estimate (2000-2008) | 566,850 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Website | www.bayareahouston.com |
TheGalveston Bay Area, also known asBay Area Houston or simply theBay Area,[2][3] is a region that surrounds theGalveston Bay estuary ofSoutheast Texas in the United States, withinHouston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. Normally the term refers to the mainland communities around the bay and excludesGalveston as well as most ofHouston.
Originally part of the pirate kingdom ofJean Lafitte, this area played a role in the earlyhistory of Texas having been the site of someearly rebellions againstMexican rule and the site of thevictory of the Texas army over the Mexican army during theTexas Revolution. Ranching interests became early economic drivers around the bay. As the nearby cities of Galveston and Houston developed as commercial centers, the Bay Area communities became part of a principal commercial corridor between the cities.
The Bay Area is also the location ofNASA'sLyndon B. Johnson Space Center which houses theChristopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center. The City of Houston's official nickname as "Space City" is derived from this. In addition, a large tourist attraction for area visitors isSpace Center Houston.
The landscape around the bay features a mix ofswamps,beaches, industrial facilities, tourist attractions, and historic sites. The area's developing population is ethnically diverse with a growing international community. The communities host cultural events ranging fromballet andmusical theater tofairs androdeos. The bay itself supports acommercial fishing industry and features one of the highest concentrations ofmarinas in the nation. On land the area holds numerous historic sites such as theSan Jacinto Monument, and many parks andnature preserves such as theArmand Bayou Nature Center.
The shores of Galveston Bay are home to many different municipalities and communities. The region is part of the largerHouston–Sugar Land–Baytown Metropolitan Area. Though the termBay Area in its broadest sense refers to all communities near the shoreline, some sources, such as the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP), use more limited definitions, often referring more specifically to the clusters of communities nearest to Houston.[4][5][6][7][3][8]
The following communities lie on the shores of Galveston Bay proper andTrinity Bay, the two main components of the Galveston Bay complex (excluding those along theGulf of Mexico):
The BAHEP and theClear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (CLACC) include the following additional communities in their membership:
Some additional communities such asLa Marque, adjacent to Texas City, are treated as bayside communities by some sources.[10]
The Bay Area can be sub-divided based on the histories and economic connections of the different communities.
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Prior to European settlement the area around Galveston Bay was settled by theKarankawa andAtakapan tribes, who lived throughout theGulf coast region.Spanish explorers such as the Rivas-Iriarte expedition and José Antonio de Evia charted the bay and gave it its name.[24] In 1816 thepirateLouis-Michel Aury established a settlement on Galveston Island but was soon succeeded by the pirate Jean Lafitte. Lafitte transformed Galveston and the bay into a pirate kingdom establishing bases and hide-outs at locations such as Trinity Bay, Clear Lake, and Eagle Point.[25] In 1821, however, theUnited States Navy ousted Lafitte and the colony was largely abandoned.[26]
Following itsdeclaration of independence fromSpain the new nation ofMexico moved to colonize its northern territory of Texas by offeringland grants to settlers both from within Mexico and from the nearby United States.[27] Small settlements such asLynchburg and San Jacinto were gradually established around the bay and in 1830 Mexican authorities created a customs and garrison post atAnahuac commanded byJuan Davis Bradburn.[28] Conflicts between Bradburn and the settlers in the region led to theAnahuac Disturbances, a prelude to the largerTexas Revolution that was to come. Following a coup in the Mexican government many freedoms previously enjoyed by the Texans were revoked causing Texas to revolt anddeclare its independence in 1835. After a number of battles theTexas army, under the leadership of GeneralSam Houston, finally defeated theMexican Army in theBattle of San Jacinto, near modern Pasadena.[29]
The new Republic of Texas grew rapidly. The shores of the bay were initially mostly home to farms and ranches such as the famedAllen Ranch.[30] New communities such as Goose Creek (modern Baytown) were established.[31]
Texas succeeded in its bid to join the United States in 1845 which helped launch theMexican–American War. Texas' annexation brought more people to Texas and ranching interests around the bay began to grow. Throughout the 19th century Galveston remained Texas' dominant metropolis and the communities around the bay were strongly tied economically and culturally to the city though, as Houston began to develop, so did the Bay Area's ties to it. The construction of the Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railroad further spurred growth in the area.[32][33]
During theAmerican Civil War, during which Texasseceded from the United States, the area served a limited role in the conflict as new fortifications like Fort Chambers, near Anahuac, were constructed to ward off a mainland invasion by Union forces and to protect supply routes to and from Galveston. The Bay Area sat in the middle of the conflict as the most important battles in Texas occurred at Galveston with the conflict moving through the area on to Harrisburg and Houston after Galveston's fall.[34]
In the aftermath of the war the Texas economy declined for a period. Nevertheless, ranching interests became major economic drivers in the area spawning many other economic enterprises such as hide processing plants and shipping concerns.[30][35] The success of these enterprises and the growth of Galveston as one of the prime commercial centers in theSouth andSouthwest helped promote the construction of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway; and the La Porte, Houston and Northern Railroad through the area over the course of the 19th century. These railroads running along the southwest shore of the bay would spawn new communities such as Clear Creek (League City), Webster, and later Texas City.[33][20] Some of these new communities would develop initially as stop-over points for travelers on the rail lines. Toward the end of the century, as ranching's profitability declined, many communities turned increasingly to agriculture.[33] The farming community ofPasadena was established during this time.
TheGalveston Hurricane of 1900 devastated the city of Galveston and heavily damaged communities around the bay (according to some estimates the Bay Area death toll may have been as high as 2000).[36] Bridges between Galveston and the mainland were destroyed.[37] Communities along the shoreline declined for some time as economic growth moved inland and Houston became the dominant economic center in the region. The region received a population boost from some Galveston refugees who relocated to the mainland following the catastrophe.[38][39]
The sparsely populated Bay Area transformed during the 20th century. Following the hurricane, donations by the newly establishedRed Cross helped revive area farming communities.[13] The newly established community of Texas City opened its port and railroad junctions shipping cotton and grain.[40] Commercial fishing, particularly foroysters andshrimp, grew as a significant area industry.[41]
In the early 1900s theGoose Creek Oil Field was discovered launching an oil boom at Galveston Bay.[42] In 1915 Goose Creek acquired the first offshore oil drilling site in the state and soon after refineries opened in Texas City, Baytown and Pasadena.[13][43] TheHumble Oil refinery in Baytown became the largest in the Houston area.[44] The wealth brought on by the boom transformed the region and population surged.[45] Manufacturing and refining expanded rapidly.[46] During theRoaring 20s, tourism and resort communities developed around Clear Lake and the bay shoreline in communities such asMorgan's Point,Seabrook,Kemah.[47][48]
TheWorld Wars created new manufacturing opportunities for factories around the bay and the area's population grew even faster than Houston.[49]Ellington Air Force Base was built becoming a major air field and flight training center during the wars.[50]
After the war area economic diversification brought on by the war effort helped in the transition to a peacetime economy.NASA's Johnson Space Center was established in 1963 helping to spur explosive growth in the mid-20th century, especially the 1970s and 1980s. The remainder of the communities on the southwestern shoreurbanized and development connected the area to Houston.[35][46] Tourism and recreation re-emerged and blossomed particularly around the Clear Lake area and the nearby shoreline.[51]
Hurricane Ike struck the Bay Area in 2008 causing substantial damage both environmentally and economically, the most destructive event since 1900.[52] As of 2009[update] a proposal to build a levee system, theIke Dike, to protect the bay is under discussion.[53]
The Galveston Bay Area is located on thegulf coastal plain, and its vegetation is classified as temperate grassland andmarshes. The municipalities have been built on reclaimed marshes,swamps, andprairies, which are all still visible in undeveloped areas.[54] Flatness of the local terrain and proximity to the Bay and theGulf have made flooding a recurring problem for the area.[55] The region once relied ongroundwater for its needs, but landsubsidence has forced much of the region to turn to ground-level water sources.[56]
The land beneath the Bay Area consists of layers of sand and clay to great depths. These layers were created by millennia of river-bornesediments which gradually incorporated plant and animal matter creating thepetroleum deposits for which theGulf Coast is known.[57]
The region has numerousfaults, many considered active, but none has produced significant earthquakes in recorded history.[58] These faults tend to move at a smooth rate in what is termedfault creep, which reduces the risk of an earthquake.[56]
Galveston Bay is anestuary along the Texas Gulf Coast.[59] The bay as a whole is composed of four majorsub-bays: Galveston Bay proper,Trinity Bay,East Bay, and West Bay.[60] Other smaller bays and lakes connecting to this complex of waterways in the Bay Area include San Jacinto Bay, Burnet Bay, Scott Bay, Crystal Bay, Goose Lake, Clear Lake, Dickinson Bay, and Moses Lake.[61][62]
Galveston Bay is mostly shallow with an average depth of 7–9 feet. It is fed by theTrinity River and theSan Jacinto River, numerous localbayous and incomingtides from theGulf of Mexico. This unique and complex mixing of waters from different sources supports many types ofmarine life includingcrabs,shrimp,oysters, and many varieties offish thereby supporting a substantial fishing industry. Additionally the system of bayous,rivers, and marshes that ring the Bay support their ownecosystems allowing for diverse wildlife and enablingfreshwater farming ofcrawfish.[63] The areas near the bay shore in fact have a higher diversity of habitats than the nearby Gulf coast.[64]
Although contaminants from the major industrial complexes along the bay contribute substantially to bay pollution, most is the result of storm run-off from various commercial, agricultural, and residential sources.[65] In recent decades, conservation efforts have been enacted which have improved water quality in the bay.[66]
| League City | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Bay Area's climate is classified ashumid subtropical (Cfa inKöppen climate classification system).[67] Springsupercell thunderstorms sometimes createtornados (but not to the extent found intornado alley).[68] Prevailing winds from the south and southeast bring heat from the deserts ofMexico and moisture from theGulf of Mexico.[69]
Summer temperatures regularly exceed 90 °F (32 °C).[70] The area's proximity to the bay and the winds that it generates moderate the area's temperatures and ease the effects of the humidity creating a more pleasant climate than inland communities like Houston[71] (e.g. the average July high in Texas City is 89 °F (32 °C) with 9.8 mph (15.8 km/h) winds vs. 94 °F (34 °C) with 6.7 mph (10.8 km/h) winds in Houston).[72]Winters in the area are temperate with typical January highs above 60 °F (16 °C) and lows are near 40 °F (4 °C). Snowfall is rare. Annual rainfall averages can range from 40 to 50 inches (100 to 130 cm) depending on the community.[73]
Excessiveozone levels can occur due to industrial activities; nearby Houston is ranked among the most ozone-polluted cities in the United States.[74] The industries located along the ship channel and the bay are a major cause of the pollution.[75]
Hurricanes are a substantial concern during the fall season. Though Galveston Island and theBolivar Peninsula provide some shielding, the Bay Area still faces more danger than Houston and other inland communities, particularly because of storm surge.[76][77][78]
| Climate data for League City, Texas (Houston NWSO), 1991-2020 normals | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 64 (18) | 67 (19) | 73 (23) | 78 (26) | 85 (29) | 90 (32) | 92 (33) | 92 (33) | 88 (31) | 82 (28) | 73 (23) | 66 (19) | 79 (26) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 46 (8) | 50 (10) | 56 (13) | 61 (16) | 69 (21) | 74 (23) | 76 (24) | 76 (24) | 72 (22) | 63 (17) | 53 (12) | 47 (8) | 62 (17) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.80 (122) | 3.02 (77) | 3.30 (84) | 4.22 (107) | 5.12 (130) | 6.54 (166) | 4.36 (111) | 6.64 (169) | 7.34 (186) | 5.79 (147) | 4.54 (115) | 4.53 (115) | 60.20 (1,529) |
| Source: NOAA[79] | |||||||||||||
The Bay Area has a diverseeconomy with much of it built aroundaerospace,petrochemicals, andhigh tech industries.[80][81] The region's economy is closely tied to the rest of the Houston area though the mix of local businesses is somewhat unusual. In 2005, the median household income for the Clear Lake area was $62,061 compared to $50,868 for the Houston area as whole and $45,472 for all of Texas.[82][83]
The Bay Area's four major employment sectors areaerospace,petrochemicals and chemical processing, high-tech (software,biotechnology,electronics, etc.), andtourism.[84] Most other employment in the region is supported by these industries although some smaller, independent industries exist as well.
The most widespread economic activities in the area revolve around petroleum and petrochemicals, largely centered in Baytown, Pasadena/La Porte, and Texas City. These industries in Houston and the Bay Area account for nearly half of the U.S. petrochemical manufacturing[85] and approximately one third of the U.S.petroleum refining capacity.[86] The Bay Area is home to the largest refineries and petrochemical complexes in the Greater Houston area and to the majority of the processing capacity.[87]
NASA'sJohnson Space Center (JSC) is an important pillar of the Bay Area economy.[88][89] Businesses around this core include a broad range of high-tech development enterprises from aerospace engineering to software and electronics.
The tourism industry attracts millions of visitors each year with attractions ranging fromSpace Center Houston to the bay itself.[90]Ecotourism, in particular, is a growing sector with destinations such as the Armand Bayou Nature Center.[91]Biotechnology, which already employs nearly 3000 workers in the area, is a smaller but growing industry in the area enabled in large part by JSC and theTexas Medical Center in Houston.[92]Commercial fishing is one of the older industries in the region and is still a significant economic sector.[93]
Some outlying areas around the bay, particularly to the northeast side, remain semi-rural.Cattle ranching andagriculture remain staples of some local economies as well asshrimp fishing andoyster farming.[94]
Major Bay Area economic hubs include the following:
| Demographic Statistics | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community | Total population | Median household income | %White | %African American | %Asian |
| Anahuac | 2210 | $40,924 | 68.3% | 20.2% | 0.7% |
| Bacliff | 6962 | $32,188 | 97.8% | 1.8% | 3.0% |
| Baytown | 78,311 | $48,398 | 64.1% | 17.0% | 2.0% |
| Beach City | 1645 | $70,104 | 96.0% | 1.6% | 0.0% |
| Clear Lake-Houston[103] | 43,141 | $68,815 | 77.8% | 4.7% | 11.4% |
| Clear Lake Shores | 1205 | $67,500 | 94.9% | 3.3% | 7.5% |
| Deer Park | 28,520 | $61,334 | 90.0% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Dickinson | 17,093 | $41,984 | 72.3% | 10.5% | 1.2% |
| El Lago | 3075 | $66,223 | 94.5% | 7.8% | 1.4% |
| Friendswood | 38,327 | $91,887 | 86.0% | 1.9% | 6.4% |
| Kemah | 2330 | $51,620 | 75.4% | 3.8% | 3.5% |
| La Marque | 13,682 | $34,841 | 55.8% | 34.7% | 0.5% |
| La Porte | 31,880 | $55,810 | 81.4% | 6.3% | 11.3% |
| League City | 70,657 | $80,432 | 82.6% | 6.5% | 5.0% |
| Morgan's Point | 332 | $57,917 | 88.7% | 4.5% | 0% |
| Nassau Bay | 4170 | $57,353 | 89.6% | 1.9% | 3.9% |
| Pasadena | 151,960 | $46,760 | 64.1% | 1.8% | 2.0% |
| San Leon | 4365 | $31,687 | 80.4% | 0.8% | 7.6% |
| Seabrook | 9443 | $54,175 | 88.9% | 2.1% | 3.3% |
| Shoreacres | 1488 | $71,985 | 94.15% | 1.01% | 0.94% |
| Taylor Lake Village | 3694 | $99,535 | 92.4% | 2.7% | 2.1% |
| Texas City | 44,765 | $43,078 | 62.4% | 28.2% | 1.1% |
| Webster | 9083 | $42,385 | 64.9% | 9.0% | 5.7% |
| Total | 566,850 | $56,827 | 72.9% | 8.3% | 3.9% |
Home to a diverse set of communities, the Bay Area has a demographic distribution that varies greatly among these individual communities. Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the City of Houston (2008, where available, and 2000 otherwise), the area demographic statistics are as follows (see table for more details). The total population was approximately 566,850. The median household income was $56,827. The white population was 72.9%, the African American population was 8.3%, and the Asian population was 3.9%.[104]
The most populous community in the region is Pasadena (though Houston is a much larger city, the portion within this region is smaller than Pasadena). Taylor Lake Village has (by far) the highest median household income; and Bacliff and San Leon have the lowest. Texas City and La Marque have the largest African-American populations. La Porte and the Clear Lake area of Houston have the largest Asian populations.
The Bay Area contains several institutions of higher education.[105] The largest is theUniversity of Houston–Clear Lake (UHCL) located adjacent to Clear Lake City. UHCL is separate and distinct from theUniversity of Houston (UH), but it is part of the largerUniversity of Houston System. The university offers a wide spectrum of programs including what it touts as the most completebiotechnology graduate programs in the state.[106]
Texas Chiropractic College in Pasadena, one of two schools ofchiropractic in Texas and one of a handful in the nation, provides training for students from around the state.[107] Several community colleges serve communities in the area as well, includingSan Jacinto College,College of the Mainland,Lee College, andHouston Community College.[108]
The Bay Area covers multiple municipalities with multipleschool districts. Most of the communities in the Clear Lake Area are served byClear Creek Independent School District though some nearby areas are served byDickinson andHouston Independent School Districts. Communities in the Pasadena/Baytown area are served byDeer Park,Goose Creek Consolidated,La Porte, andPasadena Independent School Districts. The Friendswood area is served by theFriendswood Independent School District. The Texas City area is served byLa Marque andTexas City Independent School Districts. The communities in Chambers County near Anahuac are served byAnahuac Independent School District andBarbers Hill Independent School District.[109]
As of 2009[update] these 11 districts, excluding Houston ISD, have a total of 190 primary and secondary schools. Of these Clear Creek, Deer Park, Goose Creek, Barbers Hill and Anahuac ISD were evaluated as "recognized" districts (the second highest ranking) by theTexas Education Agency, or TEA. All of the others were evaluated as "academically acceptable" with the exception of Texas City ISD, which was evaluated as "academically unacceptable".[110]
67 (35%) of the schools were ranked as "exemplary" (the highest ranking); 62 (33%) were ranked as "recognized"; 39 (21%) were ranked as "academically acceptable"; 2 (1%) were ranked as "academically unacceptable"; and 20 (11%) were not rated by the TEA. Notably 100% of Friendswood ISD schools and 65% of Clear Creek ISD schools were "exemplary", the highest percentages of these 10 districts.[110] Overall, of the schools that were rated, 37% of the schools in these 10 districts were "exemplary", compared with 29% for the entire state.[110][111]
The Bay Area Houston Transportation Partnership (BayTran) coordinates planning for the transportation needs of the Bay Area.[112] Collaborative efforts by the local communities have helped push forward development of regional infrastructure.
The Bay Area's twointerstate freeways act as linearbackbones connecting the communities on either side of the ship channel. The few otherfreeways in the region provide access into the centers of heavy industry within the region. Connectivity within other communities mostly relies on uncontrolled surface highways.
Interstate 45 (the Gulf Freeway) is the major freeway for the core areas of the Bay Area linking them with Houston and Galveston.[113]Highway 146 (Bayport Blvd.) is a coastal highway linking the waterfronts of the communities. The Gulf Freeway and Bayport Blvd. together are the main arteries linking the Clear Lake Area communities and Pasadena, thoughHighway 225, EastBeltway 8,Highway 3 and others are important as well.[114] TheFred Hartman Bridge on Highway 146 crosses the ship channel connecting Baytown and La Porte, while theGalveston Causeway on the Gulf Freeway crosses the bay connecting Texas City andGalveston Island.[115]
In the outlying north Bay Area,Interstate 10 linksAnahuac and other communities nearby connecting them to Houston and the rest of the Bay Area.Highway 124 provides access to the Bolivar Peninsula.
TheHouston Metro bus system provides service to the southeast Houston and Pasadena connecting the communities with central Houston.[116] The remaining communities in the Bay Area communities are not served by mass transit.Greyhound Bus Lines, which provides service to cities nationwide, has stations at Baytown and La Marque/Texas City.[117]
Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) is the nearest airport providing regular domestic service. It is in southeast Houston near the Bay Area and provides service to U.S. destinations. International service is provided byBush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in north Houston.[118]
Ellington Airport, the other branch of theHouston Airport System (HAS), is a mixed-use airport. It acts as areliever airport for Hobby, in addition to use byNASA, the military, and public aviation.[119] The system has performed significant expansion of the airport in recent years expecting significant growth in its usage in coming years.La Porte Municipal Airport in Pasadena and Chambers County Airport near Anahuac provide public air access to their respective communities.[120]
For seagoing shipping theBarbours Cut andBayport terminals (administered by the Port of Houston Authority), and thePort of Texas City are the major freight shipping points. For railway shipping the Union-Pacific Webster station, the Union-Pacific Deer Park station, the Union-Pacific Baytown station, and the Texas City Terminal Railway Company, are major access points.[121]
| Provider | Location |
|---|---|
| Bayshore Medical Center | Pasadena |
| CHRISTUS St. John Hospital | Houston-Clear Lake |
| Clear Lake Regional Medical Center | Webster |
| Devereux Texas Treatment Network | League City |
| M.D. Anderson Clinical Care Center - Bay Area | Nassau Bay |
| Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital | Houston |
| Moody Health Center | Pasadena |
| Texas Oncology | Webster |
| Eye Clinic of Texas | League City |
| University of Texas Medical Branch | Galveston |
The Bay Area Houston Healthcare Network (BAHHN) is a collaboration of health care providers coordinating health care services in many of the west bay communities and Galveston.[123] Thehubs of the network includeMemorial Hermann Southeast Hospital in the Clear Lake City area, Bayshore Medical Center in Pasadena, and theUniversity of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.
Numerous other health care facilities exist in the region as well. Notable facilities outside the area covered by BAHHN include San Jacinto Methodist Hospital (Baytown) and Mainland Medical Center (Texas City).[124]
The Bay Area is a racially and ethnically diverse region.[125] The industrial centers of Pasadena and Baytown in particular have large international communities. Multicultural events such as the Grito Fest (Baytown) celebrate the area's diversity.[126]
Many other annual events take place in the Bay Area as well. The Strawberry Festival in Pasadena celebrates the role the iconic fruit played in rescuing the town's economy following the1900 Hurricane.[127] The Blessing of the Fleet boatparade in Kemah is an annual event that celebrates Kemah's history as ashrimp fishing town.[128] TheGulf Coast Film Festival annually showcases independent films from local, regional and international artists in various categories ranging from short films to documentaries. Other annual events include the Wings over Houston Air Fest (Ellington Field), the Music Fest by the Bay (Texas City), the Ballunar Festival, the Oak Tree Festival (League City), and the South Shore Dockside Food & Wine Festival (League City).[129] In Anahuac the annual Gatorfest celebrates the semi-rural culture of Chambers County.[130] And, of course, in the spirit of the state to which the area belongs, the annual Pasadena Livestock Show and Rodeo features traditionalrodeo events for area spectators.[131]
The Bay Area has a substantial community of artists and artistic programs. TheBay Area Houston Ballet and Theatre group and the League City Ballet offer performances in genres ranging fromballet to Americanmusicals.[132] The Clear Lake Symphony, the Pasadena Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Baytown Symphony Orchestra offer multiple performances each year ranging from classical to "pops" performances.[133]
Other arts and theatre programs exist in the area as well. The Arts Alliance at Clear Lake, a group of 50 area arts organizations, regularly schedules arts exhibits, musical performances, and other arts programs.[134]Community theater groups such as the Pasadena Little Theatre, the Clear Creek Country Theatre (Nassau Bay), the Harbour Playhouse (Dickinson), and the Baytown Little Theater offer a variety of regularly scheduled performances.[135] Regular free concerts and other cultural events take place in venues such as the Pasadena Fairgrounds and League Park Plaza (League City).
The Bay Area contains parks and landmarks. One of the oldest landmarks is theSan Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in La Porte which marks the site of theBattle of San Jacinto and holds theSan Jacinto Monument and theUSS Texas. Nearby, the Sterling Mansion, a former Governor's residence at Morgan's Point, marks the edge of the formerGold Coast of Texas.[136]
TheArmand Bayou Nature Center in Pasadena is the largest urbanwilderness preserve in the nation.[137] It features aboardwalk through the marshes, numerous nature trails, and boat tours offering views of natural habitats for animals ranging from bison to seagulls to butterflies. TheBaytown Nature Center, located on two peninsulas along the ship channel, and theTexas City Prairie Preserve, located alongMoses Lake and the bay, are largely undeveloped nature preserves with views of wetlands and coastal wildlife in addition to a variety of park facilities.[138] The Seabrook Trail System which includes Robinson andPine Gully parks offers primitive access to natural habitats for numerous species.[139] These sites are all part of the largerGreat Texas Coastal Birding Trail.
Further from the core on the northeast side of the bay sits theJocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge, a 34,000-acre (140 km2) federal nature preserve.[140] The coastal habitats in the park offer opportunities for viewing species ranging from theAmerican alligator andbobcat to bird species such as thefulvous whistling-duck and theyellow rail.[141]
Other major area parks include Clear Creek Nature Park (League City), Chandler Arboretum (Baytown), Challenger 7 Memorial Park (Webster), and Sylvan Beach Park (La Porte).[142]
Space Center Houston is the tourist arm of the Johnson Space Center and one of the most visited tourist attractions in Texas.[143] Visitors can tour the Space Center grounds, view space capsules and artifacts, and find numerous educational activities including anIMAX theater.[144]
TheKemah Boardwalk is a waterfront attraction featuring a variety of rides,restaurants, shops, and other entertainment venues.[145] It is next to the Kemah Marina and hosts annual events such as the Boardwalk Wine Festival.[146]
The Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Education and Recreation Center in Baytown offers indoor and outdoor educational exhibits featuring wetlands wildlife and habitats. The exhibits range from aquariums to science labs. The site also includes hiking trails through primitive habitats.[147]
Museums in the area include theSan Jacinto Museum of History, the Bay Area Museum[148] (Seabrook), the Pasadena Historical Museum, the West Bay Common School Museum (League City), the Baytown Historical Museum, the Texas City Museum, the Buttler Longhorn Museum (League City) and the Dickinson Railroad Museum.[149]
Farmers markets in the area, including the Nassau Bay Farmers Market and the Farmers Market atClear Lake Shores, provide opportunities for area residents to connect with local growers, producers, and other businesses.[150]Historic districts such as the Goose Creek Historic District (Baytown), the Morgan's Point Historic District, and the League City Historic District are available providing views of early area architecture in addition to unique shopping venues.[151]
The area contains many marinas for boating and fishing enthusiasts such the Bayland Park Marina (Baytown) and the Watergate Yachting Center (Clear Lake Shores).[152] The shoreline of Clear Lake itself has the greatest concentration of recreational boats in Texas and ranks third nationwide (Watergate even claims to be the nation's largest).[153]
TheBay Area Toros are the area's minor-leaguebaseball team. The Toros play their home games atRobinson Stadium in Texas City.[154] TheTexas City Rangers are a minor-leaguebasketball team that plays its home games atLa Marque High School.[155] TheHouston Raceway Park in Baytown holds regulardrag racing and speedway motorsport events through the year.[156] The park has a seating capacity of 30,000 with VIP suites.
The Galveston Bay Cruising Association holds regularregatta events on the bay such as the Bay Cup (Lakewood Yacht Club, Seabrook) and the Performance Cup.[157] The 2009 season had 22 events throughout the year offering entertainment for sportsmen and spectators. The Gulf Greyhound Park in LaMarque is a stadium complex offering dog racing exhibitions.[158] The park is the largest of its kind and features the state's largest restaurant among its amenities.[159]
Major daily newspapers serving the area include theGalveston County Daily News, the Baytown Sun, and theHouston Chronicle.[160] Several smaller local newspapers serving the communities are available including the Bay Area Observer, the Bay Area Citizen, the Pasadena Citizen, and the Deer Park Progress.[161] The Bay Area Observer, Bay Area Houston Magazine and the Bay Area Houston .Directory are online publications providing area interest stories and information.[162]
The area receives manyradio stations including some licensed within the area, such asKKBQ (country, Pasadena),KWWJ (gospel, Baytown), andKFTG andKLVL (Spanish religious, Pasadena).[163] Among the manytelevision stations received in the area stations licensed in the area includeKUBE-TV (TuVisión, Spanish language, Baytown).[164]
The Center ... is conveniently located in the heart of the Bay Area, across from NASA's Johnson Space Center.
The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 caused many people to resettle in Pasadena.
The Texas City Improvement Company, a forerunner of Texas City Terminal and the Mainland Company, Incorporated in April 1893. ... Competition for the shipment of cotton and grain was intense because of the established ports of Houston and Galveston.
Any local knows this city was built on a sweaty, pestilent, mosquito-infested swamp.
Contaminated storm water runoff, or nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, remains the top water quality problem facing Galveston Bay. NPS pollution is transported to our waterways via rainfall runoff from diffuse, landbased sources such as businesses, industries, farms, roads, parking lots, septic tanks, marinas, and residential yards.
Houston is buffered by Galveston Island – which sits in the way of the surge – and the bay system
Just north of Galveston Island, the Bolivar Peninsula shields Galveston Bay much like Lido Key and Longboat Key shield Sarasota Bay.
At the height of such a hurricane [the 1900 Galveston Hurricane] today, the temporary shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico will be ten miles inland.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)[dead link]The Big Three complex at Bayport is one of the nation's largest industrial gas plants and the only one in the country which is steam-powered.
{{cite book}}:|author= has generic name (help){{cite journal}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)The University of Houston-Clear Lake is the first university in Texas to offer all three concentrations for a Master of Science in Biotechnology: Molecular Biotechnology, Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, and Biotechnology Management & Marketing
Throughout the area Hispanics and Asians increased the most. By 2000, Hispanics, Asians, and Blacks had increased to make-up almost half the population.
{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)Places adjacent to Galveston Bay Area | |
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29°29′59″N95°05′23″W / 29.499797°N 95.089784°W /29.499797; -95.089784
