Downtown Houston Real Estate Guide
Home to 3,500+ businesses with 200,000+ employees, Downtown is one of the Most Accessible Neighborhoods in Houston.
Guide To Downtown Houston Condos, Lofts, Real Estate
Located at the heart of Houston’s Inner Loop, Downtown is bordered by I-10 (North), 59 (East), and I-45 (South & West),
Downtown Houston’s residential market has doubled in the last few years, thanks to:
- EXCELLENT COMMUTE: While there are over 200,000 employees downtown, there are only about 6,000 residences (up from about 3,000 in 2014). Many people who live downtown also work there.
- HIGHLY ACCESSIBLE: Getting around Downtown is easy, thanks to a network of skywalks and tunnels. The Medical Center, EaDo, and Museum District are also highly accessible via METRORail, bus system, Houston B-Cycle, and Greenlink. In addition, most Downtown Condos are near the METRORail.
- GREAT DINING & CULTURAL OPTIONS: In addition to the 400+ Yelp-rated dining and retail establishments, Houston is home to the second largest theatre community in the US.
- CONDO LIVING: The majority of Downtown’s residential options are Historic Houston Lofts and Downtown Houston Condos which offer great “lock and leave” benefits.
- LUXURY AMENITIES: Building amenities vary, though most Downtown Houston condos offer rooftop terraces, conference rooms, fitness centers, and pools. Some feature 24-hour concierge and valet services.
The Downtown Houston real estate market can be tricky to navigate due to the fact that some buildings have very poor resale rates (due to either low quality construction, HOA, parking or general design problems). In addition, specific units within many buildings have resale issue due to views, noise or individual parking spot problems. Contact Paige Martin, of the Top Ranked Realtors in Houston for assistance if you’re looking to buy or sell downtown.
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- Located at the heart of Houston’s Inner Loop, Downtown is bordered by I-10 to the north, I-69 to the east, and I-45 to the south and west.
- Residents of Houston’s central business district have everything within easy reach. Business, employment, retail, and entertainment centers are minutes away from Downtown Houston homes.
- Getting around Downtown is easy, through the use of the area’s network of skywalks and tunnels. Key Houston neighborhoods like the Museum District and Medical Center are highly accessible via the METRORail, the bus system, Houston B-Cycle, and Greenlink.
- Home options in Downtown are mostly urban lofts and upscale condo units in mid- and high-rise buildings. Townhomes and single-family homes are available in nearby neighborhoods.
- Building amenities vary, though most Downtown Houston condos offer rooftop terraces, conference rooms, fitness centers, pools, and saunas. Some feature 24-hour concierge and valet services.
- Downtown is home to about 3,500 businesses with more than 150,000 employees. It has more than 40 million square feet of office space.
- The area is divided into several smaller districts, including the Theater District, Skyline District, and the Historic District, among others.
- A number of new developments are under construction in the area, with others still in the planning stages.
- There are several residential loft and condo buildings in the Downtown area.
- Some of the area’s historic buildings have since been converted to house posh lofts and condos.
“Paige Martin is the best realtor in Houston. She will tell you the ‘bad’ and ‘ugly’ of a property and help you make a good purchase.”
“As first time buyers in the US, we are delighted to have worked with Paige. She is a delight to work with, and I would recommend anyone to enlist her help if you’re looking to either buy or sell a property.”
- Downtown Houston condos can feature 2- to 3-bedroom floor plans, with living spaces ranging between 500 to more than 4,500 square feet.
- Prices for Downtown Houston homes for sale can start at around $150,000. The most expensive real estate in the area can go for more than $3,500,000.
Covering a 1,178-acre area, Downtown Houston is nestled south of I-10 (Katy Freeway), west of I-45 (Eastex Freeway), and north of I-69 (Gulf Freeway).
Downtown is fairly accessible thanks to the number of options available for traveling around and outside the business district.
Set along Main Street, the METRORail Red Line starts at Northside Village, goes through downtown and extends through midtown, the Museum District and Texas Medical Center before ending at Reliant Park. Travel time from end to end is around 30 minutes. The Green and Purple Lines, on the other hand, extend southeast to EaDo and the University of Houston.
METRO also offers several types of bus service in Houston. Local service runs mostly on city streets, stopping at every other corner along its route. METRO’s 28 Park & Ride lots provide bus service to key destinations in the service area.
Downtown Houston also has free and convenient transportation through the Greenlink line.
Downtown Houston is within the 77002 Harris County zip code. (View Houston zip code map.)
Downtown Districts
Paige Martin’s Recent Awards:
– “One of America’s Best Real Estate Agents,” Real Trends
– Five Star Realtor Award, Multi-Year Winner
– “One of Houston’s Top 50 Realtors,” Houston Chronicle
– “One of America’s Best Real Estate Agents,” Real Trends
– Five Star Realtor Award, Multi-Year Winner
– “One of Houston’s Top 50 Realtors,” Houston Chronicle
West of Downtown Houston
North of Downtown Houston
- Fourth Ward
- Greater Heights
- Near Northside
East of Downtown Houston
- EaDo / East Downtown
- Eastwood
- Second Ward
South of Downtown Houston
Downtown is zoned to the Houston Independent School District (HISD).
The HISD features several National Blue Ribbon, top-ranked GreatSchools.org, and multi-award winning schools.
*Note: For a more detailed information on specific schools zoned to different Downtown Houston areas, please refer to our Houston Schools Guide OR email Paige Martin at Paige@HoustonProperties.com.
- Blackshear Elementary School at 2900 Holman St. Blackshear is a Montessori magnet school that serves students from EE (early education) to 6th grade. The school offers a number of after-school activities, including YMCA, tutorials, and the After School Achievement Program (ASAP).
- Bruce Elementary School at 510 Jensen Dr. B.K. Bruce Elementary is a music magnet school. Its music magnet program is divided into keyboard, woodwind, violin, brass, choir, and guitar.
- Crockett Elementary School at 2112 Crockett Street. Serving students from grades PK to 5, Crockett is a neighborhood Vanguard school that offers bilingual and fine arts programs. The school’s fine arts program offers classes in ballet, visual art, music, and rhythmic dancing.
- Young Scholars Academy for Excellence at 1809 Louisiana St. YSAFE is one of the HISD’s charter schools and is located in the Downtown area. Established in 1996, the school offers a robust enrichment program with courses in fine arts, culinary arts, entrepreneurship, science, technology, sports, and literacy, among others.
Public Middle Schools zoned to Downtown Houston include:
- Gregory-Lincoln Education Center at 1101 Taft St. Located in the Fourth Ward, GLEC serves students from Kindergarten to 8th grade. The school features a fine arts magnet program and offers classes in the theatre arts, culinary arts, dance, visual arts, multimedia arts, and vocal music.
- Marshall Middle School at 1115 Noble St. Also known as Marshall Middle Academy of Fine Arts, the school offers a great fine arts magnet program. Like Gregory-Lincoln, Marshall also features a wide array of classes: band, choir, dance, piano, guitar, mariachi, orchestra, visual art, and theatre arts.
Public High Schools zoned to Downtown Houston include:
- Davis High School at 1101 Quitman St. Located in Near Northside, Jefferson Davis High School features a Hotel and Restaurant Management magnet program.
- Reagan High School at 413 E 13th St. John H. Reagan High School is located in Houston Heights and is one of the HISD’s IB World Schools. Apart from the Middle Years Programme (MYP), Reagan also has a computer technology magnet program.
- High School for the Performing and Visual Arts at 4oo1 Stanford St. Located in Montrose, the HSPVA (or just PVA) is an arts magnet school. The school covers six areas: vocal music, instrumental music, visual art, dance, theatre, and creative writing.
Downtown Houston Private Schools
The following are some of the more notable private schools near Downtown Houston.
- Incarnate Word Academy at 609 Crawford St.
- Our Lady of Guadalupe School at 2405 Navigation Blvd.
- Trinity Lutheran School at 800 Houston Ave.
- Yellowstone Academy at 3000 Trulley St.
- Young Scholars Academy for Excellence at 1809 Louisiana St.
- Houston Outdoor Learning Academy at 2731 Houston Ave.
To find an updated listing of all Downtown Houston real estate zoned to any specific public school, please send an email to Paige Martin at Paige@HoustonProperties.com with the property preference and budget that you’re working with.
*Note: School zoning tends to change from year to year, information provided above are accurate but not guaranteed. Please double check by visiting the school’s website.
Downtown Houston real estate is mostly made up of luxury lofts and upscale condos in mid- and high-rise residential buildings. Property values have remained strong in the area.
Several factors affect prices of Downtown Houston condos and lofts, including size, location, and building amenities, among others.
(Data sourced from the Houston Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)
For updated information regarding Katy real estate pricing and trend analysis, please contact Paige Martin at Paige@HoustonProperties.com.
There are no single-family homes in the Downtown area, however, there are plenty available in surrounding neighborhoods including Midtown, the Heights, Montrose, Northside Village, and EaDo.
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There are no Downtown Houston townhomes available. Fortunately, there are many townhomes for sale within 10 to 15 minutes of downtown.
Downtown Houston lofts and condos are quite popular due to their central location, high accessibility, relatively lower maintenance costs, and luxury amenities. Several condo and loft buildings in the area are along or within a few blocks of the METRORail.
Downtown has 25 mid- and high-rise residential buildings, each with its own distinct character, style, and charm.
Downtown’s loft buildings were converted from office and retail spaces into beautiful residential midrises. San Jacinto Lofts, Bayou Lofts, Franklin Lofts, Byrds Lofts, and Hermann Lofts are a few examples.
Condos in the area, on the other hand, are within luxury highrises, including Commerce Towers, Four Seasons Residences, and 2016 Main.
Each building offers a unique set of amenties, with some offering white glove service. The most common amenities include: rooftop decks, secure parking, pools, and fitness centers. Some offer 24-hour valet and concierge services, conference rooms, and guest rooms.
Loft and condo sizes vary, ranging from 500 to more than 4,500 square feet. An average Downtown Houston condo for sale can feature 2 to 3 bedrooms, though bigger units with 4-bedroom floor plans are also available.
Prices typically start at around $150,000 and can go as high as $3,500,000.
Downtown Houston Lofts
View all Houston Lofts For Sale
To see other condos within the Inner Loop, see Inner Loop Houston Condos. To see condos within the nearby Museum District area, see Museum District Condos.
Downtown Houston TX History
Over the last decade, downtown experienced a transformation that the Houston real estate market has not seen since the Allen brothers first established the city in the early 1800s.
The 1980’s oil crash laid downtown Houston bare. Development stopped, businesses closed, and shops and buildings were boarded up. The population in the neighborhood fell and many people called downtown “desolate, barren and forgotten.”
That changed in the mid-to-late 1990’s with pioneering real estate developers (like Randall Davis and Frank Garvey) who purchased historic buildings (e.g. Post Rice Lofts, Bayou Lofts, Franklin Lofts) and converted them into urban lofts with modern amenities.
Today, Downtown Houston is a bustling district filled with residential and commercial skyscrapers; streets lined up with restaurants, bars, and clubs; parks; and an extensive network of pedestrian tunnels and skywalks, making for a more inviting and fantastic living experience in downtown Houston than ever before.
Downtown Houston is the largest business district in Houston, Texas. It is one of the busiest and most exciting places to live in Houston with more than 3,500 businesses and 150,000 workers.
Close proximity to work is one of the reasons that more and more people are beginning to move “back” into downtown Houston.
Houston’s central business district showcases more than just workplaces and corporate headquarters. It is also home to a bustling dining, nightlife, and cultural scene. Downtown features a good number of green spaces and parks, as well as historic landmarks and other areas of interest.
The 17-block Theater District features 4 entertainment venues: Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, Wortham Theater Center, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, and Alley Theatre. Nine major arts organizations call the district home, along with several other smaller performing arts groups. The Bayou Place Entertainment Complex is also within Houston’s Theater District.
The Ballpark and Convention Districts include the Minute Maid Park Stadium (home of the Houston Astros), the Toyota Center (home of the Houston Rockets), Discovery Green, and the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Originally Houston’s town center, the Historic District features Market Square Park, plus numerous cafes and bars.
Other Downtown Houston must-visit places include the Downtown Aquarium, Sam Houston Park, and Allen’s Landing.
Here are just some of the must-visit places in Downtown Houston:
Dining
- Hearsay Gastro Lounge
- The Springbok
- Bombay Pizza Co.
- Myth Kafe
- Huynh Restaurant
- Brooklyn Meatball Co.
- The Honeymoon Cafe & Bar
- Irma’s Southwest Grill
- Treebeards
Parks
- Discovery Green
- Minute Maid Park
- Root Square
- Sam Houston Park
- Eleanor Tinsley Park
- Hermann Square
- Market Square Park
- James Bute Park
- Buffalo Bayou Park
“Paige is simply the best. She has worked with my husband and I for the last couple years in our quest to find the perfect first home. She was patient with us throughout the process and took time to answer all of our questions! She knows so much about the housing market so we felt very confident that we were in great hands!”
Nightlife
- Foundation Bar
- MKT Bar
- Moving Sidewalk
- The Nightingale Room
- Little Woodrow’s
- Little Dipper Lounge
- The Pastry War
- Neil’s Bahr
- Reserve 101
Groceries
- Long Sing Supermarket
- Main Food Store
- Express Grocery & Deli
- Phoenicia Specialty Foods
- Krogers
- Super K
- Randalls
- Epicurean Express
- Lankford Grocery
Top Downtown Houston Realtor – Paige Martin
As featured on Fox News in the Morning, Houston Business Journal and Houston Magazine, Paige Martin, a consistent Top Producing Broker-Associate and head of the Houston Properties Team, is ranked as one of the top residential real estate agents in the world.
Paige Martin’s Recent Awards:
– #1 Agent, Keller Williams, Memorial
– #2 Agent, Keller Williams, Texas
– #10 Agent, Keller Williams, United States
– #1 Agent, Keller Williams, Memorial
– #2 Agent, Keller Williams, Texas
– #10 Agent, Keller Williams, United States
