Spring, TX

Located in the southeast portion of the state, the community of Spring, Texas offers big-city advantages with the feel of small-town life. It lies roughly 20 miles north of Houston and falls within the city's jurisdiction.

The original inhabitants of Spring were the Orcoquiza Native Americans. The area developed quickly after 1871, when the Houston and Great Northern Railroad was first built. It is believed that the name of the town was agreed upon by a group of winter-worn railroad workers who, after one of Texas's worst winters, were so pleased with the arrival of spring that they named the area "Camp Spring." Today, Spring is an upscale suburban community, recently named one of the country's "1,000 Best Places to Retire" by U.S New and World Report. The city is home to more than 43,000 citizens.

Spring is predominately white, with smaller Latino (16 percent) and African-American (7 percent) populations.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Spring's population consists largely of urban sophisticates, college-educated professionals who typically earn higher incomes than the state average.

Spring is a commuter suburb of Houston, the fourth biggest city in the country, so many of its residents work there. Consistent with much of the Houston metroplex, Spring's major businesses are in the petroleum and natural gas industry.

The city's biggest employers are Kerr-McGee Corporation (an Andarko Petroleum company), Petroleum Wholesale LP and RME Petroleum Company.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Spring is a stable, family-oriented community with a high percentage of owner-occupied homes and a low crime rate. Its wide streets and limited sidewalks are conducive to driving. Nearly all of Spring residents commute to work. The community is comprised of 14 neighborhoods, the most prominent of which include:

• Cypresswood Boulevard / Stuebner Airline Road
• Strack Drive / Cypresswood Drive
• Louetta Road / Kuykendahl Road
• Louetta Road/ Holzwarth Road
• Louetta
• Millbend Drive / Grogans Mill Road
• Oak Ridge North
• Rayford
• Klein
• Cypresswood Drive / Cypress Hill Drive

The community established the Old Town Spring Association in 1980, with the aim of preserving and restoring the original houses of Spring. These houses now make up the Old Town Spring shopping area, a popular tourist attraction

FAMILY FUN

Six Flags SplashTown Water Park provides fun for the entire family with a variety of amenities, including the Wild Wave Pool, multiple waterslides, a children's area, and Crystal Creek lazy river.

Spring is home to four public parks:

• Southwell Park
• Bayer Park
• Pundt Park
• Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Residents have shown a strong interest in supporting and promoting the arts, and regularly attend the opera, the symphony, the theater, and ballet performances.

The city's top entertainment attractions include:

• Old Town Spring is the heart of the community's tourist area. Visitors go back in time to the turn of the century, as they browse through over 150 restored shops, restaurants, museums, boutiques, and art galleries.
• Spring Historical Museum is located in the center of Old Town Spring, and recalls the era of the area's early development. The museum illustrates the immigrant German farming days, the railway era, the Great Depression, and the modern age.
• The Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts, the Houston metro area's only fine art museum outside of its museum district, offers rotating exhibitions from the Houston Museum of Fine Arts' permanent collection, hosts student art competitions, and organizes educational workshops for children and local teachers.

EVENTS

Old Town Spring hosts five major events throughout the year:

• SpringFest Wine and Art Festival allows visitors to sample Texas wines and a variety of beers as they view the work of local artists.
• Texas Crawfish and Music Festival is held the last two weekends in April and touts three stages of live entertainment, Cajun food, and carnival rides.
• Long Horn Rod Run displays over 500 cars, from vintage 1900s-era models to the muscle cars of the 1960s.
• Pet Fest is a two-day event for dogs and cats, as well as smaller pets such as ferrets and hamsters.
• Home for the Holidays includes complimentary horse-drawn carriage rides and a traditional tree-lighting ceremony. The event starts in mid-November and concludes on Christmas.

EDUCATION

Institutes of higher learning serving the Spring community are:

• Lone Star College System (formerly the North Harris Montgomery Community College District)
• Houston Community College System
• San Jacinto College-North Campus
• University of Texas Health Science Center
• University of Houston-Downtown
• University of St. Thomas
• University of Houston-University Park

SPORTS TEAMS

Spring residents enjoy professional sports action in nearby Houston:

• Basketball: Houston Rockets
• Football: Houston Texans
• Hockey: Houston Aeros
• Baseball: Houston Astros
• Soccer: Houston Dynamo, Houston Hotshots (indoor soccer)

FUN FACTS

The restored bank located in Old Town Spring is reputed to have been robbed by Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in the 1930s. Visitors can view the gunshot holes that are still visible on the building today.