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Located on the Texas Gulf Coast, the
Houston-Galveston metroplex
combines the amenities of one of the nation's largest urban centers with the unique ambiance of island living.
The University area offers housing ranging from restored Victorian mansions
and cottages to modern apartment complexes,
University dormitories and apartments, fraternity
houses and neighborhood garage apartments, many of which are within easy walking
distance of campus. The cost for
University
dormitories
can be viewed at
http://www2.utmb.edu/housing/.
On the west end of the island, there are beach homes for sale or rent.
Many of them are either on the beach or a canal leading to Galveston Bay.
Student membership in the UTMB
Alumni Field House is included in the
student activity fee. The Field House offers exercise and recreational opportunities and
includes, exercise equipment, sauna, steam rooms and locker rooms. In addition, there is
an Olympic-size swimming pool., basketball and tennis courts, and fields used for baseball,
softball, soccer and rugby. In addition to facilities for individual fitness programs, the
Field House coordinates various activities such as aerobic classes, intramural games,
tournaments and charity benefits.
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Photo Tour of the Island
Thirty-two miles of sandy beaches bathed by warm Gulf waters-that's what
most Texans picture when you mention
Galveston
Island. But Galveston offers much
more than just sun, sand and surf to those who live and work here. Objective
observers agree Galveston is a great place to live-the Galveston/Texas City area
ranked first in Texas and 32nd nationally in the 1990 Money Magazine “Best
Places to Live” survey. It was also rated number 21 on the top 50 places to
live in Reader's Digest, 1997. With a history enlivened by pirate intrigue and Gay
Nineties grandeur, Galveston today enjoys contrasting identities as a bustling
medical center and relaxing seaside resort. Together, these two enterprises
draw an
estimated five to six million visitors annually and give national prominence
to Galveston. As one of the oldest ports in the state, this city of 65,000
occupies most of Galveston Island, a Gulf of Mexico barrier island approximately
32 miles long and less than three miles wide, and the smaller Pelican Island.
Galveston lies some two miles off the mainland and is connected to it by
causeways and free public ferries. With its extensive shoreline, fishing piers
and semitropical climate, this island has been a “find” for fishermen
and beach enthusiasts for generations.
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Galveston
couples the friendly atmosphere of a small resort city with
cultural and recreational attractions normally found only in cities many times
larger. The island offers many types and styles of restaurants and night clubs,
which provide needed weekend relief and entertainment. Galveston provides ready
recreation for those enjoying fishing, swimming, bicycling and other outdoor
sports. There are several sailing marinas. The city and county maintain
waterfront parks, some with boat ramps.
Stewart and
Apffel beaches, major
east-end parks with various concessions, are also the site of special events
such as rock concerts and fireworks displays, among others.
Seawolf Park on
Pelican Island has fishing piers and World War II vessels dry-berthed for tours.
Further west,
Galveston Island State Park offers the beach, picnic areas,
camping, nature trails and abundant bird-watching.
Moody
Gardens is a new, multiphase project that includes Hope Arena, a
60,000-square-foot center suitable for meetings, exhibits and conventions. The
arena is surrounded by a popular jogging track. The adjacent Palm Beach is a
man-made, white sand beach open to the public. Other attractions include a 3-D
IMAX theater and a rainforest pyramid.
The island's colorful history is the springboard for many tourist
attractions, as well as entertainment for residents.
Galveston Historical
Foundation (GHF) has been a powerful force in the movement to restore the city's
wealth of historic architecture.
The Strand area of restaurants, shops,
galleries and other businesses is evidence of this effort. GHF-sponsored
Dickens on The Strand, a Christmas season
winter festival with a Victorian theme, and
the spring Mardi Gras celebration attract hundreds of thousands of visitors
annually. The annual
Blessing of the Shrimp Fleet is another festive highlight,
while
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated by the Hispanic community.
Other significant historical attractions are the 1859
Ashton Villa and 1839
Samuel May
Williams house museums, the 1877 sailing vessel
Elissa, and the
Texas Seaport Museum. The
Ashbel-Smith Building at UTMB
and the ornate
Bishop's Palace are among the surviving legacies of premier
19th-century Galveston architect Nicholas Clayton.
The
Grand 1894 Opera House has been restored to full Victorian-era splendor,
offering performances by touring symphony orchestras, jazz, rock and country
groups, theater companies, and ballet troupes.
The Strand Street Theater,
Galveston College, Upper Deck Theater and nearby
College of the Mainland offer
regular performances, while the Lone Star Theater features outdoor drama during
the summer. Other local performing groups include the
Galveston Symphony
Orchestra.
If you are interested in performing, amateurs can participate
in the Galveston Symphony Orchestra, the Galveston Chorale, and the Upper
Deck Theater, etc.
Galveston Arts is a multifaceted arts center on The Strand, and is a source of information about local artists and galleries in Galveston, Recently, an area of Postoffice Street has become a center of art in Galveston, with many studios, galleries, coffee shops and restaurants. An Art Walk is held every six weeks throughout the year on Saturday evenings to celebrate new exhibits and gallery shows in dozens of art spaces in the downtown historic districts. This social event is a highlight for many during the summer.
Many other museums are available, including the
Offshore
Technology Museum, the
Railroad Museum-The Center for Transportation and
Commerce, the Lone Star Flight Museum, and the
David Taylor Classic Car Museum.
The
Rosenberg Library is a large public library, close
to UTMB that features literary works ranging from important historical
and reference collections to today's best sellers and periodicals.
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The
Houston metropolis is
an exciting contrast to the more relaxed pace of
Galveston, offering the goods, services and entertainment distinctive to the
nation's fourth largest city. Most attractions are within an hour's drive of the
island.
Shopping centers include extensive malls and a variety of specialty shops.
There are four major malls, numerous shopping centers, an outlet mall and numerous
cinemas all within a 40-minute drive along Interstate 45 (I-45), which connects
Houston and Galveston.
The Galleria is just a little farther away. The
Johnson
Space Center is located in nearby
Clear Lake.
The
Houston Astrodome and
Compaq Center
are arenas for professional teams in baseball
(The Astros), basketball (The Rockets),
football (The
Houston Texans) and hockey
(Houston Aeros). Rodeos, circuses and
other special events are also frequent attractions here.
(Check
here for
sports information in Houston.)
Jones Hall,
the Music Hall,
Wortham Center, the
Alley Theater and many smaller theaters
host the Houston Symphony and Pops orchestras,
Grand Opera and Ballet companies,
and numerous local and touring Broadway theater companies. Houston is a stop on
the tours of most popular rock, country and jazz artists. Houston also plays host
to numerous specialty festivals. The
George R. Brown Convention Center hosts large meetings and
exhibits, including those of major scientific societies.
Houston's Hermann Park
includes a zoo and outside concert theater. There are museums of natural history,
science and art, and numerous art galleries.
The proximity of Houston allows the collaboration between UTMB faculty and
students and their colleagues at several universities in Houston, including
Rice,
Baylor,
University of Houston, and the
Texas Medical Center.
Houston has two major commercial airports, both linked to Galveston by
24-hour limousine service. The closer of the two,
Hobby Airport, is about an
hour's drive up I-45.
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