Greenway Plaza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Greenway Plaza
|
|
|---|---|
|
Business district of Houston
|
|
Skyline of Greenway Plaza looking north
|
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| County | Harris County |
| City |  Houston |
| Area | |
| • Super neighborhood | 7.7 km2 (2.97 sq mi) |
| • Business campus | 21 ha (52 acre) |
| Population
(2015)
|
|
| • Total | 21,120 |
| • Density | 2,746/km2 (7,111/sq mi) |
| For the Greenway / Upper Kirby Area Super Neighborhood as defined by the City of Houston | |
| ZIP Code |
77046
|
| Area codes | 281, 346, 713, 832 |
Greenway Plaza is a busy business area in Houston, Texas. It's located southwest of the city center, about 5 miles (8 km) west of Downtown Houston. It sits inside the Interstate 610 loop, near major highways.
This area was first planned in the late 1960s by a developer named Kenneth L. Schnitzer. Today, Greenway Plaza is one of the biggest places to work in Greater Houston. It has many office buildings and lots of green spaces.
Greenway Plaza is special because it was one of the first "mixed-use" developments in the United States. This means it combines offices, shops, and other buildings in one place. Its ten office towers are connected by cool air-conditioned walkways, tunnels, and underground parking.
One of the most famous places in Greenway Plaza is Lakewood Church. This church is nondenominational Christian and has one of the largest groups of followers in the country. Lakewood's main building used to be a sports arena called "The Summit" or "Compaq Center." It was once the home of the Houston Rockets basketball team.
The Greenway Plaza area is part of a larger neighborhood called Greenway/Upper Kirby. In 2015, this neighborhood had about 21,120 people living there.
Contents
A Look Back: How Greenway Plaza Started
Kenneth L. Schnitzer, a local developer, had a big idea for Greenway Plaza. He wanted to create Houston's first mixed-use area. This meant combining different types of buildings like offices, shops, and homes in one planned community.
To buy the land, his company quietly purchased many small pieces of property. The grand opening of Greenway Plaza happened in 1973. Schnitzer imagined it would become like a "second downtown" for the city. It brought together office towers, stores, a basketball arena, a movie theater, and a hotel.
Big Companies Move In
In 1970, the M. W. Kellogg Company moved its main office from New York to Houston. They set up in Greenway Plaza. Over time, as the energy business grew, Kellogg needed more space.
Later, Kellogg swapped office space with its parent company, Dresser Industries. Dresser took over part of Kellogg's lease. This building was then called the Dresser Tower.
Around 1996, T-Mobile also leased office space in Greenway Plaza.
Changes Over Time
In 2003, the Houston Rockets basketball team moved out of the Compaq Center. This building then became the Lakewood Church Central Campus. This change made the area a bit quieter at night, as there were fewer big events.
In 2004, a large company called El Paso Corp. announced it would leave its offices in Greenway Plaza. They had a lot of space there.
In 2013, a company from Atlanta called Cousins Properties bought the entire Greenway Plaza complex. They paid a lot of money for it. By 2017, another company, Parkway Inc., owned it and planned to make new improvements.
More recently, in 2017, T-Mobile announced it was moving its offices. Also, Occidental Petroleum said it was leaving its space in Greenway Plaza.
What You'll Find in Greenway Plaza
Greenway Plaza is home to many different kinds of buildings and businesses. It's a place where people work, shop, and even live.
Office Buildings: Where People Work
Greenway Plaza has many tall office buildings. Here are some of them and a few of the companies that have offices there:
- One Greenway Plaza (Opened 1969): Home to Buckeye Partners.
- Two Greenway Plaza (Opened 1969)
- Three Greenway Plaza (Opened 1971)
- Four Greenway Plaza (Opened 1975): Has offices for Transocean and Occidental Petroleum.
- Five Greenway Plaza (Opened 1973): Also has offices for Occidental Petroleum.
- Eight Greenway Plaza (Opened 1980)
- Nine Greenway Plaza (Opened 1978): Includes Boardwalk Pipeline Partners and Mitsui Oil Exploration.
- Eleven Greenway Plaza (Opened 1979): Home to Camden Property Trust, FlightAware, and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston.
- Twelve Greenway Plaza (Opened 1981): Has offices for Avelo Airlines and Direct Energy.
- 3800 Buffalo Speedway (Opened 1975): Home to Amerigroup.
Shops and Restaurants: Places to Eat and Buy Things
The Hub at Greenway Plaza (which used to be called The Shops at Greenway) opened in 1973. It has many places to eat and shop:
- Greenway Coffee
- burger-chan
- The Rice Box
- Feges BBQ
- Nestlé Toll House Cafe
- Antone's
- Alonti Cafe
- Texas Chicken Express
- Lulu's
- Cilantro's
- Michael Saldana Salon
- Flower Delivery Houston
- Greenway Newsstand & Convenience Store
- Energy One Credit Union
There used to be an "arthouse" movie theater called Landmark Greenway inside 5 Greenway Plaza. It closed at the end of 2007. A fitness area is planned to take its place.
Other Important Buildings
- Doubletree Hotel (6 Greenway): This hotel opened in 1972 and has had a few different names over the years.
- The Central Plant (7 Greenway)
- Tony's Restaurant (13 Greenway): A famous restaurant that moved to Greenway Plaza in 2006.
- 14 Greenway and 15 Greenway (Opened 1980 and 1981): These buildings used to be called the Plaza Condominiums.
- If you live in these condominiums, you would go to schools in the Houston Independent School District. These include Poe Elementary School, Lanier Middle School, and Lamar High School.
- Lakewood Church Central Campus (Opened 1975): This building was once a famous sports and concert venue before Lakewood Church bought it.
Images for kids
-
The Landmark Theatres Greenway 3, which used to be in 5 Greenway Plaza.
