When it comes to great comeback stories, downtown Houston is one for the books. Five years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic did a number on the neighborhood—office towers hollowed out overnight, restaurant lights flicked off, and the tunnels and streets echoed like empty subway platforms.

In 2025, the numbers tell a different story. Data from Downtown Houston+ show residential inventory climbing from 6,729 apartments at the end of 2020 to 8,222 today. At the same time, vacancy shrank from 17.4 percent to about 12 percent. Downtown Houston+ CEO Kris Larson notes that the district now welcomes roughly 30 million tourist visits each year, surpassing the 22 million annual work trips taken by Houston residents with jobs downtown.

This is the result of years of deliberate nudges—grants that coaxed restaurants to the surface from the tunnel network, tax credits that smoothed office-to-apartment conversions, and a strategy Larson distills to two words: “comfort and interest.” Shade the sidewalks so people linger, give them something worth seeing every 10 seconds, and the crowds will follow. We take a look at the new initiatives, developments, and businesses leading the charge.

PUBLIC ART

Big Art. Bigger Change.

This mural series from Street Art for Mankind has turned 50 blank facades across downtown into ground-to-sky artwork. Scan each mural in the free Behind the Wall app, and a short AR animation pops up while an audio guide explains how the piece connects to a specific United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, ranging from zero hunger to quality education.

The impact goes beyond aesthetic: The murals are part of an effort to reenergize pedestrian corridors in a downtown that, for decades, was designed more for weather-based comfort inside tunnels than for animation at street level.

“We’ve buried all of that vibrancy,” Larson says, referencing Houston’s extensive underground network. “The tunnels exist basically from Monday through Friday, from about 7am till 3pm. So if you have all of that retail and restaurants that are down there and not operating, and all of these visitors that come in…largely outside of those time periods, they’re not experiencing what downtown Houston could be.”

That philosophy is also baked into newer spaces like Discovery Green’s Art Lab, which transforms sections of the park into a rotating exhibition zone.

Discover Houston Music Showcase

Public art blends seamlessly with live performance at this annual event at Discovery Green that spotlights emerging local musicians and gives them a platform in one of the city’s most visible green spaces. Winners of the 2024 showcase were selected through a juried process and awarded paid gigs at the park, giving these up-and-coming artists access to audiences that might otherwise take years to build. Performances are integrated into the park’s existing programming, which includes outdoor movies, installations, and markets.

REDEVELOPMENTS

Houston has never shied away from reinvention, and downtown’s building stock is no exception. Office towers, once emptied by a shift to remote work, are being reimagined as residential apartments and boutique hotels. Larson’s team recently completed a feasibility study analyzing 37 underperforming office buildings to determine which ones could realistically be converted. And other aging structures have been turned into sprawling arts- and food-forward public spaces. Here are some of the best.

Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts

One of the most recent public space reinventions, Lynn Wyatt Square officially opened in late 2023 on the site of the old Jones Plaza. Named for the Houston philanthropist whose foundation helped fund the project, the park features a central performance lawn, a shaded terrace with tiered seating, and multiple water features that provide both cooling and ambience. It sits adjacent to the Alley Theatre and Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, providing a natural connection between the arts and street-level vibrancy.

The design encourages people to linger. And like other new downtown developments, the square has hosted local musicians, cultural pop-ups, and lunch-hour performances.

Lyric Market

Two blocks north, Lyric Market has transformed an aging commercial building into a sleek, glass-fronted food hall and social space. Opened in late 2022, the venue houses dining concepts, a mezzanine-level wine bar, and Lyric Bar, a full-service lounge overlooking the plaza.

By using the space for both daily utility and after-hours entertainment, Lyric Market contributes to the stickiness downtown planners are aiming for: places that don’t just get a visit, but keep you around for one more drink, dish, or song.

Post Houston

This exemplar of adaptive reuse downtown continues to be a major draw. The former Barbara Jordan Post Office has become a cultural anchor featuring a food hall with global cuisine; the immersive digital art space Art Club; 713 Music Hall, a live music venue; and Skylawn, a rooftop park with a sustainable organic farm. Since its reopening in 2021, the building has hosted large-scale events including Lunar New Year celebrations, exhibitions tied to Art Car Weekend, and a steady stream of vendor markets.

RECREATION

Convincing Houstonians to visit downtown on a weekend is a challenge. Food and drink have become some of the most reliable draws, and the latest wave of bars and restaurants is leaning into that role with intention. Chef Hugo Ortega is working on a second downtown restaurant to join his already-popular Xochi; as of press time, the unnamed restaurant was scheduled to open in late summer or early fall. There’s plenty more to enjoy in the meantime.

Barbacana

Opened in late 2024 in the historic Bayou Lofts building (erected in 1910), Barbacana brings more fine dining to the area. Chef Christian Hernandez describes the menu as a reflection of Houston itself, featuring dishes inspired by Southeast Asian, West African, and Eastern Mediterranean cuisines.

Though downtown doesn’t have a dominant cultural demographic like other neighborhoods, Hernandez felt that made it a fitting base. “Allen’s Landing is a block away, where Houston essentially started,” he says. “I grew up in Houston, and I always had a lot of love for downtown. I’ve seen it ebb and flow throughout the years.... It’s an opportunity to be part of the resurgence.”

Behind Closed Doors

Perhaps the flashiest concept to emerge is a multiroom speakeasy experience tucked into a nondescript Main Street storefront. The distinct interior spaces—the Gold Room, Red Room, and Main Room—each offer a unique menu and aesthetic. Go for Gold, and you’ll find a focus on brandy cocktails and a selection of cognac, Armagnac, calvados, and pisco from around the world. Opt for Red, and you’ll be dancing the night away at a club. Open since 2023, the venue reflects the kind of layered, immersive experience now expected in urban nightlife hubs.

Off the Record

Also joining the Houston scene in 2023, Off the Record has carved out a niche as both a cocktail bar and a vinyl listening room. The often-packed venue is a hybrid that attracts a diverse after-work and weekend crowd. Located right on Main Street, the bar stocks a curated collection of records available for purchase or play, and hosts DJ sets and themed music nights.

Real Agave

A few blocks south of the Theater District, Real Agave is another postpandemic addition, opened in 2022. With its sleek interiors and focus on mezcal cocktails, the bar offers a more elevated experience than some of the nearby dives on Main. Bites by restaurateur Bill Floyd (formerly of El Real Tex-Mex) and chef Derrick Cooper and rotating DJ nights draw both downtown residents and out-of-towners staying in nearby hotels, adding to the sense that this area is no longer just a weekday destination—it’s a full-service neighborhood.

LOOKING FORWARD

With seven World Cup matches scheduled for Houston in 2026, the city is preparing for a surge of international attention. According to Downtown Houston+, a 140-room conversion of the historic Scanlan Building is planned, and the proposed Astros Entertainment District could potentially add another 300 hotel rooms to downtown’s inventory, though no timeline for completion has been confirmed. A $2 billion overhaul of the George R. Brown Convention Center is underway, the first phase of which is scheduled to be opened in time for the Republican National Convention in 2028. Larson says the coming years will test everything the district has been working toward.

“We’ve hosted Super Bowls. We’ve hosted national championship games. We know what it looks like to fill NRG with visitors from lots of different places. The difference is, those are one day versus…seven games across 21 days,” he says of Houston being a World Cup host.

A centerpiece of that preparation is the Main Street Promenade, a pilot corridor designed to improve pedestrian comfort and engagement. The project will shut off 11 blocks of Main to cars, add public seating, and expand canopies and shading that reduce the ambient temperature.

The planning extends to navigation and signage. With so many visitors expected from around the world, including people who may not speak English or know Houston’s layout, the district is collaborating with city agencies and the World Cup host committee to develop multilingual signage, digital wayfinding tools, and clear transit connections from the light rail to fan zones and major venues.

In tandem with these upgrades, Downtown Houston+ is advocating for federal support to further accelerate change. The organization is backing House Bill 2410, which proposes a new federal tax credit specifically for nonresidential-to-residential conversions. If passed, the credit would require that 20 percent of units be reserved for affordable housing—a move that could help reduce vacancy and ensure equitable access to the city’s urban core.

In the meantime, the district continues its on-the-ground work. Shade and seating projects are being prioritized along the most trafficked corridors. And a barrage of daily and weekly events is being scaled up in partnership with venues like Post.

“We’re trying to change the way people experience downtown—not just once a year, but as part of their daily lives,” Larson says.

If everything goes as planned, visitors arriving for the World Cup could see a whole new Houston.

HIGH-RISES REDEFINING DOWNTOWN LIVING

Downtown Houston’s residential scene has exploded with high-rises in recent years. Why not reach for the skies, especially if there’s a city view? Complexes like One Park Place (2009) and 500 Crawford (2016) have been solid go-tos for those craving a fancy urban lifestyle. As the desire for luxury living hasn’t slowed, a new crop of residences has popped up postpandemic.