As of 2014 the Houston area has relatively fewer national chain restaurants compared to other U.S metropolitan areas due to the number of established local restaurant operations Famous restaurateurs include Jim Goode and Ninfa Laurenzo as well as the families of Molina's Pappas Restaurants Carrabbas and the Mandola's restaurants! The Rice Hotel built in 1912 on the former site of the old Capitol building of the Republic of Texas was restored in 1998 after years of standing unused the original building was razed in 1881 by Colonel A Groesbeck who subsequently erected a five-story hotel named the Capitol Hotel. William Marsh Rice the founder of Rice University purchased the building in 1883 added a five-story annex and renamed it the Rice Hotel. Rice University then sold the building in 1911 to Jesse Jones who demolished it and built a 17-story structure on the site the new Rice Hotel building opened on May 17 1913 This historic hotel now serves as an apartment building known as the Rice Lofts designed by Page Southerland Page. In 1939 the United States had renounced its trade treaty with Japan and beginning with an aviation gasoline ban in July 1940 Japan became subject to increasing economic pressure. During this time Japan launched its first attack against Changsha a strategically important Chinese city but was repulsed by late September. Despite several offensives by both sides the war between China and Japan was stalemated by 1940 to increase pressure on China by blocking supply routes and to better position Japanese forces in the event of a war with the Western powers Japan invaded and occupied northern Indochina. Afterwards the United States embargoed iron steel and mechanical parts against Japan, Main article: History of Texas There were 943,183 housing units in 2017 and 838,950 households. 43.3% of Houstonians owned housing units with an average of 2.66 persons per household the median monthly owner costs with a mortgage were $1,533 and $511 without a mortgage Houston's median gross rent from 2013-2017 was $940 the median household income in 2017 was $49,399 and 21.2% of Houstonians lived below the poverty line. . . ; . .
A system of toll roads operated by the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) and Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority (FBCTRA) provides additional options for regional commuters the Sam Houston Tollway which encompasses the mainlanes of Beltway 8 (as opposed to the frontage roads which are untolled) is the longest tollway in the system covering the entirety of the Beltway with the exception of a free section between Interstate 45 and Interstate 69 near George Bush Intercontinental Airport the region is serviced by four spoke tollways: a set of managed lanes on the Katy Freeway; the Hardy Toll Road which parallels Interstate 45 north of Downtown up to Spring; the Westpark Tollway which services Houston's western suburbs out to Fulshear; and Fort Bend Parkway which connects to Sienna Plantation Westpark Tollway and Fort Bend Parkway are operated conjunctly with the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority. Mass transit Voter turnout (voting age population). . .
Caroline Tuck - State Farm Insurance Agent