East Downtown Houston or also known as EaDo, is a district in Houston, Texas. It is located north of Interstate 45 and east of Downtown Houston. Over the years, East Downtown Houston got several awards, and a lot of people find it a great place to work, live, and have a little fun. As the district develops, it’s easy to see how much it changed over the years. That is why in this article, we are going to take a look back and learn about the history of East Downtown Houston.

History

During the 1930s, several Cantonese immigrants and some people from the Third Ward Area decided to move to the old Houston Chinatown, in an effort to find more inexpensive land. Eventually, Cantonese opened several businesses, such as restaurants and grocery stores. Aside from that, they also held Chinese New Year celebrations here. From then on, immigrants from other East Asian countries, including Vietnam, moved into Chinatown.

During the early 1950s, the Chinese Merchants’ Association decided to move to the southeastern part of Downtown Houston. Several Chinese businesses followed, as the old Chinatown in Downtown got replaced by commercial development by the 1970s. The EaDo Chinatown was formed as several Asian immigrants, such as Viet Hoa, started to move to Houston during the 1970s. Ten years later, supermarkets, warehouses, restaurants, a theater, a bank, and restaurants were established.

In 2008 the management district asked the people for suggestions for a new name for the community. Some of the top suggestions were “the Warehouse District,” as a nod to the abandoned warehouses located in the area, and “Saint E,” because of the St. Emanuel Street, which is a major street. Eventually, the management district selected East Downtown or “EaDo” for short.

That same year, a developer and East Downtown Management District board, Dan Nip, encouraged the people to invest in the Old Chinatown. He said that person decides to invest $500,000 in the Old Chinatown and subsequently manage to create two jobs for at least ten years; they would become eligible to apply for an EB-5 visa. By 2009 the East Downtown management authority started re-branding the district to reflect to its current name.

Things To Do in East Downtown Houston

Visit the BBVA Compass Stadium – This stadium is home to several MLS Cup champions such as the Houston Dash, Houston Dynamo, and the Texas Southern University’s football team. The stadium was opened in 2012, and since then, it has been filled with people cheering, screaming, singing, and chanting for the teams that they support. The BBVA Stadium hosts several events such as rugby and soccer matches, concerts, and so much more.

Enjoy Good Music at Warehouse Live – If you are a music lover and want to enjoy some live performances by talented musicians, Warehouse Live is the perfect place to go to East Downtown Houston. This place hosts some of the most prominent artists and underground musicians. Whether you are into a small intimate performance or large crowds, this place got you covered.

Appreciate Urban Arts at Aerosol Warfare – Aerosol Warfare is street art, graffiti, and urban arts organization made by artists for artists. Over the last 24 years, Aerosol Warfare has supported the graffiti scene such as aerosol, graffiti, street, outsider, and hip hop arts. You can check them out at 2110 Jefferson St. #111 Houston, Texas.

Have Fun at the Houston Whatever Fest – This is a premier comedy, music, and art festival that is held every year since 2014. The event is also dubbed as the EaDo Party Park, and they like to bring big-name talents as well as feature, local musicians and artists, to the limelight.