The Strand, running along the north side of Galveston Island facing Galveston Bay, was the commercial heart of what was once the largest and wealthiest city in Texas. In the decades before 1900 this six-block stretch of cast-iron-fronted Victorian commercial buildings was known as the "Wall Street of the Southwest," processing cotton, grain, and general cargo through one of the busiest ports in the Gulf.
The 1900 hurricane damaged but did not destroy the district, and the buildings were repaired and continued in commercial use. A 1970s preservation effort saved what remained, and the Strand is now a National Historic Landmark with galleries, restaurants, bars, and specialty shops occupying the old warehouses and counting houses. The iron facades and elaborate cornices are in good condition; the streetscape is impressive on a quiet weekday morning when the tourist shops haven't opened. The area around Pier 21, just east of the main Strand blocks, is where the working waterfront begins.