Flying High

Politicians take a dive: Annise Parker and George H.W. Bush now have something in common

Though they are on opposite sides of the political spectrum, Mayor Annise Parker and former President George H.W. Bush have something in common to discuss the next time they meet: They have both jumped out of a plane for no good reason other than the thrill of it all.

Parker bragged about her exploits on her Twitter account Sunday after her first skydive experience. Her communications director Janice Evans was also among those who took the plunge at Skydive Spaceland near Rosharon.

Bush has skydived several times, most recently to celebrate his 90th birthday last June.

Here's what happened, according to Twitter:

One more thing I don't have to do again! Yes, today I jumped out of a plane at 14000 ft. Mayor's office & friends.-A pic.twitter.com/sHCkP5FwUW

— Annise Parker (@AnniseParker) January 4, 2015

She's back on the ground safe! @AnniseParker pic.twitter.com/NljyQLzrrw

— Janice Evans (@Jevansdavis) January 4, 2015

We finally talked her into it! Going up on the next plane. She'll never forgive us! @AnniseParker pic.twitter.com/npQk5LEeX5

— Janice Evans (@Jevansdavis) January 4, 2015

Alas, State Sen. Rodney Ellis chickened out in joining Parker in the sky.

Selfie for Bayou ride today. I chickened out on the parachute jump with @AnniseParker! pic.twitter.com/xMthiD0SNW

Rodney Ellis (@RodneyEllis) January 4, 2015

UPDATE: After CultureMap published this story, we received a press release from the mayor's office touting her first skydive.

"Honestly, this wasn't on my bucket list," Parker said in a statement. "My staff had been planning this for awhile and my original intention was to simply be on hand to support them. As their team leader, though, I couldn't just stand by and watch. If they can do it, I can do it. I'm not sure, however, it is something I'll do again."

In the group of 20 skydivers were members of Parker's executive team, City Council aides and others, including Helaine Rumaner, a city employee and competitive skydiver with more than 2,700 jumps who was docked with Parker during the 8,000-foot free fall at 120 miles per hour before the chute was pulled. Parker did the tandem jump with the assistance of Skydive Spaceland instructor Henry Prewitt.

When asked what was the best part of the jump, Parker said, "being back on the ground."

Mayor Annise Parker, third from the left, is all smiles after her skydive.

Photo by Chuck Akers

Mayor Annise Parker, third from the left, is all smiles after her skydive.

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Settling Down

Houston earns top-10 rank among best places to retire in Texas in 2026

A Houston park with a bench and a little free library

Photo by Kenny Perez on Unsplash

Retirement unlocks more opportunities to spend time outdoors.

Houstonians getting ready to give up the daily grind are already living in a good place for their next chapter in life. Houston has just been named the No. 6 best city to retire in Texas, and it lands as the 82nd best city in the U.S., according to a new WalletHub report.

The study examined 182 U.S. cities and ranked them based on 45 "retirement-friendly" livability metrics across four key dimensions: affordability, activities, quality of life, and health care.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Florida dominated the top 10, with Orlando, Miami, and Tampa locking in the top three spots and Fort Lauderdale ranking eighth on the list.

Houston fared best in the "affordability" category, ranking 35th nationally. This encompassed the local cost of living, taxpayer-friendliness, the costs for in-home services, and other factors. Costs were a significant factor in the report, as many retirees live on a fixed income.

Finances and affordability also play a huge part in determining where to live once it's time to put up those work boots, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said.

"As a result, the best cities for retired people are those that minimize taxes and expenses, as well as have good opportunities for retirees to continue paid work for extra income, if they choose to do so," he said. "In addition, the top cities provide high-quality health care and offer plenty of enjoyable activities for retirees."

The city also earned a respectable rank as No. 43 in the "activities" category, which analyzed attractions and entertainment venues for seniors, like the number of per capita museums, theaters, book clubs, senior centers, and bingo halls.

Houston fell behind in the remaining two nationwide categories for the best "health care" (No. 158) and "quality of life"(No. 167) for retirees.

Elsewhere in Texas, Austin topped the list as the No. 1 best place to retire statewide, and it ranked No. 23 nationwide. San Antonio ranked No. 2 statewide and 47th nationally, and Dallas claimed the No. 3 spot statewide and was the only other Texas city to rank among the national top 50.

This is how other Texas cities ranked in the report:

No. 75 – Plano
No. 78 – Fort Worth
No. 82 – Houston
No. 87 – Brownsville
No. 91 – Grand Prairie
No. 101 – Garland
No. 107 – Irving
No. 123 – El Paso
No. 124 – Arlington
No. 134 – Corpus Christi
No. 140 – Laredo
No. 143 – Amarillo
No. 155 – Lubbock

wallethub reports retirement city life rankings