Looking Forward to 2016

Lots to look forward to in 2016: Exciting Houston openings, happenings and big events

There's a lot going on in Houston in 2016. Here are some of the big things we're looking forward to:

The sports world will focus on Houston when the NCAA Final Four basketball championships come to NRG Stadium in games April 2 and 4. Non-sports fans can catch big free concerts and a host of other fun activities surrounding the big event.

2. MATCH official opening

Although the new Midtown Arts & Theater Center has featured performances in a "soft opening" for several months, it officially opens with a series of activities, including a big block party called "Light up the Night!" on January 15 and a free Family Day on January 17.

3. Republican presidential debate at University of Houston

A few days before the all-important "Super Tuesday" primaries, the Republican presidential candidates will meet at the University of Houston on February 26 for a debate sponsored by NBC News and Telemundo.

4. New retail openings in The Galleria

If 2015 was the year of retail at the River Oaks District, the momentum swings to Houston's venerable Galleria this year, with a new Saks Fifth Avenue slated to open in April. Throughout the year a host of new stores are scheduled to debut, including the Miami-based luxury retailer The Webster and the London-based Yatauatcha's in the newly-constructed "jewel box" on Westheimer, as well as such luxury stores as Christian Louboutin and Céline in the mall.

5. Restaurant openings at River Oaks District

The new mixed used complex focuses on restaurants, with a slew of openings planned in 2016, includingAustin-based burger chain Hopdoddy and four Dallas-based chains — pizza restaurant Thirteen Pies, comfort food spot The Porch, a pizza and pasta concept called Taverna and the French-influenced Belgian fare of Toulouse Cafe and Bar.

Also on tap is an upscale steakhouse called Steak 48 and Le Colonial, a San Francisco import offering French-Vietnamese fusion.

6. The University of Houston takes on Oklahoma

Fresh off an exciting 13-1 season and a Peach Bowl win, the University of Houston Cougars will get another chance to prove they can play with the big boys when they take on perennial powerhouse the University of Oklahoma in 2016 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff at NRG Stadium on September 3.

7. New Marriott Hotel with pool in shape of Texas

The 30-story Marriott Marquis hotel, with 1,000 guest rooms and a Texas-shaped lazy river and infinity pool, is scheduled to open around Labor Day near the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston. It's one of several downtown hotels scurrying to open before this year before the 2017 Super Bowl, including the Hampton Inn/Homewood Suites (at Crawford, between Rusk and Capitol streets), Hotel Alessandra (at Fannin and Polk streets), and Aloft Houston Downtown (at Fannin and Walker streets).

CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler contributed to this article.

The Marriott Marquis hotel, with a big swimming pool in the shape of Texas, is scheduled to open around Labor Day in downtown Houston.

Houston, Marriott Marquis hotel downtown, September 2015, pool shaped like Texas

Courtesy rendering

The Marriott Marquis hotel, with a big swimming pool in the shape of Texas, is scheduled to open around Labor Day in downtown Houston.

openings trends

h-town tenacity

Houston punches in as one of 2026's most hardworking American cities

Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash

Houstonians are hard workers.

Houston and its residents are proving their tenacity as some of the hardest-working Americans in 2026, so says a new study.

WalletHub's annual "Hardest-Working Cities in America (2026)" report ranked Houston the 37th most hardworking city nationwide. H-town last appeared as the 28th most industrious American city in 2025, but it still remains among the top 50.

The personal finance website evaluated 116 U.S. cities based on 11 key indicators across "direct" and "indirect" work factors, such as an individual's average workweek hours, average commute times, employment rates, and more.

The U.S. cities that comprised the top five include Cheyenne, Wyoming (No. 1); Anchorage, Alaska (No. 2); Washington, D.C. (No. 2); Sioux Falls, South Dakota (No. 4); and Irving, Texas (No. 5). Dallas and Austin also earned a spot among the top 10, landing as No. 7 and No. 10, respectively.

Based on the report's findings, Houston has the No. 31-best "direct work factors" ranking in the nation, which analyzed residents' average workweek hours, employment rates, the share of households where no adults work, the share of workers leaving vacation time unused, the share of "engaged" workers, and the rate of "idle youth" (residents aged 16-24 that are not in school nor have a job).

However, Houston lagged behind in the "indirect work factors" ranking, landing at No. 77 out of all 116 cities in the report. "Indirect" work factors that were considered include residents' average commute times, the share of workers with multiple jobs, the share of residents who participate in local groups or organizations, annual volunteer hours, and residents' average leisure time spent per day.

Based on data from The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), WalletHub said the average American employee works hundreds of more hours than workers residing in "several other industrialized nations."

"The typical American puts in 1,796 hours per year – 179 more than in Japan, 284 more than in the U.K., and 465 more than in Germany," the report's author wrote. "In recent years, the rise of remote work has, in some cases, extended work hours even further."

WalletHub also tracked the nation's lowest and highest employment rates based on the largest city in each state from 2009 to 2024.

Source: WalletHub

Other Texas cities that earned spots on the list include Fort Worth (No. 13), Corpus Christi (No. 14), Arlington (No. 15), Plano (No. 17), Laredo (No. 22), Garland (No. 24), El Paso (No. 43), Lubbock (No. 46), and San Antonio (No. 61).

Data for this study was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Travel Association, Gallup, Social Science Research Council, and the Corporation for National & Community Service as of January 29, 2026.

austin reports wallethub