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Houstonians outraged as downtown lights up during citywide outages

Houstonians were outraged to see downtown lit as they powered down.

Photo courtesy of ABC13

Patient, hardy, and resilient, Houstonians are doing their best to weather this storm — even car skiing and making snow angels in the elements as they suffer power outages.

But even brave Bayou City residents can reach their boiling point in the freeze, especially when those conserving energy see downtown Houston lit up.

“Most of downtown is office space,” wrote a Houstonian on Twitter, “so why is it all lit up when they’re asking everyone in Houston to conserve energy to help the power grid? The surrounding homes are not only dark but cold after hours without power in sub freezing temps. This is not a good look for Houston.”

Indeed, while tens of thousands were suffering icy temps with no heat and in some cases, no hot water, downtown gleamed on February 15.

CultureMap news partner ABC13 captured an image of downtown in all its lit glory. ABC13 also reached out to Mayor Sylvester Turner for comment. The mayor’s office responded with this statement:

Throughout the day, Mayor Turner has asked people to conserve energy because of the power outages. He had mentioned it in tweets, zoom interviews and during his news conference. He has been in contact with CenterPoint Energy and others urging them to restore power to Houstonians as soon as possible. CenterPoint has assured the mayor that it is asking its major providers to conserve energy. The mayor encourages everyone to do their share to help during the extreme winter weather.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo also weighed in, telling ABC13 the situation was “maddening” but added that less lights should shine downtown on the evening of February 16 as companies adjust to the new normal.

Currently, myriad neighborhoods and citizens are without power, while another round of snow, ice, and rain is anticipated for Wednesday, February 17.

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River Oaks steakhouse shutters due to dispute and more popular stories

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Editor's note: It's time to catch up on the hottest Houston news of the week, including the upcoming closures of a prominent steakhouse and a Heights wine bar. Plus, a preview of what's coming to Memorial Park in 2027. Read on for our most popular stories, then head here to plan the rest of your long weekend.

1. 'Contractual dispute' compels closure of prime River Oaks steakhouse. One of Houston’s most prominent steakhouses is closing its only inner loop outpost. Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille will shutter its location in the River Oaks Shopping Center on Saturday, January 24.

2. Staple Heights wine bar and restaurant will shutter after 6 years. A wine bar and restaurant in the Heights is coming to the end of a six-year run. Mutiny in the Heights will close on January 31.

3. New Houston nightclub shakes up downtown with salsa dancing and yoga classes. After opening quietly last month in the former Prohibition space, Clandestina will bring a little Latin flair to downtown when it celebrates its grand opening on Saturday, January 17.

Clandestina nightclub interior Clandestina is now open in downtown Houston. Courtesy of Clandestina

4. Houston sandwich pop-up presses forward with a brick-and-mortar home. A popular Houston sandwich pop-up has found a brick-and-mortar home. Known for its Brazilian and Cuban sandwiches, Yuma has claimed the former Ninja Ramen space (4219 Washington Ave.) for a new restaurant that will open this spring.

5. Memorial Park previews new playground and visitor's center coming in 2027. Nearly a year after announcing the restoration of the old Camp Logan as Memorial Groves, Memorial Park Conservancy has unveiled additional information on the new playground and visitor center that will be on site, as well as improvements to a walking trail.