the saga continues

River Oaks Theatre's saga ends as ownership announces imminent shutter

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The fate of the cinema still hangs in the balance as talks continue.

Photo courtesy of River Oaks Theatre

UPDATE — March 19; 1:20 pm: A spokesperson for Landmark Theatres tells CultureMap that after lengthy negotiations, no deal was reached, leaving Landmark "no choice but to vacate." This headline has been updating to reflect the news.

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The end is drawing near for Houston’s most beloved cinematic landmark. The River Oaks Theatre is set to close on March 31 due to unpaid lease obligations caused by the pandemic and subsequent shutdowns, as CultureMap previously reported.

But now, though talks initially had stalled, a spokesperson for Landmark Theatres, which owns the River Oaks Theatre, confirms that both sides are actively negotiating to keep the cherished theater open.

Landmark released the following statement late March 18:

After many months of waiting for a response, negotiations are underway. We are making progress, however, Weingarten insists that during a substantial period of the extension term that Landmark pay the same rent prior to the pandemic.

The pre-covid rent reflects a different world that does not address the realities of today or the foreseeable future.
Landmark has also offered to pay an additional percentage rent to allow Weingarten to come close to the pre-covid rent.

We are hopeful Weingarten accepts our most recent offer otherwise we have no choice but to close next week.

Meanwhile, Weingarten offered this statement to CultureMap:

Weingarten Realty has been in communication with Landmark over the past couple of days. We have offered to forgive the rent past due during the time the theater was forced to close and we are willing to work out a 24 month repayment plan for the balance. We look forward to their response.

Thus, the fate of a beloved filmic institution — which dates back to 1939 and is the site of Saturday Rocky Horror Show performances and myriad art and international screenings — is still a cliffhanger.

CultureMap will update this story as it develops.

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family values

Houston ranks as 7th most affordable U.S. metro for raising a child

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Raising a child is not an easy or inexpensive feat, but a new study has determined Houston parents have the 7th lowest childrearing costs in the country.

SmartAsset's latest report, "Cost of Raising a Child in Major U.S. Metros – 2026 Study," calculated year-over-year changes in the annual cost of raising a child (factoring in childcare, additional housing costs, food, transportation, medical costs and other necessities) in the 48 largest U.S. metro areas. MIT's Living Wage Calculator was used to compare the living costs of a household with two working adults and one child to that of a childless household with two working adults.

Childrearing costs in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands have grown 3.37 percent since last year, totaling $22,605 for a family of three in 2026. That's only $737 more than what it took to raise a child in 2025, and it's $1,209 higher than what it took in 2024.

This is how SmartAsset broke down the annual cost for raising a child in the Houston area:

Cost of childcare: $10,265
Cost of food: $1,721
Other expenses: $10,619

Houston ranked 42nd in SmartAsset's national list of cities with the highest childrearing costs in 2026, making it the No. 7 most affordable U.S. metro.

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont in California topped the list with the highest childrearing costs in the U.S., at $43,171. The cost for raising a child in this California metro soared nearly 11 percent higher since last year.

Memphis, Tennessee ranked dead last as the most affordable U.S. metro for raising a child in 2026. Families will spend less than $20,000 to raise a child in Memphis, only 3.24 percent more than what was needed in 2025.

Raising a child in other Texas metros
It may come as no surprise that Austin is the most expensive place to raise a child in Texas, and it appeared as the 31st most expensive U.S. metro for families. Parents will spend nearly $25,000 to raise a child in the state's capital city, which is $703 higher than it was a year ago.

Two other Texas metros join Houston among the top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for raising a family: San Antonio-New Braunfels (No. 3) and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (No. 10). Childrearing costs in San Antonio add up to $21,393 annually, and Dallas-Fort Worth parents will spend $23,340 to raise their children in 2026.

The top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for raising a child in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Memphis, Tennessee ($19,922)
No. 2 – Nashville, Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tennessee ($21,216)
No. 3 – San Antonio-New Braunfels ($21,393)
No. 4 – Birmingham, Alabama ($21,684)
No. 5 – Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, Virginia ($22,314)
No. 6 – Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Georgia ($22,470)
No. 7 – Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands ($22,605)
No. 8 – Richmond, Virginia ($22,658)
No. 9 – Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky ($23,270)
No. 10 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington ($23,340)

family smartasset reports livability houston pasadena the woodlands