• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Avenida Houston
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    a little relief?

    City of Houston takes step to quiet noisiest neighborhood bars and clubs

    Steven Devadanam
    May 4, 2022 | 3:25 pm
    loud noise woman covering ears
    Inner Loopers are fed up with their noisy neighbors.
    Photo by Getty Images

    Houston City Council has fired a salvo in an ongoing battle between area bars and nightclubs and residents. City Council voted to approve changes to the city’s Chapter 30 ordinance that regulates noise and sound level regulation on Wednesday, May 4.

    The move was introduced by council member Sallie Alcorn (At-Large Position 5). The changes include increasing the maximum fine for violation from $1,000 to $2,000.

    Additionally, nightclubs, bars, and restaurants operating within 300 feet of a residence will now have to acquire a new commercial establishment permit for playing amplified sound, which can be heard outdoors after proposed hours: 10 pm Monday through Thursday, and 11 pm Fridays and Saturdays. No commercial establishments will be permitted to play any outdoor amplified sound between 2 am and 8 am.

    Long-suffering locals will have to wait a few months for the changes; ordinance revisions take effect in 120 days. Importantly, locals will still have to call the Houston Police Department non-emergency line (713-884-3131) to issue a noise complaint.

    Alcorn has taken a primary role in the noise fight since she was appointed chair of the city’s Regulatory and Neighborhood Affairs Committee (RNA), fielding complaints by weary residents dealing with excessive, late-night music and noise from neighboring establishments. She told Houston Public Media that some constituents sleep in their bathrooms an change work shifts due to the noise from noisy neighboring establishments.

    “There are some bars which repeatedly violate and flaunt the rules we have on the books, and the city has little recourse,” Alcorn noted in a statement. “This is destroying quality of life in the surrounding neighborhoods. These changes aim to strengthen current rules and bring more businesses into compliance.”

    As Community Impact reports, some bars on Washington Avenue have become such repeat offenders that an HPD sergeant identifies the 4.5-mile strip of the major strip known as the Washington Avenue Corridor as the No. 1 problem area in regards to violations of the city’s noise ordinance.

    “Our calls for service regarding Washington Avenue for loud noise is just a constant issue out here,” Sgt. Clayton Graham with HPD’s Differential Response Team’s Heights unit told Community Impact. “I know the citizens are beyond fed up with it because I get all their emails.”

    Worse for residents, some bars in the area can make between $10,000 to $20,000 an hour. Thus, even the current max noise citation charge of $1000 is hardly a deterrent, Graham noted to Community Impact. “It’s a drop in the bucket to them. They’ve told us it’s the cost of doing business.”

    To address bad actors and repeat offenders, these new revisions include a refined administrative hearing process for the suspension or revocation of a permit. This includes a sound impact plan to mitigate loud noise in the neighborhood, with remedies including installation of a sound barrier and ways to better monitor sound amplification equipment.

    Written complaints from surrounding property owners may be taken into consideration in the hearing officer's final decision, but will not be the sole basis for suspension or revocation of a permit, a press release notes.

    By the numbers, with the new permit, sound cannot exceed 68 decibels if measured from the establishment’s property line and 58 decibels if measured from the property line of a residential home, specifically Sundays through Thursdays from 10 pm to 2 am.

    Noise issues have especially affected residents in the Rice Military neighborhood that borders Washington Avenue, with clubs including ​Standard Bar, Clutch Bar, and Heart being called out during a recent Super Neighborhood No. 22 meeting, as reported by Community Impact.

    “At its foundation, our city has the responsibility to provide the basic city services that we all come to rely upon,” said Rice Military Civic Club president Mark Fairchild, in a statement, “but I also believe our city has a duty to its residents that businesses operating in our communities be respectful of their neighbors and abide by applicable laws and regulations. This includes affording residents the right to appreciate the peaceful and quiet enjoyment of their homes without the unwanted intrusion of the noise generated by these bars and clubs that operate so close to our communities. These proposed changes give us hope.”

    washington-avenuecity-news-roundupurban-renewal
    news/city-life
    CULTUREMAP EMAILS ARE AWESOME
    Get Houston intel delivered daily.

    the search is on

    Game-changing leader of Houston Parks Board to retire after 10 years

    Jef Rouner
    May 21, 2025 | 10:00 am
    Houston Parks Board CEO Beth White stands at a podium at the Captain Herod Memorial, Houston Mayor John Whitmire is seated nearby.
    Photo by Melissa Taylor
    Beth White speaking at the Captain Herod Memorial on January 28,2025

    It's the end of an era at the Houston Parks Board (HPB). CEO Beth White announced Wednesday, May 21 that she will be retiring on January 1, 2026.

    "As I reflect on my career, one of the most rewarding decisions I have made was coming to Houston," White said in a statement. "The entrepreneurial drive in this city is very powerful, our public-private partnership model is second to none, and the creativity at play is a model for the nation."

    White began her stewardship of the HPB in 2016. Before coming to Houston, she oversaw Chicago's Trust for Public Land, guiding the development of the city's famous elevated trailway, the 606. Her experience made her perfect to lead the HPB as Houston dedicated itself to a radical improvement of its park spaces. With HPB responsible for 3,300 acres across 250 parks, as well as coordinating access to another 14,000 acres, it was an executive position for an area physically larger than many cities.

    White proved herself a competent and visionary general of Houston's greenspaces. During her time, she led the revitalization of 30 Houston parks, mostly in marginalized and underserved communities. Her work netted her an appointment to the chair of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden in 2021, where she helped federal agencies make long-term plans about public space usage.

    Perhaps her greatest accomplishment as CEO of HPB is the Bayou Greenway project, a bold re-imagining of Houston's waterways. The project has built 150 miles worth of trails that hug the various bayous and creeks meandering through Houston, turning what were often foot traffic barriers into an artery system of green trails connecting various park spaces across the city. Isolated pockets of community space are now linked through easy to use trail systems, making foot traffic across Houston simpler and more beautiful to experience.

    “It is very gratifying to see that Houstonians are embracing parks and greenspace as an essential part of the region’s infrastructure. I am proud to have played a part in Houston’s green renaissance and look forward to continued progress thanks to the talented and dedicated staff and board at Houston Parks Board,” said White.

    Cory King, president and CEO, and Ben Feit, principal, at Kittleman and Associates, are leading the search for suitable candidates to fill White's very big shoes. In the meantime, White will continue to lead the organization for the rest of the year.

    "Houston Parks Board would not be in the position it is today without the guidance and leadership of Beth White. As we commemorate her throughout this year, we are grateful that Beth’s vision has helped transform our organization into a regional and national leader for parks and greenspace,” said Houston Parks Board chair Cullen Geiselman Muse. “We are also excited to begin the search for her successor. Houston is a unique region that offers different opportunities to maximize available space and create multi-purpose greenspaces that make real, lasting impacts on our communities. We look forward to sharing more information as the search progresses."

    parkshouston parks boardbeth white
    news/city-life
    Loading...