This Week's Hot Headlines

Nobu's opening date and Hoffman's penny hot take lead the week's top stories

Nobu opens next week.

Courtesy of Nobu

Editor's note: It's time to recap the top stories on CultureMap from this past week.

1. The wait is almost over: Global sushi powerhouse Nobu sets Houston opening date. Two years after announcing its plans, the acclaimed New York-based restaurant will open in Houston on June 1.

2. Veteran restaurateurs dream up new taco concept for Greenway Plaza. Jenni and Scott Tranweaver are converted the Greenway Plaza location of Jenni's Noodle House into a new concept called Dream Tacos TX.

3. Ken Hoffman on why it makes cents for the U.S. to dump the penny. Did you know that it costs the U.S. Mint 1.66 cents to manufacture a 1.0 cent penny? That's one of many reasons Ken Hoffman argues it's time for Abe to take a hike.

4. 3 hot new spots for dining and shopping are on the horizon for Rice Village. Dallas-based wine bar/restaurant Sixty Vines, popsicle purveyor Steel City Pops, and another Dry Bar are all coming to Rice Village in the next several months, the shopping district announced this week.

5. Houston fan favorite chef returns to the den at original Beaver's. In his new role as operating partner, Jonathan Jones wants to bring the old and new school jams to the original Beaver's on Decatur.

hot-headlines

santa's favorite city

Houston makes the nice list of top 5 most festive U.S. cities in 2024

Photo courtesy of City Lights

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Houston's unending love for the winter holidays is shining bright this year, as the city was just declared the No. 4 most festive city in America for 2024.

Home services provider Thumbtack's recently released report compiled data from millions of holiday light installation requests across all 50 states between October 2023 to October 2024 to reveal its list of the most festive cities in the nation.

Houston previously held the coveted No. 3 spot in 2023 before slipping to No. 4 this year. The city previously ranked No. 4 in 2022.

Houstonians have plenty of citywide light displays to pull inspiration from for their own homes, including the new Coca Cola Classic Christmas, Memorial Park's Holiday Lights, and many more.

Texas cities are far merrier than many other places in the country, with Austin leading the nation as the No.1 most festive city for the third year in a row, and Dallas ranking just one spot behind as No. 2. San Antonio ranked No. 10 this year, after previously ranking No. 5 in the 2023 report.

Houstonians will have to get creative when it comes to their holiday decorating, as the weather doesn't always cooperate with the classic "White Christmas" theme. But that's to be expected from one of the top 10 best warm-weather travel destinations nationwide.

"In the milder climates, you probably won’t find a winter wonderland, but you might see plenty of twinkling lights, tinsel, and bold colors outside the traditional red, green, and white palette," the report's author wrote. "Neon baubles, vintage plastic Santa molds, and playful LED lights keep properties festive and bright. Native eucalyptus, olive branches, and succulents are used as greenery in place of traditional pine and fir."

Outsourcing that outdoor holiday decorating will cost a pretty penny, according to Thumbtack's analysts. The study said the average cost to hire a holiday lighting specialist can range from $168-$300, depending on the scope of the project and home size. Thumbtack also recommends Houstonians avoid hiring a lighting specialist during Thanksgiving weekend, which is the time period that sees the highest demand.

Thumbtack's top 10 most festive U.S. cities in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Austin, Texas
No. 2 – Dallas, Texas
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Houston, Texas
No. 5 – San Francisco, California
No. 6 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 7 – Sacramento, California
No. 8 – Charlotte, North Carolina
No. 9 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 10 – San Antonio, Texas

austin dallas houston san antonio rankings holidays christmas reports