This Week's Hot Headlines

New Louboutin boutique, Houston's most eligible and glam summer travel lead this week's top stories

Editor’s note: Another week has passed by, so it's time to recap the most popular stories on CultureMap from this past week:

1. Sexy shoe designer Christian Louboutin is headed to Houston with new boutique. French footwear designer Christian Louboutin, known for his sensual red-sole designs, announced plans to open a boutique in The Galleria in fall 2016, sending his legions of Houston fans into a near-frenzy.

2. Houston's Most Eligible Bachelors & Bachelorettes: 10 sizzling singles to heat up your summer. From an oil and gas exec and a baseball player and to a top chef and entrepreneur, 10 hot singles on the Houston dating scene are profiled in this popular feature.

3. Eight glamorous and successful Houston women share their summer vacation plans — and you'll be surprised where they're headed. CultureMap checked in with a number of Houston's female success stories — including KPRC Ch. 2 anchor Dominique Sachse and accessories designer Elaine Turner — and queried them on summer travel plans.

4. Where to eat, J.J. Watt's mystery lady and the joys of summer camp lead the week's top stories. CultureMap recaps the most popular stories of the each week, and last week's edition, which included features on 10 hot restaurants to try for June and recent sightings of Houston Texans superstar J.J. Watt with tennis pro Caroline Wozniacki, continued to be amon the most-read stories.

5. Barbara Bush celebrates 90th birthday with family photo, big party and $17 million gift. The former first lady celebrated a milestone with her family and celebrities at a gala in Maine that added to millions raised for the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.

Christian Louboutin announced plans for a stand-alone boutique in Houston.

Courtesy photo

Christian Louboutin announced plans for a stand-alone boutique in Houston.

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festive cities

Houston dazzles among top 10 most festive cities in America for 2025

River Oaks Christmas Lights in Houston TX/Facebook

The River Oaks Christmas Lights are a fun place to take families.

Houston has once again landed a coveted spot on Thumbtack's annual ranking of the most festive American cities in 2025.

Home services platform Thumbtack analyzed holiday light installation requests from customers from October 2024 to 2025 to determine the most festive U.S. cities. Rankings were based on the "relative frequency" of requests after being adjusted for the population of each state and metro area.

Houston ranked as the 6th most festive U.S. city this year, dropping two spots from its former No. 4 rank in 2024.

Locals searching for inspiration for their homes can find it at the many twinkly displays illuminating Houston for the holidays, from the iconic City Lights to the rustic Dewberry Farm light show. And the holiday season is beginning earlier with every passing year, according to Thumbtack.

"Homeowners are layering their look from October through December, swapping out pumpkins for pine boughs and adding sparkle as the season unfolds," the report said.

Other festive holiday events happening around Houston include cheery pop-up bars, holiday markets, and much more. CultureMap readers can also keep up with all of Houston's holiday happenings in our special editorial series.

Other big Texas cities like Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio also all landed top-10 spots in the report, proving the Lone Star State is much more festive than the rest of the country.

"From Texas to Florida, the South is setting the standard for holiday spirit, and in true Texas fashion, bigger is definitely brighter," the report said. "Mild winters and a strong sense of community keep the Lone Star State shining at the top."

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 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – Sacramento, California
No. 6 – Houston, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Charlotte, North Carolina
No. 9 – San Antonio, Texas
No. 10 – Atlanta, Georgia

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