Editor's note: Presenting CultureMap's most read stories of the year. None of these should surprise Houstonians. They're the topics that shaped our world in 2024. They include the too-slow response to Hurricane Beryl, the Texas Renaissance Festival's moment in the national spotlight, and a brewery's sudden closure.
Sadly, it also includes the sudden death of our friend and colleague Ken Hoffman. So much of what's happened since his death in July makes us think of him. We wonder what Ken would've made of the latest drama between John Whitmire and Lina Hidalgo or the Astros moving on from Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman. Although he wasn't into metrics, we know he'd be proud to have written this year's most-read article.
Read on for this year's 10 most popular stories on CultureMap Houston.
1. Ken Hoffman knows whom to blame for Houston's too slow Beryl recovery. In what would sadly turn out to be his final column, Ken did what he does best — express what’s on everyone’s mind better than they could themselves. As Houstonians recovered from Beryl’s unexpected strength, Ken called CenterPoint to task for taking too long to restore power and politicians of both parties for not doing enough to improve the situation.
2. Houston beer shocker: Sawyer Yards brewery shutters after landlord lock out. Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company's existence came to an abrupt end in January, when its landlord suddenly terminated its lease for non-payment of rent. Initially, the brewery vowed to reopen. Instead, Gulf Coast Distillers claimed the facility as the new home for its Tejas Beer brand.
3. Texas Renaissance Festival distances itself from viral HBO docuseries. Ren Faire, HBO’s three-part docuseries, brought the story of festival founder “King” George Coulam to the small screen where viewers watched as he ruminated on retirement and attempted to woo younger women. The local organization issued a somewhat confusing statement distancing itself from its staff’s eccentric portrayal.
4. Ken Hoffman, CultureMap's consummate Houston columnist, passes away. We were all shocked by Ken’s sudden death, which came only two days after his column about Hurricane Beryl. A dozen of his friends and colleagues shared memories of trips, meals, and other experiences with Ken that they’ll treasure forever.
Ken Hoffman was a CultureMap kind of guy.
Photo courtesy of MikeMcGuff.com
5. 16 Houston-based companies hailed best places to work by U.S. News. More than a dozen Houston-based companies shared the spotlight in U.S. News and World Report's collection of the "Best Companies to Work For" in 2024-2025.
6. Exclusive: Dominique Sachse sends heartfelt message to Houston fans upon news of her major move. The former KPRC anchor made a splash when she revealed she’d be moving to Dallas to join Dr. Phil’s Merit Street Media. Although the transition was short lived — she left the network in November — Sachse remains a presence on YouTube, where she approximately 1.9 million subscribers.
7. Houston neighbor ranks as one of America's most livable small cities. In the SmartAsset 2024 "Most Livable Small Cities" report, which compared 281 U.S. cities with populations between 65,000 and 100,000, Missouri City came in at No. 77. The Southwest Houston suburb earned the ranking thanks to its relatively low cost of living and strong park system, among other factors.
8. What you need to know about the end of Texas vehicle inspections. The good news is that safety inspections end on December 31. Sadly, Houstonians must still pass an emissions inspection.
Texas car registration laws will change in 2025.
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
9. 2 Houston high schools rank among America's top 100 in 2024, says U.S. News. Each year, U.S. News evaluates about 18,000 high schools on six factors: college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth, and graduation rates. When it ran the numbers, magnet schools Carnegie Vanguard High School and DeBakey High School for Health Professions both made the top 100.
10. Predicting 14 Houston restaurants that should earn a Michelin star. Overall, this article fared reasonably well. Three of the four “locks” earned stars, and one of the four “probably” restaurants did, too — meaning we correctly identified four of the six restaurants that ultimately earned a star. Six of the other predictions for stars and Bib Gourmands earned either a Bib or a “Recommended” designation.
-----
Brianna Griff and Stephanie Merry contributed to this article.
The pickup truck on the front of the building makes it easy to spot. Photo by Motion Theory Media