This Week's Hot Headlines

Singular Houston steakhouse closes after 2 years and more top stories

Medium Rare has closed.

Medium Rare/Facebook

Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, from two surprising shutters to a bagel shop's Houston debut. Read on for our most popular stories, then plan the rest of your weekend via this guide.

1. Innovative Houston steak restaurant flames out after only 2 years. A Washington, D.C.-based restaurant that only serves one entree has closed its Houston outpost.

2. Houston chef takes flight with new Gulf Coast seafood spot in the Heights. Graham Laborde, the chef and a co-owner of Midtown sandwich favorite Winnie’s, will open a new Gulf Coast-inspired seafood restaurant in the Heights.

3. Chris Shepherd-founded Houston burger joint goes belly up after 4 years. A Houston burger joint founded by James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd will soon serve its final meal. Underbelly Burger will close its Spring Branch location on Sunday, September 13.

4. Seinfeld-approved New York bagel shop sets opening for first Houston spot. Iconic New York City bagel shop H&H Bagels opened its first Houston location on Thursday, September 10.

Residents of a Latitude Margaritaville community riding golf carts. The parrothead ethos lives on at Latitude Margaritaville. Photo courtesy of Minto Communities

5. 3,500-home community for 'active adults' approved for Galveston Bay tract. Latitude Margaritaville Galveston Bay is a new 3,500-home active adult community coming to Galveston Bay. The sales center and model park is targeted for first quarter 2028.

most popular stories closings hot-headlines

Settling Down

Houston earns top-10 rank among best places to retire in Texas in 2026

A Houston park with a bench and a little free library

Photo by Kenny Perez on Unsplash

Retirement unlocks more opportunities to spend time outdoors.

Houstonians getting ready to give up the daily grind are already living in a good place for their next chapter in life. Houston has just been named the No. 6 best city to retire in Texas, and it lands as the 82nd best city in the U.S., according to a new WalletHub report.

The study examined 182 U.S. cities and ranked them based on 45 "retirement-friendly" livability metrics across four key dimensions: affordability, activities, quality of life, and health care.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Florida dominated the top 10, with Orlando, Miami, and Tampa locking in the top three spots and Fort Lauderdale ranking eighth on the list.

Houston fared best in the "affordability" category, ranking 35th nationally. This encompassed the local cost of living, taxpayer-friendliness, the costs for in-home services, and other factors. Costs were a significant factor in the report, as many retirees live on a fixed income.

Finances and affordability also play a huge part in determining where to live once it's time to put up those work boots, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said.

"As a result, the best cities for retired people are those that minimize taxes and expenses, as well as have good opportunities for retirees to continue paid work for extra income, if they choose to do so," he said. "In addition, the top cities provide high-quality health care and offer plenty of enjoyable activities for retirees."

The city also earned a respectable rank as No. 43 in the "activities" category, which analyzed attractions and entertainment venues for seniors, like the number of per capita museums, theaters, book clubs, senior centers, and bingo halls.

Houston fell behind in the remaining two nationwide categories for the best "health care" (No. 158) and "quality of life"(No. 167) for retirees.

Elsewhere in Texas, Austin topped the list as the No. 1 best place to retire statewide, and it ranked No. 23 nationwide. San Antonio ranked No. 2 statewide and 47th nationally, and Dallas claimed the No. 3 spot statewide and was the only other Texas city to rank among the national top 50.

This is how other Texas cities ranked in the report:

No. 75 – Plano
No. 78 – Fort Worth
No. 82 – Houston
No. 87 – Brownsville
No. 91 – Grand Prairie
No. 101 – Garland
No. 107 – Irving
No. 123 – El Paso
No. 124 – Arlington
No. 134 – Corpus Christi
No. 140 – Laredo
No. 143 – Amarillo
No. 155 – Lubbock

wallethub reports retirement city life rankings