international design find

Sorella makes Wallpaper* magazine's list of top biz hotels

Hotel Sorella's sizzling design scheme has caught the attention of one of the world's most refined design-minded magazines, Wallpaper*, snagging a spot on the list of the top Best Business Hotels 2010 in the magazine's September issue.

"The hotel is the crown jewel in west Houston's CityCentre, a selfcontained community of shopping, fine dining and top notch office space," reads the magazine's website.

Teaming with Fortune magazine, the design rag employed a panel of discerning judges, who placed Sorella among the ranks of NYC's Ace Hotel, Soho House in Berlin and Dubai's new Armani Hotel. Explains Wallpaper*, "Our shortlist ranges from grand luxury openings to inspiring relaunches of old favourites and contemporary openings in up-and-coming destinations."

The editors lavish praise upon Hotel Sorella for its inspired floor-to-ceiling windows, posh Italian-inspired contemporary décor, and dark hardwood-studded flooring. The Texas-sized closets and bathrooms receive their due. And, of course, Wallpaper* loves the complimentary luxury car service that runs to the Energy Corridor and any hotspot within a five mile radius.

The design scribes also find the dining quite tempting, explaining Bistro Alex's owner, "Alex Brennan-Martin's aim is to serve classics, but with enough cutting-edge cuisine to please foodies."

We can expect to see a glossy spread on Hotel Sorella in the next edition of Wallpaper* City Guide Houston. Until then, wait out the last nights of the sultry summer amid their swank pool-side cabanas.

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bang for your buck

These are the 6 most affordable ZIP codes for Houston renters

Facebook / City of Bellaire, Texas

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Trying to afford buying a home in Houston is difficult enough with current mortgage rates, and doubly so if you're already paying high rent on an apartment or a house. But there are six Houston ZIP codes where renters can get the most bang for their buck, according to a new study by financial services company CashNetUSA.

To find the most affordable ZIP codes to rent in the U.S., analysts compared median household incomes by ZIP code to the average annual rent costs using the Zillow Observed Rent Index. ZIP codes where the average annual rental costs required the lowest percentage of median household income were considered the "most affordable."

Two Houston-area ZIP codes specifically stood out in CashNetUSA's ranking of the most affordable ZIP codes for renters in America: 77401 in Bellaire (No. 9) and 77094 in the Energy Corridor (No. 12).

According to the study's findings, the average monthly cost of a rental in Bellaire comes out to $2,401.25, and the median annual income of a Bellaire household is $210,577. Analysts then calculated that the annual rent of a home in the Bellaire ZIP code only takes up 13.68 percent of a household's median income, which is the ninth-lowest in the nation.

But as Houstonians know all too well, Bellaire residents aren't exactly struggling to pay their rent, seeing as they live in one of the wealthiest places in America.

Meanwhile in Houston's 77094 ZIP, annual rent costs only represent 13.88 percent of a household's median annual income. The area – which encompasses the Kingsland Estates, Green Trails, Green Trails Oaks, Windsor Park Estates, Windsor Park Lakes, and Barker neighborhoods – has a median household income of over $168,000, and average rent costs add up to $1,944.58, according to the study.

CashNetUSA found the No. 1 most affordable ZIP code for renters nationwide is 66224 in Leawood, Kansas, where annual rent only takes a 10.57 percent cut out of a household's median annual income.

Elsewhere in Texas, San Antonio's 78248 ZIP ranked as the No. 4 most affordable ZIP code for renters in the U.S., and the No. 1 most affordable ZIP code statewide. The North Texas ZIP code 75013 in Allen ranked two spots behind Houston to claim the No. 14 spot nationally.

The most affordable Houston ZIP codes for renters
CashNetUSA further unveiled the five most affordable ZIP codes across major U.S. cities, including in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.

Following 77094 (which took the No. 1 spot citywide) is 77008 (No. 2), which spans Greater Heights, Houston Heights, Shady Acres, and Lazybrook/Timbergrove. Rent costs in this ZIP code averaged out to $1,856 per month, the report found.

Landing in the No. 3 spot is 77024, which includes four of Houston's historic Memorial Villages, including Hedwig, Bunker Hill, Hunters Creek, and Piney Point. The report said average rent in the area comes out to $1,730 per month, which takes up 16.88 percent of a household's median annual income.

The remaining top two most affordable ZIP codes for Houston renters are located in 77007 (Washington Avenue Coalition/Memorial Park, Rice Military, and Crestwood/Glen Cove) and 77345 in Kingwood, which is about 30 miles north of downtown Houston.