Coming attraction

H-E-B plans opening of new Montrose store before Thanksgiving

H-E-B signs have been installed in front of the new Montrose store. Amid-November opening is planned.
Photo by Clifford Pugh
The design by Lake/Flato architects features an environmentally-consciouslow-slung building.
Photo by Clifford Pugh
The building, which backs onto West Alabama, has been brightened up with lots ofglass and ironwork.
Photo by Clifford Pugh

There's a lot of activity going on around the new H-E-B Montrose supermarket as officials aim to be open for business before Thanksgiving.

Signs have been installed at the new store at the corner of West Alabama and Dunlavy streets and the exterior is "99 percent complete," an H-E-B representative told CultureMap. Now, most activity is concentrated on the interior, with a planned opening in mid-November if there are no last-minute snags.

Now, most activity is concentrated on the interior, with a planned opening in mid-November if there are no last-minute snags.

Officials tested the fire alarm system on Monday night and Scott McClelland, president of H-E-B Houston, was spotted in the store's parking lot at 10 p.m. one recent night checking out the lights after a neighbor expressed concern they were too bright.

McClelland has shown a deep interest in the project, since it was announced last year. He has met regularly with neighborhood groups since its inception, showcasing three designs and organizing a vote by area residents to select the winner.

The winning design, one of three by the San Antonio architecture firm Lake/Flato, is a low-slung modern building with wood siding, glass features and an extended roof plane that shelters outdoor spaces. It will be only the second H-E-B location in the Houston area to be LEED certified for environmental design.

While many area residents like myself are eagerly anticipating the opening, we are most thrilled that H-E-B was able to convince the city of Houston to repave and widen most of Dunlavy street between West Alabama and Richmond. It's one of the few streets in the neighborhood that isn't marked with deep potholes and bumpy pavement.

H-E-B officials are planning a number of grand opening activities, including a by-invitation-only luncheon at the nearby Menil Collection for area movers and shakers and a donation to a non-profit organization to be selected by shoppers and in online voting on CultureMap. Stay tuned for details.

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No Cap

Houston ranked No. 3 destination for Gen Zers on the move for 2023

Photo by Alexander Londoño on Unsplash

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As Gen Z enters adulthood, many are flocking to the nation's biggest cultural hubs like New York City, Los Angeles, and now Houston, which had the third-highest inflow of Gen Zers in 2023.

H-Town's new reputation as a Gen Z hotspot was unveiled in a recent report by American home improvement brand This Old House, which analyzed migration trends across multiple generations using 2023 U.S. Census Bureau data.

Houston saw an influx of 22,868 Gen Z residents last year to become the generations third most popular city. That's up from ranking as the No. 11 most popular city in 2022. Houston gained fewer than 7,600 new Gen Z residents during that time in comparison to 2023's migration trend.

Houston started gaining traction as an up-and-coming destination for Gen Zers last year, when the "experience-hungry generation" was on the hunt for an affordable place to live with vast opportunities for entertainment, education, or employment.

Real estate marketplace Zillow seems to agree on a statewide scale, declaring Texas as the No. 1 destination for Gen Zers on the move in 2024.

While Houston saw big gains in its Gen Z population last year, many other big cities saw a mass exodus.

"El Paso, Texas, has lost the most residents from this generation, with a drop of 5,607, a sharp turn from 2022 when the city saw an increase," the report said. "Other cities, including Plano, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; McKinney, Texas; and Wichita, Kansas, are seeing similar declines."

The report also surprisingly revealed that Houston is also one of the top destinations for millennials and Gen X, whereas both New York City and Los Angeles lost more residents among those two generations in comparison.

Houston ranked as the No. 1 city for Gen Xers and No. 4 for millennials based on their respective migration trends in 2023. Houston gained 6,312 new Gen X residents last year – the most nationwide – and the fourth-highest amount of millennials (5,301 new residents).

"Gen X, baby boomers, and the Silent Generation are also moving away from major cities, particularly New York City and Washington, D.C.," the report said. "They’re heading to some of the same cities as Gen Z, including Houston and Jacksonville, Florida."

The top 10 cities that gained the most Gen Z residents in 2023 are:

No. 1 – New York City, New York
No. 2 – Los Angeles, California
No. 3 – Houston, Texas
No. 4 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
No. 5 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 6 – San Diego, California
No. 7 – Seattle, Washington
No. 8 – Charlotte, North Carolina
No. 9 – Dallas, Texas
No. 10 – Minneapolis, Minnesota

Coming attraction

H-E-B plans opening of new Montrose store before Thanksgiving

No Cap

Houston ranked No. 3 destination for Gen Zers on the move for 2023

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