A bar in the downtown sky

Scott Gertner's at Houston Pavilions keeping the salsa, improving the view

Houston Pavilions
Scott Gertner's Skybar
Scott Gertner
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Scott Gertner's at Houston Pavilions, slated to open in spring 2011, has much to offer devotees of his now-defunct Skybar.

For one, you can't have a much more impressive view of downtown than from the roof of a building in its midst. The new place will include an enclosed roof bar and open-air terrace, as well as a VIP lounge with a private balcony and a second level of cabanas replete with bottle service.

Although he's making some major upgrades from his last home, Gertner tells CultureMap that some things will hold steady.

"First and foremost, the quality of music and entertaining experience will stay the same," Gertner says, with his band performing on weekends and Skybar's Thursday Latin salsa tradition also continuing.

Gertner says on Sundays they'll strive to recreate the atmosphere of La Strada's heydey with patio D.J.'s on the roof.

The buzz is already growing, and Gertner says he's had several athletes, including Andre Johnson, inquire about hosting their birthday parties at the new downtown club.

Most exciting to me (and approximately half of Houston) is Gertner's new free valet, free parking for the ladies policy. Female clientele will valet or validate their parking in the Houston Pavilions garage and cross to Scott Gertner's via a closed skywalk.

"If my female clientele feels comfortable at all times, you have a successful nighttime business," Gertner says. And how right he is.

The policy was one of the selling points for Gertner and Pavilions principal and developer Geoff Jones, who calls Gertner's new place "the perfect wedding of a location to a use."

"It's in lockstep with the mix we initially envisioned for the development — a new interpretation of a Houston institution with a loyal following," Jones says.

Houston Pavilions is also awaiting the arrival of three new tenants (who will be revealed once leases are finalized) and began the process this week of moving 1,400 people into NRG/Reliant's tower, according to director of marketing Phil Hudson.

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REAL ESTATE NEWS

More Houston homeowners are becoming 'accidental landlords,' study finds

For Lease Real Estate Sign Hangs in Front Yard of House

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An increasing number of San Antonio homeowners are bcoming "accidental landlords"

Houston homeowners unable to sell their properties are increasingly becoming “accidental landlords,” according to Zillow. The real estate marketplace’s newest analysis says that 4.2 percent of its local for-sale listings recently converted to rentals, making the Bayou City the second-worst U.S. city for the market trend.

Only Denver (4.9 percent) ranks higher, with Austin (4.1 percent) and San Antonio (3.9 percent) not far behind. Seven of the top 10 metros are in Texas or Florida.

Zillow senior economist Kara Ng says today's dynamic is driven by choice rather than panic. Homeowners aren't being forced to sell; they're simply unwilling to accept what the market will actually pay.

"As the market continues to rebalance, sellers are facing a different reality than they did a few years ago," Ng said in a statement. "Bargaining power is tilting toward buyers, and homes are taking longer to sell, making renting out a property one way to buy time rather than compete aggressively on price. After all, today's sellers are rarely forced to sell, and it appears they are often unwilling to budge off of what their heart says their home is worth."

Nationally, the trend is nearing a record high. 2.3 percent of all Zillow rental listings were recently for-sale properties, second only to November 2022, when mortgage rates had doubled in a single year, and sellers were scrambling. That spike was shock-driven, but now stubbornness is likely fueling the shift.

Single-family homes make up the largest share of accidental landlord properties, but condos are seeing the fastest rise. Metros with the hottest buyer competition, including Boston, New York City, and Providence, Rhode Island, have the lowest accidental landlord rates.

For both local buyers and sellers, Goldilocks thinking is increasingly the norm. Sellers, especially those who bought during the COVID-19 boom, are holding their asking price firm to avoid taking a loss. Buyers, for their part, are refusing to compromise on concessions and repairs.

Meanwhile, the city's rental market keeps getting larger. In 2025, rental listings website Point2Homes placed the Houston area among the top 10 U.S. metros building the most new homes for rent.

home market renting home ownership zillow rankings real estate