Crushing in the Heights

8 Houston singles explain why they're looking for love at hot Heights bar

About 300 sweaty singles mingled at Best Regards, the Heights-area lounge and bar, on Sunday, August 23 for the Crush Club x Vibes N’ Vices Sunday Social.

singles mixer at Best Regards Crush Club

Photo by Brianna McClane

Best Regards was taken over by 300 local singles on Sunday night for a Sunday Social event by Crush Club and Vibes N Vices.

Attendees double-fisted cups of water and cocktails while squeezing between potential matches, all sporting name tags ringed in either orange (ages 30-35) or purple (ages 25-29). [Read on to meet some of the singles.]

Crush Club, which Nick Finke cofounded with Jacqueline Brattan and Alivia Hayes, aims to take dating in Houston off the apps and into real life. The group regularly hosts events for specific age groups at venues around Houston, from the Houston Botanic Gardens to Tejas Brewery.

“We love having a diverse location with a diverse crowd, so that means the locations are open to different types of venues — restaurants, bars, breweries,” Finke says.

Stefania “La Spooky” Martinez founded Vibes N Vices to build community around three pillars: wellness, art, and music.

“Nick is a great friend of mine, and we both have really creative minds,” Martinez says. “We want a space where people can feel comfortable and also enjoy good music.”

Best Regards’ “Shoot Your Shot” special served as a mini liquid Cupid, with patrons who purchased a shot receiving a complimentary one to give to their crush.

“We would not call ourselves a singles bar specifically,” says Morgan Hansen, owner of Best Regards, “but we are an easy place to meet someone, and that tends to take care of itself.”

Luis Gonzalez has attended other singles events, but he prefers Crush Club. “Crush Club is more organized and it brings in more people,” Gonzalez says.

Alvin Chang came to the event at a friend's request, serving as her wingman. “I don’t usually come to these events,” he explains.

Instead of using dating apps, Chang relies instead on friends to make introductions. “A lot of times my friends will try to set me up. That’s where my past relationships started.”

Between rounds of Connect Four, friends Lex Simmons and Kaelyn Timmons agreed they'd attend another Crush Club event, although they wished they could hear each other better.

The volume was one of the few drawbacks mentioned by attendees, but Hansen says the space itself was intentionally designed to encourage conversation.

“The room was laid out to put people near each other. A long bar, tight seating, sight lines that carry across the space,” Hansen says. “Talking to the person next to you is the path of least resistance.”

Best Regards Crush Club singles mixer Alvin ChangPhoto by Brianna McClane

Alvin Chang, 34, attended the event with a friend to serve as her wingman.

CultureMap: What do you look for in a future partner?

Alvin Chang: "I like Type A girls. I like arts and crafts, so it's nice if a girl likes to do them with me."

Best Regards Crush Club singles mixer Lex Simmons (left) and Kaelyn TimmonsPhoto by Brianna McClane

Lex Simmons, 25, and Kaelyn Timmons, 25, were taking advantage of the board games at the Sunday Social.

CultureMap: Why did you decide to come to the event?
Timmons: "Hopefully to find our future partners."
CM: What do you think of the event? Would you attend another mixer?
Timmons: "It's not bad. It's a little crowded."
Simmons: "It'd be nice to be somewhere we can hear each other better."

Best Regards Crush Club singles mixer Craig AndersonPhoto by Brianna McClane

Craig Anderson shaved two years off his age, claiming to be 35, to attend the Sunday Social for 25- to 35-year-olds.

CultureMap: Why did you attend the Sunday Social?
Anderson: "I'm trying to find a wife."
CM: Where do you usually meet women?
Anderson: "Out and about with friends."
CM: Are there certain spots that you like to go to meet people?
Anderson: "Best Regards, Hudson House, and Beez Kneez"

Best Regards Crush Club singles mixer Linda LeePhoto by Brianna McClane

Linda Lee, 32, attended the mixer with a friend.

CultureMap: Why did you decide to attend the Sunday Social?
Lee: "My friends recommended I come."
CM: What do you think of the event?
Lee: "It's a mixed crowds, very lively."

Best Regards Crush Club singles mixer Katie Markey and Robbie AraujoPhoto by Brianna McClane

Katie Markey, 35, and Robbie Araujo, 31, met at the mixer. Markey had been to single mixers before, but was excited to see that the Sunday Social was sold out. Araujo had tried a speed dating event.

CultureMap: What are you looking for in a partner?
Araujo: Honesty, affectionate.
Markey: Family oriented, has similar morals and values, someone I can grow with.

dating nightlife the-heights crush club best regards

The rich list

Houston oil tycoon is city's richest billionaire for 2026, Forbes finds

President Trump Meets With Oil And Gas Executives At The White House

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

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The richest billionaires in America have a collective worth of $8 trillion in 2026, a staggering $1.4 trillion increase since last year, says Forbes. American billionaires are so wealthy that it now takes an unprecedented $4.4 billion net worth to be considered one of the richest people in the country. And one local billionaire has regained the title as Houston's wealthiest resident.

Oil tycoon Jeffery Hildebrand, 67, now reigns as the No. 1 richest Houstonian, the 9th richest Texan, and the 88th richest person in America for 2026.

The annual Forbes 400 list is a definitive ranking of the wealthiest Americans, using interviews, financial data, and documentation provided by billionaires and their companies. In all, 43 billionaires across Texas made it on the 2026 list, and 10 are based in Houston.

Hildebrand's net worth has surged $4.7 billion since last year, bringing his current net worth to $14.7 billion. He cofounded Hilcorp, one of the largest privately owned oil and natural gas producers in the U.S., in 1990 and served as its CEO until 2018. He still serves as the chairman of the company.

Hildebrand skyrocketed past several other Houston billionaires to claim the top spot citywide: Kinder Morgan chairman Richard Kinder, Toyota mega-dealer Dan Friedkin, and hospitality honcho Tilman Fertitta.

Kinder, 81, was dubbed Houston's richest billionaire in the 2025 Forbes 400 list, whose net worth has increased from $11.1 billion to $12.9 billion in just one year. He is the 11th richest Texan and the 100th richest person in America.

Friedkin, 61, is the third-richest Houstonian and the 102nd richest American with an estimated net worth of $12.9 billion, up from $9.7 billion last year. He most notably owns Gulf States Toyota, which sold $14.5 billion worth of Toyotas in 2025, per Forbes.

The Friedkin family is also in talks to launch a new NHL team in Texas, with Houston and Austin being eyed as potential home bases, CultureMap reports. Bringing a professional hockey team to Houston would be a major boon for the city, which has been without one since the Houston Aeros folded in 2013.

Fertitta, 69, has a net worth of $12.3 billion and is the fourth richest Houstonian and the 110th richest American. Fertitta owns hospitality corporation Fertitta Entertainment and the NBA team Houston Rockets. He most recently purchased the WNBA's Connecticut Sun and plans to relocate them to Houston under the Houston Comets name in 2027. He also keeps himself busy as President Trump's ambassador to Italy.

There's also one new Houston-based billionaire making his debut on the Forbes 400: Houston Texans owner and CEO Cal McNair.

McNair, 64, took over as the principal owner of the NFL team after his late mother, Janice McNair, transferred her principal stake to him in 2024. Janice, who cofounded the Texans with her late husband Bob McNair, passed away in July 2026. She previously had an estimated net worth of $7.3 billion.

Cal McNair ranks as the 218th richest person in America with an estimated net worth of $7.7 billion.

Here's how the rest of Houston's billionaires fared on this year's list:

Houston pipeline heir Randa Duncan Williams ranks 124th with an estimated net worth of $11.7 billion. Fellow pipeline heirs Dannine Avara and Milane Frantz tie for 128th nationally. Each has an estimated net worth of $11.6 billion. Scott Duncan ties for No. 137 with an $11.3 billion estimated net worth.
Energy exploration chief exec George Bishop of The Woodlands ranks No. 380 with an estimated net worth of $4.5 billion. Last year: $4.7 billion.

Texas' richest billionaires
Walmart heiress Alice Walton, 76, who currently leads as the richest woman globally, is also the richest woman in America, the third-wealthiest person in Texas, and the richest Fort Worth resident for 2026.

Walton's net worth has grown by $12 billion since last year, bringing her current net worth to $118 billion. She is the only daughter of late Walmart cofounder Sam Walton, though she focuses her attention on other endeavors like the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine in Bentonville, Arkansas. Forbes still lists her residence as Fort Worth.

Walton is one of only 62 women billionaires on the Forbes 400 list, making up just 16 percent of the total list.

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