Retail Trade

Heights Walmart Opened Over the Weekend; Redefines "Local"

Jeff Randall, the store manager for the new Walmart that just opened on Yale Street over the weekend, is incredibly eager and affable as he leads me around the giant Supercenter that covers 150,000 square feet of retail space -- and roughly triple that in a parking lot outside that the Walmart share ... More >>

Menil Community Arts Festival and Indie Books

Cover Story: Wanna See A Vinyl Record Get Pressed Before Your Eyes?

This week's Houston Press cover story, "Playing For Keeps," dives into the world of vinyl records, with interviews with local collectors and shop owners who are helping keep the medium alive in the Bayou City. Research for this cover story took me as far north as Dallas, where I visited with A&R Rec ... More >>

Sig's Lagoon Keeping Sundance, Beloved San Marcos Store, Alive

A big part of Texas music history went dark this past weekend, when Sundance Records went out of buisness after 35 years. But thanks to the San Marcos record store's strong Houston connection, part of its legacy - in fact, a large part of its inventory - is coming here. Sig's Lagoon, the Midtown re ... More >>

Save Yourself: The 10 Worst Online Retailers

Ads like this are the only reason to visit AmericanApparel.com...if you like that sort of thing​It's frustrating enough to shop for friends and family members during the holidays. Do I get my 80-year-old aunt a gift card to Kroger or H-E-B? Decisions, decisions. Unfortunately, some online mer ... More >>

Google-Map Your Way Through Bush & Hobby Airport Terminals

The interiors of Houston's two airports are part of a launch of a new Google Maps for Android feature that lets you determine where the hell you are inside of big places like malls and department stores. Bush Intercontinental and Hobby are part of the 18 U.S. airports mapped out in the app. "Wheth ... More >>

MiMoSa

Hustle Town

Hustlers Brass Band brings hometown joie de vivre.

Music Sales Down 2.5 Percent In 2010

​Nielsen SoundScan released its annual report on music sales Monday, and the results were less than surprising. Physical sales continued to decline, digital sales continued to rise, and crap pop continues to reign supreme both at the cash register and on the airwaves. During the period of Jan ... More >>

Denny's Grand Slams $2.99 on Black Friday

Mmm...Moons Over My Hammy​There's nothing getting an early start running errands or getting some exercise followed by a good, hearty breakfast. It's the perfect start to a great day. This Friday will likely not be one of those days. Instead of errands or exercise, there will be sleep deprivati ... More >>

CVS: No Longer Available For All Your Meth-Making Needs

CVS: No longer a convenient stop for meth dealers​CVS, the drugstore chain that seems to have an outlet on every Houston intersection that doesn't have a Walgreen's on it, has agreed to pay a whopping $75 million fine to make up for selling a key ingredient used in cooking meth.The chain failed to ... More >>

"Modern Art Graffiti"

Or "How to sit on contemporary art"

White Linen Nights in the Heights

Think of it as shopping among friends

Heights Walmart: The Property Owner Isn't Ready To Share Information Yet

Councilmember Gonzalez also weighs in​Ainbinder, the company that owns the Heights-area property being considered for a Walmart, is not quite ready to share its information.Michael Ainbinder. chairman & CEO of the company  told Hair Balls that incomplete information has been shared premat ... More >>

ArtHouston 2010

Walk this way

Arbitrary TABC Regulations: Brewery vs. Winery

riebschlagerLook at the poor beer back there. ​In the red tape-filled abyss known as the TABC, there are many codes that do more to confuse than regulate the alcohol industry in our great state. We blame the good ol' boys network and the ridiculousness of bureaucracy. For our first installm ... More >>

Houston Indie Book Festival

Writers who don’t have time to wait for someone else to publish their book are finding their own way to readers

The Fight To Save The Alabama Theater's Art Deco Interior Is Broughten

Photo by Jim Parsons​A lot of people didn't think Sarah Gish would get far when she formed a group to save the River Oaks movie theater, but the theater is still standing.Still threatened, sure; saved mostly by a slow economy, probably, but in Houston you take what preservation victories you can g ... More >>

Dive!

Take a course in garbage can dining

Lonesome Onry and Mean: Three 2009 Albums That Didn't Get Enough Love

A few more records from 2009 that deserved more mention than they got. Jesse Winchester, Love Filling Station: At 70 years old, the music industry's most notable Vietnam draft dodger delivered as soulful and wise set of songs as anyone on the scene. Love Filling Station has become some of our favor ... More >>

Avoid The Cyber Monday Crowds By Shopping At These Sites

Today is Cyber Monday, a special day drummed up by the National Retail Federation to trick people into thinking there's some special reason people should shop online today, as opposed to yesterday. Or two weeks from now. The Federation's idea was to drive people to www.CyberMonday.com, which f ... More >>

Great Place For A Water Main Break

You know what's a great place to have a water main break on Black Friday?The corner of Westheimer and Hillcroft.That's what happened early this morning; the water has stopped gushing out, but local businesses are without services and one southbound lane of Hillcroft has buckled and is closed to traf ... More >>

Uptown Holiday Lighting

It's the official unofficial launch of the Christmas season

Thanksgiving with Santa

Get grateful with the big guy

As You Stuff Yourself Tomorrow And (We Hope) Watch The Cowboys Lose, Don't Forget Us

We can tell by the quiet outside the office window that the Thanksgiving exodus has probably already occurred. Or maybe everyone's working late and it will get really busy in an hour or so.At any rate, even though tomorrow is Thanksgiving, be sure to check back here for posts. We'll be offering insi ... More >>

No Exit

Blondie casts a wide net indeed on the band's Last.fm station.

Found Footage Festival

Web exclusive!

Hightower High Broadcast Academy Scores Another Grant

This past January, when the Houston Press awarded its first-ever MasterMinds Awards to three local groups showing cutting edge creativity and determination, one of the recipients of a $2,000 check from us was the Hightower High School's Broadcast Academy, headed up by Ted Irving, the media academy c ... More >>

Amy Welch and Jarrett Hallcox

Web exclusive!

A Black Friday Soundtrack

It's become a tradition. You spend two days cooking, slaving over a hot stove, sweating into the family green bean casserole, making gallons upon gallons of iced tea for assorted loved and loathed ones. But instead of taking the next day off to go comatose and let the fullness subside, what do yo ... More >>

Some Of That Gas Being Refined Near Here Is Going Far, Far Away

Need Something? Head to Kirby Drive.

Shoplifting -- A Gateway Crime to Extortion?

One Small Step for Billboard, One Giant Debut for the Eagles

We're Not Buying It

Park Your Caboose

Monsters of Hip

Five bands' worth of Urban Outfitters employees grace Cardi's stage with shopworn licks and attire

Poured Out

With archaic and self-serving laws, reforms don't come easy for the Texas booze industry

The Next Chef Boyardee

Wolfgang Puck, creator of Spago in Hollywood, has lost control of his name

Chinese Takeout Is Chinese Takeout

Shanghai River

Odd Man In

Inventor James Dyson lets his freak flag fly

A Closer Look at Dillard's

Drastic Unilateral Action

Universal hopes to JumpSTART flagging CD sales with aggressive price cuts. Who benefits the most?

Best Camera Store

Houston Camera Exchange

Best Fish Market

Whole Foods Market

Non Mall Shopping Adventures

Shopping adventures

Best Wine Store

Christopher's Wine Warehouse

Freedom from Choice

The Food Filling Station's limitations can be liberating