Buzz Articles by the Numbers: Top 10 Stories in 2021

Posted by The Buzz | December 31, 2021

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Every year, we take time to look back at the past year and look forward to the next. Today, we’ve rounded up the most-viewed Buzz stories from 2021. The below list of Buzz articles is determined by the numbers from Google Analytics.

Buffalo Bayou Park is one of Pooja Salhotra's favorite places to run in Houston. (Photo: Pooja Salhotra)

10. Top Running Spots in Houston by Pooja Salhotra
This list of where to run around Houston was published in April 2019 but remained one of the top-viewed stories of 2021, possibly due to social-distancing guidelines. Inspired to run (or walk) more this year? See this list as a starting point.

INSPIRATION Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook, Baking with Dorie, has inspired countless bakers, including Kathryn Wilson and Adele Bentsen. (Photo: Andria Frankfort)

9. The Best Holiday Cookies by Andria Frankfort
Kathryn Wilson and Adele Bentsen were featured in The Buzz last December for their meticulous vetting of Christmas cookie recipes. The friends include the very best in the Christmas-cookie tins they give to loved ones and shared additional favorite holiday recipes with us this month.

Sofie Duffner, Kellie Langeland, Grace Morley, Isabella De La Cruz

St. Thomas varsity cheerleaders Sofie Duffner, Kellie Langeland, Grace Morley, and Isabella De La Cruz cheering at their last football game. (Photo courtesy of Sofie Duffner)

8. Top 3 Things You Need to Know if You Are Trying Out for Cheerleading by Duchesne student Caitlyn McConnell
Caitlyn McConnell, a student at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, contributed this article to our School Buzz blog in Jan. 2020 and it was a top-read article this year. Our School Buzz blog is one of the most popular pages on our site. Talented students report on what’s happening at their high schools from their perspectives. Check out the School Buzz blog here.

DOCTOR AS PATIENT World-renowned spine surgeon Rex Marco, paralyzed in a mountain-biking accident, navigates a different world now. “Life has a plan for me,” he says. (Photo: lawellphoto.com)

7. When Life Has Other Plans: A spine surgeon’s journey with quadriplegia by Cathy Gordon
World-renowned spine surgeon Rex Marco, paralyzed in a mountain-biking accident, navigates a different world now. Cathy Gordon shared his powerful story in The Buzz in Oct. 2020 and it was one of the top-viewed stories of 2021.

Miller Beckwith, Bennett Beckwith, Briar Beckwith, Bowe Beckwith

OLDEST TO YOUNGEST Erin Beckwith says her children, Miller, 6, Bennett, 4, Briar, 2, and Bowe, 8 months, definitely have personalities that match their birth order. (Photo: Erin Beckwith Photography)

6. Buzz Baby: Birth order by Annie McQueen
In November 2021, Annie McQueen covered the topic of birth order in our monthly Buzz Baby column. Many agree that birth order plays an important role in shaping personalities and relationships. Read the story here and more Buzz Baby columns here.

Lane Stephen Winsor (Photo: Nicole Ivey Photography)

5. Welcome, Baby Winsor by Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld
Erica and Lawrence Winsor welcomed Lane Stephen Winsor on June 23. Baby Lane's photo was featured in our Buzz About Town column in September 2021. See more Buzz About Town here. Have some "buzzworthy" news to share? Submit your story here.

Writer Russell Weil’s family celebrate Mother’s Day 1967 at Look’s Sirloin Inn. From left are Cecil Weil, Maxine Weil, Stuart Weil, Bessie Schwarz, Russell and Israel Schwarz. (Courtesy of the Weil Family)

4. Restaurant Memories by Russell Weil
Once again, this November 2014 article was one of the most-read online articles of 2021. We aren’t surprised - this nostalgic story on restaurant memories continues to be one of our most popular stories to date, and we regularly receive comments on it from readers sharing their own restaurant memories. If you haven't yet read this article, it's worth the read. Share your own restaurant memories by commenting below or emailing [email protected].

A group of friends, all Rice students (pictured, counterclockwise) Lidia Ochoa, Savannah Kuchar, Josh Bae, Zachary Taqi, Loren Goddard, Patrick Yee, Stephen Chamness and Natalie Goddard laugh at their questionable artistic skills while playing Skribbl.io.

3. Virtual Game Nights by Savannah Kuchar
Rice student Savannah Kuchar, who interned at The Buzz in the summer of 2020, wrote this article on virtual game nights to connect with friends. At the time, pretty much everything was virtual, including our Buzz internship program. This story was one of the most-read articles in 2021.

Ira Scott, dressed sharply for the occasion, had a ball celebrating his 103rd birthday.

2. Happy (Quarantined) Birthday by Karen Vine Fuller
Buzz writer Karen Vine Fuller captured these quarantined birthday celebrations for a Buzzworthy article in April 2020. This story was amongst the top 10 in 2020 and remains in the top 10 this year as well.

Maggie Flecknoe and Jeff Cooney (Photo: Quy Tran)

1. Breaking news: She said ‘yes’ by Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld
Maggie Flecknoe, CW39 Houston morning anchor and host of Houston Happens, said “yes” to Jeff Cooney. Their engagement photo was featured in our Buzz About Town column in September 2021.

Have a favorite Buzz story you’ve read this year? Comment below or email [email protected]!

Top pages of 2021:
Most-viewed pages on our site this year include (in order of most-viewed): 2021 Pet of the Year Contest (view the winners here!), event calendar, Summer Camp Directory, School Buzz, Buzz About Town, Editor’s Note, Buzzworthy blog, About Us, the Photo Contest entry form (view the 2021 winners here and be on the lookout for the 2022 entry form this spring), In Print, and Private School Directory.