Peter Holley

Austin

Senior Editor at Texas Monthly

Senior Editor at Texas Monthly. Formerly WAPO. All opinions, and potentially weird tweets, are my own.

Featured in: Favicon

texasmonthly.com Favicon

msn.com

businessinsider.com Favicon

estadao.com.br Favicon

independent.co.uk Favicon

washingtonpost.com Favicon

time.com

gazetadopovo.com.br Favicon

lanacion.com.ar Favicon

latimes.com + 95 more

Articles

Trump Burger Used to Be for MAGA Fanatics. Now It’s an International Tourist Destination.

Feb 25, 2025 | texasmonthly.com | Peter Holley

Seferino Alvarez faced a difficult choice. To his right, a shelf of Donald Trump–themed coffee mugs that read “Jesus is my savior; Trump is my president” had caught his eye. But to his left, for a few dollars more apiece, a series of striking T-shirts showcasing the same phrase were for sale on a nearby wall, just below a giant Trump campaign flag. After some deliberation, Alvarez opted for the T-shirt, which offered him the chance to wear his Trumpian devotion across his chest for all to see.
Wildfires Wreaked Havoc in L.A. Some Experts Say Austin Could Be Next.

Jan 29, 2025 | texasmonthly.com | Peter Holley

The wildfire scenario that experts say could destroy the western half of Austin, upending countless lives and destroying tens of thousands of luxury homes, ironically begins with water—specifically, a tropical storm birthed by the Gulf of Mexico. Once inland, forecasters predict, the storm would sweep across southern Texas before coming to rest northwest of the state capital, where it could unleash 35-mile-per-hour gusts of wind upon the city for the better part of a day.
Meta will move staff to Texas to counter bias. Good luck in Austin.

Jan 14, 2025 | washingtonpost.com | Peter Holley

In downtown Austin, the offices that house Meta, the social media behemoth that owns Facebook and Instagram, are surrounded by the hallmarks of a booming, culturally progressive American city. The area is teeming with bars and restaurants and single 20-somethings who flood the streets each weekend, often in pursuit of debauchery. A few blocks south, the city's gay district regularly hosts drag brunches and drunken karaoke nights.
They Protect Rich and Famous Texans. They Say They’ve Never Been More in Demand.

Dec 18, 2024 | texasmonthly.com | Peter Holley

At six foot six and nearly three hundred pounds, with shoulders that barely fit inside an XXL suit jacket, Travis Miller is a hulking wall of a man. He claims to be a “big teddy bear” with a knack for putting even small children at ease, but there is no doubt that he more often exudes intimidation. This came in handy on the football field: Miller nearly made the NFL and then played in the Arena Football League and overseas.
East of Austin, Elon Musk’s X Undergoes a Texas-Style Makeover

Oct 28, 2024 | texasmonthly.com | Peter Holley

It’s hard to overstate the precise attention to detail, as well as the financial investment, that went into designing the San Francisco headquarters of the influential social media company formerly known as Twitter. Designers famously relocated not one but two nineteenth-century homesteader cabins from rural Montana to the inside of the company’s luxurious downtown office.
East of Austin, Elon Musk’s X Undergoes a Texas-Style Makeover

Oct 28, 2024 | flipboard.com | Peter Holley

1:041 hour agoMan heads to shed in search of a tool, discovers adorable kittens insteadWooGlobe • 1hGarry had long suspected his pet cat was up to something, but his doubts were confirmed on one fine day when he visited his shed. The endearing footage shows Garry heading into the shed, where he discovers his pet cat caring for her tiny baby. It doesn't take long before Garry finds two more miniature munchkins.
He Ran One of East Austin’s Last Piñata Shops. Now It's Being Demolished.

Aug 20, 2024 | texasmonthly.com | Peter Holley

For more than four decades, the Pinata Party Palace, located on Cesar Chavez Street in East Austin, has remained steadfastly anchored to the past while the world around it has changed. Glassy office buildings and trendy, upscale eateries have flooded the neighborhood, but the beat-up looking, one-story warehouse—bright yellow and covered in sun-bleached advertisements for party supplies—has continued to delight its loyal customers. That sort of proud history might be a cause for preservation.
The Last Houston Residents Without Power After Beryl Say They Feel “Trapped”

Jul 19, 2024 | texasmonthly.com | Peter Holley

Kingwood, a master-planned community in the northeast corner of Houston, has attracted residents for decades with the promise of residing in a “Livable Forest.” But ever since Hurricane Beryl swept through the region last week, that same forest has made Kingwood one of the least livable places in Houston. Though the area escaped much of the flooding that plagued Houstonians closer to downtown during the category 1 hurricane, the dense canopy covering the large, upscale homes turned treacherous.
A New Bullet Vending Machine Is Erected Next Door to a Texas Middle School

Jul 17, 2024 | texasmonthly.com | Peter Holley

This time of year, shoppers who set foot inside Lowe’s Market in downtown Canyon Lake, are usually looking for two things: swimming gear and beer. The cramped and busy grocery store, which is located about an hour north of San Antonio and whose wide selection of disparate items gives it the feel of a mini Walmart, is often the last stop for supplies before locals and tourists float down the nearby Guadalupe River, a Texas summer tradition.
Hurricane Beryl Reveals a Growing Threat for Texans: Summer Heat Without Power.

Jul 8, 2024 | texasmonthly.com | Peter Holley

The rain has been reduced to a drizzle, and the winds have abated, but for many Houston-area residents, Hurricane Beryl’s impact is far from over. In addition to downed trees, impassable roads, and widespread flooding, millions of Texas are now contending with an increasingly hazardous threat: the dangerous combination of summer heat and power outages.