Keep in mind I’ve been gone for nine years, but I loved Sound Exchange in Austin. There’s one in Houston at 1846 Richmond, between Shepherd and Dunleavy.
Wow there are a lot of Houstonians! I knew we were popping up like weeds, but jeeze!
If theres a mall Im pretty sure its gone by now. The area still has amazing pho places, an asian grocery, and an okay tapioca bar, Tropica, but the new apartment buildings are really pushing back all the old asian places.
It looks like everyone else hit on the highlights of Houston, all I have left to recommend is www.b4-u-eat.com. Its a review site for the restaurants around town. Usually the reviews are pretty close to the truth, and its a fun way to find little hole in the walls, or places open late.
Also, I second the stay away from freeways bit. I grew up at the beltway and 290, and 290 is completely impassable from 6am-12am and 3pm-7:30pm every weekday. Even going against traffic (out of town in the morning, in to town in the evening) is really crowded, especially when you get to 610. Weekends are iffy too, unfortunately. The beltway stays nicely open from the bellaire area through the toll plazas in greenspoint, if you have an EZ-Tag. It can slow down, but that just means that instead of going 70+, your crowded and going 55-60.
I also can’t really help with the singles bars, since I have never been to any. As far as I have heard, the best singles bars are on Main street in downtown. Outside of that I can point you to a few fun dance clubs, but the music is always too loud to really get to know other singles, and usually people come in large groups rather in ones and twos.
I’m heading out to #'s with a group of friends tomorrow (1/26/07) (actually half of them I don’t even know). Any and all Houston Dopers are more than welcome to come out and turn it into a mini-Dopefest.