where is the best area of houston to stay for the nightlife/shopping

For shopping, Uptown Houston is the absolute best. You have the Galleria with 375 stores; Uptown Park, a gorgeous outdoor shopping area with upscale boutiques and restaurants; and Highland Village, with big name brands like Pottery Barn and Banana Republic all within a few miles of each other.

If you're looking for more eclectic shopping, you might want to try Rice Village, near Rice University. 19th Street in The Heights has really cute boutiques and antique shops. The Westheimer Curve (near the intersection of Westheimer and Dunlavy) has great boutiques, resale shops, recycled clothing and tattoo parlors.

For nightlife, Midtown is popular with the twenty-somethings. I'd start at the intersection of Bagby and Gray (near Farrago and Cyclone Anaya), and there are many bars that are walkable from there.

Another neighborhood for good nightlife that appeals to a slightly older crowd is the Washington Avenue Corridor. You'll find great restaurants like Catalan, benjy's and Max's Wine Dive and cool bars like Pearl Bar, the Corkscrew and Cova Wines. It's not as walkable as Midtown, but most of the bars are fairly close together.