I don't know any of you folks, but I do know Houston quite intimately -- it is a very easy city to hate (I find the traffic more vexing than Manhattan's, easily!), but insofar as cultural options are concerned, it certainly dwarfs any of the competition in that region of the country and I'd rank it pretty close to NYC and Boston in this regard. Houston boasts an almost Floridian climate & foiliage, and if you're a person who warms to more urban environments, Houston's is the most evolved in all the Southwest.
Good luck to you, if you're relocating! I hope you'll enjoy your time there as much as I did (and, how synchronistic? I'm seeing my best buddy from Houston this evening at a Turbonegro show . . . )
Cheers!!