After the sun sets, Houston's many nightspots gear up. Clubs along Houston's Richmond Avenue are busy into the wee hours.

The hard-to-miss Dave & Busters, with its revolving "D&B" sign, includes a restaurant, billiards, casino games, shuffleboard, and golf simulators. West of the city, near I-10 and Barker Cypress, HUSH is a vast, dazzling dance club with great DJs.

Downtown boasts many other options for the evening. To hear great jazz and experience authentic Creole atmosphere, head to the Red Cat Jazz Cafe. The Mercury Room on Prairie is one of downtown's hottest nightclubs, while its next-door sibling Boaka Bar highlights the nightlife scene.

Try The Sam, a sleek and chic bar in Sam Houston Hotel, or The Magnolia Club, the spacious, living-room-style bar at The Magnolia Hotel. Sambuca Jazz Café on the first floor of the historic Rice Lofts is another trendy nightspot with live jazz. The Dive Lounge in the vibrant Downtown Aquarium is an upscale bar option for before- and after-dinner drinks.

With an outdoor walk-up bar, you don't even have to go inside to quench your thirst at Brian O'Neill's Restaurant and Pub in the Village. Even inside, the place has an outdoor feel - the place doesn''t really have a front wall.

Fitzgerald's, the rambling old Polish dance hall, has morphed into the proving ground for fresh rock and punk acts. Hawaiian Breeze, the Houston Tiki bar, serves tropical drinks in Tiki mugs and the food is truly in the Hawaiian style. The 141-year-old La Carafe, which over the decades has been an Indian trading post, a steam bakery, and a Pony Express stop, stands out like a Vermeer among velvet Elvis clones. The jukebox is one of the best in town, and the beer is always ice-cold.

For live music in an intimate setting, try Kenneally's Irish Pub on South Shepherd, which features Irish musicians, or Scott Gertner's Skybar, a Montrose jazz club with great views of the city. The diverse vibes every night at Lotus Lounge will mesmerize you. Tuesday nights' "Soulphilia,"Threesome Thursdays," are just some of the theme nights. In fact, why call it a night?

Houston's home of the blues, Dowling Street, is home to Miss Ann's Playpen, where The Blue Monday jams have become a fixture on the city''s music map, and the star-studded affairs feature Joe Hughes, Sherman Robertson , and I. J. Goosey, to name a few .

If you want to go bone up on your billiards and your Gulf Coast classics some Blue Monday, Tom McLendon's the Big Easy's your best bet. The Roll 'n' Saloon is located in the heart of River Oaks and is known for its relaxed mood, friendly staff, and great atmosphere. The drinks are pretty good too.

Every night from four to nine, happy hour at The Tavern is on like Donkey Kong! You can play pool, Ping-Pong, or the ubiquitous Golden Tee. Eye-catching waitresses and cute bartenders turn out slamming drinks, finger-licking burgers, dynamite shoestring fries, and a sexy mix of party people are the just the right ingredients for a great night out!

Walter's is less a nightclub than a neighborhood bar with a stage on which both semi-famous and downright illustrious musicians have performed. With the most intimate surroundings in town and bartenders who know just as much about music as they do about mixology and the lonely whistle from the nearby railroad yard, the honky-tonk atmosphere is unbeatable here.

Zimm's has been a wine bar; it's been a coffee-and-wine bar; it''s been all but burned out in a fire last year; and it''s been flooded by Tropical Storm Allison. Still, it endures, and it makes a damn good martini. The seductive ambience, is just right for some.

Houston is one of the few cities in the United States with four resident performance companies. Shows are staged at Jones Hall, Alley Theatre, and Wortham Theatre Center. Hobby Center for the Performing Arts is an innovative $100 million Houston theater complex that thrust Houston's international theater scene into the spotlight. One of the oldest structures in Houston''s downtown theater district, Jones Hall is the home for several performing art favorites such as Rent and Chicago. The fast costume changes and, the inventive actors' talents are versatile, and make Radio Music Theatre's charm irresistible.

A stable, successful, and bold Houston theater, Stages Repertory Theater, is not afraid to take chances with its theatrical program to the delight of discerning audience goers. The Laff Stop is Houston's comedy theater that offers heavy-hitting comedy from national and local artists in a relaxed setting. Bayou Place in downtown's Theater District has many options. The Verizon Wireless Theatre hosts big-name performers in intimate settings. Angelika Film Center shows art and independent films, while Angelika Cafe serves gourmet food and coffees late into the evening. Upstairs, Slick Willie's offers billiards with fabulous views of the Theater District, the nostalgic and spirited scene at Hard Rock Cafe.

Houston's fascinating night scene is one mix of party people. The hip atmosphere, calm, sexual and jazzy, just calls for letting your hair down and a toast to happier times!!