Neighborhood to Rent

I'm looking for a place to live in Houston with my wife, was thinking about renting an apartment with one or two beedroms, and we wanted to be in an area where we can have things to do and also shops relativelly near, and not a place where i will need to drive to do almost anything. Been thinking to pay up to 1500 usd monthly more or less, but since i actually don't know much about the city i don't know if this is even possible. Do the Montrose/Midtown Area accomplish this, or are there better neighborhoods in that matter? Also, is the crime rate high in that area? Is it safe to walk after dark?