Renting a House

Hi! My boyfriend and I (24 M&F) are wanting to find a house to rent in Houston. We are looking to move in early May, 2×2+ bedrooms, price range is capped at $2,500. I am fairly new to Houston, so I am unsure of what area to look in. But I know we are looking for this:

*somewhere with people in their 20-30s

*fairly walkable

*fun stuff to do nearby

*safe..ish

*isn’t strip-mall-hell like Katy currently is for us We were thinking The Heights or Montrose, but those seem to be mostly out of our price range. Any suggestions on what would be a good area to start my search?

**Note: I understand that an apartment may sound like a better option but we are very set on a house. We have an elderly dog who we would like to have a backyard for and we are so tired of living beside and below loud and obnoxious neighbors.