re: staying at the crowne plaza next to reliant stadium for Wisconsin/LSU game?

I live on that side of town and drive past Reliant (I know, NRG stadium) and the Crowne everyday for work. Yes, it's run down and scuzzy looking. No, there's nothing cool nearby (unless you count the Chinese restaurant next door that looks like a converted Pay Less shoe store. There's also a newish biker looking bar right there that screams I-610 class).

However, you won't find a hotel closer to the stadium. It's an easy walk.

Downtown is pretty hit or miss so do your homework. Some hotels are great but there's construction going on next door (even on weekends) and it gets rough pretty quick depending on where you end up. There are some great areas with cool scenes down there though.

Midtown has a pretty lively scene and there's always the Galleria/ Post Oak area if your women like to shop (just be ready for the traffic). If your an aspiring hipster you could check out a b&b in Montrose (lots of rainbow flags) or the heights (hugely pretentious hipsters). Both have a really eclectic scene with tons of great food.