Galveston is about 45 min from downtown in the middle of the day. I used to live in the Clear Lake area and trust me.... weekdays after 5:00........... It's prob 1.5-2 hours. Like others mentioned... the Galleria area is nice. There are some really nice bars and dining in downtown as well as mid-town. Ibiza is a great little place on the edge of downtown. As a bit of a spanish flare to the food and great spanish wine selection. Vic & Anthony's is downtown if you want a good steak.