Suddenly Hip San Antonio

[MontroseNeighborhoodCafe]

FOLLOW THE TREND: The Hotel Valencia Riverwalk's Vbar was named "Best Place to be Seen" for 2005 by San Antonio's Downtown Alliance. Night owls congregate at the large bar or in intimate sitting areas nearby.

PESCA ON THE RIVER: Wash down seared rare tuna or a blackened rib-eye with a dose of "Tequila Madness." Just beware those oyster shooters.

CITRUS AND

[Casual Observer]

Not Surprised - Good for ol' San Antone..

[arche_757]

Nothing against San Antonio - but it really is my least favorite of Texas big cities.

Dallas is nice, Fort Worth is nice, Austin is overated but nice, while San Antonio is just dusty.......

Sorry - it really is.

[The Great Hizzy!]

They've got a cool downtown mall!

Seriously, though, it is growing. Hard to to gauge what kind of city it will be for a while. Although it is old, it really hasn't matured yet. Only in the last 15-plus years has it started to distinguish itself from the Jacksonvilles and El Pasos of the world but even with that, there are a lot of amentities there that are lacking and, just like Houston in the 80s, it's trying to figure out how to start implementing them on SOME level.

I wish the east and southeast sides near downtown would start to see a boom of some sort. Some pretty bleak areas.

OTOH, north of DT, near Balcones Heights and so forth, there are some real nice homes sitting on scenic hills.

[pineda]

(from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M):

"LUXURY HOTEL, RESORT CHAIN LAUNCH

SAN ANTONIO (mysanantonio.com)

[bachanon]

i don't dislike san antonio; however, each time i visit i'd rather be somewhere else. also, the downtown area smells bad.

[C2H]

I think as far as being tourist friendly, San Antonio beats any other city in Texas hands down. I find it amusing that reading through Dallas Vacationers magazine that Dallas always refers to themselves as: Dallas, the number one visitors destination in Texas. I'm sorry but the only people who think that is people in Dallas. San Antonio rocks and as far as smelly downtowns, i think Houston's is definitely on that list sometimes when it has trouble with the sewer problem.

[citykid09]

I don't care what you guys say, San Antonio is booming right now. Look at all the stuff thats going on there.

[Willy1]

I think as far as being tourist friendly, San Antonio beats any other city in Texas hands down. I find it amusing that reading through Dallas Vacationers magazine that Dallas always refers to themselves as: Dallas, the number one visitors destination in Texas. I'm sorry but the only people who think that is people in Dallas. San Antonio rocks and as far as smelly downtowns, i think Houston's is definitely on that list sometimes when it has trouble with the sewer problem.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm beginning to think that it's impossible for anyone in Houston to have a conversation about anything without that conversation eventually disolving into how much they dislike Dallas, what a joke Dallas is, how Dallas is overrated, how Dallas is snobby, how Houston is so much better than Dallas, how Dallas is ugly, how Dallas thinks it's London/Toronto when really it's Indianapolis, how Dallas isn't as urban as Houston, how Houston's Midtown is better than Dallas; Uptown, how DT Houston is bigger, better, taller than DT Dallas, how Dallas/Fort Worth somehow cheated Houston by being a larger metro population, how horrible the Dallas politicians are, how South Dallas is so mistreated, on and on and on. Has anyone else noticed that Dallas is now being bashed in the SAN ANTONIO sub-forum? Is there really THAT much hatred of Dallas in Houston? If so, then it really is the same one-sided dislike that was discussed about San Antonio's dislike of Houston.... which of course could only be justified by saying "they're all just jealous of Houston". Come on guys, Houston is a great city. It's big, it's urban, it's modern, it has great museums, new stadiums and pro sports teams, NASA - which just had a succeussful mission, and all sorts of great things to talk about. Can't Houston stand on those incredible accomplishments without looking down it's nose at other cities and bashing them for their accomplishments? It give the impression that Houston/Houstonites are jealous of the fame and recognition that Dallas has achieved. When you see a pretty girl who is standing around bad mouthing another pretty girl - the first thing that comes to mind is "oh, she's jealous of her". Well, that's the way all these anti-Dallas comments come across on HAIF.

It reminds me of two small children who can't get along and start throwing sand at each other in the sand box. The HAIF Moderators are "mommy" and every once in a while they have to come in and jerk the kids out of the sandbox (aka locking a thread) because their kids - Houston and Dallas - can't play together without fighting. It's ridiculous and it's intentionally picking a fight on the Houstonian's end of things... I was just reading along about all the cool things that are going on in San Antonio and suddenly there it is a Dallas Bashing comment intended to insight an anti-Dallas forum riot. I agree that SA beats all the other Texas cities when it comes to tourism - but is it really necessary to make pointed remarks at Dallas? Are you really so preoccupied with Dallas that you're reading Dallas Tourism magazines? You have to remember - it's a tourism magazine... a promotional piece published by the city and placed in hotels to show people what there is to do while in that city.... and ALL cities publish like materials.... and they all make claims that are biased and based on "information" that supports their claims, regardless of how biased that information may be.

Anyway, sorry for going off.... I just enjoy the HAIF and get sick of all the Dallas vs. Houston bickering that destroys most of the otherwise interesting topics. Surely I'm not the only one who feels this way...

[pineda]

I'm in San Antonio right now, and I gotta say, this place rocks! Everytime I come, there is more and more to see and do. I love how San Antonio has preserved their old buildings downtown and just updated the tenants within. The Riverwalk was jamming last night and tonight. Rio Rio and Boudrous restaurants, which are right next to each other, has fantastic food and the people watching can't be beat. Everywhere you go in this town there are new projects going up. Lots of restaurants here that I've not seen in the Houston area. Out I-10 West heading towards Kerrville in the Hill Country, many upscale neighborhoods going in. Great hotel deals here with the S.A.V.E. promos going on. Very friendly people everywhere. If you haven't been in a while, put down that Crackberry and get going.

[happytown]

I'm in San Antonio right now, and I gotta say, this place rocks! Everytime I come, there is more and more to see and do. I love how San Antonio has preserved their old buildings downtown and just updated the tenants within. The Riverwalk was jamming last night and tonight. Rio Rio and Boudrous restaurants, which are right next to each other, has fantastic food and the people watching can't be beat. Everywhere you go in this town there are new projects going up. Lots of restaurants here that I've not seen in the Houston area. Out I-10 West heading towards Kerrville in the Hill Country, many upscale neighborhoods going in. Great hotel deals here with the S.A.V.E. promos going on. Very friendly people everywhere. If you haven't been in a while, put down that Crackberry and get going.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I took a trip to San Antonio a couple of months ago just to check it out. I didn't go to any of the tourist areas. Those are nice, but I wanted to see what was up in the rest of the city. Here's the impression I came away with:

1. The people really are super friendly. Maybe the friendliest of any large city I've ever been to.

2. If you're from Houston you will really notice the lack of green. Part of it is that it's a drier climate (35 inches per year, I believe). But another big part of it is just lack of effort or awareness of how much nicer a city can be with lots of public greenery.

3. Inside the loop, almost all the streets seemed to be in poor condition. I don't know what's up with that.

4. The great majority of the area inside the loop reminded me of Houston's East End, functional but not pretty. Lots of houses that could use a paint job. There may be lots of construction in San Antonio, but if so it's either on the loop or further out. It may be that San Antonio has not become congested enough like Houston or Dallas to make people want to move back to the inner city.

5. The best thing San Antonio has going for it is lots of hills. They don't rival San Francisco, but they are very nice.

[pineda]

Best pizza place in all of San Antonio:

Rome's Pizza

The above photo is from the Omni off I-10 & Wurzbach, great place!

[pineda]

STARBUCK

[enviromain]

i don't dislike san antonio; however, each time i visit i'd rather be somewhere else. also, the downtown area smells bad.

Check your arm pits. I was born in Hermann Hospital (Houston) 1965, lived there most of my life. The best thing that ever happened to my son and myself is San Antonio. Stay gone if you don't like it, 'cause we know where the good place is! SA ROCKS!

[dalparadise]

I was there two weeks ago for a quick weekend getaway and can tell you that the place is really turning a corner. The last time I went was about seven years ago and I remember it still was dingy, just off the tourist areas. Now, all of Downtown seems to be on the upswing.

I ate at Boudrou's and it was fantastic -- easily on-par with any bisto-style grill/steakhouse in Houston. It's not as "fine-dining" as our best steakhouses, but the food is top-notch.

I stayed in a converted historic building that is now a boutique hotel with 17 rooms -- all of which had 20 ft. ceilings, slate showers and big, thick mattresses. They served breakfast every morning and wine every evening and offered views of the Riverwalk from our room. My room was approx. 400 sq. feet big @ $133/night on a weekend. Unbelievable.

and that brings up another point. In general, the prices were much lower than I'd expect at a touristy city -- and even lower than here in Houston.

At Boudrou's a blackened prime rib that you might expect to pay $30-$35 for in Houston costs about $28 in SA. At The Landing, a bottle of Korbel at a table on the patio with a jazz trio, playing standards is $28. That's a $45 bottle at least, in any bar in Houston. It's about $22 at Spec's. I parked in a secure downtown garage, across the street from the Riverwalk Friday-Sunday for $12, total! Try that ANYWHERE else in the US.

However, the service-industry people there don't seem as polished as they should be. No one seemed to be a career waiter, like you find in big destination cities. Only in the biggest hotels do you find these people. The rest seem more like underpaid college students, mostly.

Bottom line -- SA is cleaner than you remember, friendly as it's ever been, booming economically and a great place to go. I enjoyed it! It is light years ahead of Houston in the tourism trade.

[JasonDFW]

2. If you're from Houston you will really notice the lack of green. Part of it is that it's a drier climate (35 inches per year, I believe). But another big part of it is just lack of effort or awareness of how much nicer a city can be with lots of public greenery.

More importantly right now on the matter of the lack of green is weather rather than climate. San Antonio is in the middle of a severe drought while Houston is in the middle of an abnormally wet year. Houston has had more rain during 3 specific days of this year than San Antonio has had the entire year combined.

Jason

[ProHouston]

More importantly right now on the matter of the lack of green is weather rather than climate. San Antonio is in the middle of a severe drought while Houston is in the middle of an abnormally wet year. Houston has had more rain during 3 specific days of this year than San Antonio has had the entire year combined.

Jason

Houston isn't abnormally wet this year. Rain gauges across the metroplex are close to average, a bit above or below depending on location.

SA is always less green than other places mostly due to weather and topography. For one, there is less rain. But also, the soil is so full of rock that plants and trees just don't grow as well or as quickly as in Houston. I think a lot of Houstonians are spoiled by our greenery. Most climates aren't as conducive to plant growth as Houston is.

Mentioning the drought, I don't think there are water restrictions in place now, but every few years SA has to institute water restrictions due to the aquifer level. They pull the water restriction trigger much more quickly than other cities would due to concerns over the aquifer levels. Aquifer levels are reported in weather on the news stations every night. This also leads to a browner environment.

[JasonDFW]

Houston isn't abnormally wet this year. Rain gauges across the metroplex are close to average, a bit above or below depending on location.

I could have sworn the KB index was close to 400!!! for Harris county last time I checked.

I do subscribe to the Palmer report and I know for sure the whole upper texas coast stands is stark contrast to the rest of the state of Texas as it is listed as wetter than normal while the entire rest of the state is listed as moderate, severe, or extreme drought.

Plants are "what have you done for me lately" sorts of creatures so the last 2 full months of data would be most useful:

July @ IAH = 247% of normal

July @ Hobby = 178% of normal

June @ IAH = 147% of normal

June @ Hobby= 161% of normal

My point is of course not that San Antonio is supposed to be as green as Houston, but that the differences are *very* exaggerated right now. Last time I was in San Antonio is was bone dry.

On the other comment, basically the there is a swath of land from east of Houston all the way to just east of Atlanta that is more green than the Houston area but there aren't many big cities in that area to compare to Houston.

Jason

[enviromain]

My point is of course not that San Antonio is supposed to be as green as Houston, but that the differences are *very* exaggerated right now. Last time I was in San Antonio is was bone dry

I agree. Greenhouse Effect is in progress. Check out precipitation records for this summer.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ewx/html/cli/sat/sclidata.htm

[ProHouston]

My point is of course not that San Antonio is supposed to be as green as Houston, but that the differences are *very* exaggerated right now. Last time I was in San Antonio is was bone dry.

I totally agree that the differences are huge. We're very lucky in Houston this year not to be feeling the same drought affects as the rest of the state. Thank God for those sea breeze showers.

[enviromain]

I totally agree that the differences are huge. We're very lucky in Houston this year not to be feeling the same drought affects as the rest of the state. Thank God for those sea breeze showers.

San Antonio is different from Houston. It's like two kids, or two cats, or two people. They are different cities....thank God!

I was born and raised in Houston, still return to visit with my family and friends. Still have fun visiting Houston, just don't choose to live there any longer. I do not dispise Houston, just enjoy the simpleness of San Antonio and the peace gathering of so many races! Great for my 16 year old son. Everyone just gets along and I love it. When I was a kid, Houston was like that.

Over time Houston changed and people changed, and it upsets me to know that some of my friends are upset because Katrina victims are now living in Houston. Well, let me tell you this. SA inherited 15,000 victims and the majority stayed because they were welcomed! No hatred there!

We love ya, we love you all. God Bless! Peace!

[FilioScotia]

San Antonio is different from Houston. It's like two kids, or two cats, or two people. They are different cities....thank God!

It upsets me to know that some of my friends are upset because Katrina victims are now living in Houston. Well, let me tell you this. SA inherited 15,000 victims and the majority stayed because they were welcomed! No hatred there!

We love ya, we love you all. God Bless! Peace!

God bless you, and peace to you and yours too, but you clearly don't understand why many Houstonians are upset with some of the Katrina victims, and there's no way you could understand it from your vantage point in San Antonio. We're not upset with all the evacuees -- just a small handful of them.

Huge numbers of former New Orleanians have taken up residence here, and in San Antonio, and they're as welcome as anybody else because they've found jobs and are out there supporting themselves and being productive. God bless them. On the other hand, there are about five thousand people still living off the public dole from FEMA and the City of Houston, and who have shown no willingness to look for work or make their own living arrangements.

It's been a whole year now, and for about the third or fourth time, FEMA and the City have given them a deadline. Their public benefits will end on the 31st of this month, and they'll be expected to start paying their own rent and bills. This deadline has been set and extended several times now, because our sob-sister TV stations insist on framing that story as "heartless bureaucrats throwing poor storm tossed hurricane victims out on the streets." That always brings the professional race-mongers out to bully FEMA into continuing the benefits and extending the deadline, and I fully expect that's what will happen this time.

This is what has many people in Houston -- including me -- ticked off at SOME of the Katrina victims -- those who think they're entitled to live off public largesse forever. Many, if not most of them, lived in public housing in New Orleans, and they're well on the way to turning their FEMA supported apartments in Houston into permanent public housing. Houston's patience with them is wearing thin, but we won't be surprised if they're still there five years from now. Does San Antonio still have thousands of evacuees still living on FEMA benefits?

[ProHouston]

I do not dispise Houston, just enjoy the simpleness of San Antonio and the peace gathering of so many races!

Houston is actually way more diverse than SA, and most other American cities. SA is basically a 2 ethnicity city. I don't consider that diverse.

I do love SA though, I have lots of family there.

[enviromain]

Houston is actually way more diverse than SA, and most other American cities. SA is basically a 2 ethnicity city. I don't consider that diverse.

I do love SA though, I have lots of family there.

I lived in Houston for 19 years, moved back for 6 years, and then moved back for 2 years: total of 27 years. I think I know Houston pretty well. Not to mention my family and friends still live there so inevitably, I'm always back to see them.

Yes, Houston is very diverse by no doubt and it is an international city. But, you're ignoring the facts if you don't see racial tension in Houston. The last time I moved out of Houston was because I realized my son was being exposed to racial tension. I did not want him to grow up not respecting others because of their heritage. San Antonio is the best place I could have picked. Now my son has friends from different heritages and it doesn't matter to any of them.

And by the way, San Antonio has changed extremely in the last 5 or 6 years. Of course we have hispanic, but we have african americans, whites, chinese, japanese, american indians, and more. You may want to check the current sensus. San Antonio is growing like crazy because of people moving there!

[MidtownCoog]

The last time I moved out of Houston was because I realized my son was being exposed to racial tension.

Sounds like a sample size of one to me.

[KinkaidAlum]

I'd suggest that you are NOT that familiar with Houston then if you insist on saying that San Antonio is more diverse than Houston!

Houston is the ONLY metro area in Texas that doesn't have a census trecking race/ethnicity that makes up over 50% of the region's population. It ranks #7 nationally as a melting pot metro region. No other Texas metro region cracks that list.

Here are the total populations for the largest 6 metro regions (2004 estimates)

5,700,000 Dallas- Fort Worth- Arlington

5,180,000 Houston- Baytown- SugarLand

1,854,000 San Antonio- New Braunfels

1,412,000 Austin- Round Rock- San Marcos

713,000 El Paso

658,000 McAllen- Edinburg- Pharr

% of Asian population in metro with (raw numbers)

5% Houston (259,000)

4% DFW (228,000)

4% Austin (56,480)

1% San Antonio (18,540)

1% El Paso (7,130)

1% McAllen (6,580)

% of Black population

16% Houston (828,800)

14% DFW (798,000)

7% Austin (98,840)

6% San Antonio (111,240)

2% El Paso (14,260)

0% McAllen

% of Hispanic population

89% McAllen (585,620)

81% El Paso (577,530)

52% Hispanic (964,080)

32% Houston (1,657,600)

29% Austin (409,480)

25% DFW (1,425,000)

% of White population

58% Austin (818,960)

55% DFW (3,135,000)

45% Houston (2,331,000)

39% San Antonio (723,060)

15% El Paso (106,950)

10% McAllen (65,800)

And, as for San Antonio catching up, not quite. San Antonio didn't crack the top 15 for any of the lists that chronicle how fast each racial/ethnic group grew from 2000 to 2004 in metro areas. Houston came in at #5 for Hispanic growth, #5 for Black growth, #8 for Asian growth, and #8 for White growth.

[ProHouston]

Yes, Houston is very diverse by no doubt and it is an international city. But, you're ignoring the facts if you don't see racial tension in Houston. The last time I moved out of Houston was because I realized my son was being exposed to racial tension. I did not want him to grow up not respecting others because of their heritage. San Antonio is the best place I could have picked. Now my son has friends from different heritages and it doesn't matter to any of them.

Maybe it's where you lived in Houston. I don't experience this in Sugar Land nor Uptown where I work.

Also, I checked the current census...

Here's the 2000 SA census:

White 67.7%

Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2000 - 58.7%

Black or African American persons, percent, 2000 - 6.8%

Asian persons, percent, 2000 - 1.6%

American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2000 - .8%

Here's the 2000 Houston census:

White 49.3%

Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2000 - 37.4%

Black or African American persons, percent, 2000 - 25.3%

Asian persons, percent, 2000 - 5.3%

American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2000 - .4%

I wouldn't consider a city with less than 10% Black/Asian/Am. Indian (total) citizens to be diverse.

[txshady]

Maybe it's where you lived in Houston. I don't experience this in Sugar Land nor Uptown where I work.

Also, I checked the current census...

Here's the 2000 SA census:

White 67.7%

Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2000 - 58.7%

Black or African American persons, percent, 2000 - 6.8%

Asian persons, percent, 2000 - 1.6%

American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2000 - .8%

Here's the 2000 Houston census:

White 49.3%

Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2000 - 37.4%

Black or African American persons, percent, 2000 - 25.3%

Asian persons, percent, 2000 - 5.3%

American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2000 - .4%

I wouldn't consider a city with less than 10% Black/Asian/Am. Indian (total) citizens to be diverse.

Don't know why the census dept. does it that way, but have you ever noticed that their figures never add up to 100%? Example, SA's 2000 census goes to 135%. Houstons in the 120's%. Seems weird to me.

[JasonDFW]

Don't know why the census dept. does it that way, but have you ever noticed that their figures never add up to 100%? Example, SA's 2000 census goes to 135%. Houstons in the 120's%. Seems weird to me.

I think this was covered heavily in the press during the 2000 census as far as why it was done. Not everything is mutually exclusive. For instance you can be white with Hispanic origin or white without Hispanic origin.

Jason

[ProHouston]

I think this was covered heavily in the press during the 2000 census as far as why it was done. Not everything is mutually exclusive. For instance you can be white with Hispanic origin or white without Hispanic origin.

Jason

Right, White and Black are races, where Hispanic is an ethnicity. You can be White or Black and still be Hispanic.