Historic Sections Of San Antonio

[Vertigo58]

On a recent trip last we were the accidental tourists and ended up on South Alamo street at a nice Mexican Restaurant called Tito's.

It's the neighborhood directly behind it that got our attention. There were many, many old homes that must have been built from around the turn of the century.

I found some that were so unique in design and have not seen any other of the like, not even in Galveston. Only a few seemed in stages of restoration but many seeemed "as is". Everyone needs to check these homes out. Movies should be filmed there.

What is the name of the area??? Desperately seeking answers.

[crunchtastic]

It's the King William Historical District.

[satown]

yea thats deffinitly king williams neighborhood my parents live in a house there and i know there house was built in 1900 so you dating was correct!! : )

[editor]

Photos? Please?

[kingwilliam]

Yep, that is King William, my (hopefully) future home.

I found these pictures on the web.

[Vertigo58]

Yep, that is King William, my (hopefully) future home.

I found these pictures on the web.

That's what I'm talking about people!

The building with the little lantern-looking motifs on top is the street we went down to get to this nabe. This is area truly one of San Antonio's hidden jewels. We never would have found had we not been snooping around. The Victorian home (behind Tito's restaurant) is what sparked my curiosity.

Thank you for the pics! We want more!lol

[Vertigo58]

Major wow!

On a recent trip (2 weeks ago) I had more time to cruise around SA and check out some of the neighborhoods I never knew existed. I was in the area off N Main or rather seemed to be near Alamo Community College area? You cannot help but notice the grand old mansions and homes. My big question is what happened?

I saw so many extremely unique structures that must have been built in early 1800's to turn of the century. Sadly, many are in serious need of restoration. They have big porches and balconies, columns, stained leaded glass windows, etc. No paint cant be seen on many, simply faded from existance.

Are there any orgs trying to save these relics? I really wish I could take a bus load of historical enthusiasts/Houstonian's to come see some these very rare buildings. I had no idea this city had sooooo much awesome historic architecture still in existance!

Even the West side of the downtown area has dense examples of Victorian homes complete with original gingerbread ornamentation! Jaw dropping. Maybe I should just Google under San Antonio historical homes but those sites normally just feature the ones that have been restored. I wish I could lift up one of these homes & bring back to Houston! I mean this place rivals Galveston, seriously. I am bedazzled.

[kingwilliam]

Major wow!

On a recent trip (2 weeks ago) I had more time to cruise around SA and check out some of the neighborhoods I never knew existed. I was in the area off N Main or rather seemed to be near Alamo Community College area? You cannot help but notice the grand old mansions and homes. My big question is what happened?

That was Tobin Hill. Tobin Hill just recently (last year) became a Historical District after years of arguing that the deserved that distinction. It's just south of the Monte Vista neighborhood, not sure if you explored that Historical District, and like Monte Vista once, Tobin Hill is slowly but surely being revitalized.

Here's a Express-News article with more information:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/MYSA09290...5_html4502.html

Funny enough, like the article states, King William was the first neighborhood in SA to be granted Historical.

I saw so many extremely unique structures that must have been built in early 1800's to turn of the century. Sadly, many are in serious need of restoration. They have big porches and balconies, columns, stained leaded glass windows, etc. No paint cant be seen on many, simply faded from existance.

No thanks to the 60's,70's, 80's exodus to the suburbs. Leaving these homes to be either abandoned or left to be occupied b poorer citizens who didn't care to maintain the look and feel of the homes.

But like I said, that is changing as more people bu homes and restore them Man from within suburban parts of the cit looking to move closer to downtown. From what I'm told, Tobin Hill looks today like what Monte Vista looked in the late 80's. At the beginning of its reinitialization into what it is today. Though I'm told it'll happen faster because more people are quickly buying the homes and because of Monte Vista already being established as a top notch neighborhood and finally because of the developments happening in the Pearl Brewery/Lower Broadway area.

Are there any orgs trying to save these relics?

yes.

There's the Historic and Design Review Commission and the San Antonio Conservation Society.

http://www.saconservation.org

Also, a development group has within the last couple of years bought vacant lots within Tobin Hill and built really nice homes.

http://www.brownstonetraditions.com

Even the West side of the downtown area has dense examples of Victorian homes complete with original gingerbread ornamentation! Jaw dropping. Maybe I should just Google under San Antonio historical homes but those sites normally just feature the ones that have been restored. I wish I could lift up one of these homes & bring back to Houston! I mean this place rivals Galveston, seriously. I am bedazzled.

yes, San Antonio is very underrated in that department for some reason. We have tons of historical areas in this cit that get overlooked for whatever reason.

Though thanks to Google street view, you can take a tour of the city any time you want!

Edited December 30, 2008 by kingwilliam

[kingwilliam]

Vert,

If ou want to know about an other Histroical Districts or neighborhoods with reall sweet housing look no further.

The ones you know:

King William

Monte Vista

Alamo Heights

Tobin Hill

Terrell Hills

The ones you might not know:

Dignowity Hill (just east of downtown)

Lavaca

Alta Vista

Beacon Hill

Olmos Park

Mahncke Park

Highland Hills

[editor]

Sorry I jumped into this late, but those were some fantastic photographs posted above. Next time I'm in San Antonio I'll make a point of visiting more than the Alamo and the Riverwalk.

[Vertigo58]

Sorry I jumped into this late, but those were some fantastic photographs posted above. Next time I'm in San Antonio I'll make a point of visiting more than the Alamo and the Riverwalk.

My personal motto "always go off the beaten path" and find gold mines! In this case it paid off. Camera is a must. These are the kinds of areas where you can stop at any given intersection and see architectural history in all directions. I saw many motifs, brackets, detailing I have never seen even in SFO! No joke. You can tell society folk used to live in these palaces.

[kingwilliam]

Here's a few neighborhood descriptions as well as Google Street View pictures depicting the type of housing in said neighborhood.

Dignowity Hill

Dignowity Hill, like I wrote in another San Antonio HAIF thread, is currently under going major revitalization as people move into the area and rebuild homes. It is a Historic District and as such is home to a diverse aray of homes. From Victorian to Mediterranean and others.

Location: One-mile east of downtown

Lavaca

Lavaca is a neighborhood to the east of King William. On the rise.

Location: 1.4 miles south of downtown.

Beacon Hill

Beacon Hill is a stones throw away from Monte Vista which is a good thing as Monte Vista's past resurgence has carried into the Beacon Hill.

Location: Three-miles NNW of downtown

Alta Vista

Alta Vista is sandwiched between Beacon Hill and Monte Vista.

Mahncke Park

Mahncke Park could be called the Baja-Alamo Heights as it's almost as nice but not at the price. It's a neighborhood on the rise in the last few years. The housing inventory mainly comprising bungalow styled homes.

Location: Two and a Half miles NNE of downtown.

Monte Vista

Monte Vista is well, Monte Vista. you either know about it or you don't. lol

Location: 2-miles north of downtown

King William

King William is like Monte Vista, King William.

Location: One-mile south of downtown

Alamo Heights

Location: 4-miles north of downtown

Terrell Hills

Terrell Hills is a really cool but really expensive neighborhood.

Location: 4-miles north of downtown

Olmos Park

Olmos Park is one of the three wealthy bedroom communities of North Central SA. The other two being Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills.

Olmos Park is the wealthiest of the three and wealthiest area of San Antonio, it even has a Billionaire Row.

Location: Three-miles north of downtown

[Vertigo58]

Lavaca

Lavaca is a neighborhood to the east of King William. On the rise.

Location: 1.4 miles south of downtown.

Beacon Hill

Beacon Hill is a stones throw away from Monte Vista which is a good thing as Monte Vista's past resurgence has carried into the Beacon Hill.

Location: Three-miles NNW of downtown

Alta Vista

Alta Vista is sandwiched between Beacon Hill and Monte Vista.

Those are the kind I am talking about! Right on!

and here is the almost exact areas I was checking out and found numerous and I do mean numerous old homes that MUST be restored for the sake of mankind! lol

1. http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=San+Anto...p;zipcode=78207 Just keep driving West along Commerce and see the neighborhoods. I didn't realize I was so close to Our Lady of the lake University! I would have taken many pics!

2. http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=San+Anto...de=INTERSECTION

I had no idea I was so close to that park, it was neat from a distance. I noticed many new night clubs and many younger people I guess from the college.

Edited December 31, 2008 by Vertigo58

[kingwilliam]

and here is the almost exact areas I was checking out and found numerous and I do mean numerous old homes that MUST be restored for the sake of mankind! lol

1. http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=San+Anto...p;zipcode=78207 Just keep driving West along Commerce and see the neighborhoods. I didn't realize I was so close to Our Lady of the lake University! I would have taken many pics!

That is Prospect Hill.

2. http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=San+Anto...de=INTERSECTION

I had no idea I was so close to that park, it was neat from a distance. I noticed many new night clubs and many younger people I guess from the college.

That's the south Tobin Hill area, which is basically the Gay District of SA, those clubs you saw were actually gay clubs as there's quite a few all next to each other just south of the college. The Gay Pride Parade and other Gay related parades take place on Main Ave.

you can go to this site and actually zoom in on the downtown area and see where the particular neighborhoods are.

http://www.walkscore.com/rankings/San_Antonio

Others to check out include Jefferson and Monticello.

Edited January 2, 2009 by kingwilliam

[Vertigo58]

That is absolutely hilarious, the few people I saw seemed like any other college crowd to me. In any case these places need to be cared for. Seperate question is have they reopened Our Lady of The Lake U? There was a separate topic in here.

[kingwilliam]

That is absolutely hilarious, the few people I saw seemed like any other college crowd to me.

Well, it probably was.

Seperate question is have they reopened Our Lady of The Lake U? There was a separate topic in here.

It never really closed. The top floor of the main building that caught fire was closed as they repaired it. But basically everything was business as usual a few days after the fire. It looked worse then it actually turned out to be.

[segovia]

I love the King Williams District. I frequented the area (eateries, art galleries, & festivals) back in the early '90s while attending college in SA. The neighborhood made such an impression that I sought a similar neighborhood in Houston and found the Houston Heights (current resident). Our goal is to hopefully retire in SA and find a home in the King Williams District. I often check the following realty and association sites:

http://www.kingwmrealty.com/kwr3/default.asp

http://kingwilliamassociation.org/joomla/

[Vertigo58]

What is the area around Commerce Street corridor or rather around Our Lady of The Lake University?

The little neighborhoods (near that HEB) sport some of the finest turn of the century small Victorians ever!

I had to snap some pics of regular peoples homes. Reason: Some of these are models that were sold in catalogs around that era. Most sit neatly on embankments and have upstairs hidden porches like the ones they built in so that owners could sleep on the upstairs porch, yes that was common then.

Many of these homes sits in original mint condition, only need renovations of course but what strikes me is that the homes sit on lots that are very wide and vast, exactly as when they were built. No garage or anything ever built. They could film movies in these nabes. I am very serious. I hope to post some of the pics soon.

Trivia : name those neighborhoods. Even better give us some history on them. I noticed that many of the residents that have been there for generations, most speak English of course.