Is San Antonio forgotten in Texas? (Houston, Dallas: best city, lofts, hotels)

[michaeltx9412]

Originally Posted by Ice_Major

Forgotten no but overshadowed yes. I spend a significant amount of time in the city for work but can't really think of anything that would make me move there over other major Texas cities. The Riverwalk gets old quick and there is nothing else unique about it when compared to the other major Texas cities.

I will say, it seems I meet the most contempt people in all of Texas living in San Antonio. Rarely do I hear major complaints. Residents generally seem to like it. Can't say the same for the other Texas cities which have their fair share of haters.

Right now, it does offer more bang for your buck in terms of housing.

It's because San Antonio is not as much of a concrete jungle as say Dallas or Houston. SA does a good job at retaining its charm compared to other major Texas cities and is surrounded by the beautiful Hill Country to the North and West, which is another good thing. SA is pretty affordable compared to other major cities, too.

[Raider Scott]

El Paso is often overlooked just like San Antonio.

[SweethomeSanAntonio]

Originally Posted by ErrorDetected

San Antonio does seem to be the neglected step-child, doesn't it? Higher rates of poverty, ...and all the stats and accoutrements that come with that (I'll spare you the list!). Sadly, my hometown has lost some of that "Keep San Antonio Lame (...Humble / 'Real' / Affordable)" vibe in these last 14 years that I've been away.

The Strip now has million dollar condos nearby, I remember being able to afford a 600 / month Victorian on Elmira! The silos @ Blue Star are now condos, and etc. Worse yet the development is all from outsiders
and lacks any sort of rudiment of San Antonio culture. It's all New Yorkers, Californians and the like...who will move on with their investment the second they're not making money.

Heck, you can't even get an hour of free parking in the downtown library and the Book Cellar is crowded! *Sigh* I remember going there and being the only one! In the whole Book Cellar! Ah well...times change. It's a never-ending thing. Apparently, Woodlawn is the 'new spot'?

They keep talking about an "Austin-San Antonio Megaregion" but it still takes an hour and a half to drive there and many San Antonians don't bother. They keep talking about a light rail between Austin - SA, but I think the real estate class of Austin wouldn't like that very much.

So it's a pretty provincial town, truth be told. Takes a day to drive to the edge of Texas and...there's just not that much at the end of that drive anyway? New Orleans? Denver, maybe? Thus the moniker "Biggest Little City in America" (sorry, Reno!) (That's what some DJ on Kiss 99.5 used to say all the time at any rate! lol)

"Census Bureau: San Antonio still poorest major U.S. metro but poverty rate declines"

I think Austin sort of draws many / most of the creative class away. It's sort of just one big ol sprawling blob at this point, unaware that any place (other than LA, which every 3rd person you meet here will have visited at some point in their lives) exists!
I mean name me one good thing that's come out of this sweltering armpit of a city besides Christopher Cross, Butthole Surfers and....um...and hmm...uh..Carol Burnett? Haha, I kid. Kinda. Only kinda. lol.
"Musicians from San Antonio"
Because of the lack of comparison, with even Austin for heaven's sakes! Only an hour and half away!, the local 'talent' seem to take themselves very, very seriously and when you've grown up in the same neighborhood and your circle of friends has been the same for 40 years, there's not a lot of that "openness to (new) experience" that Louie Goldberg speaks about? I dunno.

What do I know, right?

Anyways, that's my opinion. People from the Valley seem to think very highly of it? lol It's cheap?? Not much is expected from you? "It's not a bad place if you don't mind being alone", as a friend put it. Move away though and people think you're putting on airs, so there seems to be a sort of "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down" because many here are too poor to travel, have never been out of state, and resent you for comparing SA with...any other place, really! lol.

Not sure what else recommends people to this place? Supposedly, the crime isn't all that bad...but again, I think there's some data magic and funny numbers going on there. Who knows though?

Could be worse.

San Antonio's poverty rate being a half percentage more than Austin and Houston doesn't make it so much more impoverished.

San Antonio has a lot of famous people from the area that are in music, film, media. Houston and Dallas being larger metros probably have more than San Antonio.

George Strait, Sixpence None the Richer are two mainstream artist from the San Antonio area that were at the top of the charts.

San Antonio's creative class economy is slightly bigger than Austin's $4.6 billion versus $4.5 billion generated annually. San Antonio has more museums, theatres, cultural institutions and bigger overall art scene.

Not hating on Austin but this rant that Austin and the other Texas cities are so much better has become asinine.

San Antonio is and has been for a very long time one of the best cities in the nation in many regards. It has it's has it's downside but what city doesn't?

[Raider Scott]

Originally Posted by SweethomeSanAntonio

San Antonio's poverty rate being a half percentage more than Austin and Houston doesn't make it so much more impoverished.

San Antonio has a lot of famous people from the area that are in music, film, media. Houston and Dallas being larger metros probably have more than San Antonio.

George Strait, Sixpence None the Richer are two mainstream artist from the San Antonio area that were at the top of the charts.

San Antonio's creative class economy is slightly bigger than Austin's $4.6 billion versus $4.5 billion generated annually. San Antonio has more museums, theatres, cultural institutions and bigger overall art scene.

Not hating on Austin but this rant that Austin and the other Texas cities are so much better has become asinine.

San Antonio is and has been for a very long time one of the best cities in the nation in many regards. It has it's has it's downside but what city doesn't?

I totally agree. If I could...I would live in San Antonio over Houston and definitely over Austin.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

What are you talking about? I’m not sure what having famous people has to do with it. But San Antonio does not have near the celebrities from any of the other Texas Triangle metros.

Just off the top of my head

Houston
-Beyoncé
-ZZ Top
-Megan thee Stallion
-Jim Parsons
-Hillary Duff
-Kendrick Perkins
-Travis Scott
-Kenny Rodgers

Dallas

-Selena Gomez
-Post Malone
-Erykah Badu
-Ashlee Simpson
-Jeff Duhman
-Mark Cuban

Austin has a never ending list of podcasters moving there.

San Antonio has Shaq who unfortunately chooses to bash it for some reason. George Strait grew up in the country.

If you prefer San Antonio, that’s fine many people do and there’s plenty of reasons to prefer it but entertainment and famous people is not San Antonio’s thing.

[LocalPlanner]

I personally think people trash San Antonio because it's historically been oriented to blue collar and military employment instead of white-collar employment in big office buildings, apart from USAA. It's similar to how Dallas and Austin looked down on Houston for having so much more heavy industry and blue collar employment, even though Houston has had a lot of white collar employment too. It's just that San Antonio didn't even have the white-collar factor that Houston has had.

Until tech boomed, Austin didn't have much white-collar employment outside the government, but pointy-headed academic types could always feel that the town was some sort of more sophisticated fortress in a sea of mindless Texas capitalism, so they felt they could look down on the rest of the metros, not least San Antonio.

[Raider Scott]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

What are you talking about? I’m not sure what having famous people has to do with it. But San Antonio does not have near the celebrities from any of the other Texas Triangle metros.

Just off the top of my head

Houston
-Beyoncé
-ZZ Top
-Megan thee Stallion
-Jim Parsons
-Hillary Duff
-Kendrick Perkins
-Travis Scott
-Kenny Rodgers

Dallas

-Selena Gomez
-Post Malone
-Erykah Badu
-Ashlee Simpson
-Jeff Duhman
-Mark Cuban

Austin has a never ending list of podcasters moving there.

San Antonio has Shaq who unfortunately chooses to bash it for some reason. George Strait grew up in the country.

If you prefer San Antonio, that’s fine many people do and there’s plenty of reasons to prefer it but entertainment and famous people is not San Antonio’s thing.

You left out quite a few musicians from Houston and Dallas and Pat Green is from San Antonio as well.


Having more celebs is NOT a deal clincher for most people. San Antonio is a nice city that is way easier to get around in than Houston or Dallas and seems more friendly, overall.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by Raider Scott

You left out quite a few musicians from Houston and Dallas and Pat Green is from San Antonio as well.


Having more celebs is NOT a deal clincher for most people. San Antonio is a nice city that is way easier to get around in than Houston or Dallas and seems more friendly, overall.

I agree. I’m not the one who brought celebrities up.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Until tech boomed, Austin didn't have much white-collar employment outside the government, but pointy-headed academic types could always feel that the town was some sort of more sophisticated fortress in a sea of mindless Texas capitalism, so they felt they could look down on the rest of the metros, not least San Antonio.

Off topic, but the former lack of employment you mention is the reason talent has been so easy to grow there for the past decade +. From my peers, I hear it’s no where as easy as it used to be so it’s likely near the topping out point. It’s atleast well past the inflection point by now.

With San Antonio being nearby, they may eventually catch some of the CenTex magic in the near future.

[supfromthesite]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

I personally think people trash San Antonio because it's historically been oriented to blue collar and military employment instead of white-collar employment in big office buildings, apart from USAA. It's similar to how Dallas and Austin looked down on Houston for having so much more heavy industry and blue collar employment, even though Houston has had a lot of white collar employment too. It's just that San Antonio didn't even have the white-collar factor that Houston has had.

Until tech boomed, Austin didn't have much white-collar employment outside the government, but pointy-headed academic types could always feel that the town was some sort of more sophisticated fortress in a sea of mindless Texas capitalism, so they felt they could look down on the rest of the metros, not least San Antonio.

^this