Young married couple moving to Lackland AFB (Houston, San Antonio: apartments, home builders)

[Zurileah]

Hi! My husband is an active duty Airman and we are probably moving to Lackland AFB in San Antonio in a few months; we are in Maxwell-Gunter AFB in Alabama right now which isn't so great. We are 29 and 30, no kids. Basically, we want to know if this is an area where we can find reliable universities, sportive events and a nightlife. I want to pursue a Master's degree or law school and was wondering if there were any good schools around? Also, is it better to live off base? I heard that the areas surrounding the base are not that great. Basically, is San Antonio a fun place to live for a young couple with no kids? He is a programmer and as such, we don't get a lot of bases to choose from for us to move. Any insight about San Antonio will be greatly appreciated! We can still try to BOP somewhere else such as Colorado (Peterson AFB) or Florida (Patrick AFB) but we are thinking Lackland is the base they are going to assign to us (That is where they need programmers right now), so we want to ready for the move. Thanks!!!

[Ralph_Kirk]

San Antonio is a pretty nice city. It's a tourist city, so there is a good variety of things to do. One of the better stateside AF assignments.

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by Zurileah

Hi! My husband is an active duty Airman and we are probably moving to Lackland AFB in San Antonio in a few months; we are in Maxwell-Gunter AFB in Alabama right now which isn't so great. We are 29 and 30, no kids. Basically, we want to know if this is an area where we can find reliable universities, sportive events and a nightlife.

I want to pursue a Master's degree or law school and was wondering if there were any good schools around?

Several, University of Texas-San Antonio, Trinity University, University of Incarnate Word, st. Mary's University are all in San Antonio,. The only one that i know has a JD program is St. Mary's.

Also, is it better to live off base? I heard that the areas surrounding the base are not that great.

You'll want to look at anywhere outside of 410 and inside (or just outside of) 1604 between 90 and Bandera. That will keep your commute bearable. There are TONS of threads about the area. Search for Alamo Ranch, Helotes, Westover Hills, Bandera, Potranco, Culebra and Marbach to get an idea of this area.

Basically, is San Antonio a fun place to live for a young couple with no kids? He is a programmer and as such, we don't get a lot of bases to choose from for us to move.

As a 29 year old with no kids I have no problems finding things to do. Get involved, find something you like to do. I have come across many active duty military through my volunteering with the Leukemia Lymphoma society and Big Brothers Big Sisters. We have quite a bit of outdoor activities with the hill country being close, lots of hiking and biking and other recreational sports. We have the Spurs, the Missions (whose home field is right down the street from Lackland) and the Rampage (hockey) as well as a soccer team, the Scorpions. We have a few museums and downtown is a a fun place, not just for tourists, but locals too. We lack in live music, but Austin in only a two hour drive and Houston is just a 3 hour drive.

Hope that helps a bit.

[Steel Man]

Ashbeeigh did a good job of answering most of your questions. There are numerous areas to live off of Lackland AFB. An area that is not too far from LAFB is Loop 1604 West, north of Marbach all the way up to Interstate 10. Generally, the newer homes are outside (west) of Loop 1604 and most of these areas are in Western Bexar County, with some going into Medina County to the west. There are also lots of apartments in this area and you might check out Westover Hills.

San Antonio is growing in the IT world. The Cyber Command is at Lackland and there are lots of IT support businesses in the area, such as Rackspace.

The city is spread out with two loops (Loop 410 is 53 miles around and Loop 1604 is 100 miles around) with lots of activities year round.

[jameshardin]

Hello!

The area around Lackland Air Force Base is not the best part of town to live in. The main subdivisions you will see there are Lackland City and Lackland terrace. Most of these homes range from $50,000 to $95,000. Several new home builders are starting communities out there, but I would still try to stay around the Highway 90 and 1604 area. Depending on what you are willing to spend, you can find a really nice home close to major highways that will lead you to multiple universities. I am a Realtor, and work heavily in those areas, so feel free to message me with any questions that you may have!

Best of luck!

James

[need4speed2012]

In short, San Antonio is great but the Lackland area is a tough place to live..

[majormadmax]

Here's my usual recommendation map for anyone working on Lackland...



There are a ton of things to do in San Antonio, even for folks without kids...

[jameshardin]

I agree with Mad Max here, but one thing to consider is the nightmare of a 1604 commute, especially if you are north of Braun road. Plus, there is upcoming construction that will only exacerbate the traffic woes (providing of course, no endangered spiders are found). If your budget extends into the high 100's to low 200's, the communities near Potranco would provide a great mix of quality and proximity.

[ashbeeigh]

Continuing to add on to this thread seems like you'd be speaking to a wall...the OP posted once and never again.

[CyVaquero]

Westcreek is very military friendly - a lot of officers & senior enlisted, retirees, and contractors. Likewise for Alamo Ranch. As with any military base in a large city, stay away from the areas right around the bases.