Live in Jacksonville, IL and considering Chicago and San Antonio. SA wins....? (cheap house)

[benandgrace]

Chicago is a nice city but the cold there has to be extremely tough to deal with. Jacksonville is probably a good little city to raise a family in but it's too boring for kids and parents. Not much else for highschoolers (and beyond) to do there except for drink.

SA isn't perfect but it seems to have a lot to offer: cheap houses (even compared to all other TX cities), The River Walk, Sea World, Six Flags, The Alamo (at least good for a one-time visit), beautiful scenery (hill country w/ hills, lakes, and rivers), unique downtown area, close to Austin (another great city), two hours from the ocean, within driving distance to Dallas and Houston, known to be one of the few huge cities that has a small town feel; no winters, hurricanes, earthquakes, wild fires, or tornadoes; year round planting (to combat the rising cost of food), known for extraordinary friendliness, great schools (at least in the north), no state income tax, interesting Mexican culture and authentic Mexican chow. etc.


My family is around Jacksonville, IL. and Chicago, so as much as I would like to leave IL., it's difficult to. Any adice or opinions?