Where will San Antonio be in ten years? (Houston, Dallas: university, live)

[Dopo]

Man, I miss the farmer's market in Kansas City.

[HillCountryHotRodMan]

So they don't do one downtown next to El Mercado any more? Man I'm getting old... or just need to go downtown more often.

[Proffer]

Juneof48, I would love nothing more than to see develop the utopia that you describe, but it's just not going to happen within ten years, if ever. Firstly, UTSA, coming out of a 5% budget cut and pay frered ezes is looking at an ADDITIONAL 10% in cuts. I wouldn't be surprised to see furloughs, program cuts, if not the release of many non-tenured faculty--especially in areas outside of engineering and science. Secondly, what is going to encourage these "ambitious types" to stick around? The complaint I share with so many other transplants is that THERE IS NOTHING TO DO that is of parallel quality to activities found in cities to which most ambitious and cultured people flock. You can respond by saying how vibrant the "art community" is, etc., but it's just not high-ranking. Also, the focus on the latino culture, while admirable, also makes the art community all the more PROVINCIAL, which runs counter to attracting cosmo minds and hearts. Thirdly, and just as an example, farmer's markets won't take off here because the average person is a happy campet with his/her loaf of Wonder bread and can of beans. It's a family culture, and a very unhealthy one at that, and, frankly, watching people stuff themselves with saturated fat at places like La Salsa kind of grosses out a lot of healthy, ambitious, and cultured people. Just my opinions, as much as I would love to see your vision come to pass.

[Quattro72]

Well put and agreed.

[Dopo]

I agree, with "Proffer", not completely, but I agree with the point that he makes.

[Quattro72]

And you will never see something like the Kauffman Performing Arts Center that is going up in Kansas City here in SA. Now, that’s catering to the cultured crowd.

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

[ItsTheTruth]

From someone who recently moved to Texas, San Antonio was never on my list of places to visit. In fact, I had never even met anyone that had previously visited San Antonio. The tourism here is rather local (ie. driving distance). Also, having thousands of phone-rep jobs in the finance-insurance field doesn't mean that the city has a finance-insurance industry. Ditto for technology. The people of Austin would laugh at you if you think they're looking up to us.

Originally Posted by SweethomeSanAntonio

Tourisim is a $11 billion dollar economy in San Antonio and it is a top U.S. destination, however, tourisim is ranked 5th. Finance-Insurance, Healthcare-Biomedical, Dept of Defense, manufacturing, are all over $15 billion yearly industries in San Antonio.

Technology is another emerging economy.

It has more than a $8 billion dollar economy on the city. The city was just recently named the new cyber city of the U.S. with its national Cyber Security command companies.
San Antonio also has a robust Aerospace industry having 50 aerospace companies with a nearly $5 billion impact on the city.

Someone mentioned if Austin would want to asscociate itself with San Antonio? I think it would take a back seat in these industries other than Technology and is in San Antonio's rear view mirror.

[ItsTheTruth]

I think there's already too much of that. Every event here turns into a Tex-Mex fair (a place to sell tacos and drink). Seriously, that's not even Mexican culture. There is no well-known art scene here. I know people love to play up Blue Star and southtown, but seriously, not even close to a real art vibe. Latino culture is not going to be a magnet for young, ambitious people. Young, ambitious people want good, high-paying jobs. They want an end to the rampant nepotism and the good-ole-boy network. They want a vibrant nightlife. I have many friends who have moved away just because of a lack of qualified dating options. I couldn't imagine being single here, and I would probably move away if I was single here. Try finding a date with someone with a decent job who doesn't have kids and isn't overweight.

Originally Posted by JuneOf48

I also think that it would be wise for San Antonio to continue to focus on its Hispanic heritage. It's what sets our city apart, in terms of both history and contemporary culture. (It also sets UTSA apart.) It would be great for it to have a national, or even global, reputation as a "Latino mecca." The well known art scene here already has that vibe, and it's producing some really neat stuff. The new Culinary Institute will also have that background, and having Nelson Rockefeller's amazing collection of Latin American art at SAMA doesn't hurt, either. And I think we all realize that Julian Castro is personally doing a lot to draw attention to San Antonio, and that's partially because he's seen as a rising political star, especially given the region's (and the nation's) increasing Latino demographic.

(FWIW: I'm not Latino, but I do appreciate that Latino (or "Hispanic" or "Tejano") culture is what sets this city apart, and what could continue to make it a "magnet city" for young, ambitious people, who are looking for something different, with its own kind of authenticity.)

[Quattro72]

And I repeat, making $10.50 an hour is not considered a “career”. To stick to the original question asked, San Antonio will still have lower salaries than Austin, Dallas, and Houston in ten years unless companies are willing to pay for the talented workers and employees what they deserve.

[Dreadlockd]

@ Quattro72...

Thanks for the heads up on the location out on 1604 & 281...I'll have to check it out.

I am thinking this could be larger than the Pearl Farmer's Market, but I was thinking of a true Farmer's Market, located in a spout truly designated for local farmers and other food vendors. Having lived in and visited a few major cities, smaller than San Antonio in some cases, I'm surprised when I only see a set up where there are maybe a dozen or so tents, and that's it.

St. Louis - Soulard Market
Nashville's Farmers Market
Detroit's Eastern Market
Rochester Downtown Farmers Market
Brooklyn Farmers Market in Park Slope/Manhattan's Morningside Market

I'd love to see something like any of these here in San Antonio. Where there are specialty food stores, like cheese shops, spice shops, fish mongers, and butchers right in the area so you can do all your shopping. I'm thankful we have something, but I just never understood how a city of this size and "old timey feel" doesn't have a market area.