Moving and looking at San Antonio. HELP!! (Houston, Bulverde: best neighborhood, violent crime)

[DexterCat]

Originally Posted by amexicano

@LookingatSA

Looks like people got on the bad side of the bed this morning. Had never seen so many negative comments in a single thread. I moved to SA about 18 months ago and so far my experience has been very positive. Yep, there are some annoyances here and there, but overall I've decided to stay put even when I've received job offers in other places. People have different experiences depending on what they are looking for (just look at FirstClassFlyer, who is a sworn SA enemy) but I don't think this mean those who have had a good experience are trying to "sugar coat" the truth.

About parts of the city being rude, my only real experience in in the north, and well, like everywhere, there is nice and not so nice people, but I've made several good friends already.

Best of luck in your search!

my 7+ year stay here has been mostly positive also. however, i live in reality and am not blind to my surroundings. in fact, ive only had 2 bad experiences in san antonio that should have been avoided... but hey, we all make mistakes.

[skeet09]

Originally Posted by DexterCat

hum. i pay 7$ more than you and live right next door to alamo heights. nice quiet neighborhood with almost no crime (theres crime everywhere). i usually go weeks without hearing an emergency vehicle go down my road.

I never heard emergency vehicles either except for an ambulance because someone in the building had a heart attack. Our apartment was brand new when we moved in and about 860 sq ft. with washer/dryer connections. I need to stay close to my mother in law...near the Alamo Heights area would be too far if there was an emergency.

[IonRedline08]

I am a 31 year old single guy too.

I moved here a little less than 3 years ago.

Honestly, I really enjoy it here.

I am originally from Ohio, near Cleveland, and moved here from Hampton Roads, VA.

If you think you can make the same money or better, this place may be for you, especially being single.

I know some describe the town as Ghetto... and I have seen some places that definitely qualify. But, I definitely feel safer here than where I grew up.

As far as housing costs and general cost of living, it is a great move. Even renting an Apt in VA was almost double what the same rentals here run for. Groceries are cheaper, utilities, etc. The only thing that went up is my car insurance, which, if you are in Houston, it is probably high anyways, so you probably wouldn't have an issue.

Traffic- Yes, it can back up. And I commute at really weird times, so I miss most of it. That being said, I have driven through Houston a few times and been there a couple, and the traffic is a thousand times better here. In VA, the traffic was AWFUL, so, it has been awesome here.

Things to do- Lot's to do. Lots of good restaurants, shopping, etc.

Friendly People- I find people here to be very friendly for the most part. Having moved frequently, I found San Antonio to be the most welcoming city I have lived in.

DUI's- As someone mentioned here, it is pretty bad. But, I can say, my hometown was worse for that than here. That is happening everywhere, whether we think it is confined to this town or not. Back in Ohio, I swear I was the only person I knew that did not have a DWI. I could be wayyyyy wrong on this one, but, I wonder if a lot of the DWI Fatalities here are due to the fact that there is so much Highway here. I know there are back roads, but, I always take the highway everywhere here, as do most people, and I think the high speeds have a part in it.

The one thing I would caution on.. being single and the same age... I didn't find the dating scene to be very good here. If you are trying to meet a woman without kids, good luck. Pretty difficult. I have met some real looney tunes here. Of course, that happens every where. There are a lot of cuties here in town, but they seem to have a lot of drama and are carrying lots of Samsonite.

Overall, I am happy with my decision to move here. Other than the hot weather, which you are used to, I really like the weather too. I will probably end up relocating again at some point, but, I like it here. I am guessing you will too.

[skeet09]

Originally Posted by DexterCat

its no surprise you encountered trustworthy souls there. had that happened on the south/east/west side, you would have indeed had your credit cards used, possibly had your identity stolen.

I work on the Eastside and I forgot my credit card once at the Burger King. I didn't even know that I forgot it. My boss went into Burger King the next day to get some lunch and because the manager knew we worked at the same place, he gave it to him to give to me. No fraudulent charges and no identity stolen (I use a credit monitoring service). To me, it just doesn't matter what side of town it is...if someone has bad intentions, then that's what it is.

[DexterCat]

Originally Posted by skeet09

I never heard emergency vehicles either except for an ambulance because someone in the building had a heart attack. Our apartment was brand new when we moved in and about 860 sq ft. with washer/dryer connections. I need to stay close to my mother in law...near the Alamo Heights area would be too far if there was an emergency.

slightly over 1000 sqft here, w/d connection also. wont ever live at a place without them again.

[LookingatSA]

Originally Posted by firstclassflyer

I'll send you a non sugar coated DM regarding San Antonio. We lived there for 3 years and still own a unit there. Good luck with whatever you decide.

I haven't recieved your DM.

[firstclassflyer]

Originally Posted by LookingatSA

I haven't recieved your DM.

It's on the way. Was out shopping with the wife most of today.

[Chaka]

I am sorry you have received so much negativity. As you already know, SA has its pros and cons. Personally, I prefer downtown/Southtown, and apart from a few near downtown neighborhoods, wouldn't live anywhere else in SA. It's not my first pick for a place to live anywhere on earth, but having found myself in Texas for a variety of reasons, it's not a bad place to be.

Good luck with your move. I do know plenty of people doing graphic design here and doing very well.

[itsasmallworld]

Has anyone actually answered your question? I opened this post because I, too, am looking at SA. I'd like to know more about the people who live there, what they like and what they don't like.

Obviously, you can work from anywhere, so commuting is not an issue for you like it is for others. Nor is the job market. So if someone says they hate SA and they don't say that it is because of traffic (or something else that has nothing to do with you), then they are not giving any real information at all.

Sigh.

I've started to become really vague in my posts and only ask direct questions because giving too much background info often leads to people making suggestions that have nothing to do with the original question. Working at Kinko's? I don't recall you saying you were looking for a graphic design job.

And agreed, the word "ghetto" is overused. If you're going to call an area ghetto, be prepared to show me an area that is truly poverty-stricken.

[itsasmallworld]

Chaka, would love to hear more of your thoughts about San Antonio. What do you like and what do you dislike?