San Antonio without a car (Howe, Alto: apartment, for rent, home)

[jmf15AdP]

I am considering moving to San Antonio. I am hoping to obtain a teaching position as an community college adjunct. Are there neighborhoods where I could get along easily without a car--that is, walkable to super market, Catholic church, gym, and community college, or for the community college, a relatively short (no transfer) bus ride away? I hear so many positive things about San Antonio's friendliness and vibrant Hispanic culture, but some people have told me that without a car, I'll be in difficult circumstances. They say that it is not walkable. I am a friendly, humble person with a minimalist lifestyle. For rent I'm looking at studio-size, simple, clean, vermin-free, and modest, relatively safe neighborhood, $400-$700/month. Thanks for your time and help.

[majormadmax]

Ya heard right, living in SA without a car would be a challenge. While a "minimalist lifestyle" may be rewarding, a vehicle is pretty much a necessity in this town.

It might be "doable," but I don't know if I'd want to be the one "doing" it...

[Bo]

Weather is something to consider as you look at going car-free here. It gets hot here in the summer and summertime temps often extend well into April and September. The average summer day has a high temperature of 95, with plenty of humidity. Sitting at a bus stop is decidedly less pleasant under those conditions.

[Paka]

Would REALLY need to know where you are thinking about teaching...some of the Universities are very accessable to the downtown and bus lines...some not so much.

I honestly think your price range MIGHT be a challenge, but would be doable if you were not seletive.

Will be willing to do what we can to help out...that is what CDF is all about!

[xsa210tx]

Originally Posted by jmf15AdP

I am considering moving to San Antonio. I am hoping to obtain a teaching position as an community college adjunct.

Are there neighborhoods where I could get along easily without a car--that is, walkable to super market, Catholic church, gym, and community college, or for the community college, a relatively short (no transfer) bus ride away? [...].

I am a friendly, humble person with a minimalist lifestyle. For rent I'm looking at studio-size, simple, clean, vermin-free, and modest, relatively safe neighborhood, $400-$700/month. Thanks for your time and help.

It depends on which community college. IMO, unless you teach at San Antonio College (SAC), I wouldn't recommend going without a car, and if you do, it might be very difficult and laborious to get around at the other community colleges.

If you are lucky enough to get a job teaching part time at SAC, then the San Antonio College/Tobin Hill area is perfect as it would be right by your work and it's in an area that's very much "minimalist." You and me are very similar in that way so I can relate to your post.

There is a catholic church (Our Lady of Grace) in the Monte Vista area which is walkable. There's also another catholic church one block from the YMCA on St Mary's Street.

The YMCA I go to at (281 and St Mary's) is walkable (1 block from that church). I walk there and back from my apartment (on Dewey and St Mary's) for my cardio portion of the exercise.

I pay only $400 a month (ALL BILLS PAID) for my place. Everything is included and it's a great deal in the SAC area.

As far as groceries, the HEB at Olmos isn't too far from the SAC area, you'll have to take the #4 or #5 bus if you decide to go that route. HOWEVER, I have seen some people (an older Caucasian couple) "bike" to the groceries and the bikes were fitted with little baskets in the back to put their groceries in there. I actually saw their bikes today parked outside the HEB on Olmos. I knew it was them as I had seen them before.

BTW, we've had a couple of other threads about this topic. These two threads should be a helpful read:

Living with no car in San Antonio ???

Can you exist car-less in San Antonio?

[elnina]

I would feel very isolated without a car...

[Hedgehog_Mom]

It would be fine to teach at SAC without a car. Northwest Vista or Palo Alto, no. St. Phillips, maybe, if you were comfortable in that area.

Don't know if you're male or female, but some females might feel uncomfortable walking home in the late evenings from any of the communtity colleges. And usually the adjunct faculty ends up teaching the night classes. My mother used to teach at SAC, I remember her having classes that let out at 9:30 or 10 pm.

If you like to ride a bike, I think the SAC area would work well. It's easy to get the baskets to attach to a bike, you'd just need a helmet, lights (if riding at night) and a bike lock. You could find a used bike on craigslist for less than $50 or a new (but very basic) bike at Academy for $80.

[badhornet]

I think it would be difficult unless you taught at SAC

[jmf15AdP]

I really appreciate the time that everybody took to reply to my questions. It was kind of you. In the past, San Antonio College and St. Phillips College were interested in me, but I lived out of state and I don't believe they paid any airfare to get to the preliminary interviews. My teaching experience is at historically African American or Hispanic Serving colleges. I am a victim of the economic downturn, but used my time to get a couple of books accepted for publication. I got the impression from the responses that community college adjunct jobs are tough to get. Is this correct? I also got the idea that being car-less is possible under the right circumstances, but difficult in that a lot of things would have to click into place, mainly job location at San Antonio College. Thanks again, obviously some great people out there!

[Sonny Chiba57]

Getting out of there late at night might not be too bad but it's not feasible without a stun gun or something in case you get "Munsoned"..