Article: Why People Leave San Antonio? #1 Reason - for Job/Career (Austin: employment, to buy)

[Primo]

Young professionals are not the only thing leaving...look back over the years of how many major corporations we have lost in one way or another. All of these were either headquartered here or had major operations (Not just a call center).

DataPoint- That was so huge in the 70's. Bankrupt
Lubys - moved to Houston
Garden Ridge - moved to Houston
Sony plant - gone
Levi's plant - gone
Builders Square - bankrupt
Data Race - gone
U.S. Long Distance - merger- gone
AT&T - moved to Dallas

Yes has had its victories
USAA has grown into a giant since its start on Broadway
The Med-Center really took off
HEB
Valero/Nu Star
Tesoro
Toyota
Rackspace

But for every step forward with major corporation business growth, this city takes 2 steps back and cant hold on to much. I think if we would have kept all those coporations here and had the additions SA would be in great shape.
This city relied on Kelly to provide thousands of great paying jobs to its uneducated labor pool, and focused on tourism way too long, never once giving a thought to attracting real publicly held corporations here.

And never having a real major university here never helped the situation.

I think Phoenix is a great example of a very similar size city and corporate growth is booming over there. Everywhere you drive you see major corporate names on buildings and lots of young educated professional people.

[TrapperL]

The author of the article apparently likes a one-fits-all kinda city. San Antonio is not that kind of place and hopefully never is. If a person needs a one-fits-all there's Houston or Austin, both places I don't even like to drive thru. You can have the night life and the problems that comes with it. You can keep the morons that think where they previously lived was better so let's change San Antonio. This ain't Kalifornia, it's San Antonio. Like the old bumper stickers used to say "Don't like San Antonio, take IH35 North".

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by JuneOf48

Moderator cut: orphaned

For a lot of those people--and I know all of the main ones mentioned--the issue was a job. Hell, when I lived in Chicago, I probably knew 200 people who moved away over a three-year period. (I also hung out with one of the main ones mentioned in this article last weekend at the awesome Echale night at the Pearl, and he was telling me that he misses SA.)

It's certainly true that SA doesn't have the massive influx of nothing-much-to-do youngsters that Austin does. As the article states, there are jokes up there about folks with a PhD delivering pizzas--just because they want to be in Austin. That's not a problem SA will ever have, at least for a long, long time.

It takes a certain kind of person to thrive in SA, and I like that kind of person much more than the average mindless hipster or "coolness" chaser. But, there is the issue of keeping the Rackspace crowd (for example) happy here. With more and more new things going up, it is slowly--very, very slowly--happening. For example, there are three or four really cool new bars opening up on the outskirts of downtown this month, more or less. Like it or not, that's the kind of nightlife that the young creative types desire.

Really, though, SA will have to capitalize on its unique culture and history as well as the fact that it's quite easy to BUILD things here and get involved in making this city something new. Places like Austin and Portland are already over-saturated. For me, those places are just a bit too pampered and "easy." I like some grit and edge. But that's just me. . . .

So good I have to quote it all.

I've already discussed this article in another forum ad nauseum. The author has some valid points, from the perspective of a 20-something with little real life experience outside their own cocoon. Life happens because you make it happen. And as one moves around, experiences new places, new ways of life, new things, they begin to understand how to make it happen.

I was that person once, in other cities. I've also been the young(ish) single professional newly arrived to SA. The advantage of that last move was that I had lived in enough places, learned to appreciate what each place had to offer, and knew how to grab all San Antonio had to offer and then some.

I have no doubt those of her friends who left felt the way they did. I also wonder where they lived, what they did while here, and how they missed out on so much. WHERE you live in San Antonio has so much to do with HOW you live.

As for jobs, for any professional, you have to be willing to be mobile, or flexible in what you do. Since the vast majority of my friends in San Antonio are PhDs, MDs, financiers, lawyers, IT professionals, and architects with a smattering of artists and writers, I've seen the opposite of a "brain drain" in the past 5 years. But it is true for any professional, even in the best cities. You often have to move for a job. We used to joke in academia that the first 10 yrs or so were like being in the military - be prepared to move every few years.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

But for the city to continue to grow, expand and be diverse we need those types of people to move here. If we continue to attract old retirees we're going to be the next Florida.

I'm in that native group that just hasn't branched put yet. But I strongly agree we need a more diverse type of work force.

Well, a lot of military retirees are in their early to mid 40s, with many years of quality, productive work ahead of them. So not quite Florida.

But it's true, we also need the 20/30-somethings (preferably from somewhere else, with new ideas, other experiences, different backgrounds) to keep new blood flowing.

[ItsTheTruth]

Originally Posted by Paka

I know about as many retired military members who have MOVED to SA in the last year that are making GREAT money....guess it is better to have good money tax payers vs starving artist types in this economy.

You see this as a positive yet it is horribly negative. This city doesn't need any more retired military. We need people with actual work-related experience. I have interviewed dozens of former military and I'm often amazed at how poorly qualified they are for positions at every level. Also, 'great money' seems to be a relative term here in San Antonio. I have friends who have no idea how little they're making until we talk about salaries (in similar positions).

At any rate, this article was about young professionals, which few/no retired military would fall into this classification. There is a huge lack of companies/jobs for educated professionals. Rackspace is realistically the only company in town that can recruit, and keep, technical people (and yes, I specifically did not put USAA in that classification).

[markintosh]

One grain of salt: I know the author of the article, and when we met each other, I was just moving to San Antonio for work and because we loved the city. That's been two years, and we couldn't be happier living here. I wonder how many people she knows who are like me?

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by lessQQmorePEWPEW

the only culture here is hispanic-related, and ill wager some of those leaving got tired of it (like myself and others are). i doubt it was a primary reason, but i know it was likely nagging them in the back of their mind.
.

Luminaria. First Friday (and the plethora of other art walks). Symphony (which admittedly has funding and support issues but is excellent all the same). Daily gallery shows. Frequent music nights at area bars. Excellent independent dining opportunities. Scholarly lectures (mainly at Trinity). And much much more.

"Culture" isn't just ethnic. It's everything we experience. San Antonio can't match NY, Chicago, or San Francisco, and despite the number of small universities, doesn't have quite the scholarly enlightment of say, New Haven, but it has a lot more than many other similar sized cities.

And if you want ethnic - the Indian festival was a few weeks ago and the Diwali event at HemisFair the last couple of years has been amazing. I've seen Irish dancers perform at various places around town. Beethoven's Mannerchor and Biergarten is a huge center of German cultural events (not just beer drinking). And of course Texas Folklike festival which celebrates all cultures in any way associated with Texas, including some small groups I'd never heard of. Songkran at the Thai Temples is TONS of fun! And there are more events, too many to list. You need to do some work to find them for yourself.

[cinnamon_toast]

What does that mean, I don't like Hispanic culture, I am tired of Hispanic culture? I keep hearing that about SA and would like someone who feels that way to elaborate.

[Merovee]

San Antonio is insular by nature so that explains much. That is not negative or positive but something I have accepted.

The city might not be on the speed everyone wants with change but gradual changes that make the city more liveable for all classes is preferred than solely focusing on just attracting one class such as young professionals. Luckily our city is already doing the former.

Some might come with a preconceived notion of what a city should offer but kudos to those who have learned to cultivate what is already here then in turn build upon that. In the same token we are not going to be greatly competitive with other cities but we can as a city cultivate what we do have to make it the most enjoyable for those who are already here.

This is not to say we should abandon attracting outsiders who keep a city going but we should find the best suitable way for our city to do that and it is not to try and compete as a "package city" that will offer all a young professional wants.

I do think we have our priorities right. Now here is an example of someone who has learn to cultivate what the city has to offer by moving into Highland Park:

So why isn't the neighborhood more popular yet? Maybe it is fear of the unknown.

Nine years ago, I accepted a job offer and moved to San Antonio.

Read more: Building San Antonio: Highland Park is an urban neighborhood that offers great value - San Antonio Express-News

[Primo]

Originally Posted by ItsTheTruth

You see this as a positive yet it is horribly negative. This city doesn't need any more retired military. We need people with actual work-related experience. I have interviewed dozens of former military and I'm often amazed at how poorly qualified they are for positions at every level. Also, 'great money' seems to be a relative term here in San Antonio. I have friends who have no idea how little they're making until we talk about salaries (in similar positions).

THis touches on another topic related to retired military & employment in SA. Several people have commented how once retired they will work for under-market salaries and dont care. And this is very common in SA cause they want all the retirement services/benefits available here.
They basically had a revolt at one company's(which will remain anonymous) IT department, because they were hiring all these retired military IT guys for like $35K(and they didnt care cause the were getting their retirement too). And of course the company loved it..the could hire people with exprience at less than half the cost. So none of the existing employee could get raises or promotions, they were just told "we can hire someone else for less money and more experience if you dont like it here." So needless to say, all the young college educated developers left and the entire IT department (100+) is now all retired military.

I know this isnt always the case, but it does happen.