Check out this video of the grand opening of the large scale Eilan development from last month. (San Antonio: real estate, apartments)

[Backstop]

I didn't see a fire pit for bonfires.

How are you gonna have the weekend fire without a fire pit?

Sorry - that's about the last place I'd consider living.

Kinda reminds me of "Luxembourg discovers there's another color besides gray" or something.

Yuk.

[&heart]

I remember seeing the place when I was first moving down thinking "wow, this place is going to look really tacky when it's finished." What do you know, I was right! I like the idea of live, work, and play all in one but I can't really warm up to the place. And I've never been to an Italian village, but I imagine it'd look nothing like Eilan. The only draw for me is dinner at Sustenio every once in a while.

[JoninATX]

Looks nice, something different for San Antonio.

[perticusrex]

From the video it looks very pretty. I wouldn't mind sssssccchhhecking it out sometime.

[BenjaminNicholas]

Eilan is about as Italian as The Venetian in Las Vegas...

It resembles nothing Italian if you've been. Basically, it's just a gigantic stucco development with a good website and no tenants. We'll see if that changes. Something tells me it won't.


BN

[chopper harlery]

doss i was thinking the same thing lol

[LiveUrban]

As BN has said, there is nothing "Italian" about the architecture. It really just looks like one of those themed resorts you see in Las Vegas. This leads me to how I think Eilan falls short. The proprietors claim it to be an Italian-style village but to me I can't get over the fact that it just seems like a resort. For one, there's a hotel on the grounds. Second, it is surrounded by theme parks and a destination shopping mall (La Cantera). In addition, it's situated along an interstate highway and surrounded by a giant expanse of suburban style development. It lacks a lot of things that make up a community. If the Eilan were located around downtown, it could take advantage of all of the amenities located there. Instead, it has to rely on itself and there is simply is not enough people there to support such amenities.

With all being said, it is a nice place to go but not somewhere I would want to live. It's really a faux urban experience. You have to literally drive to get out of the "complex". I just see it as a place that caters to Dominion-type folk to give them a faux European village experience once in a while.

[perticusrex]

maybe some people are into faux European experiences......jeeeeeeez

[Merovee]

I think it fits right into the area it is at and would not make a good fit for downtown imo. Of course it is meant for suburbanites and is a start in giving them something different for a change. Variety is what both suburban and urban areas need. A welcome alternative to the big boxes of Wal-Mart.

[rynetwo]

Originally Posted by Merovee

I think it fits right into the area it is at and would not make a good fit for downtown imo. Of course it is meant for suburbanites and is a start in giving them something different for a change. Variety is what both suburban and urban areas need. A welcome alternative to the big boxes of Wal-Mart.

I completely agree. We live in the sunbelt and have a huge expanse of suburban development. If the idea was to make money I see that happening whether it authentic Italian or not.