Commuting from Downtown to La Cantera area. How bad is the traffic? (San Antonio: apartments, house)

[bds1990]

Hey All,

So I'm relocating to SA in a few weeks and I'm not really sure where to live. I think living downtown would be exciting, but I hear SA rush hour can be a pain. I'll be working M-F (8-4) in the La Cantera area. How bad would the traffic be if I lived downtown (near Pearl Brewery) and commuted to La Cantera area. I feel like I'd be going in the opposite direction of rush hour....?

Also, if you could recommend any areas/apartments downtown or in La Cantera area for young professionals I'd very much appreciate it!

Many thanks!!!

[ashbeeigh]

30/45 minutes depending on traffic. It will get bad after about Medical toward the Boerne area with lots of traffic after the Dominion because it goes down to two lanes. You won't be going that far, though. FWIW, I go from the San Antonio college area to Crownridge once a week. I need to be at Crownridge by 6:30 and leave my office at 5:35/5:40 and get there by 6:15.

As far as where to live we do need to know your budget and what type of things you like to do to offer good options. Downtown can be pricey in SA terms ($1200-1400 for a small one bedroom).

[Chaka]

It is against traffic. There will be some, esp. if you have to get on 1604 in either direction,but generally won't be too bad. I used to commute from Southtown to the Medical Center in about 20 minutes (maybe an extra 5 if the surface roads were particularly bad). La Cantera is another 10 minutes past there on the highway, the rest depends on how far you have to go on surface roads.

Loads of apartments in the Pearl area and Southtown now and all along the river. Not cheap, so will depend on your budget.

[TXEX06]

Easy commute going against traffic going to and from work. Took me 15 minutes to get from downtown to USAA, which is a few exits before La Cantera.

[WVREDLEG]

You would be on the lower congestion "direction", but it is still congested in both directions. Lots of people going to work in the IH-10 corridor between LP 410 and 1604--huge medical complex, university, trade schools/colleges, USAA World HQ, corporate offices. They come from every direction to get to work. Also, when schools (K through college) are in, many kids are either driving themselves to school, or riding in mom's 4WD Tahoe or Lexus to get dropped off at school. Just know that no matter where you live and work, you will experience a noticeable reduction in traffic during Spring, Thanksgiving and Christmas Breaks...as well as summer. I used to love that first day of any break...40% less fools weaving into my lane, passing me only to be passed a mile later due to an urgent text conversation or a touch up on the eyeliner.

I travel out of our airport frequently. I always book departures to time my arrival to the airport around rush...one time, and one time only, I barely made a flight because I was stacked up on the 10-410 sky high ramp...there is no turning off to a side road up there. Sure, one can find 20 other routes and impeach my tale, or just drive to the airport at 5:30 AM or 10:00 AM at 70 mph the whole way. My point is that you have to consider traffic in everything you do here, or waste your life sitting in it, when you could have left 40 minutes earlier or later and not stopped once.

Expect 35-50 minutes each way on a normal day (includes slowdowns to look at the stalled car burning on the other side of the road). 8-4 shift puts you in prime time. The major construction on 10 around DeZavala continues, but recently the main lanes opened eastbound and the westbound lanes are almost normal. Flow is better than six weeks ago.

[WilGar]

30 min max. You are going against traffic. Assuming you will get on I-10 downtown and avoiding the 410/I10 interchange, it could be shorter. The DaZavala mess is almost finished. Not that bad. 30min. scheduled, should be shorter.

[BoerneMan]

25-30 min max. In the Pearl area, look at Can Plant, 1800 Broadway, 1221 Broadway, River House or the Mosaic. Around La Cantera, the Residences at La Cantera is your best bet for young professionals.

[RadiantBaby]

I'd suggest looking outside Pearl, which has become an overstuffed mess (and getting even more overbuilt)

[fpsbob]

Getting out of downtown will take you a while and then it's not bad until you get to DeZavala and 1604. The other direction is always worse.

[KM1174]

broadway/mulberry is nicer, less cluttered than pearl is. less homeless also, as when youre that close to pearl, downtown is a few minutes away and so is haven for hope (homeless shelter).