Young and hip and liberal in San Antonio??? (Austin, Atlanta: violent crime, home) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

JuneOf48 · 09-05-2007, 01:18 PM

Hello, everyone.

First, I want to say thanks to all of the posters on this forum. I recently moved to San Antonio, and this site was a big help in giving me a sense of the city and its neighborhoods. I must say, however, that “alternative” views on the city are a bit hard to come by around here. I wanted to post something so that similar-minded folks could have a different perspective on SA and what it has to offer. I’m a relatively young (early 30s), single man who moved here after living in Minneapolis for one year and Chicago for the rest of my life. (Throw out a few years spent outside of the country.) I’ve also spent a good amount of time in New York and the Bay Area. I’m pretty left-wing, and I enjoy a lot of the edgier art and culture out there. And—this is the most important—I really like San Antonio.

Neighborhoods: Many of the people who post here steer interested parties away from downtown and its surroundings. In my opinion, this is a huge mistake. After visiting this summer, I chose to decide between Southtown/King William (directly south of downtown) and Monte Vista (directly north of downtown, including its surrounding areas bordered by Blanco on the west, Hildebrand on the north, and Broadway or 281 on the east). I opted for the latter. Both are beautiful historical neighborhoods that are completely different from many of the suburban subdivisions and strip malls that exist farther out in the city. Both are also extremely “diverse.” If you are looking for tolerant, pro-gay, vegetarian-friendly, artsy, and indie/punk rock areas, these are your best bets. They are also a good ethnic mix. (Monte Vista is probably the most gay-friendly neighborhood in the city, with a visible strip of bars and businesses close by and a generally open atmosphere.) I enjoy being a (white) minority in a (largely Latino) city. So many areas of SA are like nothing else in the U.S. I always tell my friends back home that much of SA reminds me of New Orleans in Mexico.

Crime: There are some slightly “sketchy” areas on the south, east, and west sides, but they are nothing compared to what most large U.S. cities have to offer. Property theft and petty crimes are problems in SA, for sure. And, like anywhere else, there is violent crime (and even murder). After living on the south side of Chicago for nine years, however, this seems like one of the safest big cities around. Some of the talk you hear on this forum about crime in certain areas has a racial component. No matter how diverse the city really is, a lot of white people just do not feel good about living in Latino-dominant neighborhoods.

Culture: This is largely a Mexican city, although there is much more racial diversity than you would imagine. I love this. It almost feels like living in a different country. (And I lived in Latin America for a few years.) Spanish helps but is not necessary. Nearly everywhere I’ve been in SA, the old cliché holds true: people here are the friendliest you’ll meet. They smile, talk, and help you out. If you sit in a bar, you’ll meet the people next to you. This holds true for the 80 year old Mexican grandmother and the 25 year old hipster with the cool haircut. SA is truly anomalous in this way, and it’s quite lovely.

Entertainment: There is a lot of art here. There is a lot of independent music. There is one good independent cinema. There are theater companies. There is a lot of history. There are some great bars for the folks who have tattoos and like things LOUD. There are even some places to eat vegetarian food, grab a good coffee, and have a political discussion. Everything also has a pretty distinct “community” feel to it. All sorts of different folks fraternize with each other. It all feels very laid-back. Maybe not the most cutting edge, but very cheap and user-friendly and fun. Oh yeah, people here go out and drink quite a bit. It is, after all, a “fiesta” city.

Education: This is perhaps the one downside of SA, at least at the moment. The average education level is rather low. People are smart, but they didn’t necessarily finish college or even high school. A lot of this does have to do with the fact that SA is a relatively poor city. It’s also just culture. There are, however, some good colleges and universities around. I teach at UTSA, and I have friends who teach at Trinity and other local colleges. Educationally, the city is on the upswing. I have more intellectual friends here than I did in Minneapolis, one of the most “educated” cities around. Plus, Austin and its resources are just an hour or an hour and a half away.

OK, that’s about it for now. If anyone has more specific questions, please feel free to write. People give SA a bad rep, and it’s completely unjustified. This is one of the most unique, beautiful, and friendly cities out there. (The surrounding areas, from what I’m told, are also rather beautiful.) I’m happy to be around.

martinez4 · 09-05-2007, 01:34 PM

Welcome to San Antonio! I just have to comment on one point.....

<<<Education: This is perhaps the one downside of SA, at least at the moment. The average education level is rather low. People are smart, but they didn’t necessarily finish college or even high school. A lot of this does have to do with the fact that SA is a relatively poor city. >>>>

You might find a little, polite, discussion on that point. There are quite a lot of highly educated people in San Antonio. Maybe you just don't notice them as they do not "toot their own horn" around here. In the same way that you may sit next to a billionaire in a coffee shop and not even know it.....there is not a lot of showiness here. I, of course, am speaking from my own perspective.

TXtrkgrl · 09-05-2007, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martinez4

Welcome to San Antonio! I just have to comment on one point.....

<<<Education: This is perhaps the one downside of SA, at least at the moment. The average education level is rather low. People are smart, but they didn’t necessarily finish college or even high school. A lot of this does have to do with the fact that SA is a relatively poor city. >>>>

You might find a little, polite, discussion on that point. There are quite a lot of highly educated people in San Antonio. Maybe you just don't notice them as they do not "toot their own horn" around here. In the same way that you may sit next to a billionaire in a coffee shop and not even know it.....there is not a lot of showiness here. I, of course, am speaking from my own perspective.

I agree with you martinez, I have friends who are millionaires and you could be sitting right next to them and you would never even know it. That is what I like about the South

People like you for who you are and NOT what you have. As it should be everywhere.

TXtrkgrl · 09-05-2007, 01:41 PM

oops sorry, where are my manners

JuneOf 48, Welcome to Texas. Sounds like you are enjoying yourself.

austindoxie1972 · 09-05-2007, 02:02 PM

Great Post! I think it's pretty accurate, too. There is a bit of a bias toward the Far North/Northwest areas of town, though I prefer the closer-in suburbs.

I think you were balanced in the comments on the level of education in SA. Like all cities, SA definitely has its fair share of well-educated individuals. But I, too, think it is on the lower end of the education scale. True story -- about two years ago, I went to the local Bank of America to deposit my income tax return from the District of Columbia. The teller would not let me deposit the check because it was "from a foreign country." Finally the manager approved the deposit, but I'm sure that she, too, looked up the location/information on the internet. I can pretty much guarantee this would not have happened in Austin. It gives me a good laugh when I think about it now.

JuneOf48 · 09-05-2007, 02:18 PM

Thanks for the welcome and the feedback. By the way, I was careful to mention that people in SA are very "smart," which is not the same thing as having a college degree. There are plenty of folks with degrees around--and plenty who don't advertise the fact! But having a degree doesn't make you any more or less intelligent than anyone else. It just says something about your level of "formal" (i.e., institutional) education. We all know that people with BAs or MAs or PhDs can be plenty dim-witted, and vice versa. Anyway, this is just an initial impression. Either way, I like SA, and that's all that really matters.

TXtrkgrl · 09-05-2007, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuneOf48

Thanks for the welcome and the feedback. By the way, I was careful to mention that people in SA are very "smart," which is not the same thing as having a college degree. There are plenty of folks with degrees around--and plenty who don't advertise the fact! But having a degree doesn't make you any more or less intelligent than anyone else. It just says something about your level of "formal" (i.e., institutional) education. We all know that people with BAs or MAs or PhDs can be plenty dim-witted, and vice versa. Anyway, this is just an initial impression. Either way, I like SA, and that's all that really matters.

Thank you ~ Very well said.

martinez4 · 09-05-2007, 03:10 PM

<<Either way, I like SA, and that's all that really matters.>>

True...that is the most important thing.

hello13685 · 09-05-2007, 03:16 PM

Hi Juneof48,

Welcome to San Antonio. I would be very interested to know how your perspective changes in a few years' time, as it has for so many others.

ShaneSA · 09-05-2007, 03:22 PM

That is one of the best most concise and very accurate postings about SA. It says it all and I agree with it.
Welcome to Sa, Juneof48. Your very perceptive and hit the nail on the head.
Remember the story of the man from New Mexico who tried to buy tickets to the Olympics in Atlanta and was told he had to call the # for the foreign country. They refused to allow him to buy tickets becasue he was calling the number for US residents. The clerk never did understand that New Mexico is a US state. Dopes comes in all sizes and places.