Move to SA - Liberal/educated/affordable? (San Antonio, Austin: homes, landscaping)

[anbest2008]

My family and I are moving to SA in August. We are a liberal, well-eduated, couple with an 8-year old looking to spend in the 170-250K range for a home. We prefer older communities with mature landscaping and homes with character. Schools are obviously important, the smaller the better. We are looking at NISD or NEISD, figuring Alamo Heights is out of our price range.

Hubby is commuting to Lackland AFB primarily, also to Brooks AMC. Would like to keep his commute less than 20 miles.

Any advice on specific elementary schools and subdivisions is greatly appreciated. If anyone has any opinions on Hidden Forest, Churchill Estates, or Castle Hills Forest please share them.

Thanks in advance.

[Bo]

I don't live in the Hidden Forest neighborhood, but my kids attended Hidden Forest Elementary. It's a very good elementary school, but my perception of the school environment from year to year varied with the principal. There were 4 different principals while they were there and the current principal is new since they were there. If you like Hidden Forest, you might want to look for a home in Hollywood Park, which likely has homes in that price range.

I notice you mentioned a preference for small schools. Except for the magnet schools, which operate as separate entities on larger campuses, there really aren't any small schools in NEISD. Once your kids "graduate" from Hidden Forest, they'll attend the very large Bradley Middle School and the very large Churchill High School. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend either of those schools, but I wanted to point it out because of your stated preference.

[banker]

Originally Posted by anbest2008

My family and I are moving to SA in August. We are a liberal, well-eduated, couple with an 8-year old looking to spend in the 170-250K range for a home. We prefer older communities with mature landscaping and homes with character. Schools are obviously important, the smaller the better. We are looking at NISD or NEISD, figuring Alamo Heights is out of our price range.

Hubby is commuting to Lackland AFB primarily, also to Brooks AMC. Would like to keep his commute less than 20 miles.

Any advice on specific elementary schools and subdivisions is greatly appreciated. If anyone has any opinions on Hidden Forest, Churchill Estates, or Castle Hills Forest please share them.

Thanks in advance.

I think you meant Brook Army Medical Center? Also known here in SA as BAMC.

I used to live in Churchill Forest - it is a little nicer and slightly more expensive that Castle Hills Forest with a very low turnover rate. I would include it also in your possibilities. There is only one home on the market in that neighborhood - currently listed at $205K.

[banker]

Originally Posted by anbest2008

My family and I are moving to SA in August. We are a liberal, well-eduated, couple with an 8-year old looking to spend in the 170-250K range for a home.

Just curious...why throw out the Liberal label? Does that really matter when looking for a specific home? I just don't see the point. As far as San Antonio goes - you will find it to be more conservative than most large cities. If you want to live in a Liberal city...Austin is your Texas choice. San Antonio tends to be religious (Catholic and nondenominational) and very patriotic with all the military bases. And the education. In my last neighborhood there was an even mix of college educated folks and hard working blue collar folks. I never had a problem communicating with my neighbors that didn't have the same education level as me. At the price range you are looking - it will be hard to find a neighborhood with all college level or higher educated folks. $200K and below tends to be working class neighborhoods...which isn't a bad thing. But I think you are going to have to be open to the fact that you can't pick your neighbors. The minute you do...they will move and "the cable guy" will move in next door!

Folks from all walks fo life are welcome in San Antonio - but when I have looked for a place to live - I haven't really cared about the political views of my neighbors. I was more interested in the home itself, the quality of the neighborhood and the commute I would have to work. It seems you would do well to look for those things and then "bloom where you are planted" as they say.

By the way - where are you moving from?

[JuneOf48]

Hi, banker and everyone else.

I think it's totally fine to be concerned with whether "liberal" people live in your general area. For one thing, when my gay brother visits, I don't want people to look askance at him when they notice the tone of his voice, or the way he walks, or whether he brings his boyfriend with him. In my neighborhood (Monte Vista), that is NOT an issue. Within a few blocks from my home, there are eight or nine gay-owned or gay-friendly/dominant businesses. Not all neighborhoods have that in San Antonio, and it surely makes someone like me (straight but liberal) more happy some places rather than others.

Last I saw, San Antonio registered voters are fairly evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. In all of the neighborhoods directly north of the cities, I see SCORES of Obama and Clinton signs, bumper stickers, etc.

One of the things I really like about San Antonio is that progressives and conservatives tend to share space and be civil, even if vocal. And this cuts all across the class spectrum. Having a dominant Mexican/Latino population in San Antonio makes politics radically different from what you would find in a largely "conservative" state like Texas.

Oh yeah: a retired military guy lives behind me. He has an Obama sign in his window and feuds in a friendly way with the lesbian couple who live across the way and have a Clinton sign. He also goes downtown with his "Impeach Bush" banner. I have many military people in my family, I like all of them, and they fall all along the political spectrum.

So, in short, if you're thinking of moving here, do not worry that San Antonio is a "conservative city" in all of its neighborhoods. In quite a few places, the other side (liberal) is actually dominant, and very visibly so.

My two cents.

PS--Yes, I'm sure that everyone here could offer anecdotes that go on both sides of this "debate." For my part, I'm open-minded, observant, get around a lot, and I report what I see.

[llowllevellowll]

Originally Posted by banker

Just curious...why throw out the Liberal label? Does that really matter when looking for a specific home? I just don't see the point.

I don't think the poster is trying to say she's not tolerant or able to live with, nor do I think the question is out of line -- it's a pretty normal question, I'd say -- what is the level of education of the commoner in a city -- where are the priorities of the city's government -- etc, etc -- I also think it's important to bring your children up in an environment you agree with.

[adtobias]

liberal part of town is south town or king william area

[Topperone]

You really can't label San Antonio in regard to whether its conservative or liberal or whatever. San Antonio is a mixed bag of both and everything else with not a single side having more of an influence or dominance in the metro area.

You can take neighborhoods and put them under a microscope and say that there liberal or conservative but in general and as a whole you can't define San Antonio.

[anbest2008]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and opinions.

In reference to bankers questions:
I have lived in five different states in my adult life and have found that I can learn to be happy and make friends anywhere, however there have been some areas I have have felt more at home - due to being around more like-minded individuals. Most of my friends do share my interests and social attitudes. In any neighborhood there will be all types of people and we can all share common goals for our families and ourselves. Moving to a new city and making friends is a challenge and I want to make it as easy as possible. We are moving from Pittsburgh and don't have choice where to live due to husband's military commitment. I'm sure we will learn to love San Antonio. Every place I've lived has wonderful things about it.

Thanks to Juneof48 for your supportive comments.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by banker

Just curious...why throw out the Liberal label? Does that really matter when looking for a specific home? I just don't see the point. As far as San Antonio goes - you will find it to be more conservative than most large cities. If you want to live in a Liberal city...Austin is your Texas choice. San Antonio tends to be religious (Catholic and nondenominational) and very patriotic with all the military bases.

It has a lot to do with where one chooses to live. The neighborhood is very important to many people in choosing where to live. Not just the commute.

San Antonio as a whole is more conservative than Austin is purported to be, but there are pockets which are relatively liberal.