SA vs Chicago? Entertainment, etc. (San Antonio, Alamo: neighborhoods, live, residential)

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by the_dimwit

I'll take the responses in turn.

rgb--You're right. There is a lack of vital services downtown (though some might disagree) that would make living there a bit easier for folks like me. For one thing, it's almost impossible to buy groceries without having to drive AWAY from downtown.

Definitely a downside, but we're working on it!

Originally Posted by the_dimwit

So, when one accounts for the similarities, the logic you use is false. I would also suggest that there are plenty of "tasteful locals" who would be highly offended at your last statement. (I'm not one of them since I have no taste.)

Yeah, us downtowners have no taste

[the_dimwit]

Parking is pretty inexpensive, but I can't remember how much. (I think it's no more than 10 dollars...) The most amount I ever paid was $55.00 per night to park at the Marriott Marquis New York. It's in the middle of Times Square, but that dollar amount is fairly representative of all of Manhattan. I paid around $40.00 per day to park in Queens (Flushing).

Washington DC isn't much better. I've seen lots that run $30-40 per day, but you can find some that are cheaper ($15-25) if you drive a bit.

--Dim

[jules07]

Here's one of my pet peeves (yes, I have a LOT! ) People gripe so much about having to pay for parking downtown in SA. It is seriously cheap compared to other cities!! We typically pay 7 bucks for the day/evening. Whether it's at the Mid-Cities garage (which can run more if there's a major event) or one of the outdoor lots. And some of the hotels do offer free parking to their guests. I heard someone complaining about having to pay like 15 bucks at the hotel parking lot, once. Heck, we've paid well over $30 a night when staying in DC. And when we were at The Drake in Chicago last January, it would have been $40 a night, had we rented a car.

Downtown SA parking is cheap! Not an excuse at ALL to not go downtown, in my (not so!) humble opinion.

<steps off soapbox>

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by jules07

Here's one of my pet peeves (yes, I have a LOT! ) People gripe so much about having to pay for parking downtown in SA. It is seriously cheap compared to other cities!! We typically pay 7 bucks for the day/evening. Whether it's at the Mid-Cities garage (which can run more if there's a major event) or one of the outdoor lots. And some of the hotels do offer free parking to their guests. I heard someone complaining about having to pay like 15 bucks at the hotel parking lot, once. Heck, we've paid well over $30 a night when staying in DC. And when we were at The Drake in Chicago last January, it would have been $40 a night, had we rented a car.

Downtown SA parking is cheap! Not an excuse at ALL to not go downtown, in my (not so!) humble opinion.

<steps off soapbox>

Well, since we usually walk or if we need the car handy, drive my hybrid, parking for us is free, it's not a problem

But I am not at all surprised that people wouldn't bother driving downtown to go to a bar/shop/restaurant because they think it's a hassle to find parking, and add paying for it on top of the expense of the meal/drink/item whatever, when they could just go to <name your favourite generic strip mall chain restaurant> and not pay at all.

It's a minor thing, but at least when I lived in Santa Babara (which also had relatively cheap parking) that it was free and easy access for 90 mins meant many more people utilized downtown businesses than likely otherwise would have.

I just love that we can walk to our favourite restaurant (La Frite). Helps after we've stuffed ourselves during dinner, to have a nice stroll home in the moonlight

[slaleman]

Originally Posted by rgb123

I needed to get away from Chicago but I figured I was trading a city for a city, I feel more like I traded my Chicago suburb for another one, only here no one likes to go downtown at all!

Oh...and there is no public transportation.

The first thing I said the day I drove into San Antonio (12 years ago) was, "Wow, this looks like the suburbs of Chicago, not a city." My concept of a city was based on what I grew up seeing in Chicago. Very dense, walkable, etc. San Antonio is definitely not that.

I'll agree with you on the public transportation...it just isn't up there with other major cities. If there was a reliable schedule that could get you places faster than you could get there with a car, more people might actually use it.

Originally Posted by rgb123

ps. I actually pay more for rent in Texas than I did in Chicagoland....I did upgrade but I was suprised rents are here are nearly the same.

Renting, yes, you're probably close...we paid $750/mo in Oak Park 2 blocks from the el (2001-2004), but the mortgage on our first house in San Antonio was less than that....that's where the big difference is. And you actually get parking at your apartment here...you don't have to park on the street.

Originally Posted by rgb123

Here its like regular people don't have a choice. I feel that if I moved downtown I would be isolated from the locals. If I moved to downtown Chicago it would be a different story.

I don't think you'd be isolated from the "locals" it would just be a different type of local. Just like in Chicago...a different kind of person lives downtown or in Lincoln Park than lives in Andersonville or Garfield Park or Little Village. They're all locals, but people choose their location based on different factors...housing costs, schools, backyards, etc.

When it comes down to it, you just can't compare Chicago, New York, and any high-density city with a place like San Antonio or Houston. The cities in the south and west were developed differently, mostly after the invention of the automobile, so they're designed to be walkable.

The only places in the US that are like that are on the east coast because they were settled way early in the history of this country, so you had to be able to get places without a car. San Antonio's growth didn't come until well into the 20th century. That's 100+ years of "catch up" that SA has to play with places like Chicago and New York

[the_dimwit]

Chaka,

My wife and I have both commented on the fact that, outside of the Riverwalk, there's just not that much to do downtown in the evenings. We're not big drinkers (moved beyond that point years ago), so unless I'm willing to walk many blocks from a downtown hotel to see a good jazz band, the options are limited.

For the record, we've only been here just under a year, and I have spent most of that time traveling, so my opinion is highly subjective and biased. I'm actually excited about starting this new job, which will have me working downtown (Institute of Texan Cultures). I really want to explore downtown...

--Dim

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by the_dimwit

Chaka,

My wife and I have both commented on the fact that, outside of the Riverwalk, there's just not that much to do downtown in the evenings. We're not big drinkers (moved beyond that point years ago), so unless I'm willing to walk many blocks from a downtown hotel to see a good jazz band, the options are limited.

For the record, we've only been here just under a year, and I have spent most of that time traveling, so my opinion is highly subjective and biased. I'm actually excited about starting this new job, which will have me working downtown (Institute of Texan Cultures). I really want to explore downtown...

--Dim

The whole southtown area has a lot to offer and you don't have to be a big drinker. We don't stumble around drunk

Art galleries, restaurants, lovely little shops (ok, not many , but a few!), coffee house, tea shop, cafes, live music. You can do all that perfectly sober It's not quite Big City, but it'll suffice.

Great about the new job! What will you be doing if you don't mind sharing?

[the_dimwit]

True, Southtown is one of the places I'd like to visit. It seems like a nice area, but it's sort of far from where we normally stay (Marriott Rivercenter). However, it's not a bad cab ride!

--Dim

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by the_dimwit

True, Southtown is one of the places I'd like to visit. It seems like a nice area, but it's sort of far from where we normally stay (Marriott Rivercenter). However, it's not a bad cab ride!

--Dim

eh, that's about a 15-20 min walk from my house, depending on how much the little one is dwadling. I walk that way all the time. It's the 'close' part for me. It's sometimes faster to walk than take a cab, due to one-way streets and lights.

It might be a bit of a walk to Blue Star, but it's also a short ride on the blue line trolley.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by slaleman

The first thing I said the day I drove into San Antonio (12 years ago) was, "Wow, this looks like the suburbs of Chicago, not a city."

heh, my first thought when flying into SA and being taken down 410 was "This looks a lot like suburban Los Angeles 20 years ago. "