Anyone from Los Angeles that moved to San Antonio (Houston: transplants, house)

[TheCycos]

Hi!

I was wondering if there are any transplants from Los Angeles in San Antonio who hate it?

If so, why?

And if you love it, then also, why?


Just trying to see if there might be common reason(s) why you might hate or love SA if you relocated from LA.

Thanks!

[dweej]

Hi! I'm in SoCal and asked a similar question in a thread called "Anyone moved from SoCal to SA? Nervous. " I think the thread is on the second page right now- several people left some good responses. Good luck!

[firstclassflyer]

There are many of us from SoCal here. Some happy..some not.

[Raggy dee Ann]

I moved to San Antonio, sort of from LA, but spent 1 year in the UK after leaving LA then moved to SA. I liked it it, bit it really wasn't me. I found it a bit provincial and moved down the road to Austin after about a year of living there. Maybe it was just where I was at that time of my life and maybe I might find it different today.

[hello13685]

I moved here from LA. You can see some of my old posts. I don't like it much, but at this point I'm here for the good money. If you want a place with a slower, provincial vibe, it's a good place to be. The most frequent comment among my small circle of other SoCal transplant friends is that there's nothing to do in SA. (Of course there are things to do, but they are not up to the standards of people who are used to more exciting locales.) It will be much harder still, if you are single and well-educated. However, and although it's not going to happen, I would raise a family in a San Antonio suburb before I would do the same in LA proper. One very interesting observation is that the vast majority of the people I've met in SA that are happy have a family connection here. For example, a spouse was originally from Texas and they moved to Chicago and moved back here 15 years later. Or they love SA but were born and raised in Austin 30 years ago, then moved away and came back. It's been rare (in my observation) for connection-free transplants to love it. I know that many here will disagree, but most of those who would agree with me are long gone. I've lost so many cool and hip colleagues it's sad. Best of luck!

[abner463]

I'm from So Cal, moved here almost 3 years ago. The main thing that I miss from So Cal is the weather. It gets so freakin' hot here, it's unbelievable. I mean, I grew up in the Valley where it was hot in the summer, but heat combined w/ humidity is brutal! I didn't realize that the water on the coast here was very warm (hot?) so if you are thinking that you can go to the coast to cool off, you're wrong. It's even hotter there because it's more humid! I miss the cool ocean breezes. But if you can get over the heat, come check it out.
My DH and I chose it because we wanted out of that traffic, congestion, etc. etc. SA is a big small town, and I like that. I had no interest in Dallas or Houston, more big cities that have big city problems. Here in SA we have the usual stuff to deal w/, but it's on a much smaller scale.
If you search through the archives here, you will see that tons of So Cal transplants live here. I have made several friends here who came over on the same boat as me, so you won't be alone. Hope this info was a bit helpful for ya!

[Chaka]

I responded in the other SoCal move thread.
I am from the Los Angeles area (east LA county near the 605/10). I didn't move here directly from LA (Santa Barbara, CT, and IN, along with points abroad in the meantime). I have no family connection here. My husband is European. He has no family connection here.

But we like it here and for now it's home. We live downtown, there's tons to see and do, we never have a dull moment. I wish we did sometimes. We've slowed down a bit now that we have a kid, but our friends with kids are constantly active - they are out nearly every night. I don't know how they do it!

We're both higher educated (some would say over educated and were single when we came here and met here. The same is true for the vast majority of our close friends. In our very close social circle are now 5 couples, all of whom we knew as single people and met their spouse here, all have masters degrees or higher. Of the 10 of us, 3 are from Texas (2 of these from San Antonio), the other 7 from all parts of the country and Europe. Amongst our larger group of friends and casual acquaintances (about 100 people or so) are all types: from PhD to HS diploma, from local to across the globe, from single to married with kids. There are two people I know amongst that group who truly dislike it here - one hates it because she hates the weather, the other hates it because she says there are no single men...everyone else has pros and cons, but are generally happy here.


San Antonio reminds me a lot of LA 20+ years ago (well, more like 30 yrs ago now....), especially the suburbs. It has a lot of the same vibe. LA is of course much bigger, and in the vast LA metro area there is a lot more to offer, but the advantage of SA is that it is smaller, so you can enjoy what it has to offer without driving 1-2 hours. It's similar, but different.

I do miss the beach. Very much. And I'd like better vegetarian options (although I'm not a vegetarian).

I forgot to write what I like about SA: an accessible downtown. Easy to walk around, lots to see and do within walking distance, lots of activity. I can spend a whole weekend doing tons of things and never get in my car. I like that I can live that close to downtown yet still have a house on a 1/4 acre lot with lots of trees and grass. I like that I can live in an historic neighborhood with an interesting vibrant mix of folks,from artists to blue collar workers to doctors, some of whom just arrived some of whom are 3rd generation or more in this neighborhood. I love the history of the city - going back much farther than in LA, and much more dynamic in its history than SoCal. I like the smaller town feel, yet still have access to some big city things (not as much in LA, but that's the tradeoff). I love the Spurs, and the fact that the whole community stands behind them. They truly feel like 'our boys.' I like the soccer scene and I the many other opportunities for sport in the area. I like that I don't have to go far to be in the country (and for me, it's just a few miles down the road).

I don't like the endless strip malls and box stores. The destroying of the landscape for more strip malls and box stores (but same is true in LA). I wish there was more ethnic diversity. It exists, and amongst our social circle there is quite a lot, and there are pockets, but not as much as I'd like. I don't like the traffic (same is true of LA). I don't like having to drive to a grocery store (one thing we lack in downtown. The two we have basically sell chips, soda, beer and wine with a few odds and ends...at least it's good beer and wine).

[hello13685]

Chaka, you could profit greatly from writing a book/guide for many transplants I know who have come to the conclusion that there's nothing to do here. Seriously, that would be very helpful. I'm one of those people that wants some dull moments. I don't want to be on the go all the time. But when I do want some stimulation, I'm left with nothing more than the usual First Friday type disappointments. I end up hanging with friends a lot (natives, too, who say they would be so out of here if it were not for family being here). Write a book for me!! Or post a sample schedule of what never having a dull moment in SA would look like. I've been at a loss.

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by hello13685

Chaka, you could profit greatly from writing a book/guide for many transplants I know who have come to the conclusion that there's nothing to do here. Seriously, that would be very helpful. I'm one of those people that wants some dull moments. I don't want to be on the go all the time. But when I do want some stimulation, I'm left with nothing more than the usual First Friday type disappointments. I end up hanging with friends a lot (natives, too, who say they would be so out of here if it were not for family being here). Write a book for me!! Or post a sample schedule of what never having a dull moment in SA would look like. I've been at a loss.

Do you only want one from her, or will any old loser do? Even us suburbanites manage to stay busy and get our culture on.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by hello13685

Chaka, you could profit greatly from writing a book/guide for many transplants I know who have come to the conclusion that there's nothing to do here. Seriously, that would be very helpful. I'm one of those people that wants some dull moments. I don't want to be on the go all the time. But when I do want some stimulation, I'm left with nothing more than the usual First Friday type disappointments. I end up hanging with friends a lot (natives, too, who say they would be so out of here if it were not for family being here). Write a book for me!! Or post a sample schedule of what never having a dull moment in SA would look like. I've been at a loss.

I appreciate the compliments (I think..) but will be brutally honest - any city is what you make of it. If you are bored, it's out of choice. The city doesn't come to your doorstep. You have to go out and make it happen. You can sit around with like-minded people and complain about having nothing to do, or you can go out and do something. If you've failed to find it, I'm afraid no book will ever help. You have to live it.

I've found that interesting people always find other interesting people. And boring people always find other boring people.