Please help with opinions on: North/Northeast SA-Anaqua Springs/Dominion/Olmos Park (Dallas: for sale, real estate)

[decisions2009]

HI,


I'm trying to get some information on San Antonio. I hear it's a great place to raise kids. However, I heard San Antonio has many crimes and the city has its problems. I also heard that Anaqua Springs, Dominon and Olmos Park are very good areas.
I'm leaning more towards Anaqua Springs and Olmos Park.
If I could get opinions from residents in that area, that would be great. My questions are:

1-How much racism is there in SA. I've heard it's pretty ugly (keep in mind: just what I heard). My husband and I are both of ethnic backgrounds but of different races.

2-Apparently the city of SA has tons of social and financial problems (again, what I heard)...Do those problems affect you and those living in those areas as well, or do problems in specific areas stay in those areas?

3-Is it safe? Will I get robbed, or will my car get keyed or stolen if I drive into the city (I know this is generalized, but I just need a general idea)

4-Is it a bad idea/investment to spend over $1M in a home in SA? even if it's in Anaqua Springs

5-I'm health conscious, and I HEARD most of SA is not big on healthy foods/exercise. If I live in one of those areas, will there be accessible organic foods, running/ bike trails?

6-I hope that by asking these question I have not offended anyone. I'm just trying to be direct and objective. Again, a lot of these assumptions are from what I heard not what I experienced myself.

Thanks again

[Lester81]

Originally Posted by decisions2009

1-How much racism is there in SA. I've heard it's pretty ugly (keep in mind: just what I heard). My husband and I are both of ethnic backgrounds but of different races.

2-Apparently the city of SA has tons of social and financial problems (again, what I heard)...Do those problems affect you and those living in those areas as well, or do problems in specific areas stay in those areas?

3-Is it safe? Will I get robbed, or will my car get keyed or stolen if I drive into the city (I know this is generalized, but I just need a general idea)

4-Is it a bad idea/investment to spend over $1M in a home in SA? even if it's in Anaqua Springs

5-I'm health conscious, and I HEARD most of SA is not big on healthy foods/exercise. If I live in one of those areas, will there be accessible organic foods, running/ bike trails?

6-I hope that by asking these question I have not offended anyone. I'm just trying to be direct and objective. Again, a lot of these assumptions are from what I heard not what I experienced myself.

1 - Here the minority makes up the majority. You'll always find racist people in every city but as a whole, No, San Antonio is not racist (imo as an individual of mixed race)

2- The economy is bad everywhere but the City of San Antonio is not financially in trouble. The even had their bond rating improved. There are parts of town with historically lower household incomes but those areas have little effect on the city in general.

3- Relatively low crime considering its the 6th largest city in the US. I've worked downtown for 4 years and have never had anything happen to my car. Visit the City website for crime stats (SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY PORTAL - Home)

4- Real Estate is never a bad investment and I think an area like Anaqua Springs is one of the areas where investing over $1m is perfectly normal.

5-There are 3 public parks with great hiking trails w/in 5-7 miles of Anaqua Springs. Organic product are available at almost every HEB (local grocery store) or can be purchased at Central Market, Whole Foods or Sun Harvest.

Hope this info helps!

[Buffyfan]

I agree with everything from the above poster. I have not observed racism directly in SA. Maybe with older generations, but overall it is a very open city. I grew up on the east side and attended school as a white female sharing a classroom with black and hispanic populations. We all still talk to eachother 20 years later.

Financially, SA may be slightly affected from the poor economy. But everyone I know is doing well and not hurting.

Some crime, but it is a large city. Just have common sense when it comes to keeping valuables out of sight in the car.

Anaqua Springs and Olmos Park are beautiful areas.

But, yes, SA needs to step up it's game more when it comes to parks and healthy restaurants. But you can always find organic foods at the local Sun Harvest or Whole Foods. And there are plenty of parks for recreation.

San Antonians are happy and welcoming people.

[ashbeeigh]

1. Racism= As mentioned before, we're a city of minorities. If you feel self conscious you'll feel self conscious. Not many people are going to go out of their way to notice your ethnicity in SA.

2. I haven't heard about any financial problems.

3. Just be careful, like any other city. Lock your doors and know your surroundings late at night.

4. No, not at all. However, you may not need to spend that much to get what you need in San Antonio.

5. True, we aren't as health conscious as some cities. However, we aremoving in the right direction and you will be able to find what you need. It may take some digging, in some instances, but you'll find it. As far as fitness goes, we're doing better there too and that should be easily accessible in the areas you've mentioned.

6. These are types of questions that anyone looking for a new place to live would ask. So, do not worry!

[Dube665]

If you can afford to live in any of the 3 areas you mentioned you really dont have anything to worry about. I agree with the 2 posts above. You would only need to be concerned if you couldnt afford to live in those areas.
I do have to say though that while Olmos Park is its own municipality and is very exclusive it is not a gated community. Some would say that the part of San Antonio surrounding it could be considered questionable in regards to some of your concers.

[L3XVS]

I don't think San Antonio is racist. Do I think it's race conscious in certain areas? Absolutely. Remember, SA may be a majority minority city (in this case, Hispanic), but Hispanics do not control the power or the wealth here. They never have. You can expect that the areas you're looking in, which are all relatively affluent, to be predominately white. Does this make them racist? Not necessarily; it just means that the residents may not be used to living around non-whites.

SA does have financial problems. It's always been a relatively poor city, and that still hasn't changed. People love to fight me on this one but it's true...if you doubt what I'm saying is true, please go to Austin and examine the higher-end development (retail, condos, etc). Also, SA has a very inept city goverment that is very much "small town" minded, and to me atleast, really not serious about moving SA out of the dark ages in terms of development and infrastructure. Yes, you will notice that SA has many provincial and outdated qualities, and is not very cosmopolitan. No, these problems don't affect me per se, but yes, you will notice that SA is always behind when it comes to progress (think lightrail and tolls), that the roads and highways are underfunded, and that many retail/restaurants that are in other cities skip over SA because of the demographics.

Would I spend over a million dollars on a house in SA? Absolutely not. Do I think it's a bad investment? Probably. Here's why: even in the wealthy areas of SA, a million dollars is a lot of money, and while you may experience genuine appreciation on the property, the question is, will you be able to sell the house and acheive that profit? In SA, it's not uncommon for properties priced at over a million dollars to sit on the market for YEARS. That's because, there's just little market for housing that expensive here, and there's much more supply at that level than there is demand.

In fact, AT&T moving to Dallas, caused a drastic increase in the number of houses for sale in that price range, and even though most were in the '09/'12, there were a number in other parts of SA. I don't know how long you plan to stay, but if you were to try to sell your house in the next few years, I think you may have difficulty. The fact of the matter is that very few people who live in SA can afford a place over a million dollars, and VERY few people are coming here that can, as SA is not a hub of corporate business/finance. In Austin, a million dollars is still a lot of money, but Austin has more money than SA and is continuing to attract people who can afford a place that expensive..

Yes, SA is generally safe, and I've never had any problems. Yes, there are places that are not safe, but that's everywhere.

If you're genuinly a health conscious person and staying active and fit is a high priority to you, I do NOT think San Antonio is a match for you. Consecutively, San Antonio is ranked as one of the country's fattest cities based on the fact that on every corner there's some kind of fast food joint, the popularity of high-fat Mexican food that's common amongst many Hispanics, and the fact that SA is a city which is very car-dependent. Austin on the other hand is VERY health conscious, and has a number of health food stores, while SA only has one Whole Foods and one Central Market (Austin has three CM's and and two WF's). It's also a city where you SEE people out jogging, biking, and hiking...it's very active in that regard.

Do I think SA is a great place to raise kids? No. Unless you want your kids to be limited in scope and experience. SA is just very limited...many people grow up here their whole lives and never leave, so your kids won't get that kind of international scope (hell, they probably won't even get a national one). It's just not a place that values ideas or traditions from outside of San Antonio/south Texas...and to me atleast, that's not a good thing.

From what you've described to me atleast, I think Austin would be a much better fit than San Antonio. It's more cosmopolitan, more health conscious, more educated, and there's more money there. However, if you must live in SA, live in Olmos Park. OP/AH/TH are the center of wealth and influence in SA and your kids will get the best education from AHISD. That's my opinion, and any of you are free to disagree.

[V3rtigo]

1. within any big city, racism isnt a big issue. i wouldnt go living in a small texas town though in an interracial relationship.
2. social problems, yes. high teenage pregnancy rate, high crime rates in the bad parts of town. financial problems? it only depends on your financial situation. do you work for somebody or have your own business? how secure is your own job, because there arent a lot of large, booming companies here.
3. safe. dont go looking for trouble and you wont find any.
4. a 1M house will have a property tax bill of 30k per year. if you can handle that, go for it. there are a ton of nice house for well under that though, especially since the at&t executives left town.
5. very unhealthy city. actually, by far the most obese people of any city ive ever lived in. very few healthy restaurants, but you can always find a gym, or a place to run/bike.

as far as a great place to raise kids, i would say no if money is an issue at all. with money, you open the door to many private schools.

why not take a weekend or even a full week and explore it on your own?

[V3rtigo]

Originally Posted by L3XVS

From what you've described to me atleast, I think Austin would be a much better fit than San Antonio. It's more cosmopolitan, more health conscious, more educated, and there's more money there. That's my opinion, and any of you are free to disagree.

except if you read her other thread, shes looking for a catholic conservative community. thats not austin. that basically is san antonio (at least by self description if not by actions.)

[L3XVS]

Conservative in what way though? Socially or fiscally? And is San Antonio really conservative? Unless you're on the outskirts of the city (Boerne, New Braunfels), I'm inclined to say it's quite liberal due to the majority Hispanic population. It certainly isn't fiscally conservative, as a large portion of the population is middle to lower-middle class. Truthfully, to be honest, I don't see it as all that socially conservative either; you don't see religious fanatics trying to impose their beliefs on others, and religion isn't made to be a huge part of ones life if one chooses not to partake in it.

That said, yes, Austin is much more socially liberal generally. However, I would argue, that like San Antonio, the wealthier parts of Austin (Westlake) are more likely to be conservative for fiscal reasons.

[firstclassflyer]

Originally Posted by decisions2009

HI,


I'm trying to get some information on San Antonio. I hear it's a great place to raise kids. However, I heard San Antonio has many crimes and the city has its problems. I also heard that Anaqua Springs, Dominon and Olmos Park are very good areas.
I'm leaning more towards Anaqua Springs and Olmos Park.
If I could get opinions from residents in that area, that would be great. My questions are:

1-How much racism is there in SA. I've heard it's pretty ugly (keep in mind: just what I heard). My husband and I are both of ethnic backgrounds but of different races.

2-Apparently the city of SA has tons of social and financial problems (again, what I heard)...Do those problems affect you and those living in those areas as well, or do problems in specific areas stay in those areas?

3-Is it safe? Will I get robbed, or will my car get keyed or stolen if I drive into the city (I know this is generalized, but I just need a general idea)

4-Is it a bad idea/investment to spend over $1M in a home in SA? even if it's in Anaqua Springs

5-I'm health conscious, and I HEARD most of SA is not big on healthy foods/exercise. If I live in one of those areas, will there be accessible organic foods, running/ bike trails?

6-I hope that by asking these question I have not offended anyone. I'm just trying to be direct and objective. Again, a lot of these assumptions are from what I heard not what I experienced myself.

Thanks again

Look at how many times you used the words "I heard/hear"...stop listening to this stuff...finally you've smartened up and asked the people in the know.