"Social butterfly" moving to San Antonio (Houston, Austin: quality of life, to live)

[Ripshin]

Actually, more likely Western NC - Asheville is incredible.

And yes, East TN, "seriously" - a certain mountain cabin awaits. The Blue Ridge is beautiful

SA is the SEVENTH largest city in the U.S. - one expects more. Seriously.

[MegWood]

It has been rainy and gloomy here in Tampa for a week straight, I'm ready for the move :-)

[lemonfresh]

Originally Posted by Ripshin

SA is the SEVENTH largest city in the U.S. - one expects more. Seriously.

It's the seventh largest city thanks to aggressive annexation. It's true measure is metro population which ranks at 28. Up 4 spots in the last few years. We'll be 25 or 26 within the next couple of years.

Movin' on up baby.


PS.

SA will not miss you.

[lemonfresh]

Originally Posted by MegWood

It has been rainy and gloomy here in Tampa for a week straight, I'm ready for the move :-)

Right now, outside my door it's 82, sunny with a beautiful blue sky.

[pr57001]

Originally Posted by lemonfresh

It's the seventh largest city thanks to aggressive annexation. It's true measure is metro population which ranks at 28. Up 4 spots in the last few years. We'll be 25 or 26 within the next couple of years.

I think this is an important distiction that most people don't get. It really is the size of the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) that matters, unless you are concerned about other matters, maybe efficiency of government, or something else. Generally, people quote size of the "city" but it is really the MSA size that dictates the breadth of depth of amenities and gives you a meaningful basis to use when comparing "cities".

From an MSA perspective, San Antonio is usually mid-20's ranking. The copy I have here has San Antonio at #28, this is sandwiched between Orlando and Kansas City. For comparison, Dallas is #4, NY #1, Phoenix #12.

So compare out #7 city to our #28 MSA, and that tells you, as a percentage, more people in our area live in the biggest city in the area than do most people in most areas.

St. Louis, as an example, is a city of 300-400K, it is 18th biggest MSA (close to 3,000,000). So, in St. Louis most people don't live in St. Louis.

[Ripshin]

Regardless, it has over 1.2 million people within close proximity to one another. Count your beans however you want - the truth is, SA doesn't offer what it should, for its size.

PS - Lemonfresh (inappropriate name) - I don't know you, so how could you possibly miss me? And why would I care? When people get SO defensive about something, there is usually insecurity involved, regarding the issue.

[L3XVS]

Ripshin, I've consistently made the same complaints, and received the same harsh backlash and criticism. I think the distinction comes from the fact that born and bred San Antonians and south Texans are just used to fewer options/choices. So when someone who's lived in a larger metro with greater diversity complains about the noticeable absense, they have no clue what you're talking about. San Antonio is just a simpler, slower pace of life, devoid of the enlightment (and seemingly proud of it) that seems to have swept across the rest of the country twenty years ago. Yes, San Antonio is an antiquated, old fashioned city, stuck in 1968, the year which it gained international fame. In many ways, it reminds me of a once-budding '70's actress, who just can't accept that she's a hasbeen, and who won't let go of the past of her "glory days", and get with the current times. I just don't think SA is the city for someone who wants progress in any form, because the culture of the city is so anti-progress/retrogressive.

The San Antonio experience is like being sucked into a great void supernova and experiencing a space/time regression. This entire city looks incredibly passé, particularly in north central SA, where I live. I mean, it's easy for me to jump into my vintage 2002, put on some '70's-era Alan Parsons Project discotheque, and pretend like it's 1972, made all the easier by the fact that there's little foot or car traffic in my neighborhood. Where's the vibrancy? Why don't you see people out and about? Why is this place so vapidly lifeless? It just doesn't have the feel of a modern, current 21st century city, and this becomes especially obvious as soon as one begins to travel to other places.

Perhaps this is what long-time San Antonians talk about when they reminisce about the long-lost San Antonio "they knew". Who really knows. As I've said before, SA/south Texas is a civilization all it's own...some like it, some don't. All in all, I think it's important for people to ultimately make up your their mind and decide if this place is right for them, without being influenced by the opinions of others.

That's all.

[JuneOf48]

Originally Posted by L3XVS

Ripshin, I've consistently made the same complaints, and received the same harsh backlash and criticism. I think the distinction comes from the fact that born and bred San Antonians and south Texans are just used to fewer options/choices, and so when someone who's lived in a larger metro with greater diversity, they have no clue what you're talking about. San Antonio is just a simpler, slower pace of life, devoid of the enlightment (and seemingly proud of it) that seems to have swept across the rest of the country twenty years ago. Yes, San Antonio is an antiquated, old fashioned city, stuck in 1968, the year which it gained international fame. In many ways, it reminds me of a once budding '70's actress, who just can't accept that she's a hasbeen, and who won't let go of the past of her "glory days", and get with the current times. I just don't think SA is the city for someone who wants progress in any form, because the culture of the city is so anti-progress/retrogressive.

Moderator cut: see comment

It's an old theme. Every single person on here who is favorable about San Antonio also voices critical perspectives on some aspect of life San Antonio. (That's definitely true of me.) People only get upset with demeaning, ignorant, over-generalizing statements that are completely one-sided (and hence false, which is why we respond.)


Moderator cut: see comment I like San Antonio quite a bit. (I like Austin, too.) I grew up in Chicago; I've lived for extended periods in Minneapolis and Boston; I've spent significant time in New York, the Bay Area, Europe, and South America; I have a Ph.D; and I like San Antonio--a lot. There are many other folks on this board who are like me. So please--criticize if you want, but don't insult, don't exaggerate, and don't present "opinions" as "facts." (You claim not to do this, but a simple reading of your posts proves otherwise.)

I only respond (repeatedly) to posts like this because I realize how much of a negative impact they would've had on me were they the only things I read about SA before moving here. And honestly, I want people who are "like me" to know that SA can be a great and fulfilling place to be--so that they move here!!! (Always good to have more nice, interesting, and friendly folks around!)

Moderator cut: see comment

[Ripshin]

Excuse me? I happen to be quite educated myself. And have lived all over the U.S.

You can proclaim whatever you want - opinions ARE opinions, whether you like them, or not. You can decide that they are exaggerations and facts in your own mind. "Hence false"????? WHAT?

[lemonfresh]

Originally Posted by Ripshin

Excuse me? I happen to be quite educated myself. And have lived all over the U.S.

You can proclaim whatever you want - opinions ARE opinions, whether you like them, or not. You can decide that they are exaggerations and facts in your own mind. "Hence false"????? WHAT?

Seeing as how she quoted a different posters post when she made those comments, why do you take it as if she's talking about you? Basically, she made those comments to another poster and you responded as if she made them to you... hmmm...