Looking to relocate...Where do the liberal/hippies/college crowd/musicians live? (San Antonio: rental, home)

[Eleanor Rigby]

That was the most useful post I've seen in a long time.

[jwebtx]

King William, Lavaca, Tobin Hill, and possibly Government Hill. King William & Lavaca, based on your criteria, would be my 1st choices. I would lean towards King William because its a gorgeous hood with less rough spots than Lavaca. They are, for the most part, equadistant to a large number of gallerys, cafes, restaurants, and coffee houses. They are also both walking distance to the heart of downtown. Both lack a convenient full sized grocery.

[LindaGrace]

Originally Posted by CelesteDF

To the OP... I dont' know what brought on this rash of negativity, but there are actually many pockets of creative/artistic communities around San Antonio. Southtown/Lavaca has already been mentioned, and yes, there is much more to that area than just First Friday.

I happen to live in a neighborhood called Tobin Hill just north of downtown. Planning and Community Development Department-Neighborhoods-Tobin Hill Neighborhood Plan The Pearl Brewery, an amazing urban redevelopment project centered on the concepts of community, education and sustainability, is in Tobin Hill. Pearl features the largest rooftop solar installation in Texas, lots of small green/healthy lifestyle/creative industry businesses, a plethora of live/work spaces plus lots of community activities (weekly farmer's market, river activities, etc.) Pearl Brewery Pearl Farmers Market San Antonio, Texas | Pearl Farmers Market

Tobin Hill is what you'd call a "transitional" neighborhood, with some areas already fixed up and some that have a ways to go. TH is also home to the only part of SA that could be considered a "gayborhood", and also features eclectic one-of-a-kind businesses such as SA's only organic farm/music recording facility. Farm Recorders TH is bordered by two major universities (Trinity University and San Antonio College) and is close to two others (UTSA Downtown, University of the Incarnate Word). We also have a new organization called the Tobin Hill Arts Alliance that is launching a monthly art walk in June.

All in all, this is a very culturally, ethnically, economically diverse and accepting neighborhood in a fantastic location, with lots of beautiful housing stock that is still affordable. TH is also home to the N. St. Mary's Strip, a walkable/bikeable area that features lots of little local restaurants and bars (my favorites are Candlelight, Tycoon Flats and the new Cafe Latino, although Joey's is always a good call). Our relatively new community association is also doing a LOT to bring people together for social events and community-building activities, too.

A previous poster mentioned signing up for Joe Barfield's email list... do that right away. Joe's List He puts out the city's most comprehensive list of musical entertainment each week, plus profiles of unique happenings that don't often get lots of press in the commercial media. He's also a realtor that specializes in the in-town neighborhoods, like Mahncke Park, Tobin Hill, Monte Vista, Woodlawn Heights, Monticello Park, Alamo Heights, etc., so you may want to ask him for advice on local neighborhoods. He's awesome. Disclaimer: I found the house of my dreams via one of Joe's emails, so yeah, I'm a little biased.

btw - to give you a frame of reference, I'm a single 30-something professional, have lived half my life in TX and the rest in other places around the world, and most of my social activities are in the realm of arts/culture, policy/politics, and community service. No, you won't often find me in the Stone Oak bar/nightclub area unless my friends drag me out there (although I must admit, I LOVE LOVE Copa).

Awesome post, Celeste! Thank you!

[guyd78]

[quote=jwebtx;8598439]King William, Lavaca, Tobin Hill, and possibly Government Hill. King William & Lavaca, based on your criteria, would be my 1st choices.quote]

How do these rank in affordability?

[wCat]

Celeste....I agree...excellent post.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by CelesteDF

To the OP... I dont' know what brought on this rash of negativity, but there are actually many pockets of creative/artistic communities around San Antonio. Southtown/Lavaca has already been mentioned, and yes, there is much more to that area than just First Friday.

I happen to live in a neighborhood called Tobin Hill just north of downtown. Planning and Community Development Department-Neighborhoods-Tobin Hill Neighborhood Plan The Pearl Brewery, an amazing urban redevelopment project centered on the concepts of community, education and sustainability, is in Tobin Hill. Pearl features the largest rooftop solar installation in Texas, lots of small green/healthy lifestyle/creative industry businesses, a plethora of live/work spaces plus lots of community activities (weekly farmer's market, river activities, etc.) Pearl Brewery Pearl Farmers Market San Antonio, Texas | Pearl Farmers Market

Tobin Hill is what you'd call a "transitional" neighborhood, with some areas already fixed up and some that have a ways to go. TH is also home to the only part of SA that could be considered a "gayborhood", and also features eclectic one-of-a-kind businesses such as SA's only organic farm/music recording facility. Farm Recorders TH is bordered by two major universities (Trinity University and San Antonio College) and is close to two others (UTSA Downtown, University of the Incarnate Word). We also have a new organization called the Tobin Hill Arts Alliance that is launching a monthly art walk in June.

All in all, this is a very culturally, ethnically, economically diverse and accepting neighborhood in a fantastic location, with lots of beautiful housing stock that is still affordable. TH is also home to the N. St. Mary's Strip, a walkable/bikeable area that features lots of little local restaurants and bars (my favorites are Candlelight, Tycoon Flats and the new Cafe Latino, although Joey's is always a good call). Our relatively new community association is also doing a LOT to bring people together for social events and community-building activities, too.

A previous poster mentioned signing up for Joe Barfield's email list... do that right away. Joe's List He puts out the city's most comprehensive list of musical entertainment each week, plus profiles of unique happenings that don't often get lots of press in the commercial media. He's also a realtor that specializes in the in-town neighborhoods, like Mahncke Park, Tobin Hill, Monte Vista, Woodlawn Heights, Monticello Park, Alamo Heights, etc., so you may want to ask him for advice on local neighborhoods. He's awesome. Disclaimer: I found the house of my dreams via one of Joe's emails, so yeah, I'm a little biased.

btw - to give you a frame of reference, I'm a single 30-something professional, have lived half my life in TX and the rest in other places around the world, and most of my social activities are in the realm of arts/culture, policy/politics, and community service. No, you won't often find me in the Stone Oak bar/nightclub area unless my friends drag me out there (although I must admit, I LOVE LOVE Copa).

What she said.

I'm a resident of Lavaca, and it's more than just First Friday. My neighbors are mostly artists/liberal/hippie/professionals

[L3XVS]

I was just in Austin last weekend for Eors Birthday (a once-a-year event in a park featuring dancing, music, and the selling of tacky home made trinkets), and I'm sorry but NOTHING in SA can compare to that for someone truly wanting an artsy, hippie, vibe. To my surprise, it was absolutely nothing like First Friday, despite the consumption of alcohol among many of the attendees. The people in Austin are just very different than the people in SA.

Remember, the OP also said she wanted a college-minded atmosphere, which to me atleast, means an area where it's common to see college-aged students at coffee shops, book stores, and out and about. In San Antonio, "college culture" is defined to campus, or some bar close to campus (there really is no active college community in San Antonio).

As for musicians, also, there's no comparison. Austin is the official "live music capital" of the world, and there is a some kind of music event every night of the week. In addition, where actors might go to LA or New York to launch their careers, a large number of aspiring musicians go to Austin because it's just where all the action is.

I'm really not trying to bash SA here, but I want this poster to have an accurate view of what things really are like here. For the things she mentioned, Austin is just a much better fit. Yes, I'm sure one can find interesting and artistic activities in Southtown/Tobin Hill, but these areas are "little neighborhoods" with limited offerings and not at all consistant with the rest of the city.

Austin on the other hand is a very hippie/college/music/arts kind of city, while San Antonio is more conservative/family/less educated/limited arts kind of city.

[lemonfresh]

L3XVS, stay on topic and answer the OP's actual question. She didn't you for your opinion on what you find acceptable in terms of arts or what you call arts or whether you deem any neighborhood in SA "indie/hippie/artsy" enough for her. You do comprehend the fact that not everyone shares the same opinion as you? What you like is not going tobe what everyone likes no matter how similar the ideology you share or the policital stance you share or the culture you share. Well, I honestly don't know why I am posting this as this will be deleted as was the off topic post by Chris that was deleted as well as my post telling him he was off topic. Oh schucks, you two will never learn.

BTW, it's the official nothing, that title is not official just self appointed. It's as official as Nashville's "Music City" title, meaning its not.

[lemonfresh]

Her question:

I'm curious to find a liberal minded neighborhood [in San Antonio].

It's that freakin' simple.

[wCat]

Originally Posted by L3XVS

I was just in Austin last weekend for Eors Birthday (a once-a-year event in a park featuring dancing, music, and the selling of tacky home made trinkets), .....

dude....it's EEYORE....Winnie the Pooh's homie.

Pictures speak volumes....and you're right. SA has nothing that compares with Eeyore's birthday party.

Friends of the Forest Eeyores 2006

edit: This takes you to the main page. Click on PHOTOS and then select the top name Brian Birzer these are 2009 pics. Enjoy crazy Austin. Some may qualify as PG-13.....just FYI.