Where's My San Antonio? Disappointed with the 1604/90/Pue Rd. area. (Austin: best city, apartment)

[nikip]

I live near 90 and 1604 not far from Pue Rd in new subdivisions it is a lot of military as we were military and others this is not necessarly a bad we don't see any tagging in the KB subdivisions I would not say this is a bad area we are not very far from Seaworld.

[tgannaway89]

I know that SA has some "ghetto" areas if you will but if you explore enough you'll find most of the city is clean, friendly, green, and overall very nice. I live outside 1604 on the North side and rarely encounter vandalism (tagging). There are children playing (even without parental supervision) with chalk and riding bikes, but it doesn't look like any are pregnant or droppped out of school. I'm sorry you feel a particular area is less than you expected but SA boasts some of the safest and nicest neighborhoods in the state hand down. I'd recommend you visit other areas of the city before you try to make a judgment of the city as a whole.

My roommate moved here from Chicago and first explored the far East side (between Sequin and 410 off I-10). He was shocked and disappointed and almost changed his mind immediately. After settling in our new place he quickly changed his mind and found he really liked this area (La Cantera).

[HisLilSecret]

Originally Posted by GarveySanAntonio

I really can do my job from anywhere and at first, I thought I might take a chance at San Antonio for the long run, but changed my mind when I got here. I am only 24 and have been very blessed in my life and make a great amount of money. My father, who was also born in San Antonio and will never return, works for the NFL and said that many of the people he knows that come here to scout the possiblities of a team down here, are turned off by the atmosphere.

I came with an open mind, but I feel so out of place. I am proud of my hispanic culture, but what I see here, is the worst of it. Like the bad areas in Chicago that give us a bad reputation.

Unfortunately, as in any other city, you're going to find pockets of bad neighborhoods. Your mom just happens to live in one of them. But, there is so much more to San Antonio than what you seem to have seen so far. I've lived here all of my life and some of the things you've mentioned have been around since you last lived here. Being 10 years old at the time may have been why you hadn't paid much attention back then.

[GarveySanAntonio]

So I guess it is like Chicago a little. Like I said, I am pretty well off, and with that I have access to an upper class lifestyle, with people for the most part with the same mind set. If I was poor, as I once was, I would hate Chitown, because all you have is Boring suburbs or living in the run down part of the city.

It is too bad. I would have thought with all the new building going on in SA and the job growth I read in the paper you would see more from this area. Seems like there are signs everywhere for new sub-divisions.

[ashbeeigh]

I'm just the opposite of you GarveySanAntonio, I grew up in San Antonio after being born in Chicago (but haven't made in back to Chicago yet...it's too darn cold). You just need to do some exploring. Find some fun places, fun people, etc. San Antonio is what you make it. If you stay in the "depressing" areas the whole time you'll never experience what we have to offer.

I live out by La Cantera and just recently started working on the westside and it's a whole other world out there, but I like it. It's just different. Yes there are its "seedy" and "bad" parts. I hear sirens and see people that kind of give me the chills, and kids running around in diapers...but it's a far cry from hearing highway noise, Louis Vuitton purse carrying 15 year olds, and call center power generators behind my suburbia on the Northwest side. My "depressing" part of town is quiet for the most part, traffic is a breeze, the stores aren't crowded, and people smile. Again, it's what you make it.

[perticusrex]

The Pue area you are referring to honestly I didnt think was that bad. I even looked a couple of houses in the area when I was home shopping last year. (But we probably have different ideas of what "bad" is) The houses were in newer neighborhoods and actually well kept. (I saw a lot of houses in nicer, more expensive neighborhoods that were foreclosures where the previous owners literally stole everything out the house, including the kitchen sink!) The area is just "ok" but probably not for you; not every neighborhood or part of town is going to be ideal. Like someone else mentioned, you need to explore the city and given that you claim to have the financial ability to live an "upper class lifestyle" than you should have no problem finding a beautiful home in the better part of town. When you were 10 those "bad" elements probably were always there, even worse in the 90s, but we tend to see our surroundings differently as children.

Depending on what surroundings and vibe you are looking for will determine the part of SA you will be most comfortable in, and I am fairly for certain you will end up finding it you just gotta keep an open, positive mindframe and not compare everything to when you were 10 years old. Good luck!

[GarveySanAntonio]

I know this is off topic but everyone seems to know a lot about the city. My girlfriend is coming from Chicago next week and she is Jewish and I need to find a good temple for her to go to. Any ideas?

[Eleanor Rigby]

If she's Reform, there is Temple Beth-El on Belknap and Ashby in Monte Vista. If she's Conservative there is Agudas Achem on NW Military. There's also an Orthodox synagogue which I assume is in the same area as the JCC and Agudas Achem but I'm not 100% sure on the location.

[HisLilSecret]

Try here...

Congregation Agudas Achim - San Antonio, TX, Conservative
Congregation Beth Am of San Antonio a Reconstructionist Synagogue
Chabad Lubavitch of South Texas - Spreading the Warmth of Judaism Throughout South Texas!
Congregation Beth Simcha

[GarveySanAntonio]

Way cool. Thanks.