Moving to Downtown San Antonio, TX

[dvlpr]

Originally Posted by tgannaway89

That is a matter of opinion. That store caters to the upper class in Alamo Heights.

Well, I guess you busted me. Sure, it's a matter of opinion (they're somewhat common on this board).

It's an undeniable fact that CM has the best quality and broadest selection of the following:

Produce
Cheese
Beef
Sausage
Poultry
Seafood
Wine
Beer
Soda
Olive Oil
Bakery
Olives
Cured Meats
Asian staples
Indian staples
Ice Cream
Bulk grains/nuts/herbs

I never said it was the cheapest. I said it was the best, and it is, and that's a fact. I'm actually interested in the supermarket that you think is better than CM. So indulge me?

[dvlpr]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

I bolded the facts in that post. The rest were opinions, just fyi.

Let the OP decide where the "best" grocery store is in San Antonio. I would never proclaim the grocery store I go to to be the "best" grocery store just because it's in a rich or close to downtown area. I would say it's a good place to shop, is easy to get to, and has a great range or items though (Central Market), but I wouldn't say "best. "It's all subjective.

First, you don't need to "referee", or tell anyone here what to do. I'm sure the OP will make up his/her own mind when he/she gets to SA. But it was important to clarify Kerowyn's unintelligable statement, "When you look into a place also think about parking. Grocery Shopping, Medical needs and all the othe ness stuff you might need." The implication, of course, was that you couldn't find good groceries if you live downtown, which is totally wrong.

Second, the statement that CM is the best grocery store in town isn't "subjective" (see my other response). There isn't a store in town that can match CM's quality in virtually every food category, and that's just a fact. And it doesn't matter that it's in a "rich" area; that's just a silly argument.

As I said, you can argue about whether or not it's worth the extra cost. And I know many people prefer to get their groceries elsewhere. But you can't argue that CM isn't the best, because it is.

[firstclassflyer]

Originally Posted by mjberry

Hey everyone. I need to see if someone can help me out. We are moving from Philadelphia to San Antonio and my fiance is dead set on living downtown because of the activities and night life. Does any one have recommendations on where to move that has a pool? and also is there any neighborhoods around downtown that has stuff to do and is walking distance?? sorry I am foreign to the area.

thanks!

Don't do it.

[creymoralez]

Originally Posted by tgannaway89

That is a matter of opinion. That store caters to the upper class in Alamo Heights.

I dont know if i am correctly responding, but i Have been a LONG time resident of this area in san Antonio, and I find that Central Market (HEB) is actually a great store to find good local, (and therefore fresh) produce, but it also does not Exclusively serve Alamo Heights, for the Downtown area is a viable community which buys stuff from them as well. There is no longer an "upper class from Alamo Heights", there are only consumers and buyers now- the Good Government League days are over- we are now one.

[burgrat]

I lived in Center City Philly for 3 years and loved it. I would move back in a heartbeat if I could. Downtown SA is not much like Philly. Its mostly touristy stuff, but it is walkable. I think in a few years it will be much more resident friendly. For the best markets and shopping, you will end up driving. Close to downtown is the Pearl Brewery area and Alamo Heights. This has lots of nice restaurants and shopping available. Alamo Heights is similar I would say to the Main Line area of Philly. Lots of trees and nice older homes.

[xsa210tx]

Originally Posted by mjberry

Hey everyone. I need to see if someone can help me out. We are moving from Philadelphia to San Antonio and my fiance is dead set on living downtown because of the activities and night life. Does any one have recommendations on where to move that has a pool? and also is there any neighborhoods around downtown that has stuff to do and is walking distance?? sorry I am foreign to the area.

thanks!

I highly recommend the Towne Center Apartments in downtown.

Yes, the Towne Center Apartments is one of the BEST kept secrets in downtown! Very affordable, quiet community, AWESOME manager, nice clean pool, nice grounds, there's a park across the street, church and Santa Rosa hospital is one block away.

My family member who is 57 years old gets a "senior citizen" discount of $40.00 living there and only pays $360.00 a month for rent for a VERY spacious and nice efficiency!

Goodluck!

[Chaka]

Downtown SA isn't downtown Philly, but that's ok .

Others gave you some recommendations of places to consider, I'll just throw in my personal experience as a resident. I'm in Lavaca, a residential historic neighborhood (in the middle stages of revitalization from urban ghetto to hipster hangout) immediately adjacent to downtown - it's a 10-15 min. walk to the Riverwalk/Alamo. Can see the Tower of the Americas from my kitchen window.

There's no place in downtown that I, as a now-local, wouldn't walk to. I feel much safer here than in many other cities I've been. It's somewhat true that grocery stores are limited - yes there are a few small groceries,but they're little more than convenience stores - ok for the odd milk, chips, snacks, but not much else. We don't need a Super Walmart, but a small Central Market within walking distance would be nice. That's the key - Central Market is arguably the best grocery in town in terms of its products (pricey though), and it's a short drive from downtown, but you can't walk there .

It is also somewhat true that downtown is more aimed towards tourists, and this is reflected in the type of shopping available. That said, it's changing. There's a big push towards urban revival and with that more resident-oriented shopping options. My big issue is walkable - downtown SA is very walkable, probably the only part of SA that really is. But you'll still need to drive to do some of the standard things for daily living like grocery shopping. I do love not getting in my car all weekend, and being able to walk to restaurants, art galleries, shops, etc.

As for Lavaca itself, it's a dynamic community. It's great being so close to downtown, but having a yard, trees, space for kids to play. It's a mix of people of various economic levels and life stages (older, kid-less,singles, families). We just had a party - started out as a birthday party which morphed into a block party as each neighbor decided to open up our adjoining gates and let the party spread out. There was a live band for the grown ups and tons of stuff for the kiddos. It wasn't an official "block' party. More like a group of friends merging parties. Made for tons of fun (the band were area residents too). As for a pool, we refer to one neighbor's pool as the "community pool" because we are all welcome to use it . We looked at other near-downtown neighborhoods and though I liked many, this was the most walkable (except King William but that has a different vibe). We didn't consider downtown proper (i.e. the high rises), because we were at a stage that we wanted a house, and this was the best of both worlds. Lots of new condo/apt options in downtown proper now though.

[Living on RW]

Might take a look at Saint Benedict in King William. Brand new mostly loft style at least for 1 bedrooms which start under 1200 including high end bosch fixtures. You also get membership to a small exercise chain on premesis and there is a small but nice pool. Can not beat the neighborhood.