Disappointed in San Diego...San Antonio? (Houston, Austin: homes, job market, neighborhood)

[Jaded]

Hi,

I moved to San Diego about one year ago from the Bay area. I GREATLY regret it. It is way over rated and most of the city is so economically divided it should be called "land of the haves and the have nots." Honestly, it is a tourist attraction at best and a retirement community at worst. The jobs here are just as divided as the housing...you either make $80K + or you make $25K serving up burgers at Applebees - this includes your tips. How anyone can make it in this city is way beyond my comprehension. This makes the Bay Area and Los Angeles look like cheap places to live. Why? Because you can actually earn a living in these other areas of Ca. I originally grew up in the Inland Empire of southern California and lived in Los Angeles for nine years. My salaries in each place were quite high. Here in San Diego I'm luck to get $40K a year. You have to be in biotech, tech, medical, law, or work for the gov't. What can I say, I'm trying to stay a Cali girl! But the price of living here is driving me crazy and bankrupt!

My boyfriend and I are thinking of relocating to another state and San Antonio, TX is on our list. Can I please get some honest opinions about the city. The homes, neighborhods, diversity, job market, etc.?

Thanks for your time.

Jaded.

[I_LUVNM]

Jaded, I can answer you on this one because my parents lived in San Diego, well Escondido, but that is real close, and now live in San Antonio and I can say it is MUCH better in San Antonio! Yes San Diego has one great zoo but there is only so many times you want to do that and then it gets boring. How many times can you see Shamoo anyhow!
San Antonio is way cheaper to live and there is so much to do. It isn't crowded like San Diego either and I got upset that every freaking time I went down to the ocean there were some scary guys around stalking you or people asking for money and getting mad at you if you didn't give them some. I think it is over rated too. The ocean is pretty and the weather more mild in San Diego, but Id pick San Antonio over SD anyday. San Antonio has hot summers but the winters are nice. It is a great excuse in summer with the heat to go to a lake or even down to the ocean down in Corpus too. Oh and NO earthquakes! I love that!

[Jaded]

Thank you LUVNM.

Would you mind telling me what part of San Antonio your parents live in? What areas are good and somewhat progressive?

I'd like to relocate before 2008 and hope to purchase a home there.

[Sampaguita]

My husband and I are also planning on moving from San Diego to San Antonio. I was in San Antonio last week and it solidified in my mind that this move is going to be good for us & our future.

Good luck to you!

[irwin]

Originally Posted by Jaded

Thank you LUVNM.

Would you mind telling me what part of San Antonio your parents live in? What areas are good and somewhat progressive?

I'd like to relocate before 2008 and hope to purchase a home there.

San Antonio is not a progressive town and is much more conservative than San Diego. If you want a more liberal town, try Austin. Although Austin is not as liberal as so many in Texas claim it is.

Anyway, San Antonio is a unique town (I grew up there), but I would visit there first before you make a move. Make sure to visit places outside of the Riverwalk area, because unfortunately no one lives down there. If you are looking for an urban atmosphere, you are not going to really get much of it in SA, at least as compared to the Bay Area. If you want an older neighborhood with a little history and character, I would try the King William area or Alamo Heights. Both are closer to downtown and have cultural areas. Outside of that you are going to run into suburb city, complete with strip malls, fast food/chain restaurants, and miles of highways

[210]

San Antonio isn't that conservative if at all.

Maybe San Antonio historically but not now.

Heck, our current Mayor Phil Hardberger, who is probably one of the most popular in SA history atleast tied with Henry Cisneros, is a Democratic and is anything but "conservative.

[210]

Originally Posted by irwin

Make sure to visit places outside of the Riverwalk area, because unfortunately no one lives down there.

Not true at all.

If you are looking for an urban atmosphere, you are not going to really get much of it in SA, at least as compared to the Bay Area.

Compared to the Bay Area, true. But San Antonio isn't lacking in being urban in its downtown.

If you want an older neighborhood with a little history and character, I would try the King William area or Alamo Heights.

Monte Vista, Olmos Park, Terell Hills, SoFlo, Uptown Broadway.

Outside of that you are going to run into suburb city, complete with strip malls, fast food/chain restaurants, and miles of highways

Pretty much what you'd find in most other metropolitain areas.

However, most can't give you the beautiful scenery SA can.

[irwin]

Originally Posted by 210

San Antonio isn't that conservative if at all.

Maybe San Antonio historically but not now.

Heck, our current Mayor Phil Hardberger, who is probably one of the most popular in SA history atleast tied with Henry Cisneros, is a Democratic and is anything but "conservative.

A Democratic in Texas would probably be a Republican almost anywhere else, at least outside the South. Just like a Republican in Massachusetts would be labeled a “liberal” if he came down to Texas.

Politics in Texas is so far to the right this affects the relative progressiveness and conservativeness of places around the state. So, certainly someone coming from California will have a different frame of reference when judging whether a place is “progressive.”

[irwin]

210-

Very few people live downtown in San Antonio…very few. I was just there a week ago and know numerous people that live there and even compared to the rest of the state (which has sparse downtown options), San Antonio lacks urban living.

For San Antonio’s size, its urban downtown area is small. What, San Antonio is the 6th biggest city in the country now? Places like Hartford, CT and Charlotte, NC have bigger downtowns. Look where the new companies are opening up. They are not moving downtown but building office complexes in the burbs. WAMU is a perfect example.

And as far as suburb sprawl, San Antonio has most places beat (maybe apart from LA, Houston, or Phoenix).

[210]

Originally Posted by irwin

A Democratic in Texas would probably be a Republican almost anywhere else, at least outside the South. Just like a Republican in Massachusetts would be labeled a “liberal” if he came down to Texas.

Politics in Texas is so far to the right this affects the relative progressiveness and conservativeness of places around the state. So, certainly someone coming from California will have a different frame of reference when judging whether a place is “progressive.”

And our current Mayor who is again, one of the most popular Mayors in the history of SA is extremely progressive.

This isn't 1990 San Antonio anymore.

And the only ones with that same mind frame of San Antonio are former San Antonians not living here anymore.