What's San Marcos like? (Austin, Lockhart: rent, low crime, home)

[neal93]

Just wondering what the small town of San Marcos is like? Is it in what's considered Hill Country?

[love roses]

Yes, it's in the hill country.

[ognend]

Originally Posted by neal93

Just wondering what the small town of San Marcos is like? Is it in what's considered Hill Country?

I live in Wimberley which is close to it and are often in San Marcos. It is a very nice place, low crime, it is a college town (TSU). A few nice restaurants, a few funky coffee shops, it is actually quite nice. What in particular are you looking for?

OD

[buffettjr]

I view it as a miserable place full of elderly, ultra-conservative poor people who hate anyone different from themselves.. The average income in SM is something near $17,000 per year if I remember correctly, and they constantly battle anything having to do with youth or change. They resent the university being there, and they resent the money people try to spend there.

The last time I was in San Marcos, I had my car towed (stolen?) for parking at a shopping center, then walking into that shopping center and buying things. I made the mistake however of using the door 10 feet around the corner, and for that, the thief who was sitting their watching me for the chance to steal from me decided that I was "parking without shopping at the center" and stole my car. I was out $200 plus damages to my car. I haven't been back to the town since. It is a culture-less, miserable hell hole, and is nothing like the hill country. The hill country is full of natural beauty and charming culture -- San Marcos has none of these things. It is a place for people to have cheap rent when they can't afford Austin, and nothing more.

Whew, I feel better.

[Aquitaine]

Estimated median household income in 2009: $26,357 (//www.city-data.com/city/San-Marcos-Texas.html)

You're accusing the old, conservative, poor people of not tolerating others? Interesting way of expressing it

[buffettjr]

Yes I am. That was my experience from the five years I put into the town. Only my opinion of course, and I'm open to differing points of view, but I had no reason to hate San Marcos going into it, but sure want nothing to do with it on my way out.

[janejanejanejanejane]

I went to school there, liked it for that purpose, but would never live there.

[ognend]

Originally Posted by buffettjr

I view it as a miserable place full of elderly, ultra-conservative poor people who hate anyone different from themselves.. The average income in SM is something near $17,000 per year if I remember correctly, and they constantly battle anything having to do with youth or change. They resent the university being there, and they resent the money people try to spend there.

The last time I was in San Marcos, I had my car towed (stolen?) for parking at a shopping center, then walking into that shopping center and buying things. I made the mistake however of using the door 10 feet around the corner, and for that, the thief who was sitting their watching me for the chance to steal from me decided that I was "parking without shopping at the center" and stole my car. I was out $200 plus damages to my car. I haven't been back to the town since. It is a culture-less, miserable hell hole, and is nothing like the hill country. The hill country is full of natural beauty and charming culture -- San Marcos has none of these things. It is a place for people to have cheap rent when they can't afford Austin, and nothing more.

Whew, I feel better.

I don't own the town, my Granddiddy didn't build it so I have no particular motive to try and explain your feelings and experience. With that said, I find the town to be very nice, as I said. It has the outlet Mall for the shopping inclined and all the standard bpx stores like Lowe's and Walmart etc. It also has the "old town" feel for those who like independent small coffee shops and businesses. The crime rate is way below US average and the presence of the University makes the place more liberal than your everyday small TX town. It is also close to Lockhart, Wimberley, and at the edge of the Hill country for day trips. The river runs through it, you can see people tubing down on weekends.

It's not like places like Boerne or Fredericksburg or Bandera have anything to offer - what makes them so special? Each has one street with a disappointing selection of tourist trap restaurants. I feel much more at home in San Marcos than I did in Boerne (the place just looked and felt posh) or Bandera ("cowboy capital of the world" my a** - one street that looked pretty run down)

OD
My $.02

[buffettjr]

As you can see, I really hate getting my car towed.

[Ole Texan]

Hmmm, park incorrectly, get towed, seems easy enough to fix...