Culture shock coming from Northern Virginia/DC? (San Antonio, Austin: insurance, construction)

[Baileys210]

I think you will be pleasantly surprised how much SA has changed. It has a vibrant economy, strengthened by military medical expansion and growth in biomedical industry. I'm not a transplant, but I am very well traveled. You will love it here. Your most important decision will probably be where to live. sA has great downtown options, and King William (south of downtown), Monte Vista and Alamo Heights/Olmos Park/Terrell Hills areas might suit your urban likings. Another important factor is school district. AHISD and NEISD are the best public school options,but you can always choose private schools for your child. Hope this helps.

[cinnamon_toast]

Move to Fredericksburg, we could use more of your ilk! Keep an open mind, you'll be just fine. There are mean, small-minded people everywhere, including here. Just stay away from them!

I think moving to the SA area has been wonderful for our family in terms of stretching ourselves and meeting different types of people, we have learned so much. My 6 year old son said the first day of school that he didn't like anyone in his class because they all had brown, chubby arms. I was horrified!!! (We came from a school district in MN that was 99.9% white.) Well, now he spends every moment of recess on the soccer field with his best friends Manuel, Alfonso, Jorge... You get the idea. I am very proud of them for expanding their horizons and because of that, I think this move has been a good experience for us.

I would not worry about the church thing. Our pat answer as atheists has just been "we're not church people" and no one raises an eyebrow. Be prepared for lots of crosses and requests for prayer in everyday life, though. I even see it a bit in the schools, not to the point that I feel compelled to speak out, though. I also see several of the more progressive teachers trying hard to counteract it. I took note that my daughter's teacher was very careful not to wish us a Merry Christmas until I said it first.

[scuba steve]

Originally Posted by gottamovesomewhere

Here are a few of my concerns: like I said, we're bi-racial and husband is of "terrorist" (Fox News word, not mine) decent. We don't attend church. We are extremely socially liberal and usually vote democrat. We don't hunt. We have a lot of professional degrees. Tell me that these attributes won't destroy our hope of a social network in SA. From following Facebook, it appears that all of the kids I went to high school with are the exact opposite of all of those things.

If you find a way to keep the chip of your shoulder after the move you'll be fine. However from the Fox News / terrorist remark that doesn't appear to be the case.

FWIW in this city Arab / multiple professional degrees is not a hinderance in any way, shape or form and that's coming from very personal experience with the matter. Social liberal / voting doesn't matter with the caveat that this seems very much to be a sort of "keep your f'ing politics to yourself" type city where you go think your own thing and do everyone a favor by keeping it to yourself. Hunting and churchgoing - means absolutely nothing here.

However if you're looking for an area where not hunting, not attending church, and being extremely socially liberal / voting democrat makes all the difference in the world and are huge plusses I can point you in the direction of several west coast cities and neighborhoods I've lived in and travelled to frequently.

[Merovee]

Originally Posted by scuba steve

However from the Fox News / terrorist remark that doesn't appear to be the case.

Going to disagree. Click below to see why.

//www.city-data.com/forum/san-a...er-2010-a.html

Fortunately some of the backward FOX watching folk are not the majority in San Antonio though they will make their opinion known with the anonymity of the internet, maybe not so much in person face-to-face.

[gottamovesomewhere]

Wow. Thanks for posting that link, Merovee. BTW, how was the Eid Festival? Was it well attended? I bet the food was fantastic. That's one of the things I will miss most about DC is the ability to eat delish ethnic foods from all over the world.

[perticusrex]

Originally Posted by Merovee

fcf is simply classier, that is not him.

Yep, definitely clASSier

[scuba steve]

Originally Posted by Merovee

Fortunately some of the backward FOX watching folk are not the majority in San Antonio though they will make their opinion known with the anonymity of the internet, maybe not so much in person face-to-face.

You're discounting several years of personal experience on a subject because of a thread on a thread on teh internets? One of these things is more real than the other...

And drop the Fox hate - it's been played out for a long time now.

[Mom2Feebs]

Originally Posted by scuba steve

If you find a way to keep the chip of your shoulder after the move you'll be fine. However from the Fox News / terrorist remark that doesn't appear to be the case.

FWIW in this city Arab / multiple professional degrees is not a hinderance in any way, shape or form and that's coming from very personal experience with the matter. Social liberal / voting doesn't matter with the caveat that this seems very much to be a sort of "keep your f'ing politics to yourself" type city where you go think your own thing and do everyone a favor by keeping it to yourself. Hunting and churchgoing - means absolutely nothing here.

However if you're looking for an area where not hunting, not attending church, and being extremely socially liberal / voting democrat makes all the difference in the world and are huge plusses I can point you in the direction of several west coast cities and neighborhoods I've lived in and travelled to frequently.

Excellently stated. I didn't even notice the "terrorist" comment. Good point overall.

[LovingSAT]

Originally Posted by ToneCityTrill

You will be in for a major culture shock.

San Antonio is more like Mexico than the United States of America.

There are so many unwritten codes of the land so to speak that you will need to learn in order to enjoy it here.

Love the post.

With that said I am certain we are uneducated as well.

[LovingSAT]

Originally Posted by gottamovesomewhere

OP here - I'm definitely not the Tone person. I left SA in 1997 to go to college on the East Coast and I never returned. No ill will here.

And to all of those posters who are focusing on the "poor" parts of San Antonio, I'm not as concerned with this description. As some PPs correctly noted, every major metropolitan area has areas of high poverty and high crime. I don't live in one of those areas of DC (and there are many) and I won't live in one of those areas in SA. There are plenty nice areas of SA, too.

Here are a few of my concerns: like I said, we're bi-racial and husband is of "terrorist" (Fox News word, not mine) decent. We don't attend church. We are extremely socially liberal and usually vote democrat. We don't hunt. We have a lot of professional degrees. Tell me that these attributes won't destroy our hope of a social network in SA. From following Facebook, it appears that all of the kids I went to high school with are the exact opposite of all of those things.

The kids you went to high school with? There is a whole world out there besides just the ones you went to high school with. I do not care if you attend church, have a lot of professional degrees, how you vote, whether or not you are bi racial or of "terrorist" decent (honestly did we both say that?). I do care how you come across, are you good people? Do you help your neighbor, do you like to have a good time... that is what concerns me.

I wish you the best but I think you are overthinking this or maybe putting yourself too high on the totem pole. Sit back, relax, come visit and my guess is you will want to stay!

San Antonio is a great place to visit and an even better place to live!