Alright San Antonians, I need some answers!!

[majormadmax]

After spending two weeks in Florida, I now know again why I live in San Antonio!

Complain about the heat all you want, but compared to the swamp-like humidity of Tampa and Miami, at least it's a somewhat dry heat! Honestly, temps in the upper 80s feel worse than triple digits in southcentral Texas!

And dear God, after driving in Miami for a week I will never complain about SA driver's again!

But, to answer your questions...

1. Weather - Well, summer runs about 8-9 months here, so be prepared for long bouts of hot, windy weather. If you like that kinda of weather, then you'll love SA! (I do!)

2. Downtown - SA's downtown is geared towards tourism, so it's not very cosmopolitan or riddled with skyscrapers. And while we do love downtown, I have to admit it could be cleaner. Maybe it's all the tourists, but recently I've really noticed the amount of litter. It's not bad, but I've seen cleaner places.

3. Surrounding areas - Yes, SA is sprawling all over the place! About the only barrier is the Hill Country, and even it is being over-developed. We already have an unaddressed water issue here, and the growth is only going to make things worse and soon it will be to a point where we may end up a true desert.

4. (Most importantly) Dining! - Food? It's big in SA, which is why SA'ers are so big as well! There is a lot of restaurants with a lot of variety, not all are good but you do have a large selection.

5. Recreation - Well, there is a lot to do but keep in mind that something like 98% of Texas land is privately owned so if you have visions of hiking, mountain biking or offroading you will be disappointed. But there are some nice state parks and lakes nearby, and rarely is there nothing to do. It's more a matter of how much you want to do it!

6. terrain - The Hill Country begins to the west to north sides of SA, and to the south it is lower rolling hills. The Hill Country is nice with lots of towns and other attractions, and honestly the land to the south of SA is very beautiful but there really isn't as much development in that direction (but that's changing). South of 1604 is some gorgeous rolling hills but the majority of people go either towards the Hill Country or up IH-35 towards Austin.

Lastly, being you are a single dude you might be a bit bored with the nightlife here; it's geared toward older, married folks like myself. You'll probably gravitate more towards Austin on the weekends, with UT and 6th Street it's a great place to party until sunrise. Just find yourself a place to crash, and make sure you don't drive drunk and you'll have a great time!

Welcome to SA!

Cheers! M2

[Kerowyn]

San Antonio is a party town to some extent. drop a hat and someone someplace will have a party. We have Fiesta's and Rodeo's, Walks Runs and a big Bike charity event to the coast. We are close enough to the Coast for weekend trips, Close enough to Austin far enough away from Houston. (ok Houston is cool...just not their traffic). The First Friday of every month is the Art district block party. So that alone gives you a party a month which is hardly the same event each time.

For a 25 year old... there is plenty to do. I know several folks in that age category and they are always doing something someplace in and around SA.

San Antonio is a large city so it takes some driving to get from one place to another... but no matter where you live there are things close by to entertain you.

San Antonio Texas official vacation and visitor information. San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau. :: VisitSanAntonio.com

[DexterCat]

Originally Posted by jimboknows

So, i have not dug through the archives yet; I attribute that to laziness. I am looking at a pretty nice job opportunity in San Antonio and need some very general advice. I figure i could do the research on it, but why not just go straight to the source. Thanks in advance for all the help and looking forward to hopefully calling myself a san antonian one day as well.

1. Weather - I know its hot in the summer, what about fall and winter?

fall and winter CAN get cold. this past winter was pretty nippy for texas. froze a few times, had to leave water dripping so pipes wouldnt freeze.

2. Downtown - How is downtown? clean? lots of things to do?

lots to do downtown. what are you looking for specifically?

3. Surrounding areas - A lot of suburbs? clean?

define surrounding areas. stay out of the south/east/west sides of town, as they are run-down and home to vagrants and troublemakers and people with a cultural resistance to driving drunk.

4. (Most importantly) Dining! - How is the dining experience in SA? Alot of restaurants?

LOTS of yummy foods here. unfortunately, there is a TON of crappy 'mexican' food here also.

5. Recreation - What kind of things to do on weekends? Outdoor activities?

6. terrain - Is it flat, rolling hills, etc...


Thank you so much everybody!!

Jim

5 - this is a family-oriented city. PLENTY to do here, just depends on what your preferences are.

6 - its hilly in most areas unless you head out far west on i10 into the hill country.

[Buffyfan]

I enjoyed going out here when I was single, plenty of things for a 20 something. And when you tire of our night scene, just take the quick drive up to Austin!

I love our downtown. It's clean and just a neat place to walk around, grab a bite, especially around Christmas when the lights are lit. I think it's beautiful during the holidays, actually.

Our city is growing. Older parts of the city near downtown are being revitalized.

Welcome to SA!