San antonio , is it for me ? (Howe: apartments, crime, job market)

[Egyptian2009]

Hi I heard alot how great is SA , but need to know if it will fit my bill , we are 2 persons with infant 1- can live in the range of $ 2000 / month for (rent+food+utilities+trans) , we aim 2br in a safe area 2- we like cities that have urban feeling and that are walkable specially at night 3- service / casual jobs are hard to findplease advise

[ShaneSA]

San Antonio would fit the bill for you.

[ItsTheTruth]

You can live here for the price, but not if you want an urban feel or walkable.

[drankthetea]

More apartments are being built downtown, so you may have some options there. The prices are considerably higher than in the rest of the city, but it is walkable, near transportation, and has a decent feel. However, there are panhandlers and a fair amount of street and siren noise, but that's typical to any urban area.

[Pancho-Villa]

Not very clean and no grocery store either...although "downtowners" are hoping for one...they've been hoping for years. Eventually they'll get one, but a lot of them will probably be dead and buried by then.

[todd00]

Egyptian2009, what city are you living in now? What kind of work have you been doing? I noticed you mentioned having done some purchasing in the past. Will you have a car or be relying on public transportation?

I've noticed that you have asked similar questions in other forums, which of course is fine, it just tells me you really feel confused as to where to make a new start. No matter how helpful people are on CD, the bottom line is how a city feels to you and your family. As you are Muslim, I would be looking at cities with a larger Muslim population, and cities that are generally pretty liberal and accepting of others. These days, I would not want to be moving anywhere without a job lined up. So the job market in your particular area may to some extent dictate your choices. If I were you I would make a list of must haves and see how each city matches what you are looking for. A place with a higher unemployment rate maybe harder for you to secure a good job opportunity. You can sometimes find lower cost housing outside the metro area, you will not have the urban feeling, but its usually safer and a reasonable commute to the city.

With regard to your wanting a safe, walkable urban feeling location, you may have to settle for a safe walkable neighborhood, and visits to the city centers. I think you will have to be prepared for some give and take, where ever you end up. You are smart to take some time and do research before making a move, but I would be concentrating on what job opportunities are available in each area you have mentioned in past posts. Have you looked online at Monster.com or other like websites? San Antonio is a nice city, I would continue to check out jobs, research possible areas to live and ask questions. Spotcrime, is a good site to see where the crime is happening in the city. If I can help in anyway, let me know. Good Luck.