Question about King William's Walkability (San Antonio, New Braunfels: apartments, homes, neighborhoods)

[Ajuli]

Hello all,

My family has been considering a move to Florida but after being scared off by people saying there is no pedestrian life whatsoever and just being very negative about So.Florida overall, we started looking into San Antonio.
I have a few questions:

1-I want to be somewhere where there is a decent pedestrian life. Meaning, people walk year 'round to shops, cafes, grocery, pharmacy, you name it. I'm not expecting NYC but I need to be around some kind of pedestrian life.

2-How is King William? I see it's one of the most pedestrian oriented neighborhoods in SA. But I want to understand exactly what pedestrian oriented means in SA. Does it mean there is good walkability and you can see people walking in all hours of day/night? Or does it mean that even though it has walkability you barely see anyone walking?

3-Are there a lot of families in King William? We have a child, so being around other families is important.

4-Are there homes in King William or are there mainly apartments? We are looking to buy a home

5-Are there top private schools near by? great education is really important to my family.

6-Any other neighborhoods you might recommend?

7-Safety is #1 priority. I hear King William is very safe, is that correct?

8-How hard/easy is it to find healthy eateries around? We are into organic, healthy and vegan foods. We do enjoy mexican food too though.

I would really appreciate your help. I've been to SA a few times and fell in love with the people--very sweet and friendly.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by Ajuli

Hello all,

My family has been considering a move to Florida but after being scared off by people saying there is no pedestrian life whatsoever and just being very negative about So.Florida overall, we started looking into San Antonio.
I have a few questions:

1-I want to be somewhere where there is a decent pedestrian life. Meaning, people walk year 'round to shops, cafes, grocery, pharmacy, you name it. I'm not expecting NYC but I need to be around some kind of pedestrian life.

It's almost like a suburban neighborhood next to the urban center. It's mostly homes. Along the main strip there are many restaurants, cafes, galleries. Only a few stores, and no grocery or pharmacy (though HEB is building one, how practical that will be remains to be seenn....). But people do walk year round, and they walk downtown, but our "urban" center isn't currently made for "urban" living.

Originally Posted by Ajuli

2-How is King William? I see it's one of the most pedestrian oriented neighborhoods in SA. But I want to understand exactly what pedestrian oriented means in SA. Does it mean there is good walkability and you can see people walking in all hours of day/night? Or does it mean that even though it has walkability you barely see anyone walking?

People do walk all the time, but as above, there are limits to what is available. It's mostly old mansions in KW proper, more cottages/bungalows in "Baja King William."

Originally Posted by Ajuli

3-Are there a lot of families in King William? We have a child, so being around other families is important.

There are loads of families. King William is part of "Southtown," which includes the neighborhoods of Lavaca, SoFlo, and Lone Star. Living Proof: Southtown Lousy With Kids | The Rivard Report

There's a neighborhood group called KWAKs which organizes various events.

Originally Posted by Ajuli

4-Are there homes in King William or are there mainly apartments? We are looking to buy a home

Far more homes than apartments. As stated above, it's mostly old stately mansions, some smaller homes, and more recently, apartments.

Originally Posted by Ajuli

5-Are there top private schools near by? great education is really important to my family.

Most of the top private schools are centered around Monte Vista, which is just north of downtown (a 10-15 minute drive at most)

Providence, an all girls Catholic school and Central Catholic, all boys, are located downtown.

Originally Posted by Ajuli

6-Any other neighborhoods you might recommend?

All of Southtown. If you want a bit edgier, then Tobin Hill, Beacon Hill, Alta Vista. Higher end, Monte Vista, Alamo Heights. Both have sections with high walkability, though I rarely see people walking in Alamo Heights.

Originally Posted by Ajuli

7-Safety is #1 priority. I hear King William is very safe, is that correct?

Safe as anywhere. We walk all the time, with our kids, sometimes late at night. We take appropriate precautions. I've been here more than 10 years with no issues. However, lately the neighborhood has been a target for property theft.

Originally Posted by Ajuli

8-How hard/easy is it to find healthy eateries around? We are into organic, healthy and vegan foods. We do enjoy mexican food too though.

This area is probably the best for variety and interesting places to eat. Some healthy, some not so healthy. but a vegetarian (run by vegans) restaurant will be open very soon.

The link above has many stories about "where I live" describing many different neighborhoods.

[iliveinsa]

For "top private schools" you can find numerous posts on this board, but you will likely be considering Keystone (PK-12, coed), St. Mary's Hall (PK-12, coed), and San Antonio Academy (K-8 boys only)

There are also catholic schools, other private schools, and high-performing charter schools like BASIS and Great Hearts.

Of course, there are walkable areas in South Florida too, like Miami Beach, Coral Gables, and Coconut Grove, but to me they are much less family friendly than King William would be.

It sounds like King William would be a great fit for you.

[Ajuli]

Thank you guys!

[TXEX06]

I live in the area and it's very walkable. I see people running/walking their dog along the river and through King William at 5am before work and people walking to and from restaurants/bars at all hours of the day/night. You will see many tourists walking around looking at the homes also.

The closet pharmacy is the Walgreens and the about to open CVS downtown. That walk is about a mile or less away.

[gtoman67z]

I'm surprised nobody's chimed in with a link to //www.city-data.com/forum/san-a...nvestment.html the fact there is no grocery store of any size in KW/Southtown.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by TXEX06

The closet pharmacy is the Walgreens and the about to open CVS downtown. That walk is about a mile or less away.

Oh good point. I forgot about that one as usually when I need a pharmacy I feel like crud and I don't want to walk that far (It's a little more than a mile from Pereida/St Mary's area). FWIW, Family Dollar has a wide range of over the counter stuff, which I've always found useful. The groceries they sell are not the sort I buy, but for OTC meds, I usually hit them up.

Also, if you do the various walkability tests, it'll say there are groceries here. But what's offered at Family DOllar, Piknik, and Labor St Market (are there others?) is not really suitable for most people. It's more like chips, beer (though they have a decent selection of beer these days), canned beans and such.

[AliKatSA]

I love the downtown area and King William and yes it is very walkable! You might also try the area near Lincoln Heights Shopping Center or Quarry off of Broadway and Basse. There are a lot of shops and things near there and neighborhoods. The schools are good there as well. Another small pocket is the Oak Park HEB area (Nacogdoches/N. New Braunfels). This area is walkable as well and in the same school district.