Help me, please tell me the good and bad about San Antonio (Austin: houses, unemployment rate)

[Violett]

So my hubby might be offered a position in San Antonio. Currently, we're in the DC area. We know nothing of San Antonio and think Texas might be a nice change of pace from the east coast. We have a small child who's not yet school age.

We're thinking of coming down there to check it out and to visit before we make our final choice.

Do any of you have any advice or tips for newcomers? Is there anything we must absolutely check out while we're in San Antonio that could make or break our decision? And sorry for this next (probably stupid) question...is Texas anything like that show King of the Hill, or was that show a satirical take on Texas?

[Penquin927]

I am originally from Maryland and have been in San Antonio ten years now and love it. Do not miss the bitter damp colds in the MD/DC area.

San Antonio has a lot to offer. Yes you have the downtown riverwalk area but there is also the hill country area which has some parks where you can hit the river or go hiking. There are plenty of wineries that are fun to visit as well. Texas music is always available. Spending an afternoon in Gruene at Gruene Hall or being close to Austin is also nice.

I live on the far North Side which I love. Yes the traffic can be bad at times during rush hour but does not compare to commuting on the beltway. I love the area I live because we have a lot of great restaurants in the area and shopping. Really no reason to leave the area except when I go to work.

I am not sure what area the poster above is talking about when stating the "dirty" north side. I really don't think they would be talking about where I live since it definitely isn't dirty where I live and everything is not ruined.

Definitely come visit the area. Oh and the cost of living here is affordable. You money will definitely go a long way.

[Pancho-Villa]

For every nay-sayer there will be an apologist on a forum like this. There have been many threads regarding pros and cons of living in San Antonio...you should do a search and keep an open mind. Not everything will be true on both sides. Definitely do come and visit if you have the means. That will be key.
Me personally, I could take it or leave it, after 7 years here. I've lived in nicer places and worse places. Lived on both coasts and in the midwest.
Sorry, I don't know anything about King of the Hill.

[huckster]

San Antonio is not like the television cartoon show- that obviously is a parody being a cartoon and all-
how could the Simpsons be viewed as representative of a real family? Television cartoons is hardly a place to form an opinion from.
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San Antonio is not a perfect place by any means , like any very big town it will have its' problems and nothing is perfect anyway in this world. It is an outstanding place to live however , climate is salubrious, minimal environmental pollution, no ghettos as in "up north" type Ghettos. The sun almost always shines and the unemployment rate is among the lowest in the country. There are less prosperous areas for people that do not earn a lot, but nothing like the very rough areas of Chicago or Detroit or New York. I remember when the D.C. mayor Marion Barry went to prison, that is corruption at the very top, now the disgraced mayor of Detroit is serving 28 years. None of that here. IN fact our mayor,Julian Castro just left to become the HUD Secretary for Obama in D.C. His twin brother is the Cong. Representative.

However be prepared for HOT weather. This time of year is not bad, but midsummer heat can be quite harsh but on the positive side of the ledger - toss out the snow shovel; do not bring it with you because you may only need it once every thirty years. Maybe.
Yes, If I were you- completely dismiss the first post. The second one is accurate. You will love it here. I am certain. Be prepared for some culture shock because it is defferent here from the North. Life is far more
diverse in culture and has far more of a flair with the blend and depth of cultures that exists here. Not
bland by any means. Colorful.

When I relocated many years ago to the north fro here, it was so different. People talked with that drawn out nasally way of pronouncing the last syllable of some words, of some words.
No rudeness intended here just noting the differences. BBQ and Tex-Mex Restaraunts. abound here. Lots of history, it is different, but there is a lot to do, it is just interesting. I could elaborate far more but you need to visit to experience this "way of life" as it exists, here.
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Bienvenidos. (Welcome).

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by huckster

San Antonio is not like the television cartoon show- that obviously is a parody being a cartoon and all-

There will be some people and areas that are sort of like King of the Hill, big hair, football, beer, family, etc. But it is few and far between. Those are primarily in the rural areas and small towns of Texas. San Antonio is more of a liberal spot with conservatives dotting the map here and there (north sides and Alamo Heights). Do look at the relocation sticky and search the pros and cons. Like someone else said, there are lots and lots of threads like this already.

[robinita]

LOL about the King of the Hill question. What's wrong with that? Hank Hill is a good guy!

I currently live in the Boston area but will be moving to SA in a couple of weeks to be closer to family. I used to work in Round Rock (north of Austin) and my coworkers were all characters straight out of King of the Hill. I love people who act like cartoons so I didn't mind, but in general people are not like that in the bigger cities.

I don't know anything you must see that will make or break your decision. I was going to say make sure you visit in the summer so you can experience the heat, but since you live in DC you are already familiar with heat and humidity.

[WVREDLEG]

San Antonio has numerous positive aspects that far outweigh negative perceptions. There are great communities throughout the area and the newcomer thread has tons of great information.

South Central Texas is definitely a change from DC. The topography, climate, and culture are different. You will not need a snow shovel or tire chains, but keep your ice scraper--we do see some winter, but you will laugh at what we call winter--and that is good. The summers here are scorching hot, but less suffocating at 98F compared to a DC 90F with the high humidity. We have humidity, but nothing like DC and NOVA.

Some of our roads get congested, but NOTHING like the parking lot at the mixing bowl or the 10-15 MPH creep down 95 toward Richmond that I know too well as a former regular commuter between RVA and BWI area. San Antonio has public bus transportation, but nothing comparable to the Metro/Commuter train network around DC.

San Antonio has a very affordable cost of housing compared to DC. Depending on how you choose to live, the savings could be staggering.

Things to see on a visit to help develop your sense of the area? I would start at where your spouse is potentially working and go outward from there. San Antonio offers plenty of options where you can be close to work, in a great school district, and close to what is important to you. City parks, state parks, Hill Country, Pearl Brewery and Broadway, River Walk, Mission Trail, museums, shopping, great zoo, Sea World, Six Flags-Fiesta Texas, Spurs, Rodeo---too many things to list.

[EntropyGuardian]

Negative: San Antonio has a lot of trashy folks. There are gross, run down areas near downtown. There is an unending torrent of Spurs coverage, tshirts, stickers, everywhere you look. **** public transit system. Constant construction but never any finished projects. Parking downtown costs $$ and is never worth it. Drunk drivers drive the opposite way down the freeway constantly.

Positive: 3 alamo drafthouses. The hipsters are contained to one area of town. Fiesta is fun. We are close to the coast. Food is good. Drinks are good. Tourists stay downtown and out of the way for the most part. Weather is generally good, if not hot. Six Flags is fun.

[steve807]

I could have retired anywhere.

Came here from 13 years in Atlanta and before that a couple other places in Texas and some time in Baltimore, San Diego, and Seattle (and Tucson, Nashville, Calgary... .

Happy to be here after visiting often over a period of 55 years. I've been to most all US and many European urban areas. 2nd runner up for me were the smaller towns north of Nashville, but it was really not close since Texas is superior in any comparison.

And like several posters have said, do you own research, what you read on this forum can be very wrong.

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by Violett

So my hubby might be offered a position in San Antonio. Currently, we're in the DC area. We know nothing of San Antonio and think Texas might be a nice change of pace from the east coast. We have a small child who's not yet school age.

We're thinking of coming down there to check it out and to visit before we make our final choice.

Do any of you have any advice or tips for newcomers? Is there anything we must absolutely check out while we're in San Antonio that could make or break our decision? And sorry for this next (probably stupid) question...is Texas anything like that show King of the Hill, or was that show a satirical take on Texas?

If you pick the right area of San Antonio to live in, you might even get free school lunches for your child (when he/she enters school age) regardless of your houseold income. All paid for by the taxpayer.