San Antonio seems like a great fit! I do have a few questions though.. (Houston: apartments, city hall)

[HeadedSouthwards]

Hey everyone, I'm a recent STEM grad from the Northeast who has always wanted to move to Texas. I have always appreciated the more southern, conservative, and traditional values that people associate with the Lone Star State and figure now is the time to make the move while I am still young.

It seems the other big cities in Texas (DFW, Houston, and Austin) have become very cosmopolitan, international and world class cities. This is great for them because their economies are booming, however the inevitable result of the massive growth in those areas is that the traditional Texas culture becomes diluted, the same way the Deep South culture of Georgia has all but vanished from Atlanta.

San Antonio seems to have the right amount of growth where it is still very healthy economically, whilst not losing the small town, Southern/Southwestern feel that is so characteristic of Texas (correct me if I'm wrong!)

I have looked online at apartments in areas like Alamo Heights and the price is right and it looks really nice!

Here is my biggest concern: I'm an Anglo, white American. I don't speak a word of Spanish (besides hola como estas) and I most likely won't learn it. I understand that San Antonio proper is primarily Hispanic and that is not a problem for me at all, however I am wondering two things:


Firstly, will being a monolingual English speaking white person be a hindrance to me, both socially and professionally? Do non-Latino people face any kind of discrimination/predjudice?

Secondly, it is my understanding that although most of the city's residents are Hispanic, they are mostly native born Americans going back several generations, is this right? If so, is the culture of the area more "American/Tex-Mex" as in English is widely spoken and if someone was dropped off there with no idea where they were they would be able to discern they were in the United States? Or is the general vibe of the area more like living in a city in Mexico, where the only way you know you haven't crossed the border is the language on the road signs and the flag flying at city hall?

I ask the second question because although I do appreciate Latino culture, I have been to Mexico several times (Mazatlan, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Oaxaca) and if the feeling of the city is mostly identical to being actually in Mexico, I do not know if I would feel comfortable.


Thanks for taking the time to read my questions, I'm sorry if any of them are redundant and I truly apologize if I came off as offensive because that is the farthest from my intentions, I'm just trying to make an educated decision for my future!

[Pancho-Villa]

Did you perform a search here? These things has been discussed ad nauseum and usually results in the thread being closed as there are posters on both sides of the fence regarding your second concern (most say you'll be fine). That being said, San Antonio is striving to become a world class city as well, it just hasn't happened yet. Actively upgrading the airport, seeking an NFL team, gentrification of certain areas etc.
What field are you in? Definitely secure a job before you come and I would advise to rent here for a while, before you decide to purchase a home. Like I said, we are very sprawled out and you'll probably want to live fairly close to where you'll be working, as our traffic is getting worse while growth takes place. Good luck.

[HeadedSouthwards]

Originally Posted by Pancho-Villa

Did you perform a search here? These things has been discussed ad nauseum and usually results in the thread being closed as there are posters on both sides of the fence regarding your second concern (most say you'll be fine). That being said, San Antonio is striving to become a world class city as well, it just hasn't happened yet. Actively upgrading the airport, seeking an NFL team, gentrification of certain areas etc.
What field are you in? Definitely secure a job before you come and I would advise to rent here for a while, before you decide to purchase a home. Like I said, we are very sprawled out and you'll probably want to live fairly close to where you'll be working, as our traffic is getting worse while growth takes place. Good luck.

Recent grad in Civil Engineering from Boston University..however I have familial financial support as a cushion until I find something. It's easier to find a job when you're in the area already.

I'm 22, so I don't plan on buying anytime soon, renting for now.

[Penquin927]

I have lived here for almost 11 years now. I grew up in Maryland and do not know spanish except for the few words everyone knows. This has not been a problem at all living here. I actually fell in love with SA which is why my husband and I stayed once her retired from the military. Most people will tell you to live close to work but I am also a fan of saying live close to where you like to go out so your don't have far to get home. A great place for young people to live and play is in the pearl area. Have a friend that lives at the Can Plant and he loves it. Lots of restaurants/bars just outside his door.

Since moving here I have made great friends of all races. I think depending on where you live there could be larger populations of white, black, hispanic, etc. But hey meet those long time residences of the areas and they will point you in the direction of the best places to eat that have been around forever.

[Pancho-Villa]

I grew up in thee Northeast as well. Another concern you might have coming from the Northeast could be the heat. June, July and August are very hot...May and September will probably seem very hot to you as well. Some people can't make the adjustment, as it get's extremely hot for long periods of time here, with some humidity. Water is also an issue, more so over the past 3-4 years as we have seen water levels at some area lakes drop significantly..even close to drying up completely. With the population explosion here, it's one of my worries.
To expand, there are some billboards and published adverts in Spanish, even parts of commercials..but you don't need to speak the language, although it could be helpful in some situations. I see plenty of Mexican flags flying as well.

[rynetwo]

^water WAS andissue but we now have the pipeline going into into North Central Texas and in five year we should be fine and might not even water restrictions.

[Pancho-Villa]

That will be wonderful (hope our SAWS invoices don't start to reflect that too much ). What about the lakes and natural water that was around? Praying for rain.

[Azure110]

Water still is an issue and will be for awhile. Take off the rose colored glasses.

[Rustybolt]

To the OP...welcome from a BU alum. Got my MBA there (albeit in 1987). Undergrad in civil engineering from UT Austin. You will do fine here not speaking Spanish. It is nice to pick up sometime, but this isn't Miami. Great place for civil engineers too. Market has its ups and downs, but where doesn't. Definitely on the upside now.

[rynetwo]

Originally Posted by Pancho-Villa

That will be wonderful (hope our SAWS invoices don't start to reflect that too much ). What about the lakes and natural water that was around? Praying for rain.

The SAWS bill will be the issue going forward.

The lakes issue is a little bit different. Canyon lake is just fine but the is because it was built on a large drainage area. Medina lake should not have built because the only way is receives water is if it rains in Bandera County.

Originally Posted by Azure110

Water still is an issue and will be for awhile. Take off the rose colored glasses.

No need for glasses I have contacts and the ability to read.

We have the Vista Ridge Pipe Line and Brackish water desalinization in southern Bexar County.