Where are the pedestrians in San Antonio? (Corpus Christi, Schertz: hotel, neighborhood)

[benjamin]

Exactly.
Google 'urban planning'.
Some cities put wide spaces between their strip malls and subdivisions.
Others don't have strip malls and subdivisions. They mix it up to get people out of their cars and on the street.

Sadly, this isn't the case in most of modern, profit driven SA. (Have you seen the freakin' destruction going on from 281/1604 all the way to Bulverde?
Rubble painted a funky fake looking green (grass seed?)?
Industrial trash and rebar just lieing in PILES by the side of the Highway?? Huge apt complexes like Anthills mucking up the scenery???
Not a single sidewalk or bike path!

It broke my heart when I drove through all that as I grew up out there when it was relatively 'wild'... like walking down memory lane and being mugged!

Plus, not sure if this is a cause or effect but we are told over and over that San Antonio is one of the most overweight and least healthy cities in America.

So perhaps people are too busy drinking cervesa, eating chile con carne, smoking mota, sitting around watching the Spurs to get out and walk to the store.
...five blistering miles away.
God knows I don't walk anywhere.

[zero]

Sadly S.A. isn't very walk or bike friendly.
There are places out there, but ironically they require you to usually drive there.
Some neighborhoods are more adapt for it than others.
But I am personally scared to bike ride in the city, people won't even make eye-contact with a person on a bike.
But every city is what you make out of it.

[hello13685]

Yeah, it's probably an urban planning thing. Phoenix is the same way. I think it's happening all over the country.

Re: "zero's" comment, I was a big cyclist when I lived in Santa Barbara, but swore never to get on a bike here in SA. It's been clear to me from the beginning that I would last but minutes biking on any street here, because the motorists, in my opinion, are not skilled at handling the complex tasks and perception that driving requires. I have no idea why. I know that sounds bad, but seeing all these cars in ditches and hearing about bicycle hit and runs on the news has scared me. In California, most folks are professional drivers by necessity, so you at least get a feeling that they are able to aim their cars past you. (Yes, I'm generalizing from my experience, no offense intended.)

[LivingLikeAGradStudent]

I always had a hard time riding my bike for long stretches when I lived in San Antonio. Alamo Heights is nice, but you have to leave its cocoon to have an extended ride. Streets downtown aren't made for biking or walking, although I did find some nice rides in the Hill Country.

[genandnic]

Maybe it's because Houston's streets are way TOO overcrowded with traffic that people choose to walk! Plus with the very hot and humid San Antonio weather who would want to "window shop"? But when the weather is nice You best believe there are many pedestrians out and about in SA. Including myself and my family. I see MANY people walking, cycling, heck there goes a jogger right now outside my window! Maybe you need to recheck the streets and take a better observation.

[hello13685]

Yeah, it's just a generalization, a curiosity. People wrote in saying that there are people walking around Alamo Heights, King William, etc. I know that the way these couple of neighborhoods are set up that one (myself included) automatically assumed that there would be people window shopping or strolling along Broadway, for example, but next time you drive by, look and notice that there is no one to be seen (who is not walking from their car into Rosario's or whatever.)

[irwin]

Walking is exercise in San Antonio, not a way to get from point A to point B. The main reason is that the vast majority of people live in suburban-style developments without any commercial space nearby. So, to get anywhere, you have to drive. Another reason is that almost all the commercial developments are strip malls, making walking between shops difficult. It is a big downside of life in San Antonio.

[cm729]

We were in San Antonio, considering a move there and several people (born and raised Texans btw) said they were shocked that we'd been walking around, esp outside the tourist areas. They all said it was really risky, even just walking a few blocks from a rental to a nearby mall. We're from the northeast where everyone is out and about and have always lived in places like that so it was a surprise for us to hear that, esp with the great walking weather in San Antonio.

I do think part of it is what another poster wrote..that stores/residences are not usually intermixed so walking is more exercise there than gettting from A to B. And gated communities are very popular in Texas, there seems to be a perception that its fairly dangerous if you don't live in one.

We didn't run into any problems ourselves but walking from a huge mall to our hotel someone driving by actually pulled over during rush hour and asked if we were ok...I think he thought our car had broken down (he was in a suit and seemed more concerned than a criminal type) It was odd though, to have walking seen as a strange thing to do - there were quite a few hotels and I'd think some guests would consider a 5 block stroll to a mall.

We loved San Antonio but we like a more pedestrial friendly place.

[OzzyRules]

I love San Antonio. It's my hometown. But I agree it's not very walk-friendly. Even in neighborhoods with sidewalks you don't see people walking. If people get in the mood to go walking they will drive to a park or to the Riverwalk. Older people like indoor malls.

I used to watch TV and movies and see people say things like, "I'm going for a walk." I just never saw much of that in real life.

Austin is VERY much a walking town in comparison.

[210]

All Texas cities have been built with a "suburban sprawl" first mindset. It's one of the major downsides of the state for people who enjoy walking.

It hasn't been until the last few years that Texas in general has jumped on the ped friendly developments and SA has and continues to see its fair share.