Best area in SA for early 20s? (San Antonio, Alamo: sales, apartments)

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by yadigggski

Said this for a long time but if some deep pocketed developer built a nightlife district like Old Town Scottsdale, Rock Rose at the Domain or Legacy West in Plano... it would do extremely well. SA is missing that centralized nightlife district (besides St Marys but thats a completely different demo) and I know for a fact my age group is hungry for something like that.

Rock Rose is like a bar district in La Cantera. I wouldn’t put it any category like the Saint Mary’s area. I would compare Saint Mary’s to the Manor road/Cherrywood area minus the fact that they don’t have a music venue. (Unless you count The Vortex). This might be why you’re struggling. You’ve got a very different opinion of what cool and hip is. (Not that Rock Rose isn’t fun, cool, hip, etc, but that might be why, after living in Austin for almost six years, I’ve never been to Rock Rose, it reminds me if la cantera).

[rynetwo]

Originally Posted by Marty Janetty

Basically what you're saying is that all/most of the wealth/higher incomes are concentrated in one area and San Antonio only looks so poor on paper because the rest of the city is low-income?

Would you say it's about a 75/25 split? Do you see it changing in the future?

I think it is 25% higher income, 35% national average, and 40% lower income based on zip code data. A lot of metros have that 25 and 40 percent flipped.

It is not poorer on paper I’m just saying there are plenty with normal or high incomes here. The key is that 40% really depletes purchase power limiting opportunities. Then again, with the age of the Internet I don’t know how important shopping is to people anymore.

[yadigggski]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

Rock Rose is like a bar district in La Cantera. I wouldn’t put it any category like the Saint Mary’s area. I would compare Saint Mary’s to the Manor road/Cherrywood area minus the fact that they don’t have a music venue. (Unless you count The Vortex). This might be why you’re struggling. You’ve got a very different opinion of what cool and hip is. (Not that Rock Rose isn’t fun, cool, hip, etc, but that might be why, after living in Austin for almost six years, I’ve never been to Rock Rose, it reminds me if la cantera).

I guess I'm just more partial to the Rainey/West 6th/Rock Rose/Uptown Dallas kind of nightlife scenes. Been to the Strip a bunch and it's not my thing. I guess I wouldn't call those places "hip" but maybe more upscale/bougie? lol

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by yadigggski

I guess I'm just more partial to the Rainey/West 6th/Rock Rose/Uptown Dallas kind of nightlife scenes. Been to the Strip a bunch and it's not my thing. I guess I wouldn't call those places "hip" but maybe more upscale/bougie? lol

Right. Then you should stay up north near UTSA. I’ve only been to Rainey once. And I didn’t quite get it. I can do West 6th if I psych myself up enough. But, tbh, I’d rather just sit outside at a brewery. I can understand why Saint Mary’s isn’t your thing. But given those are the things you like just stay up north between UTSA and Stone Oak. If you really need to get away from your bubble you’ll need to make a big move.

[GoodTXDriver]

Originally Posted by rynetwo

You can and it is available everywhere.

From my experience you are dead wrong.

To the OP, the demographics will be a little older. You are gonna run into upper 20s through your 30s. We have friends that live at Southline and they have expanded their friend group dramatically. Not a single one is from this state.

As someone from here, but prefers a more suburban life, we picked just north of the airport to be in the middle of Stone Oak, 1604/10, and downtown. Money is not a constraint, but privacy is our main issue. There is something about walking out the back door to your own pool without the community “issues”.

If the Pearl area can come up with the amenities of Blanco/1604 then we might make the move to a house.

Funny how the same people always get “worked up” whenever any truth is pointed out about SA that is considered “negative.” This exact mentality is what’s keep SA lame and behind the other major cities in Texas. Keep up the good work.

[GoodTXDriver]

Originally Posted by RadiantBaby

To be honest, even at Pearl, you're still going to have a hard time finding young, driven, successful people. San Antonio is not yet a city that has learned to cultivate young people to stay here and flourish. It's good enough should be the city's motto.

Southtown, while incredibly young and energetic, is still lazy in career path. You have a ton of young people who are just making enough to live there, but not doing enough to actually thrive.

The amazing COL here comes with heavy strings: If you push too hard for progress or change, people will fight you tooth and nail. Even young folks. It's ingrained in the culture.

I split up my year in three places to avoid getting bummed out about how slowly things move here.

Well put and summarized. It is that “mañana” and “good enough” mentality that is the root cause. This is a cultural mindset in large but the locals will never admit to it nor do they care.

[GoodTXDriver]

Originally Posted by RadiantBaby

It's not just the mindset of this city... It's also lack of decent paying jobs.

San Antonio at heart is a poor, working class town.

I'm not a local, so I have the advantage of seeing this for what it is, not what I wish for it to be.

It'll change... Very, very slowly.

Bingo! Outsiders’ perspective is key here. SA no matter what the “data” says it is traditionally a blue-collar, low-wage town.

[supfromthesite]

Originally Posted by yadigggski

hahaha I bet you've seen me out before if you hit up the north side bars like Woodrows/Roo/Sandbox/The Deuce

Probably so. I was at woodrows for about 4 hours during the day on Saturday and I've been to the deuce the past few weekends (more like months). Roo pub is cool but it hasn't been as popping as the first time I went. Sandbox is fun but a little... out there. I only generally go late at night when I'm hammered.

I've been at the strip this weekend. Might even hit it up tonight... I'm definitely not the target demo but it's fun and cheap and people like talking to me there... probably because I kind of stick out

[supfromthesite]

Originally Posted by yadigggski

More that I think about it now the more it makes sense lol. I haven't been to PHX since I lived out there for a little bit in high school, but I know that they're gentrifying the downtown area a lot now.

Makes me wonder what other plans they have for the Rim area, there's been a lot of national "hip" places going in there lately and that quarry next to it is prime for a development, although idk if it's still active or for how long.

Said this for a long time but if some deep pocketed developer built a nightlife district like Old Town Scottsdale, Rock Rose at the Domain or Legacy West in Plano... it would do extremely well. SA is missing that centralized nightlife district (besides St Marys but thats a completely different demo) and I know for a fact my age group is hungry for something like that.

Did you ever go to still golden back when it was open? There are a few bars right there and supposedly they were going to put a small little woodrows, a small well, and a few other bars and that was supposed to be the new saint marys strip.. But a nicer one. So that could be what you are looking for.

I heard about this right before covid and it doesn't seem like it's really happening yet. Maybe it will take more time, or maybe covid ruined the chance for it to happen?

[supfromthesite]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

Right. Then you should stay up north near UTSA. I’ve only been to Rainey once. And I didn’t quite get it. I can do West 6th if I psych myself up enough. But, tbh, I’d rather just sit outside at a brewery. I can understand why Saint Mary’s isn’t your thing. But given those are the things you like just stay up north between UTSA and Stone Oak. If you really need to get away from your bubble you’ll need to make a big move.