San Antonio & New Orleans (crime, houses, employment)

[basinstblues]

As a former New Orleanian, as of a year ago, who is not living there now, I'm curious and hopeful as to whether or not San Antonio has some similarities to the NOLA aspects I like. In NOLA one feels like nowhere else in the world exists due to the food, culture, and general feeling. Does SA have the same kind of feel due to the Latino culture? Also, are the historic houses widespread throughout the inner loop area? Is there a live-and-let-live feel but yet an energy? Are the ongoing festivals as good as they sound? Do at least some of the tourists give the city a cosmopolitan feel?

I'm not meaning this at all in terms of a competition between cities but rather from feeling that, due to high costs and possibly unsafe levees, it'd be nice to have a new place to call home, a place that feels like home, a place that people are proud to be from. If cost was no issue, I'd probably move to San Francisco or Mexico City. I am entertaining the idea that SA also has charm and will eventually need to just make a cursory visit. Thanks also for responses to yesterday's general questions.

[JuneOf48]

Dear OP:

I've always said that San Antonio seems like a Mexican version of New Orleans. I've been to NO perhaps 10 times, and it's one of my favorite cities. (Haven't been since Katrina, so I'm basing my perspective on older memories.) Much of the near-north and near-south of downtown SA has architecture that is reminiscent of the Garden District, Magazine St. area, or the Ninth Ward. Some of it is dilapidated, and some of it is kept up quite well.

That being said, NO seems to have a lot more decadence and a lot more nightlife than San Antonio. There's plenty to be found here, but it seems a bit more "off the grid." In much of the city, you feel as if you're in Latin America, and you either like that or you don't. In other parts of the city, you feel like you're in a well heeled suburb of any American metropolis, and you either like that or you don't.

Maybe San Antonio would be the wayward child of Monterrey (Mexico) and New Orleans? Maybe the (majority) African-American population of NO gives it a somewhat similar--and different--feel from what SA receives from its (majority) Mexican-American population?

Either way, I definitely feel that each city has a truly distinct feel. You won't mistake it for any other place in the country. That's much of what I like about living here, and much of what makes it a more interesting place than all of those other American cities that may have more money or more "amenities."

Come and check it out!

[mexicajun]

There are some similarities-

Hot and humid in summertime ('tho NOLA wins hands down in the humidity department).
Spicy and tasty food.
Lots of history.
Large population of poor folk.
Tourist driven economy.
Southern hospitality and the like.



Differences-

S.A. is much more suburban and automobile dependant.
Rents and property are cheaper in S.A.
S.A. fests and parades pale in comparison to Mardi Gras etc.
Crime in S.A. isn't as outrageous as in NOLA.
S.A. has few inner-city historic homes/buildings compared to NOLA's vast historic architecture.
NOLA has few jobs, while S.A. seems to be on the upswing employment wise.
S.A. natives are a bit more conservative than the somewhat 'colorful' French Quarter denizen.
S.A. has more public green-space ie. parks, recreational areas.
NOLA's nitelife (bars, niteclubs) is more vibrant and varied than in S.A.
S.A. is more Southwestern, whereas NOLA is....umm...NOLA!

[carlitasway]

I wish I could feel that connection here. I just feel very out of place here. Maybe it's because I didn't grow up here.

[basinstblues]

Both excellent replies, thank you. Juneof48, thanks for realizing that the distinctness and uniqueness are what I'm looking for, rather than NOLA-in-Texas. Mexicajun (and please tell me that there are cajun and zydeco bands either in SA or that come through on tour), thanks for the comparison/contrast take on it. It may not be Mardi Gras, by the way, but Fiesta sounds like a lot of fun.

[fierce_flawless]

Don't forget the huge cockroaches! Both cities have them.

But yes, there are many other similarities. IMO NOLA is more fun. More tolerant.

[mikey1984]

Originally Posted by mexicajun

There are some similarities-

Hot and humid in summertime ('tho NOLA wins hands down in the humidity department).
Spicy and tasty food.
Lots of history.
Large population of poor folk.
Tourist driven economy.
Southern hospitality and the like.



Differences-

S.A. is much more suburban and automobile dependant.
Rents and property are cheaper in S.A.
S.A. fests and parades pale in comparison to Mardi Gras etc.
Crime in S.A. isn't as outrageous as in NOLA.
S.A. has few inner-city historic homes/buildings compared to NOLA's vast historic architecture.
NOLA has few jobs, while S.A. seems to be on the upswing employment wise.
S.A. natives are a bit more conservative than the somewhat 'colorful' French Quarter denizen.
S.A. has more public green-space ie. parks, recreational areas.
NOLA's nitelife (bars, niteclubs) is more vibrant and varied than in S.A.
S.A. is more Southwestern, whereas NOLA is....umm...NOLA!

I agree with some of your points but not the Historic districts neighborhoods comment. San Antonio is home to many historic districts. San Antonio is a city that keeps it's history alive especially in it's architecture.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by carlitasway

I wish I could feel that connection here. I just feel very out of place here. Maybe it's because I didn't grow up here.

How long have you been here and what sorts of things do you do?

I now feel very comfortable here, and I didn't grow up here. I sometimes feel out of place, but that's true for me anywhere in the US. By getting involved with my local community, I've developed quite a connection to the city, despite spending 30+ years of my life elsewhere.

Oh, and I can't compare NOLA since I've never been there, but i think mexicajun's assessment of SA is fairly accurate.

[carlitasway]

Originally Posted by Chaka

How long have you been here and what sorts of things do you do?

I now feel very comfortable here, and I didn't grow up here. I sometimes feel out of place, but that's true for me anywhere in the US. By getting involved with my local community, I've developed quite a connection to the city, despite spending 30+ years of my life elsewhere.

Oh, and I can't compare NOLA since I've never been there, but i think mexicajun's assessment of SA is fairly accurate.

About 5 years. Are you talking like getting involved in a church community? I'm not christian and don't go to church. I've met people but they usually live on the other side of town and we lose contact because I get tired of driving over there and vise versa. I imagine this coming up year may be easier because both kids will be in school fulltime and I'll be able to get out on my own more.
ETA that this past year was a bad year because my oldest has had real bad sinus infections which caused me to be busy trying to figure things out for him. We are now in the process of getting that taken care of but for a good part of the year I just thought he was constantly sick so I was also cancelling a lot of playdates and such having to stay home with him. He's scheduled for surgery in July so hopefully that will help.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by carlitasway

About 5 years. Are you talking like getting involved in a church community? I'm not christian and don't go to church. I've met people but they usually live on the other side of town and we lose contact because I get tired of driving over there and vise versa. I imagine this coming up year may be easier because both kids will be in school fulltime and I'll be able to get out on my own more.

No, I'm talking about local community. We are involved in lots of local activities: sports, arts events, community events in general (neighborhood gatherings, art shows, concerts, school events - tho our kid isn't school aged yet; fairs, historic society events, etc). Our community is quite active in all sorts of things - in a couple of weeks we're having a neighborhood progressive party, to end with an outdoor film screening at one house. Many involved have kids, many don't. Note none of these involve a certain religious belief.