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That's it. We are spending a nice leisurely day downtown tomorrow. We have a wonderful city! I have been here for 22 years, and hardly EVER venture downtown, but after seeing these pictures I realize we need to do just that. I regret not making it down at Christmas time and seeing the Riverwalk all lit up--it's absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing all these pics!
Terrific pictures 210!!! And I love how you looked UP, especially with the old downtown buildings. This city has the most amazing architecture if you just take the time and look. I lived in SA for nearly 20 years from mid Sixties to early Eighties and worked downtown for several years. I took the bus to work from whatever part of town I lived in and on those rides I took notice of what was out my window. I have lived away from SA for nearly 25 years, coming back to visit family as often as I can and no matter how the city changes, I can still find my San Antonio by looking at the details. San Antonio is the only large city I would ever consider living in.
I love the layers this city has and how history is right in front of you and the people who lived here before, whether 250 years or 25 years have left footprints that remain. Many of your pictures have captured that feel.
I am new to this board and have spent a lot of time reading all the different threads. I have lived many places I wasnt very fond of, but I always tried to appreciate that place for what it was and not what I thought it should be. San Antonio is more than a place, it is a state of mind.
For anyone who wants a peek at San Antonio's past, see if you can locate a copy of book printed by the Express News in the early 1980s called A PLACE IN TIME. You might try the gift shop at the Alamo or the Express News itself. The book is a compilation of old photos from the newspaper archives. The photos freeze that moment...that place in time. You can take the book and actually stand where the photographer stood and see many of the same buildings in the photograph, especially the ones looking up Houston Street from Alamo Plaza.
Again, thanks for sharing your terrific pictures!! Viva San Antonio!
Couldn't have said it better.
BTW, is that book still in print? I have one from the Express-News called Old San Antonio - 250 years in pictures. Mainly focuses on the town prior to 1890. If there is interest, I may post some pics.
It appears that amazon.com has a few used copies in various price ranges of A PLACE IN TIME, the book I mentioned a few posts back. It does appear to be out of print as amazon shows nothing except the used copies. Other info that may help you track down a copy...author: David McLemore..... date of publication:1980..... publisher San Antonio Express News Corp.
The pictures in A PLACE IN TIME include some early ones in the late 1800s and go to more modern times of the 1970s. The book mentioned by Irnag was, according to google searches, published by the Express News in 1968. Amazon shows no sources for purchase, but a few other book dealers did show up.
Wow, I loved all the pictures! I am considering relocating....and your pictures really help. I am sorry to hear there is not a great deal of culture, but I am sure it will increase as more people relocate there? I will admit a few things about where I am consdiering leaving. First of all there is a ton of culture where I live and I will miss that...but I have had it my whole life and probably won't miss out. I don't have season tickets to the Opera or Orchestra anymore. When I was a grad student I did that sort of thing. It's been at least 5 years since I have held those tickets. I use to live in Center City Philadelphia (which I LOVED) but the crime was just too much. I was home invaded and if I did not have a Rotweiler to take care of that problem....I don't want to think about it. Anyhow, I had a summer property in Ocean City, NJ that I moved to on a year round basis. Now, I live with a bunch of snobs. I am sorry to say that it is making me a bit snobby. I need to get out before it is too late and I remain a snob! I live in a neighborhood where the median price home is $750,000 - $850,000. My house is for sale at $899,999. I could not even afford to buy my own home. The market exploded here with it being an island. I must admit the lifestyle is wonderful but right now it is 12 degrees outside and I am tired of the cold. I Jet Ski every day in the summer, water ski, beach, boardwalk....it's definitely a good life but I miss the city life of Philadelphia. Philadelphia is about an hour away which I frequent at least once a week. I will visit SA in August or October, it depends on my work schedule. I am hoping SA is a possible fit. I have also traveled to Charleston, SC and Saint Petersburg, FL to view properties. I liked both areas, but feel I need to check out Texas before I make my final decision.
I will look forward to discussions in the mean time about your city. Thanks for any suggestions.
Bluemaddy, don't be fooled by a few jaded opinions. San Antonio has plenty of culture. Here is the excerpt from Wikipedia. This city is as old as Philadelphia, so if you're into history, there is also plenty in SA.
[edit] People and culture
San Antonio has a vibrant art community that reflects the rich history and culture of the area. This unique city offers some of the best cultural institutions, events, restaurants and nightlife in South Texas that both natives and visitors enjoy.
[edit] Performing arts
The Alameda Theater is one of the last grand movie palaces built in the U.S. (opening in 1949) and was the largest theater in the U.S. dedicated to Spanish-language entertainment. The theater is often referred to as the "Latin Apollo Theater" and is known for the house's extensive black lighted murals. Today the theater, in association with the Smithsonian Institution and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is the performing arts component of the National Center for Latino Arts and Culture, which was formally organized in 2001. Upon completion of the theater's renovation, it will be a state-of-the-art facility capable of housing performing arts mediums such as television and full Broadway productions, theater, opera, dance, concerts and film.
The Lila Cockrell Theatre, opened in 1968, is a performing arts venue that hosts ballet, opera, theater and individual concert events. The building is on the banks of the River Walk, and being a part of the adjacent convention center it also hosts general assembly and multi-media presentation events. A unique feature of the building is the Juan O'Gorman mosaic mural located on the exterior facade entitled "Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas." The mural symbolizes the progress made by the confluence of civilizations in the Western Hemisphere starting with Adam and Eve in the center, with European civilization depicted to the right, and indigenous meso-American civilization to the left.
The Majestic Theatre is home to the San Antonio Symphony, individual concerts and touring Broadway shows. The John Eberson-designed theater, which opened in 1929 as a grand movie palace, is well known for its Mediterranean-style architecture and twinkling starlit sky (complete with projected clouds that creep across the ceiling). It is as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and was listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1975.
The Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, which opened in 1913, is the sister theater to the Majestic and plays host to smaller productions, banquets, cabaret, chamber orchestras and touring plays. An extensive renovation of the Empire was completed in 1989 and combined backstage areas with the adjacent Majestic allowing for more flexibility between the two venues. The Empire was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
Museums
Art Pace San Antonio is a residency, educational, and exhibition program that was opened in 1995. The foundation is housed in the renovated 1920s era Hudson Dealership building in downtown San Antonio. The organization promotes itself as a laboratory for the creation and advancement of international contemporary art. Art Pace's primary focus is its International Artist-in-Residence program which annually invites nine artists to live and work in San Antonio to conceive and create pivotal art projects that are exhibited three times a year. A guest curator selects three artists, a Texan, one from another U.S. state, and one international to create new work while living at Art Pace. In addition to these nine artist exhibits, Art Pace has an additional four exhibitions a year.
The Blue Star Contemporary Art Center (BSCAC) was established as a grassroots response to the cancellation of a contemporary arts exhibit at the San Antonio Museum of Art in 1985. The effort established a vibrant venue for the incubation of and exhibition of contemporary and new art in San Antonio. The center is housed in an adapted 1920s era warehouse facility located on the banks of the San Antonio River. The organization, which was originally operated by artists and volunteers and is now run by artist and director Bill FitzGibbons, was formally organized with a professional director and staff in 1988. Today the center a primary destination for new art in South Texas and the center has over 20 exhibitions each year that showcase local, regional, national and international artists from the emerging to internationally renown. The facility in which the center is housed is now referred to as the Blue Star Complex and has been redeveloped as an arts-oriented mixed-use development that includes loft/studio apartments, galleries, retail, performance spaces, artists' work spaces, and design offices. The BSCAC is widely recognized as the catalyst for the gentrification of the South Alamo neighborhoods that surround the facility. In addition BSCAC is credited with the City of San Antonio's establishment of Contemporary Art Month held annually in July at over 70 venues throughout the city.
The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center (GCAC), founded in 1980, is a nonprofit organization established for the promotion of the art and culture of Chicano, Latino and Indigenous peoples. The GCAC is located in the heart of San Antonio's west side and is currently the largest community-based, multidisciplinary organization in the United States.[citation needed] The center's public and educational programming consists of varied programs in six disciplines: Dance, Literature, Media Arts, Theater Arts, Visual Arts and Music. Annual events include the San Antonio CineFestival and the Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio.
The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures opened as the Texas Pavilion at HemisFair '68, the 1968 World's Fair. The exhibit was well received and remained after the fair closed. Now a museum run by the University of Texas System, its mission is dedicated to enhancing the understanding of cultural history, science, and technology and their influence upon the people of Texas. The museum achieves its goal through permanent exhibits on 26 ethnic and cultural groups, touring exhibits, publications, a library focusing on ethnic and cultural history, a historical photo collection of over 3 million images, outreach and education programs, and the annual Texas Folklife Festival.
San Antonio Museum of ArtThe San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA), is housed in the historic 1884 Lone Star Brewery and was opened in 1981. The building's renovation and adaptive reuse, designed by the Cambridge Seven Associates, won several architectural awards. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. SAMA is the only comprehensive art museum in South Texas with over 20,000 objects in its permanent collection. The museum's maintains extensive collections of Asian, Latino and Ancient art. Since opening in 1981 the museum has had three major expansions in order to house these important collections. In 1989 the Halsell Wing for Ancient Art was completed and in 1998 the 30,000 square foot (2,800 m²) Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art opened. The Lenora and Walter F. Brown Asian Art Wing opened in 2005. The museum's permanent collection also contains significant collections of American, European, Oceanic and Contemporary art. Artists included in the museum's collection are Andy Warhol, John Singleton Copley, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Wayne Thiebaud, Frank Stella, and Philip Guston.
The Southwest School of Art & Craft, one of the country's largest community-centered art schools (enrollment 4000+ annually), is housed on the former site of an Ursuline convent and girls school dating from 1848. The Ursuline campus, adjacent to the River Walk, is one of the finest surviving examples of early French-influenced architecture in South Texas and includes a rare two-story "pies de terre" (rammed-earth) building designed by Francois Giraud (later the first mayor of San Antonio), working with the French mason Jules Poinsard. The campus and grounds are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The school's Visitors Center Museum explores the 150-year history of the site. Contemporary exhibitions, about eight per year, are presented in the 3500-foot Russell Hill Rogers Gallery on the Navarro Campus and feature national, regional, and local artists whose work reflects the school's curriculum.
The Witte Museum, established in 1926 under the charter of the San Antonio Museum Association, is located adjacent to Brackenridge Park on the banks of the San Antonio River and is dedicated to the history, science, and culture of the region. The permanent collection represents ethnography (study of social and cultural change), decorative arts and textiles, and science. The primary focus of the museum is natural sciences with emphasis on South Texas and the history of Texas and the Southwest.
Thanks for your post. I am glad to hear what you said. I have seen a few 'jaded' posts. I typically can see through them. Any suggestions for communities to check into? A Realtor mentioned Canyon Lake, Bulverde, Boerne. I think I spelled them right.
Thanks again for your posts...I read all of them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by irnag
Bluemaddy, don't be fooled by a few jaded opinions. San Antonio has plenty of culture. Here is the excerpt from Wikipedia. This city is as old as Philadelphia, so if you're into history, there is also plenty in SA.
[edit] People and culture
San Antonio has a vibrant art community that reflects the rich history and culture of the area. This unique city offers some of the best cultural institutions, events, restaurants and nightlife in South Texas that both natives and visitors enjoy.
[edit] Performing arts
The Alameda Theater is one of the last grand movie palaces built in the U.S. (opening in 1949) and was the largest theater in the U.S. dedicated to Spanish-language entertainment. The theater is often referred to as the "Latin Apollo Theater" and is known for the house's extensive black lighted murals. Today the theater, in association with the Smithsonian Institution and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is the performing arts component of the National Center for Latino Arts and Culture, which was formally organized in 2001. Upon completion of the theater's renovation, it will be a state-of-the-art facility capable of housing performing arts mediums such as television and full Broadway productions, theater, opera, dance, concerts and film.
The Lila Cockrell Theatre, opened in 1968, is a performing arts venue that hosts ballet, opera, theater and individual concert events. The building is on the banks of the River Walk, and being a part of the adjacent convention center it also hosts general assembly and multi-media presentation events. A unique feature of the building is the Juan O'Gorman mosaic mural located on the exterior facade entitled "Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas." The mural symbolizes the progress made by the confluence of civilizations in the Western Hemisphere starting with Adam and Eve in the center, with European civilization depicted to the right, and indigenous meso-American civilization to the left.
The Majestic Theatre is home to the San Antonio Symphony, individual concerts and touring Broadway shows. The John Eberson-designed theater, which opened in 1929 as a grand movie palace, is well known for its Mediterranean-style architecture and twinkling starlit sky (complete with projected clouds that creep across the ceiling). It is as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and was listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1975.
The Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, which opened in 1913, is the sister theater to the Majestic and plays host to smaller productions, banquets, cabaret, chamber orchestras and touring plays. An extensive renovation of the Empire was completed in 1989 and combined backstage areas with the adjacent Majestic allowing for more flexibility between the two venues. The Empire was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
Any suggestions for communities to check into? A Realtor mentioned Canyon Lake, Bulverde, Boerne.
There are others on the board that can answer that question better than me. I moved away in 1985 and have been back "as a tourist" ever since. All my family is in SA so I go back often. Some of the advantages are you can act like a tourist guilt free.
Anyway, my opinion is I would live in Boerne. But I have gotten used to wide open spaces and in Boerne you are apt to find houses sitting on 5 acres for a resonable sum of money. And from Boerne you are probably only 30-40 minutes outside the city. I think Canyon Lake and Bulverde are similar but I would guess the traffic getting into town from those locations is probably heavier.
If you want a more cosmopolitian feel, I think you should check out the King William area. 210 knows a lot about the goings on in that area and could probably further this discussion.
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