Moving to SA - Young Family Needs Advice on Specific Subdivision Not Found Here

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by movingtosanantonio

Ashbeeigh! Thank you so much! You don't know how much it helps to have a strong affirmation about an area I hope we can take a trip this week and check out the differing neighborhoods so we can narrow it down.

San Antonio has so many great houses but it makes the decision that much more difficult... one up 281 past 1604 (I heard traffic was horrendous), one in NE side, a few in Helotes, Shavano Woods, etc! Decisions, decisions, I just hope and pray we find the right fit for our family.

No problem! I would offer up the area for anyone with small children. It's a great place to raise kids. Everything is very close (within five-fifteen minutes) and the area has already gone through its growing pains (unlike the Potrano/Culebra area). You may get a tad bit smaller of a house, but the yards are a lot bigger and the schools are very well established, have a good record, etc. The kids probably won't have to deal with moving schools at all(bating some natural disaster come the next 5-10 years..I think the last time the little ones changed elementary schools was when I was elementary school...like 1991? Middle schools changed like 2000?).

Check out the Woods of Shavano. It has a neighborhood pool, park, and tennis courts. It's not gated, but is so a sparling neighborhood so you get the feel that you're nestled in there. If you don't see anything there, honestly, anything in the area of De Zavala to Blanco (as suggested) would be good. You'll find older homes (probably 1970s-late 1990s) with lots of trees and various ranges of families. The kids will either go to Northside of Northeast schools.

The commute will be easy breezy depending on were y'all decide. If you do things like the WoS it'll be 10 to 410 to 281 but if you get closer to Bitters your husband will just hop right on to 281.

[V3rtigo]

dont buy anything near 1604. castle hills has decent elementary schools but youll have to move by middle school. focus your search to north of 410, south of 1604, between 10 and a few miles east of 281.

[amybeccaz]

I agree that you might want to focus along NW Military/De Zavala. A few friends live along De Zavala & I10, and love it.... I personally love Oak Meadow's subdivision (along NW Military & Huebner), and that would be in your price bracket with great schools.

[txmusicgal]

Originally Posted by V3rtigo

dont buy anything near 1604. castle hills has decent elementary schools but youll have to move by middle school. focus your search to north of 410, south of 1604, between 10 and a few miles east of 281.

If you're referring to Jackson middle school it is not that bad. Sure might it be a little rough but it is nothing compared to a middle school in the inner city. I went there for 3 years and never had any major problems. I saw a few fights but fights can happen at any school. Mostly it was just certain kids trying to be wannabe gangsters. As long as you keep to yourself and don't start any trouble nothing will happen to you.

[amybeccaz]

Yes, Jackson does have that reputation, and literally scared me to death about the idea of sending my child there after I heard several people badmouth it. However, I have talked to TONS of parents who do have kids there, and THEY.LOVE.IT. I think it has been cleaned up a ton, in every way. Where are you NOT going to find gangs, cliques, drugs, etc?? It's up to the parents to teach the children in the home... and if you are teaching your children at home basic principles & common sense, then I don't think you have much to fear or worry about.

So, to the OP, don't discount Castle Hills or the other areas around there, it really is a great area.

[V3rtigo]

no, its really not. and Lee High is even worse. look up the test scores and tell me those are good schools. drive through that area and tell me you would feel safe having your 12 year old daughter walk around there.

[txmusicgal]

The area around jackson and lee is the not the best but it is not the worst either. Go over to any schools in saisd, south san, harlandale, or edgewood districts and you will find that those areas are worse than jackson and lee.

Yeah the test scores might be low but as long as you do good does it really matter. I know someone that went to lee and is now at havard. It doesn't matter if you go to an inner city school or a school with low test scores. Look at the Castro brothers they went to saisd then went on to go to standford for undergrad and havard law school. Those universities are not easy to get into but they both got in. Saisd isn't really thought of as a good district when compared to neisd, nisd, or ahisd. You never hear people talking on city-data about sending your kids to saisd or another of the other districts that do no include neisd, nisd, or ahisd.

[movingtosanantonio]

Thank you all for your help, I really appreciate it!