Getting to Know San Antonio

For visitors, San Antonio is really two cities. Downtown, site of the original Spanish settlements, is the compact, eminently strollable tourist hub. The River Walk and its waterside development have revitalized a once-decaying urban center that now buzzes with hotels, restaurants, and shops. And thanks in large part to the San Antonio Conservation Society, many of downtown's beautiful old buildings are still intact. Some house popular tourist attractions and hotels, while others are occupied by the large businesses that are increasingly trickling back to where it all began. Public transportation is cheap and plentiful downtown, and as a result a car tends to be more of a hindrance than a help.

The other San Antonio is spread out, mostly low-rise, and connected by more than its fair share of freeways. The city's most recent growth has been toward the northwest, where you'll find the sprawling South Texas Medical Center complex and, farther out, the ritzy Dominion Country Club and housing development, the Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme park, and the Westin La Cantera Resort. The old southeast section, home to four of the five historic missions, remains largely Hispanic, while much of the southwest is taken up by Kelly and Lackland Air Force Bases. Whether you fly or drive in, you're likely to find yourself in the northeastern reaches of the city at some point: Along with the airport, this section hosts the Brackenridge Park attractions and some of the best restaurants and shops in town. You'll probably want your own wheels if you're staying in this second San Antonio.

San Antonio Life

Will Rogers once called San Antonio one of the four unique cities in the United States. The city certainly lives up to this description. San Antonio, with a population of just over one million, is one of the most attractive and livable cities in America. Despite its size San Antonio maintains the atmosphere of a smaller town. 

Downtown San Antonio has a wide variety of attractions, which may explain why it is the seventh most visited city in the U.S. Perhaps the most famous site in San Antonio is the Alamo, the Catholic mission that was the site of the courageous stand for Texas independence in 1836. The Alamo is part of the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park, which also contains the oldest church in the United States, along with restored examples of early Spanish architecture. The HemisFair Park and its 750-foot Tower of the Americas was built for the 1968 World's Fair held in San Antonio (called HemisFair '68). The Texas Pavilion at HemisFair '68 ultimately evolved into the Institute of Texan Cultures, which is an educational center maintained by The University of Texas at San Antonio. Dedicated to the preservation of the diverse multinational cultures that are the fabric of modern Texas, the Texas Folklife Festival held each August is just one of the events sponsored by the Institute.

Holiday lights at the Paseo del Rio

No visit to the downtown area is complete without a stroll along the Paseo del Rio, or "River Walk." Set below street level, this picturesque 2.5 mile stretch of the San Antonio River contains numerous restaurants, shops and nightclubs, including Hard Rock Cafe. It is the site of many seasonal and cultural activities.

San Antonio is an exciting place to live, full of activities throughout the year for the whole family to enjoy. Kids of all ages can explore a number of theme parks including Sea World of Texas, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and two water parks (Schlitterbahn and Splashtown). For sports fans, the recently built SBC Center is home to the NBA Spurs. The Alamodome hosts football (and many concert events), the CHL Iguanas play hockey in the Freeman Coliseum, and a Texas league baseball team (The Missions) play at Nelson Wolff Stadium. For patrons of the arts, the Majestic Theatre produces a series of Broadway performances and is home to the San Antonio Symphony. The nine-day street festival aptly known as Fiesta de San Antonio is held in April in the downtown district. Its activities include amusement rides and games, the Battle of Flowers parade, and live music and dancing. During Fiesta, La Villita (the old Spanish village downtown) is cordoned off for "A Night in Old San Antonio." This four day extravaganza brings together culinary artists representing the cultural diversity of our region. Patrons can sample foods literally from around the world as well as the unique Texas and Mexican cuisine.

The San Antonio Botanical Gardens contain 33-acres of horticultural wonders, and the San Antonio Zoo is one of the best collections of animals in the U.S., featuring natural habitat cages for many of its animals. The 343 acre Brackenridge Park includes the Witte Museum, Zoological Gardens and Aquarium, and Japanese Tea Gardens. The architecturally acclaimed San Antonio Public Library is located downtown, and there are branch libraries throughout the city. Add to all this six major shopping malls, thirty-two art galleries, fifteen more museums, seven more parks... with so much to see and do in San Antonio, you won't know where to begin!

The cost of living in San Antonio is lower than most other metropolitan areas of the country. Plentiful housing is available within minutes of the UTHSCSA complex in the northwest part of the city. Excellent public and private schools are available. Diverse higher education opportunities for spouses and college-age children exist at nineteen colleges and universities, including The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), Trinity University, St. Mary's University and Law School, Our Lady of the Lake University, and Incarnate Word College.

In the heart of the natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country, the city is ideally situated for many outdoor activities including hunting, fishing, rock climbing, spelunking, camping, canoeing and white water rafting. Due to idyllic weather conditions of mild winters and relatively light rainfall these activities can be enjoyed year-round. A few hours' drive south will get you to the sandy beaches and warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico at Corpus Christi and South Padre Island.

For more information about the area's natural beauty, click "But isn't San Antonio flat, dry, and dusty as the way it looks in the movie where John Wayne defended the Alamo?" .