I'm considering moving to San Antonio.

[Susan Calvin]

Or at least the area.

I am tired of hurricanes and floods in Houston, I'm working on the assumption that the cold was not so bad in San Antonio, and I'm retiring from teaching, not because my district is bad, it isn't compared to most, but because I'm disgusted with how politicians and the media, for the most part, have treated us. I always said I'd never retire.

Anyway, I like theater and live music and other forms of live entertainment.

A lot of the suburbs seem a bit pricey, but I'm hoping there's less pricey if you look?

Anyway, if you would be so kind, what can you tell me about living in San Antonio?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. Dare I suggest that there is a whole world

outside of Texas?

Consider New Mexico. Even in the northern part, it rarely gets that cold. Democratic Governor right now, almost always a Democratic state legislature. Amazing diversity and culture. Lots of art. The Opera House in Santa Fe is genuinely world class.

And I'm sure other states can make equally enticing offers.

[yonder]

2. +1.

[Susan Calvin]

3. When I looked,

It seems like the cheap places were places I would not want to live, and the places I would want to live were expensive. Where would you suggest?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. What do you consider cheap and what do you consider expensive?

Here in New Mexico people think Santa Fe, where I live, is hideously expensive. Apparently none of them have ever been to Los Angeles, or San Francisco, or NYC. I moved here from Overland Park, KS, right outside Kansas City, MO, and the apartment I rented here cost exactly what I would have paid for a comparable one back in KS. And that was considered an inexpensive place to live. If you think NM is a good idea, take a look at Albuquerque. It's a big enough city and, at least I'm told, costs a lot less than Santa Fe.

This is a very large country, and your preferences in terms of climate or neighbors may not be the same as mine. Personally, I wouldn't live well outside a decent sized city for reasons of infrastructure. I know a woman who lives about ten miles south of Santa Fe and she has constant and on-going problems with things like internet connection and getting trades people to come when she has trouble with plumbing, stuff like that. I keep on wanting to suggest she move into Santa Fe itself, but we're not good enough friends. I'd simply come across as rude.

[Susan Calvin]

5. I checked Santa Fe again.

Much more expensive than San Antonio. Not California level, but I'm not really considering moving to California either.

[flamin lib]

6. I've always lived in Houston or DFW, so I don't have any personal experience.

I have a nephew that lives in Austin which is really blue for Texas but expensive and congested. Perhaps one of the smaller communities within a short driving distance? It has a lot of music venues and such but perhaps a little youngish for a retiree?

San Antonio is nice, quite urban but again I haven't lived there.

Lived in Kerrville for a number of years in the '60s-'70s but it has become a bit red even for a guy who lives in the second reddest congressional district in the U.S. Still there is an active arts community there and a bit of artist's colony air about it and it's near Fredericksburg and lots of wineries.

Unless you're in a big hurry, try spending a week in an area. It's expensive but not as expensive as a 30 year mortgage.

[Susan Calvin]

10. I wasn't even considering Austin.

Way too expensive, and overrated as far as I'm concerned. I spent a few days in Fredericksburg and liked it a lot, except I understand it's very very red. Which seems odd considering how artsy and music-oriented it is, but what can I say.

[Susan Calvin]

16. I am fine with younger for the most part.

Although I must say that when I went to Austin on a business trip a few years ago, and dropped in on a club with music, I was not shocked not appalled, I don't know what the word is, not even taken aback. Questioning their taste hearing all the four letter words in the music. There didn't even seem to be a point to those four letter words, for the most part..

As I have said, I am underwhelmed by Austin. I think it pats itself on the back way more than it actually deserves.

[flamin lib]

18. Yeah, me too. A bit full of themselves

For my taste.

It's a trade off. Small town and inexpensive but redneck (like where I live) or more sophisticated urban and expensive.

Texas is turning purple but only in the big urban areas. Houston is a purple city. May be hard to to find that balance in my lifetime.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

7. So ironic. My niece just moved from SA to Houston.. she

Hated San Antonio. But I have visited a number of times and think it's a cool place. It's blue!!

[Susan Calvin]

8. From what I've seen of it I don't hate San Antonio.

I'd be interested to know why your niece did.

Although I was born and raised in Texas through college, I really consider San Diego California home. But I can't afford it. Would that we had not sold our old house, but hindsight is 20/20.

And I'm getting really tired of the flooding and hurricanes and occasional tornadoes in Houston. So I thought well, maybe, San Antonio isn't any worse, with fewer natural hazards. That was basically my reasoning.

[Susan Calvin]

9. Houston is blue as well.

Also Fort Bend County. The only reason we're represented by a real jerk in Congress is gerrymandering. But there're still those hurricanes and flooding and such. Plus it's very very ugly here, especially in the winter.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

12. I agree. When my husband retires we are

moving to my home CT. But will spend winter in TX. No good places here so I picked Galveston. Like the vibe. Galveston is moving toward blue... Some of the towns I like are very red like New Braunfels and Fredericksburg.

Actually pretty drive San Antonio to Fredericksburg... Pretty towns like Boerne.

[Susan Calvin]

13. Boerne is where I really want to go,

In spite of the fact that it is red. Equidistant between San Antonio and Austin and Fredericksburg. But too expensive for me, unless I luck onto a bargain.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

22. Really hard to understand how some of these cool

places, like Fredericksburg, new Braunfels, Boerne could possibly have voted for Dipshit?? I don't get it. You would think places dependent on tourism would be more open minded.

[LeftInTX]

11. San Antonio has droughts and is hotter in the summer

We're a bit colder than Houston in the winter because we're inland and higher elevation. (Mainly affects plants)

We got down to 9 degrees last week.

It's a bit of a lame place, but we have better zoning than Houston.

There isn't a whole lot of culture here outside of TexMex.

[Susan Calvin]

14. By not a lot of culture,

Do you mean not much live theater and live music? That's what I really want.

[Susan Calvin]

15. I got the impression it was kind of lame,

Which is why I'm asking, hoping I am at least somewhat wrong. It's a lot prettier than Houston, though.

[Susan Calvin]

17. Houston is definitely lame.

Would you say that San Antonio is lamer than Houston?

It would take every cash penny I've got, and the proceeds from my house, and a fair-sized mortgage, to move to Southern California, but at least that's not lame.

[LeftInTX]

19. It's kinda blah

You should visit
It's less than a three hour drive from the west side of Houston.

There is culture, but it isn't as diverse as Houston...
There is theater and stuff like that....

The dominant culture is Tex Mex..The dominant food is Tex Mex (by a mile....)...Lots of mom and pop Tex Mex...
The city is also segregated by ethnicity.
The near west side, south side and east side are non-white. The north side is mixed.

Check out City Data Forum for neighborhood information etc:
(Most of the people are pretty right wing on this site, but it will give ideas of neighborhoods etc)

https://www.city-data.com/forum/san-antonio/

ETA: There is live theater and music, but you need to seek it out, especially live music. For live theater, we have a few more options: The Majestic has off-Broadway, there are other theaters too.

You said you were interested in Boerne: Helotes has Floore's Country Store (Country)
https://www.liveatfloores.com/

Helotes and San Antonio basically merge together now.

[Susan Calvin]

20. Oh, I've been there.

For training and such. I was underwhelmed, but it's prettier than Houston and doesn't have hurricanes. That's about the sum total of my reason. I would miss the diversity. That's one of the handful of things I like about Houston.

[Susan Calvin]

21. It does seem kind of odd to me there isn't more live music.

Isn't San Antonio something vaguely resembling a tourist town?

[LeftInTX]

23. We have mariachis, that's a big part of our tourism culture

We also have Fiesta Noche Del Rio (Dance group that performs in the summer at Arneson River Theater)

We also have Conjunto Festivals, but I don't go to those because it's always hot and lots of beer etc... Not my thing.

We also have Fiesta, but it's crowded...

I don't know what happened to our symphony. We lost it, then it we got back. It was a funding issue.

The Majestic will have the large shows that Houston has, but Houston will have much more in terms of performing arts. San Antonio just does not have a large enough population to support the same arts as Houston and Dallas. We have small playhouses.

Our arts scene is heavily "folk art".

[Susan Calvin]

24. Gotcha

I keep trying to find some place better than Houston that doesn't cost much more. Doesn't seem to exist. Maybe I should just suck it up and sink virtually my entire net worth into a house in Southern California.

[Susan Calvin]

25. I came to a decision today thanks to asking this

I am either going to stay in my perfectly decent house, although I've had some flood scares and it costs a hundred twenty bucks just to mow my much too large yard, and travel, or go back to Southern California where I really want to be. Now I have to juggle the numbers. Sure I could get a decent place in Southern California. For virtually my entire net worth.