San Antonio Real Estate

While most cities this size have far more residents in the suburbs than in the downtown proper, San Antonio is unique in that its suburbs have suffered because the city has grown so quickly. How quickly, you ask? Imagine this: San Antonio didn’t expand beyond its Spanish founding territory (in the 1700s) until 1940! In sixty plus years, it has become the eighth largest city in the country, and it’s not slowing down, as the numbers above indicate. That’s a remarkable growth rate!

 

The downtown region of San Antonio is broken into six areas: Central Loop, Midtown, Uptown Central, North Central, Far North Central, and Northwest. Here is a very brief description of each of these areas.

 

Central Loop, as its name would suggest, is simply a loop that circles the downtown San Antonio area. It includes a number of districts, including the Alamo District, the Convention Center District, Houston Street District, La Villita District, Market Square District, the North River District and the King Williams Historical District. The loop itself is made up of Interstate 35 (north and west), Interstate 37 (east) and U.S. Highway 90 (south).

 

Midtown contains some of the most historical sites in the entire city, and also includes Trinity University and Temple Beth-El. Its boundaries are Hildebrand Avenue to the north, New Braunfels Avenue to the east, Interstate 35 to the south and Interstate 10 to the west.

 

Uptown Central is the largest of the downtown regions. It houses many wealthy communities, including, but not limited to, Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, and Olmos Park. Actor Tommy Lee Jones is among the celebrities that call this area home. There are many high rise residential buildings in this area, with the plan to build even more. Perhaps the city’s two most spectacular museums, the Witte Museum and the McNay Art Museum, are in this part of town. Uptown Central is bordered on the north by Interstate (Loop) 410, the east by New Braunfels Avenue, the south by Hildebrand Avenue, and to the west by, appropriately, West Avenue.

 

North Central has suburb-like qualities even though it is technically downtown, which will make it appealing to many moving to the area. Some of the small communities that make up this area are Hollywood Park, Hill Country Village, and Castle Hills.

 

This is probably the most luxurious residential area of the entire city, which is indicated by the influx of famous athletes and other superstars who call it home (David Robinson, George Strait, Tony Parker, Joe Horn, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Jim Carrey, among many others. This could effectively be called the “New Money” part of town. Communities here include Stone Oak, Scenic Oaks, The Dominion, and The Rim (currently under construction).

 

The Northwest region is the location of the South Texas Medical Center, one of the area’s largest employers and one of the country’s most renowned medical facilities. The University of Texas at San Antonio is also located in this region, as well as Six Flags Fiesta Texas.

 

Even though the city has grown at such a fast rate, there are still some outstanding suburbs from which to choose if you are planning to relocate to San Antonio. We’ll take a brief look at some of those suburbs now.

 

Windcrest, Texas, is about twelve miles (about a twenty minute drive) to the northeast of the downtown San Antonio area. Windcrest is a beautiful residential suburb that is growing in popularity in the San Antonio area. It is best known for its spectacular lights display each year during the Christmas season.

 

Did you ever hear the popular song by the Doobie Brothers entitled “China Grove?” Well, folks, here is the city for which the song was written! Located off U.S. Highway 87 about fourteen miles southwest of downtown San Antonio, it will take you about twenty minutes to get to the city if you choose to make it your place of residence. China Grove features reasonable priced homes, especially considering its proximity to San Antonio.

 

If you want to live near some of the city’s attractions but outside the city limits, you might choose the east side. Nearby attractions include the AT&T Center (home of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, among other professional sports teams), the Alamadome and the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Cities that would fall in the east side include Kirby, Sayers and Martinez.

 

The West Side of town is famous for its outstanding Latino and Spanish culture. Guadalupe Street is a great location to experience some of this culture, and the Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church is also located in this area. If you are of Hispanic background, this area of town would truly make you feel at home. If you just love to experience and be around different cultures, then this will definitely be a place of interest to you as you make your relocation plans. Some of the cities in this exciting part of the metropolis are Lackland Terrace, Riomedina, Castroville, Dunlay, Atascosa, and Macdona.   

 

There are many other suburbs from which to choose, albeit fewer than most big cities have to offer. The most important thing to remember is to do your research and not overspend…Don’t try to buy more house than you need just because it seems like a good deal. Buy what you can easily afford and care for, and you’ll be better off for it in the long run.