Hi guys, apologies if this is the wrong place to post, but y'all don't seem to have a NSR section so here goes... I'm moving to San Antonio with my wife in February, and neither of us is more than superficially familiar with the city. I've always found soccer people to be among the most welcoming when going someplace new, so I thought this would be a good place to start doing a bit of research. Full disclosure: we're Dynamo to the core; however, we'll certainly get out and support our new local team once we get there, so between that and USA watch parties I'm sure I'll cross paths with some of you. Now, down to business. We're looking to rent a house for a year or so, then most likely buy after that when we have a better idea of the city and exactly where we want to live. We have very little knowledge of the neighborhoods, so I'm hoping to get at least pointed in the right direction. We do well financially, but we won't be dropping $750k on a house, that's just not how we roll. We're both city kids, so no interest in suburbs. I need a relatively easy commute to the airport. Near parks and/or bike trails would be fantastic, we're outdoorsy-cyclist types, but we are used to taking a little drive to where we start our rides so it's not the most important thing on the list. Being able to walk to shops and restaurants would be awesome, but once again, far from being super important as long as we aren't trekking clear across town to get to them. Most importantly, we want a nice, safe neighborhood or one that is in the midst of turning that way. Schools aren't important, no kids yet and any future ones will most likely be in private schools (once again, just how we roll). We have no interest in apartment living, and little interest in townhouses. We'll be doing an initial scouting trip in the next month or so, mostly just driving around and getting ourselves lost, trying to get a feel for some different areas. I'd love some advice on where to start that driving around, and maybe a quick rundown on areas that fit the criteria of what we're looking for. Thanks so much for any advice you can give!
Alamo Heights would probably be good for you -- along the neighborhoods of Broadway or Austin Highway. Also, there is the Olmos Park area. These neighborhoods are just North of downtown and are not exactly what you are looking for but I feel are closest to what you are looking to find. Sorry, but San Antonio is not walking or bike friendly, even in the nice neighborhoods. You will need at least one vehicle per driver in your household. You might also want to look into the Southtown area (the southern part of downtown along South Alamo Street), which has turned into arts district and has a "First Friday" event every month where they close several blocks for an art party with music; it's an up-and-coming neighborhood trying to transform into what you are looking for. The only walkable place in the whole city is downtown, which is not a convenient place to live yet since there is not a single grocery store for residents in the area. The mayor and city officials are aware of this and are working on this. However, there is a Walgreens downtown to pick up milk! By the way, even though you are a Dynamo fan, the stadium the Scorpions play in is small, but really nice and you should definitely try out a game.