San Antonio is the second-most populous city in the state of Texas after Houston and seventh-most populated in the United States. As of the 2005 U.S. Census estimate, the city had a population of over 1.2 million. As of 2006, the eight-county metropolitan area has a population of just under 2 million, the twenty-ninth most-populated metro area in the United States. San Antonio, which is the county seat of Bexar County, covers over 400 square miles on the northern edge of the South Texas region and southeast of the Texas Hill Country.
Famous for its River Walk, the Alamo, Tejano culture, and being home to SeaWorld and Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme parks, the city is visited by 20 million tourists per year. San Antonio is also home to the first museum of Modern Art in Texas—the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum.
Contents
1History
2Geography and climate
3Demographics
4Economy
5Shopping
6People and culture
6.1Performing arts
6.2Museums
6.3Annual festivals
6.4Nightlife
6.5San Antonio notables
7Attractions
8Zones - Districts - Communities
9Government and politics
9.1Growth Policy
10Transportation
11Education and scientific research
11.1Colleges, universities, and research institutes
American Indians originally lived along the San Antonio River in the San Pedro Springs area, calling the vicinity Yanaguana, meaning "refreshing waters."
In 1691, a group of Spanish explorers and missionaries came upon the river on the feast day of St. Anthony, hence naming the river after "San Antonio."
The actual founding of the city took place in 1718 by Father Antonio Olivares, upon establishing Mission San Antonio de Valero. Hence via the efforts of Spanish soldiers and Canary Islanders, San Antonio de Béxar soon transformed into an early Spanish settlement in the Americas.
The Battle of the Alamo took place nearby in 1836, and eventually the town would grow to encompass the embattled mission. This was where 189 defenders held the old mission against some 4,000 Mexican troops led by Santa Anna for 13 days. The defenders were all killed. The cry "Remember the Alamo" became the rallying point of the Texas Revolution against Mexico.
Like many municipalities in the American Southwest, San Antonio experiences a steady population growth. The city's population has nearly doubled in 35 years, from just over 650,000 in the 1970 census to an estimated 1.2 million in 2005.
The city has also grown substantially in area. Unlike most large cities in the U.S., San Antonio is not completely surrounded by independent suburban cities and under Texas law exercises extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) over much of the surrounding unincorporated land, including directing growth and zoning.[1] It pursues an aggressive annexation policy and opposes the creation of other municipalities within its ETJ.[2] Nearly three-fourths of its current land area has been annexed since 1960.[3] In recent years, the city has annexed several long narrow corridors along major thoroughfares to facilitate eventual annexation of growth developing along the routes. The city plans to annex nearly forty additional square miles by 2009.[4]
As of 2007, the Alamo is a shrine and museum located in the heart of downtown, and is surrounded by many hotels and tourist attractions. It is clearly San Antonio's most well-known landmark, and is featured in its flag and seal and in the city's nickname, "Alamo City".
Geography and climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2000 the city had a total area of 412.07 square miles (1,067.3 km²) — 407.56 square miles (1,055.6 km²) of it is land and 4.51 square miles (11.7 km²) of it is water. The city sits on the Balcones Escarpment.
San Antonio's weather is alternately dry or humid depending on prevailing winds, turning hot in the summer, mild to cool winters subject to descending northern cold fronts in the winter with cool nights, and comfortably warm and rainy in the spring and fall. Only a few freezes occur each year and snow is rare.
In San Antonio, July and August tie for the average warmest months with an average high of 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35°C). The highest temperature ever to be recorded was 111°F (43.8°C) on September 5, 2000.[5] The average coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature ever was 0°F (-17.7°C) on January 31, 1949. May, June, and October have quite a bit of precipitation. For the last 135 years, the average annual precipitation has been 29.05 inches (73.79 cm), with a maximum of 52.28 inches (132.79 cm) and a minimum of 10.11 inches (25.68 cm) in one year.[6]
Source: Weatherbase[28], National Weather Service[29]
The primary source of drinking water for the city is the Edwards Aquifer. Impounded in 1962 and 1969, respectively, Victor Braunig Lake and Calaveras Lake were among the first reservoirs in the country built to use recycled treated wastewater for power plant cooling, reducing the amount of groundwater needed for electrical generation.
Demographics
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 1,144,646,[7] ranking it the ninth-most populated city in the country. Due to San Antonio's lack of significant population surrounding the city limit, the metropolitan area ranked 30th in the U.S. with a population of 1,592,383.[8]
Subsequent population estimates have shown San Antonio continued its growth. The July 1, 2005, population estimate for the city was 1,256,509,[9] making it the second-most populated city in Texas and the seventh-most populated city in the U.S. The 2005 U.S. Census estimate for the eight-county (Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina, and Wilson Counties) San Antonio metropolitan statistical area (MSA) placed its population at 1,889,797,[10] making it the third-most populated metro area in Texas and the 29th-most populated metro area in the U.S.
There are 405,474 households, and 280,993 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,808.5 people per square mile (1,084.4 km²).
There are 433,122 housing units at an average density of 1,062.7 per square mile (410.3 km²). According to U.S. Census data from 2005, the racial make up of San Antonio is 64% White, 6.1% African American, 1.8% Asian, 0.7% Native American, 3.2% Two or more races; 61.2% of the population is of Hispanic origin and could be of any race.[11]
Unlike many other large cities, San Antonio has had few racial disturbances. Government integration of the military bases after World War II ended in 1945 spread peacefully into the schools and other facilities.[12]
In the city the population is spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. In San Antonio, 48% of the population are males, and 52% of the population are females. For every 100 females there are 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $36,214, and the median income for a family is $41,331. Males have a median income of $30,061 versus $24,444 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,487. 17.3% of the population and 14.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.3% of those under the age of 18 and 13.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
San Antonio has a diversified economy with four primary focuses: financial services, health care, national defense, and tourism. Located northwest of the city center is the South Texas Medical Center, the largest medical research and care provider in South Texas, which is a conglomerate of numerous major hospitals, clinics, and research and higher educational institutions. The center is "chief catalyst" for a $14 billion biomedical industry.[13] It employs over 27,000 persons with a combined total budget of $2.8 billion.[14] San Antonio is the only city in the United States hosting three Level I Trauma Centers within the city limits (2 military, 1 civilian)
The city is also home to one of the largest military concentrations in the United States. Fort Sam Houston on the city's northeast side hosts Brooke Army Medical Center, focus of the U.S. Army's medical command and training functions. Lackland Air Force Base on the city's west side is one of the world's largest training complexes. While it is known for hosting the U.S. Air Force's basic military training, it also hosts follow-on technical training for many other Air Force specialties, as well as other operations. Randolph Air Force Base on the far northeastern outskirts is the headquarters of the Air Education and Training Command, headquarters for Air Force personnel management and also hosts pilot training. Additionally, Brooks City-Base on the city's south side and KellyUSA adjoining Lackland still have significant military presences as well as defense contractor businesses. The defense industry in San Antonio employs over 89,000 and provides a $5.2 billion impact to the city's economy.[15]
Twenty million tourists visit the city and its attractions every year, contributing substantially to the city's economy.[16] The San Antonio Convention Center alone hosts more than 300 events each year with over 750,000 convention delegates from around the world.
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San Antonio has a vibrant art community that reflects the rich history and culture of the area. This unique city offers some of the best cultural institutions, events, restaurants and nightlife in South Texas that both natives and visitors enjoy.
Performing arts
The Alameda Theater is one of the last grand movie palaces built in the U.S. (opening in 1949) and was the largest theater in the U.S. dedicated to Spanish-language entertainment. The theater is often referred to as the "Latin Apollo Theater" and is known for the house's extensive black lighted murals. Today the theater, in association with the Smithsonian Institution and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is the performing arts component of the National Center for Latino Arts and Culture, which was formally organized in 2001. Upon completion of the theater's renovation, it will be a state-of-the-art facility capable of housing performing arts mediums such as television and full Broadway productions, theater, opera, dance, concerts and film.
The Lila Cockrell Theatre, opened in 1968, is a performing arts venue that hosts ballet, opera, theater and individual concert events. The building is on the banks of the River Walk, and being a part of the adjacent convention center it also hosts general assembly and multi-media presentation events. A unique feature of the building is the Juan O'Gorman mosaic mural located on the exterior facade entitled "Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas." The mural symbolizes the progress made by the confluence of civilizations in the Western Hemisphere starting with Adam and Eve in the center, with European civilization depicted to the right, and indigenous meso-American civilization to the left.
The Majestic Theatre is home to the San Antonio Symphony, individual concerts and touring Broadway shows. The John Eberson-designed theater, which opened in 1929 as a grand movie palace, is well known for its Mediterranean-style architecture and twinkling starlit sky (complete with projected clouds that creep across the ceiling). It is as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and was listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1975.
The Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, which opened in 1913, is the sister theater to the Majestic and plays host to smaller productions, banquets, cabaret, chamber orchestras and touring plays. An extensive renovation of the Empire was completed in 1989 and combined backstage areas with the adjacent Majestic allowing for more flexibility between the two venues. The Empire was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
Museums
Art Pace San Antonio is a residency, educational, and exhibition program that was opened in 1995. The foundation is housed in the renovated 1920s era Hudson Dealership building in downtown San Antonio. The organization promotes itself as a laboratory for the creation and advancement of international contemporary art. Art Pace's primary focus is its International Artist-in-Residence program which annually invites nine artists to live and work in San Antonio to conceive and create pivotal art projects that are exhibited three times a year. A guest curator selects three artists, a Texan, one from another U.S. state, and one international to create new work while living at Art Pace. In addition to these nine artist exhibits, Art Pace has an additional four exhibitions a year.
The Blue Star Contemporary Art Center (BSCAC) was established as a grassroots response to the cancellation of a contemporary arts exhibit at the San Antonio Museum of Art in 1985. The effort established a vibrant venue for the incubation of and exhibition of contemporary and new art in San Antonio. The center is housed in an adapted 1920s era warehouse facility located on the banks of the San Antonio River. The organization, which was originally operated by artists and volunteers and is now run by artist and director Bill FitzGibbons, was formally organized with a professional director and staff in 1988. Today the center a primary destination for new art in South Texas and the center has over 20 exhibitions each year that showcase local, regional, national and international artists from the emerging to internationally renown. The facility in which the center is housed is now referred to as the Blue Star Complex and has been redeveloped as an arts-oriented mixed-use development that includes loft/studio apartments, galleries, retail, performance spaces, artists' work spaces, and design offices. The BSCAC is widely recognized as the catalyst for the gentrification of the South Alamo neighborhoods that surround the facility. In addition BSCAC is credited with the City of San Antonio's establishment of Contemporary Art Month held annually in July at over 70 venues throughout the city.
The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center (GCAC), founded in 1980, is a nonprofit organization established for the promotion of the art and culture of Chicano, Latino and Indigenous peoples. The GCAC is located in the heart of San Antonio's west side and is currently the largest community-based, multidisciplinary organization in the United States.[citation needed] The center's public and educational programming consists of varied programs in six disciplines: Dance, Literature, Media Arts, Theater Arts, Visual Arts and Music. Annual events include the San Antonio CineFestival and the Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio.
The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures opened as the Texas Pavilion at HemisFair '68, the 1968 World's Fair. The exhibit was well received and remained after the fair closed. Now a museum run by the University of Texas System, its mission is dedicated to enhancing the understanding of cultural history, science, and technology and their influence upon the people of Texas. The museum achieves its goal through permanent exhibits on 26 ethnic and cultural groups, touring exhibits, publications, a library focusing on ethnic and cultural history, a historical photo collection of over 3 million images, outreach and education programs, and the annual Texas Folklife Festival.
The Koogler McNay Art Museum, founded in 1950, is the first modern art museum in the State of Texas. The museum was created by Mrs. McNay's original bequest of most of her fortune, her important art collection and her 24-room Spanish Colonial Revival-style mansion that sits on 23 acres that are landscaped with fountains, broad lawns and a Japanese-inspired garden and a fishpond. The museum focuses primarily on 19th and 20th century European and American art by such artists as Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse, Georgia O’Keeffe, Diego Rivera, Mary Cassatt, and Edward Hopper. The collection today consists of over 14,000 objects and is one of the finest collections of Contemporary Art and Sculpture in the Southwestern United States. The museum also is home to the Tobin Collection of Theater Arts, which is one of the premiere collections of its kind in the U.S., and a research library with over 30,000 volumes.
Museo Alameda is the visual arts and educational component of The Alameda National Center for Latino Arts and Culture and is an affiliate museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Located in the historic Market Square in downtown San Antonio, this new museum is scheduled to open April 13, 2007. The institutions mission is to tell the story of the Latino experience in America through visual arts exhibitions, education initiatives, performances and public programming. As an affiliate of the Smithsonian, the museum will have access to the world's leading cultural experts and the Institution's collection of over 142 million objects.
The San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA), is housed in the historic 1884 Lone Star Brewery and was opened in 1981. The building's renovation and adaptive reuse, designed by the Cambridge Seven Associates, won several architectural awards. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. SAMA is the only comprehensive art museum in South Texas with over 20,000 objects in its permanent collection. The museum's maintains extensive collections of Asian, Latino and Ancient art. Since opening in 1981 the museum has had three major expansions in order to house these important collections. In 1989 the Halsell Wing for Ancient Art was completed and in 1998 the 30,000 square foot (2,800 m²) Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art opened. The Lenora and Walter F. Brown Asian Art Wing opened in 2005. The museum's permanent collection also contains significant collections of American, European, Oceanic and Contemporary art. Artists included in the museum's collection are Andy Warhol, John Singleton Copley, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Wayne Thiebaud, Frank Stella, and Philip Guston.
The Southwest School of Art & Craft, one of the country's largest community-centered art schools (enrollment 4000+ annually), is housed on the former site of an Ursuline convent and girls school dating from 1848. The Ursuline campus, adjacent to the River Walk, is one of the finest surviving examples of early French-influenced architecture in South Texas and includes a rare two-story "pies de terre" (rammed-earth) building designed by Francois Giraud (later the first mayor of San Antonio), working with the French mason Jules Poinsard. The campus and grounds are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The school's Visitors Center Museum explores the 150-year history of the site. Contemporary exhibitions, about eight per year, are presented in the 3500-foot Russell Hill Rogers Gallery on the Navarro Campus and feature national, regional, and local artists whose work reflects the school's curriculum.
The Witte Museum, established in 1926 under the charter of the San Antonio Museum Association, is located adjacent to Brackenridge Park on the banks of the San Antonio River and is dedicated to the history, science, and culture of the region. The permanent collection represents ethnography (study of social and cultural change), decorative arts and textiles, and science. The primary focus of the museum is natural sciences with emphasis on South Texas and the history of Texas and the Southwest
Texas Transportation Museum is a small museum that has information about railways that served Texas. They also have a model railroad club and a garden layout.
Annual festivals
Celebrate San Antonio is the city's New Year's Eve celebration held on South Alamo Street adjacent to HemisFair Park. The festival has several stages with musical entertainment, food, family activities and more. The evening culminates at midnight with a spectacular fireworks show that welcomes in the New Year. The fireworks are shot from the top house of the Tower of the Americas as well as from other locations on the ground.
Cinco de Mayo festivities take place in Market Square.
Fiesta is an annual 10-day city-wide festival held in April to honor the memory of the heroes of the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. Over 100 events take place during the anniversary of Texas' independence from Mexico. The festival's beginnings date back to 1891 when a group of ladies decorated horse-drawn carriages, paraded in front of the Alamo, and pelted each other with flower blossoms. By 1895 the parade had developed into a week-long celebration and today this event, now referred to as the Battle of Flowers Parade, is the centerpiece of the annual celebration. Other major events that take place during Fiesta are Texas Cavaliers River Parade (the parade literally floats down the River Walk rather than city streets), Fiesta Flambeau Night Parade, Night in Old San Antonio (foods from around the world in historic La Villita), the King William Street Fair, the St. Mary's University's Fiesta Oyster Bake, Fiesta Arts Fair, and Cornyation.
Fiesta de las Luminarias takes place on the River Walk where the river is lined with 7,000 luminarias (candle-lit, sand-filled bags) to light Mary and Joseph's path as they search for shelter on the night before Jesus' birth. The procession is a Mexican-American tradition and takes place on nine nights in December. The festival procession has been held on the River Walk for over 40 years.
The Holiday River Parade and Lighting Ceremony is presented by the Paseo del Rio Association and the City of San Antonio the day after Thanksgiving when the switch is pulled to turn on over 122,000 lights that illuminate the River Walk for the holiday season. To cap off the celebration, decorated floats wind down the river ending with a float featuring Santa Claus and his Latin counterpart, Pancho Claus.
The Passion Play held at the Cathedral of San Fernando, the oldest Catholic cathedral in the U.S., portrays the story of Jesus Christ's crucifixion every Good Friday. The play has been held here for over 250 years.
The Michelob ULTRA River Walk Mud Festival is a festival to commemorate the yearly maintenance and draining of the channeled portion of the River Walk. Held each January since 1986, the festival coronates a Mud King and Queen, holds an art festival, Mud Parade, and Pub Crawl.
The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, established in 1950, is a 16-day event held in February at the AT&T Center and Freeman Coliseum. There are 20 PRCA rodeo performances held in conjunction with musical entertainment from country, rock ’n’ roll and Latin artists, livestock auctions, carnival rides and retail outlets at the event. The volunteer organization raises funds for its scholarship program with proceeds from this event.
The Texas Folklife Festival (TFF) held in June is a four-day cultural festival that brings more than 40 of Texas' ethnic groups together in one place to showcase their authentic food, music, folk dancing and authentic crafts. The first TFF was held in 1972 and was modeled after the Smithsonian Institution's Folklife Festival held in 1968 in Washington, D.C.
The Tejano Music Awards, an awards ceremony dedicated to Tejano music, was held every March between 1980 and 2000. After several years in Eagle Pass, the annual event will return to the city.[19]
Nightlife
The River Walk, or Paseo del Rio as it's known in Spanish, is the city's central entertainment district. It is home to several nightclubs, pubs, bars and restaurants. Among them are Hard Rock Cafe, Boudro's, Pesca, Las Canarias, V Bar, Biga on the Banks, Jim Cullum's Landing, On The Half Shell Oyster Bar, Durty Nelly's, Mad Dogs on the River Walk, Casa Rio, County Line BBQ, Howl at the Moon, Rainforest Cafe, The Little Rhein Steak House, Fig Tree Restaurant and Dick's Last Resort.
Also in Downtown, the street scene includes several lounges, restaurants and bars. Among them The Palm, Mi Tierra Cafe Y Panaderia, Coyote Ugly, The Bonham Exchange, Rivercenter Comedy Club, Schilo's Deli, Zinc Wine and Champagne Bar, Steers and Beers Saloon, Morton's, The Steakhouse, Swig Martini Bar, Zen Bar, Suede Lounge, Drink, Club Rive, Tequila Del Rey, and The Basement.
The Strip (north of downtown) houses a concentration of bars catering to the GBLT community. Located on Main Street near San Antonio College, bars in the area include The Electric Company, The Saint, The Silver Dollar Saloon, Pegasus, and HEAT. Also on Main Street is The Sanctuary, a small club that caters to the goth community as well as lovers of synthpop and music from the 1980s.
Another area popular with college students is the Saint Mary's Strip. In this area, several bars and restaurants can be found such as Paparay's, Joey's, The Mix, White Rabbit, Hardbodies, Demo's Greek Food, La Bikina, Jac's Lounge, Tycoon Flats, San Antonio Home Brew Supply & Bar, Limelight, and The Candlelight Cafe. The area is also home to the Josephine Theater, which since 1995 has been home to the Josephine Theatrical Company, a non-profit resident theater group. The theater originally opened in 1947 as an art-deco style neighborhood movie house.
San Antonio's largest university, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), is located on the northwest side of the city. Fox and Hound English Pub & Grille, The Flying Saucer, Hills & Dales Icehouse, Rome's Pizza, Chester's Hamburgers, and PF Changs are popular places on the northwest side.
There are several restaurants open 24 hours a day in San Antonio. Chachos, Mama Margies, Las Palapas, Whataburger, Jim's, and Taco Cabana are all busy late-night establishments.
On the first Friday of every month, the area south of downtown known as Southtown or the King William District hosts an art walk known as First Friday. A diverse crowd of art lovers can visit galleries, art spaces, vintage stores, and street vendors selling art and jewelry, all while listening to live music played in the streets. Restaurants and bars in Southtown include Bar America, Blue Star Brewing Company (adjacent to Blue Star Art Gallery), Rosario's, La Tuna, El Mirador, and Mad Hatters. Art spaces and galleries include UTSA Satellite Space, Puro Gallo Studio, San Antonio Art League, SAY Si!, El Otro Ojo, Blue Star Art Space, Peep Hole, Joan Grona Gallery, One9Zero6, IV Artspace @ IV Design, A King's Attic, Cactus Bra Space, Southtown Emporium, Tiena Guadelupe, Art Asylum, and Gallista Gallery. Events vary month to month and it's all free.
San Antonio is a popular tourist destination. The jewel of the city is the River Walk, which meanders through the downtown area. Lined with numerous shops, bars, restaurants, as well as the Arneson River Theater, this attraction is transformed into an impressive festival of lights during the Christmas and New Year holiday period. (The Alamo is Texas' top tourist attraction, while the River Walk is the second most visited attraction.)
The downtown area also features HemisFair Park (home of the Tower of the Americas and the Institute of Texan Cultures), La Villita, El Mercado, the Spanish Governor's Palace, the Alamo and the historic Menger Hotel. On the northern side of the Alamo complex, beside the Emily Morgan Hotel, is the San Antonio Cavalry Museum, which features cavalry artifacts and exhibits and is frequented by local re-enactors.
The Fairmont Hotel, built in 1906, is in the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the heaviest buildings ever moved intact. It was placed in its new location, three blocks south of the Alamo, over four days in 1985, and cost $650,000 to move. The Fairmont houses the "Sage Ristorante e Bar."
The Alamo, San Antonio's most famous attraction
The holiday season on the River Walk
The Torch of Friendship sculpture
San Antonio's historic River Walk extends some 2½ miles, attracting several million visitors every year.
Beyond taking in the sights and sounds of San Antonio, tourists can sample some of its world famous Tex-Mex cuisine at the many fine restaurants located throughout the city. San Antonio is (to residents, former residents, and many visitors) the undisputed home of authentic Tex-Mex. Mexican restaurants are abundant in virtually all parts of town, and most — except for those in the Far North and some of the Uptown enclaves like Alamo Heights — are relatively inexpensive. Jacala Restaurant on West Avenue, Los Barrios on Blanco Road, and Karam's and Salsa Mora Restaurant on the West Side are just a few examples of the outstanding Tex-Mex eateries San Antonio offers. San Antonio also has establishments offering Texas style barbecue, and for the truly intrepid barbecue aficionado, a day trip to some of the more renowned barbecue pits and smokehouses of South Texas is both necessary and easily manageable.
Zones - Districts - Communities
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Because of its status as a historic urban center, the architecture and layout of San Antonio are more traditionally urban than other cities in Texas, such as Dallas and Austin, which have developed in the last half century. (Note: All of "area names" such as "Central Loop" or "Uptown Broadway" are not used by anyone who actually lives in San Antonio. They are reasonable groupings based on geography, but the little-known titles are not used to give directions and do not correspond to anything official.)
The River Walk as seen from North St. Mary's Street.
The Emily Morgan building, one of the city's earliest highrises.
Houston Street, once a major city hub and home to a vibrant nightlife is seeing a revitalization.
Joske's flagship store at Alamo and Commerce streets in downtown San Antonio. This postcard is believed to depict the store before its 1909 expansion.
The Central Loop consists of three numerical freeways, Interstates35, 37, and U.S. Highway 90. Together the three highways create a rectangular loop around the downtown area of San Antonio: I-35 to the north and west, I-37 to the east, and US-90 to the south.
The Central Loop is home to many districts including the Alamo District, Alamodome District, Central Business District, Convention Center District, Historic Civic District, Houston Street District, King William Historic District, La Villita District, Market Square District, North Downtown, North River District, River Bend District, SoSo (South of Southtown), Southtown, and the University District.
The Central Business District is home to Rivercenter, anchored by Dillard's and Macy's. The five-level Art Deco Dillard's, at the corner of Alamo and Commerce streets, opened in 1887 as Joske's. Joske's flagship store was 551,000 square feet in floor space until Dillard's bought the Joske's chain in 1987. Today, Dillard's only occupies a fraction of the original building.
Midtown
Midtown is known as Laurel Heights and is bordered by Hildebrand Avenue to the north, New Braunfels Avenue to the east, I-35 to the south, and I-10 to the west. Laurel Heights had been used for decades by San Antonians in the 1800s as a retreat from the busy life of downtown. The persistent threat of Native American attacks made permanent settlement of the area impossible. After the capture of Geronimo and the threat of attacks diminished in San Antonio, the area of town was opened in the 1880s for settlement.
Midtown is one of the most historic areas of metro San Antonio, home to the Monte Vista Historical District as well as Temple Beth-El, Trinity University, and neighborhoods such as Alta Vista, Tobin Hills, and University Hill.
Uptown Central
Uptown Central is bordered to the south by Hildebrand Avenue, to the north by Interstate 410, to the east by New Braunfels Avenue, and to the west by West Avenue.
Uptown Central consists of a very large area separated by two segments.
Uptown Broadway - Uptown Loop
Uptown Broadway is home to a concentrated area of "old money" bedroom communities. These communities are Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, and Terrell Hills. Combined the total population of these three communities is almost 16,000 people on Template:Convert/sqmi. That is a density of nearly 4,000 people per square mile (1,500 km²).
Uptown Loop is what one might call a retail and office Mecca. With nearly five million square feet (465,000 m²) of retail and nearly 20 million square feet (1.86 million m²) of office space. Retail in Uptown Loop consists of North Star Mall, San Pedro Towne Center, and the soon to be Park North Plaza at site of what was once Central Park Mall. North Star Mall is anchored by Dillard's, Macy's, Mervyn's, and Saks Fifth Avenue. In the summer of 2007, a J.C. Penney will move into the mall as its fifth anchor.
Far North Central is home to many of San Antonio's most luxurious homes and one could call this area the "new money" of San Antonio. Such upscale master-planned communities in this area include The Dominion, Scenic Oaks, Sonterra and Stone Oak.
The northeast side is home to Randolph Air Force Base, Converse, Universal City, Live Oak, Selma, Kirby, Windcrest, and Schertz. Four school districts educate this side of town, including Judson ISD, Universal-Cibolo-Schertz ISD and North East ISD. The northeast side also houses The Forum, which is one of San Antonio's largest shopping centers consisting of a variety of shops and restaurants (located on the corner of SH Loop 1604 and I-35). Rolling Oaks Mall also serves this area (located at SH Loop 1604 and Nacogdoches Road).
Other northern cities include Windcrest, a northeastern suburb known for its extravagant Christmas light displays.
The southeastern suburb of China Grove is located along U.S. 87 and is of little note except for the fact that the Doobie Brothers wrote a song about it entitled "China Grove."
The West Side is known for its wonderful Mexican culture, which is showcased in places like the Guadalupe Street commercial and entertainment district and the Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic church.
