Posted on 02/05/2017 1:41:02 PM PST by ellipsis
Relocating for work to Texas from southern NH - looking for FReeper advice/input - been lurking out here for 19 or so years - best community to ask a question of. I know there'll be some snark, but anyway..
About black-fly-season, you’ll we cranking up your AC and not going outside again until November. I’ll think of you sweatin’.
Enjoy the sales tax. :)
Best area is along or north of 1640 around or west of 281.
For relaxing summer vacations, tubing the Frio River in the Concan area west of San Antonio can’t be beat. It’s a short drive from the San Antonio area.
It’s a lot more crowded than it used to be but still beautiful and relaxing.
Garner State Park is a big state park on the Frio. We never stayed there but chose to stay at one of the many private parks along the river.
Usually you’ll need to make reservations very early in the year in order to get a spot, especially for a large group. Also, the Frio is spring-fed so June is optimal for tubing because the river gets lower as the summer goes by. Holiday weekends are much more crowded than other weekends, of course.
I wouldn’t trade my memories of the many relaxing family vacations we had on the Frio.
Welcome.
Texas is moving into you.
As soon as you can get your drivers license changed.
Go see the Alamo! Get a Come and Take It shirt!
Learn to speak Spanglish.
Shop for location by school district, not municipal district. Use the ‘Great Schools’ website to confirm what kind of area you are looking at.(Generally, look for percentage of students getting free lunches, and stay away from high percentages.) http://www.greatschools.org/texas/san-antonio/schools/
I haven’t verified this site yet, but it may get you started:
https://k12.niche.com/rankings/public-school-districts/best-overall/m/san-antonio-metro-area/
If you don’t mind a long commute (and depending on where in SA you will work) the Hill Country is nice (Kerrville, etc).
Know that you are moving to the edge of the desert.
Another point to keep in mind, sales taxes are high; real estate taxes are higher. Figure what the taxes will be before you buy. Flip side - no income tax.
San Antonio is a large city that comprises most of Bexar (bear) County. It is looped by 2 major circular highways - 410 and `1604. 1604 is still being developed on the south west side. Notice that the entrance roads to IH highways are often one way and can have speed limits of 55mph. To turn around often one needs to travel several blocks and use the turn around. Traffic on IH 35 to Austin is very heavy and bumper to bumper during rush hour as it goes through downtown. Airport is on the north side near 410. It takes some time to get used to the heavy and fast moving traffic. Entering an interstate highway can be a long line that feels entitled to your lane. It takes awhile to get used to the traffic flow. There are a few toll roads that can be expensive with much less traffic (but few gas stations, etc).
It is hot 100 plus. Air conditioning helps. A major change from NH. It is a nice city and most are very friendly. Many restaurants, but can wait even on week day night and longer on weekends.
As others have said the nicer areas are on the north side, but be aware that there is significant traffic at all times, but heavier in rush hour. It can be difficult to cross town because of the street layouts and lack of pass through of many areas.
Enjoy your move to San Antonio. There are many conservatives here, but the majority votes liberal. Some just need to be educated with a better understanding of conservative values instead of the liberal lies.
Definitely stick to the north side. As far north as you can get. South SA needs its own US consulate. It’s a Mexican protectorate at this point.
The hill country is a nice place to piddle on the weekends. The area around Pipe Creek and Bandera is beautiful, and offers some good small creek bass fishing. Canyon reservoir is another nice getaway. If you like live music, you have Luckenbach and Gruene Hall.
Calaveras offers some unique fishing as a brackish water inland lake. It has redfish, stripers, seatrout and hardhead cats that you’d usually find in estuaries. Hucksters occasionally throw bull sharks into it. Wouldn’t recommend eating anything out of it, but it’s fun fishing. You can rent small motorboats there.
Expect numerous invitations to backyard barbecues. Barbecue is its own art form in San Antonio. The food and hospitality is usually spectacular.
El Pollo Loco is a great place to grab a taco on the fly.
From the north side, you’re about 5 hours from Padre Island. I’d avoid it during spring break. During late February and early March you can have the place nearly all to yourself. Look for local shrimp/oyster festivals this time of year in small coastal towns east of Corpus. Lots of fun.
Property taxes are outrageously high. You save it in no income tax.
You must mean income tax savings, because the property tax rates were not a selling point when I was there ('91-94).
I live on the NW side in Northwest Crossing. SA is a very pro-Military city. Not anywhere as liberal as Austin. Despite rumors, it is not a sanctuary city officially and not all Hispanics here are libs. A lot depends on where in the city you work as traffic can suck if you work downtown. The city rapidly outgrew it’s highway system, but they are working on it. Five Mexican restaurants on every corner and best ones are the holes in the wall. Great BBQ, but learn to do it yourself. Stay clear of the near east side, and west side along and south of Marbach. The south side is the Barrio. Unless you are Latino, avoid living there. Safe to visit, but don’t move there. Boerne is very nice also.
Isn’t *that* the truth! :)
I’m betting s/he’ll miss the mountains first, the mountain air and the trees.
Also bring a cowboy hat (baseball will do) and a gun rack and a branding iron so you fit in.
Must like Tex Mex food and music.
By any chance, did you live on North Main St, in Clinton?
[I might know you from another life]
Nope, Wallingford, CT. Clinton is close as the crow flies, but out of the way in terms of driving. I had a friend who went to Hebrew Day School down there, though.
Thread guy hasn’t checked in to see his feedback :)
I went to an estate sale, in Wallingford, the other day; hadn’t been through those parts in years. My how it has changed.
I hear they are trying to improve the rail line there
http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-the-hartford-line-commuter-rail-1026-20141024-story.html
It’ll be another Malloy boondoggle. Lucky you escaped this nonsense!
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