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San Antonio)
- "San Antonio" redirects here. For other uses, see San Antonio (disambiguation).
San Antonio is the county seat of Bexar County located in the U.S. state of Texas within the northern South Texas region. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 1.1 million (though a July 1, 2004 estimate by the U.S. Census placed the population over 1.2 million making it the second-largest city within Texas and eighth-largest in the country). The San Antonio metropolitan area, however, is the third-largest in the state. The new 2005 US census estimate [1] for the 8 county San Antonio MSA placed the metro population at just under 1.9 million(1,889,797).
San Antonio was named for the Portuguese saint Anthony of Padua, whose feast day it was when a Spanish expedition stopped in the area in 1691. Famous for its Riverwalk and the Alamo, the 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 has the South Texas Medical Center, the largest and only medical research and care provider in the South Texas region. The city is home to the first museum of Modern Art in Texas, the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum[2].
San Antonio has a strong military presence: it is home to Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, and Brooks City Base.
History
Aerial view of the city, circa 1939
Native 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 the 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 for 13 days. The cry "Remember the Alamo" became the rallying point of the Texan revolution against Mexico.
Today, the Alamo is a shrine and museum located in the heart of downtown, and is surrounded by many hotels and tourist attractions.
Geography and climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,067.3 km² (412.07 mi²). 1,055.6 km² (407.56 mi²) of it is land and 11.7 km² (4.51 mi²) 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.
Downtown San Antonio on Christmas.
In San Antonio, July and August tie for the average warmest months with an average high of 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The highest temperature ever to be recorded was 111°F/43.8ºC on September 5, 2000. The average coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature ever was 0°F/-17.7ºC 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) in one year.[3]
Demographics
There are 1,144,646 people, 405,474 households, and 280,993 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,084.4/km² (2,808.5/mi²).
There are 433,122 housing units at an average density of 410.3/km² (1,062.7/mi²). According to Texas.com, the current racial make up of San Antonio is: 32% non-Hispanic White, 7% African-American, 2% Asian, 1% Native American; 58% of the population is Hispanic.
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. Average rents in San Antonio in 2005 were $583 for a one bedroom apartment, and $817 for a two bedroom apartment. From 2000 to 2005, home prices have steadily risen in San Antonio. In 2005, the median home price rose over 9% to $75,000.
Economy
Twenty million tourists visit the city and its attractions every year, contributing substantially to the city's economy.[4] The San Antonio Convention Center alone hosts more than 300 events each year with over 750,000 convention delegates from around the world.
San Antonio's corporate profile includes AT&T (formerly SBC), Valero Energy Corp, USAA, Tesoro Petroleum Corp, Southwest Research Institute, H-E-B, and Clear Channel Communications, which are all headquartered in the city.
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 responsible for a $12 billion biomedical industry.[5][6] It employs some 27,000 persons with a combined total budget of $2.5 billion.
Other industries such as Toyota Motor Corporation are establishing plants in the area, as the city's economy continues to grow.
Companies not HQ'd in San Antonio but which have a strong presence in the Alamo City include Washington Mutual, Citibank, QVC, NSA, Bank of America, InfoNxx, and West Corporation.
People and culture
The Alamo is one of the most popular cultural attractions in Texas
San Antonio has a robust venue of arts that centers on several key areas:
- Majestic Theater[7] Home of the San Antonio Symphony, which showcases individual concerts and Broadway series, has been named a Texas State and U.S.A National Historic Landmark.
- The Riverwalk is home to several nightclubs. Notable clubs in this area include the Hard Rock Cafe, the DANCEPLEX (formerly Polly Esther's), Club RIVE/TABU and Dick's Last Resort.
- Downtown San Antonio, away from the river, has several nightclubs, including the popular Coyote Ugly franchise bar, nightspot The Bonham Exchange ("the" place on Fridays), and the Rivercenter Comedy Club. Other popular bars include the upscale Zinc Wine and Champagne Bar, Swig Martini Bar, Zen Ultralounge, Suede Lounge, and Davenport.
- Away from downtown, a strip of Main Street near San Antonio College includes gay nightclubs such as The Electric Company (younger crowds), The Saint (disco,, The Silver Dollar Saloon (country-western), and the Heat.
- Also in the area is the North Saint Mary's Strip, located to the east of main street. On this strip, several bars can be found, such as Paparay's, Joey's, the Mix, Tycoon Flats, small coffee shops such as The Candlelight Cafe (mixed sexual orientation crowd), and the Hispanic-themed video bar, Arriba.
- Further information: Notables of San Antonio, Texas
Attractions
San Antonio is a popular tourist destination. The jewel of the city is the Paseo del Rio, or 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 downtown area also features HemisFair Park (home of the Tower of the Americas and the Institute of Texan Cultures), La Villita, El Mercado, the city's most widely recognized landmark, the Alamo, and the historic Menger Hotel.
The city attracts numerous visitors in Christmas for its suitable weather.
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The Torch of Friendship sculpture is one of the more recent additions to the downtown area.
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San Antonio's historic Paseo del Rio, or "Riverwalk," extends some 2½ miles, attracting several million visitors every year.
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Another view of the city's vibrant downtown.
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Other places of interest include Brackenridge Park (home of the San Antonio Zoo), the missions of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, the Witte Museum, the McNay Art Museum, SeaWorld San Antonio, and the Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme park.
Every April, San Antonio hosts Fiesta San Antonio, a 10-day celebration of the city's diverse cultures and of the heroes of the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto, featuring over one hundred events held throughout the city. Visitors can also experience something of the cowboy culture every February at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo; year round, they can also see the 40 ft./12 m. tall cowboy boots at North Star Mall.
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 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.
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.
Zones - Districts - Communities
The Riverwalk as seen from North St. Mary's Street.
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The Emily Morgan building, one of the city's earliest highrises.
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Houston Street, once a major city hub and home to a vibrant nightlife is seeing a revitalization.
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The Central Loop consists of three numerical freeways, Interstates 35, 37, and U.S. highway 90. Together the three highways create a rectangular loop around the downtown area of San Antonio. 35 to the north and west. 37 to the east. 90 to the south.
The Central Loop is home to many districts. Including the Alamo District, Alamodome District, Convention Center District, Historic Civic District, Houston Street District, La Villita District, Market Square District, North River District, River Bend District, University District.
As well as the Central Business District, NoDo (North Downtown) Southtown, King Williams District, SoSo (South of Southtown).
Midtown is bordered by Hildebrand Avenue to the north, New Braunfels Avenue to the east, 35 to the south, and 10 to the west.
Midtown is one of the most historic areas of metro San Antonio home to the Monte Vista Historical District as well as Trinity University, University Hill, and Temple Beth-El.
Uptown Central is bordered to the south by Hildebrand Avenue, to the north by Loop 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, Terrell Hills, and Olmos Park. Combined the total population of these three communities is almost 16,000 people on 4.2 sq. miles. That is a density of nearly 4,000 people per sq. mile.
Famous people that reside in Uptown Broadway include Tommy Lee Jones (Alamo Heights), Thomas Gibson (Terrell Hills) and many others. This area is home to quite a few high-rise residential buildings, with more planned. Uptown Broadway is also home to many trendy boutiques as well as the University of the Incarnate Word and two very prominent museums, the Witte Museum and McNay Museum.
Uptown Loop is what one might call a retail and office Mecca. With nearly five million sq. feet of retail and nearly 20 million sq. feet of office space.
Retail in Uptown Loop consists of North Star Mall, San Pedro Trails, and the soon to be Park North Plaza at site of what was once Central Park Mall.
North Star Mall is anchored by a Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy's.
North Central is home to many suburban-ish small cities landlocked within the city of San Antonio.
Some of these cities are Castle Hills, Shavano Park, Hill Country Village, and Hollywood Park.
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 Stone Oak, Scenic Oaks, Sonterra, The Dominion, and the currently under construction 3 million sq. foot project The Rim.
Celebrities that live in this area include David Robinson, George Strait, Max Lucado, Gregg Popovich, Bruce Bowen, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Jim Carrey, Malik Rose, WWE wrestler Stone Cold, Shawn Michaels, Joe Horn, and many others.
The northwest side of San Antonio is home to the South Texas Medical Center and the campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio as well as Six Flags Fiesta Texas and the upscale open air shopping center The Shops at La Cantera anchored by a Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.
Home to the Great Northwest Interchange, Interstate 10 and Loop 1604, one of the largest freeway interchanges in Texas.
- 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 really 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 Spanish culture, which is showcased in places like the Guadalupe Street commercial and entertainment district and the Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic church.
Government and politics
San Antonio operates on the council-manager form of government. Voters elect 11 representatives. This includes 10 district representatives and 1 mayor to pass laws and establish policies for the city. San Antonio politics is non-partisan. Representatives are paid $20 a meeting, while the Mayor earns $4,000 a year. The council hires a City Manager to serve as the City's chief administrator.
The current mayor is Phil Hardberger, a Democrat.
San Antonio is on the list of possible host cities for both the 2008 Republican National Convention and 2008 Democtatic National Convention.
Transportation
A VIA bus stopped at a downtown intersection
The San Antonio International Airport is located in north central San Antonio, approximately eight miles from downtown. It has two terminals and is served by 12 airlines serving 32 destinations including 4 in Mexico. An extensive bus and trolley system is provided by the city's metropolitan transit system, VIA. VIA offers 78 regular bus routes and four trolley routes, including express routes from downtown to the theme parks. VIA also offers a special service to city events, including Spurs games and city parades, from its Park and Ride locations.
San Antonio serves as the southern terminus for Amtrak's Texas Eagle train service, originating in Chicago. From there, the Sunset Limited travels west to Los Angeles and east to Orlando three times per week. The old Sunset Station is now an entertainment venue owned by VIA and neighbored by the current station and the Alamodome.
San Antonio is served by these major freeways:
Education and scientific research
Colleges, universities, and research institutes
The Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research is "one of the world's leading independent biomedical research institutions."[8] The Southwest Research Institute is another prominent research organization with 3000 specialists employed that generated $435 million in revenues in 2005.[9]
San Antonio hosts several institutions of higher education offering associate's degrees or higher, including:
Public schools and libraries
San Antonio and Bexar County are served by 15 separate independent school districts, largest among these are Northside Independent School District with an estimated total enrollment of 78,104 (6th largest in Texas), San Antonio Independent School District with an estimated enrollment of 57,500 and North East Independent School District with an enrollment of 59,101. Other districts that serve portions of the city of San Antonio include Alamo Heights, East Central, Edgewood, Fort Sam Houston, Harlandale, Judson, Lackland, Randolph Field, South San Antonio, and Southwest.
The city is served by the San Antonio Public Library.
Private schools
San Antonio has many private schools, notably Antonian College Preparatory High School—the largest Catholic high school in San Antonio—Central Catholic Marianist High School, T.M.I.: The Episcopal School of Texas, Saint Mary's Hall, Holy Cross High School, Keystone School, San Antonio Christian Schools, Lutheran High School of San Antonio, Incarnate Word High School ,and St. Anthony Catholic School
Professional sports
The city's only top-level professional sports team, and consequently the team most San Antonians follow, is the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. The Spurs have been playing in San Antonio since 1973 and have won three NBA Championships (1999, 2003, 2005). Previously, the Spurs played at the Alamodome, which was built for football, and before that the Hemisfair Arena, but the Spurs built and moved into the SBC Center in 2002, since renamed the AT&T Center. The AT&T Center is also home to the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League and the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA, both owned by the Spurs. San Antonio is also home to the Double-A Minor League affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, the San Antonio Missions who play at Nelson Wolff Stadium on the west side of the city.
The city was also a temporary home for the New Orleans Saints for the 2005 NFL season due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The Saints set up practice facilities in San Antonio for the season, and played a split home schedule between the Alamodome and Baton Rouge, Louisiana's Tiger Stadium during the 2005 season. City officials are said to be attempting to lure the NFL permanently to San Antonio, and have said that a strong showing at the Alamodome for the three local Saints games was vital to showing that San Antonio can support an NFL franchise. After the final game in San Antonio, the Saints commited to moving back to New Orleans for the 2006 season. NFL commisioner Paul Tagliabue stated San Antonio was successful in hosting the team, and that the city would be on the short list for any future NFL expansions.
Possible Major League Baseball Relocation: City leaders have also met with Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins executives concerning the relocation of the franchise to San Antonio. Marlins officials have stated a new stadium is imperative, and if one is not built in Florida, San Antonio would be considered for relocation. News reports in the Miami Herald and San Antonio Express-News[24] indicate that the city and Florida Marlins are in serious negotiations concerning relocating the Major League Baseball team to San Antonio. The plan being discussed by City Officials to be presented to the Marlins, involves building a new baseball only stadium using hotel/motel and rental car tax funding as was used to fund and build the AT&T center. No additional tax monies would be used. The funding mechanism would basically be the same as that which voters approved in 1999 to build the AT&T center. County Judge Nelson Wolff has headed negotiations with the Marlins and has proposed placing the new stadium on the I-35 corridor to attract fans from the Austin market. He may also push to have the issue placed on the November 2006 ballot, if negotiations with the Marlins continue to progress. The stadium location, however, would be up to the Marlins.
According to a March 9, 2006 San Antonio Express-News report, Bexar county (the county San Antonio is in) presented the Marlins with a stadium financing plan which would finance $200 million of a proposed $300 million stadium. The proposal would extend the financing plan using hotel/motel taxes, which was used to build the AT&T Center. This issue would be put to voters on the November ballot, if approved by the Marlins. [25]
San Antonio hosts the NCAA football Alamo Bowl each December.
Media and entertainment
San Antonio has one major newspaper, the San Antonio Express-News [26], which has been in service since 1865. The Express-News currently circulates as the largest newspaper service in South Texas. The Hearst Corporation, which owned a second newspaper, the San Antonio Light, purchased the original Express-News from News Corp. and abandoned the Light name, thereby creating the "new" Express-News. The San Antonio Current is the "alternative" paper with weekly listings of events and nightlife around town.
While the city may be one of the largest in the country, San Antonio is only the 37th largest television market in the United States, according to Nielsen (this is primarily due to the lack of suburbs--most of the San Antonio area has been annexed by San Antonio). The following list are the major affiliate television stations in the city.
FM: 28 - AM: 20
About 50 radio stations can be heard in the San Antonio area—30 of them are actually located in San Antonio. The first radio station to broadcast in South Texas was KTSA AM-550 in 1922. Another significant station is WOAI AM-1200 (the flagship of Clear Channel Worldwide), which is the radio home of the San Antonio Spurs, and one of the country's leading radio news/talk stations. The National Public Radio station is KSTX 89.1 which broadcasts "Riverwalk Jazz", featuring Jim Cullum Jazz Band at The Landing, a fixture on the Riverwalk since 1963.
Two significant changes in the Latin radio market (as of June 27, 2005): Univision Radio's Amor 95.1 (KCOR) FM flipped formats from Spanish Contemporary to Reggaeton, now named "La Kalle 95.1". (http://www.univision.com) "La Kalle 95.1 FM," is a new youth-targeted Spanish-language radio station that will cater to San Antonio Hispanics in the highly sought-after 18-34 demographic, reflecting changes also seen in similar stations in New York and San Francisco.
La Kalle’s high-energy format will primarily feature Reggaeton and Latin Hip-Hop music. Reggaeton, a relatively new genre of dance music that originated in Puerto Rico and derives from a blend of Latin tropical sounds, Jamaican reggae music and urban hip-hop, has taken the US Hispanic market by storm.
This format change adds some needed diversity to the radio landscape, with a playlist that is more inclusive of the tastes of all Latinos in the San Antonio area, including those of non-Tejano descent. Most Latin stations in the area play Regional Mexican, Tejano or Contemporary Pop. Another station, which just started broadcasting in 2004 is Digital 104.1 (SKRIO) FM, which bills itself as Pop en Español, but mostly mimics the format of the former Amor.
Note: On January 12, 2006 KCOR-FM "La Kalle 95.1" has changed its format from Reggaeton/Hispanic-Rhythmic Contemporary Hits to Spanish Oldies as Recuerdo.
- See also: Broadcast media in San Antonio
Sister cities
External links
Coordinates: 29°24′40″N, 98°30′02″W
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