San Antonio
Webpages concerning "San Antonio"
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Wikipedia-Article "San Antonio"
- "San Antonio" redirects here. For other uses, see San Antonio (disambiguation).
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Nickname: Alamo City
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 Location in Texas |
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| Founded Incorporated |
1731 |
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| County | Bexar County | ||
| Borough | {{{borough}}} | ||
| Parrish | {{{parrish}}} | ||
| Mayor | Phil Hardberger | ||
| Area - Total - Water |
1,067.3 km² (412.07 mi²) 11.7 km² (4.51 mi²) 1.09% |
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| Population - City (2004) - Density - Metropolitan |
1,236,249 1,084.4/km² 1,820,719 (2003 est.) |
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| Time zone | Central (UTC –6) | ||
| Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS) |
29.4251° N 98.4946° W | ||
| Website: www.sanantonio.gov | |||
San Antonio is the county seat of Bexar County located in the U.S. state of Texas within the 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 city's population over 1.2 million making it the second-largest city within Texas and eighth-largest in the country). The San Antonio metropolitan area is the third-largest in the state with a population of about 1.8 million.
The city was named for 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, San Antonio is visited by 20 million tourists per year.
San Antonio has the South Texas Medical Center, the largest medical research and care provider in South Texas. The city is home to the first museum of Modern Art in Texas, the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum[1].
The city has a strong military presence: it is home to Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base and Brooks City Base.
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History
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 total area is 1.09% 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 in the spring and fall. Only a few freezes occur each year and snow is rare.
In San Antonio, July is the average warmest month. 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.
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.
Economy
Twenty million tourists visit the city and its attractions every year, contributing substantially to the city's economy.
San Antonio's corporate profile includes AT&T Inc., Valero Energy Corp, USAA, Tesoro Petroleum Corp, Southwest Research Institute, H-E-B, and Clear Channel Communications, and Rackspace Managed Hosting, which are all headquartered in the city.
Located northwest of the city 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. 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.
People and culture
San Antonio has a robust nightlife that centers on several key areas:
- 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, gay 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, drag shows, and strippers), 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. |
 Downtown San Antonio features the historic San Fernando Cathedral, the Tower Life Building and the Tower of the Americas |
 The Torch of Friendship sculpture is one of the more recent additions to the downtown area. |
 San Antonio's historic Paseo del Rio, or "Riverwalk," extends some 2½ miles, attracting several million visitors every year. |
 Houston Street, once a major city hub and home to a vibrant nightlife is seeing a revitalization. |
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 of Texas, 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.
Districts and communities
- Main article: Districts and communities of San Antonio, Texas
- Downtown is bounded on the north by I-35 North, on the west by I-35 South/I-10 West, on the south by Durango Boulevard, and on the east by I-37. Presently there is a campaign to attract residents back to this section, with more residential high-rises and lofts being constructed downtown. This is still, however, a thriving area, with the Riverwalk, El Mercado, and other tourist destinations.
- Monte Vista, also known as Laurel Heights, is another historically gentrified neighborhood of San Antonio. It lies north of downtown and is loosely bounded by Hildebrand Avenue, San Pedro Avenue, Ashby Place, and U.S. 281. Parts of this area have fallen into depression since the city's Gilded Age (1890-1930), a period during which this was the place to live in San Antonio. The main commercial districts of this area are along Main Avenue and around the intersection of Hildebrand and McCullough Avenues. Monte Vista is home to Trinity University and Temple Beth-El, San Antonio's most venerable synagogue.
- The area known as Alamo Heights includes the centrally located cities of Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, and Olmos Park. Today this is the most affluent neighborhood of town. The popular Alamo Quarry Market shopping district is located in the Lincoln Heights section along East Basse. The Alamo Heights area is home to actor Tommy Lee Jones, several King Ranch-related families, and four of San Antonio's six billionaires. The San Antonio Country Club is located in Terrell Hills.
- San Antonio is growing north by northwest, and its newest upscale neighborhoods are located just north of Loop 1604, between I-10 and U.S. 281, in an area called Stone Oak. Stone Oak is home to the Sonterra Country Club and many wealthy people from Mexico. To the west is the La Cantera area, which is anchored by a Westin resort, two golf courses, and the brand new Shops at La Cantera, a mall with such upscale stores as Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.
- Other northern cities include Castle Hills, which straddles Loop 410 and Northwest Military Highway, Leon Valley, just outside Loop 410 on the northwest side, Windcrest, a northeastern suburb known for its extravagant Christmas light displays. Hill Country Village, which lies very much within the city, contains large estates, and it is not uncommon to see deer running through the back yards.
- 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 Mexican culture, which is showcased in places like the Guadalupe Street commercial and entertainment district and the Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic church.
- The East Side is home to the Spurs and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. Both events are held at the SBC Center and its older neighbor, the Freeman Coliseum.
- The Near South Side is home to Southtown, King William, Lavaca, Blue Star Arts Complex, and a burgeoning modern district known as Modville[2].
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 $4040 a year. The council hires a City Manager to serve as the City's chief administrator.
The current mayor is Phil Hardburger.
Transportation
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 3 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.
Education and scientific research
Colleges and universities
San Antonio hosts several institutions of higher education offering associate's degrees or higher, including:
- Our Lady of the Lake University [3]
- St. Mary's University School of Law [4]
- St. Mary's University [5]
- Trinity University [6]
- University of the Incarnate Word [7]
- The University of Texas at San Antonio [8]
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Alamo Community College District. [9]
- ITT Technical Institute. [14]
- Hallmark Institute Of Technology [15]
- Southwest Research Institute [16]
- Baptist University of the Américas [17]
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 Independent School District--Randolph, known as the Ro-Hawks (short for Rocket Hawks), South San Antonio, and Southwest.
The city is served by the San Antonio Public Library.
Private schools
San Antonio has many private schools, notably Central Catholic Marianist High School, Saint Mary's Hall, San Antonio Christian Schools, Keystone, T.M.I.: The Episcopal School of Texas, 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, but the Spurs built and moved into the SBC Center in 2002. One of the immediate consequences for the SBC Center is the creation of two new teams, The San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League and the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA. 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 is also a temporary home for the New Orleans Saints for the 2005 NFL season due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The Saints have set up practice facilities in San Antonio for the season, and will play a split home schedule in the Alamodome and Baton Rouge, Louisiana's Tiger Stadium. 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 is vital to showing that San Antonio can support an NFL franchise.
San Antonio hosts the NCAA football Alamo Bowl each December.
Media and entertainment
San Antonio has one major newspaper, the San Antonio Express-News [18], which has been in service since 1865. The Express-News currently circulates as the largest newspaper service in South Texas. A second newspaper, the San Antonio Light, purchased the original Express-News, abandoned the Light name, and became 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. The following list are the major affiliate television stations in the city.
| Broadcast television in the San Antonio market | ||
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| KBEJ 2 (UPN) - WOAI 4 (NBC) - KENS 5 (CBS) - KJLF 7 (Ind) - KLRN 9 (PBS) - KSAT 12 (ABC) - KNIC 17 (Ind) - KTDF 18 (TV Azteca) KHCE 23 (TBN) - KEVI 25 (Ind) - KPXL 26 (PAX) - KABB 29 (FOX) - KRRT 35 (The WB) - KWEX 41 (UNV) KQEV 46 (DS) - KFTO 47 (UNV) - KVDA 60 (TEL) |
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About 40 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; that station continues today as the San Antonio's only all-local 24-hour news-talk station. Another significant station is WOAI AM-1200 (affiliated with the WOAI TV station and the flagship of Clear Channel Worldwide), which is the radio home of the San Antonio Spurs. 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.
Sister cities
Guadalajara, Mexico
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Kumamoto, Japan- Kwangju, South Korea
- Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
- Monterrey, Mexico
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Sources
External links
- San Antonio official website
- San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau
- San Antonio Area Parks
- San Antonio Golf by Bunkershot.com Golf Magazine
- San Antonio International Airport
- The Handbook of Texas Online: San Antonio, Texas
- The Alamo at San Antonio - Information on visiting the historic Alamo
- Fiesta, San Antonio
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Local or Yahoo! Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Satellite image from Google Local or Microsoft Virtual Earth
- Brad Messer's site - San Antonio talk radio host
- San Antonio Lightning - San Antonio muckraking website
- WOAI web site - TV and radio local San Antonio news site
- San Antonio Express News wesite - local San Antonio newspaper's site
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