San Antonio!

Play, Shop, Live!

River Walk/Downtown The heart of the city's tourism business beats along the River Walk and in the downtown area. Densely packed with hotels of varying price ranges, attractions, restaurants and bars, a visitor could conceivably spend his entire trip in one area of town. The area bustles with activity nearly every night of the week and almost all year long, with locals and tourists alike enjoying mouth-watering cuisine at Boudro's or Paesano's River Walk, singing their hearts out at Howl at the Moon, dancing the night away at Polly Esther's or knocking back a few brews at the Houston Street Alehouse. Not your average tourist trap, the River Walk entices many locals to brave the crowds and enjoy their own city.

King William/Southtown If San Antonio gets funky, this is where it happens. Once primarily residential and neglected, the area has seen a resurgence of interest and an infusion of capital. Urban professionals are snatching up historical homes and refurbishing them, entrepreneurs are launching hip new businesses, and the locals are taking notice. Wander just a few blocks from downtown and discover the City Market and Rosario's. If you can, check out the area during a "First Friday" celebration. Aptly named, this community-wide celebration held the first Friday of each month draws crowds from all over the city for art openings, theater productions, dining and shopping.

Alamo Heights One of the original suburbs of San Antonio, the original developers nearly went bankrupt trying to develop this then remote area. Now, Alamo Heights is its own city with its own school district and zip code. “09,” as the area is referred to (stemming from the zip code 78209), harbors some of the city's finest dining establishments and upscale shopping opportunities. And with good reason, as a huge portion of the city's wealth resides in this neighborhood. For dinner, locals flock to Paloma Blanca or Cappy's. Beer and pool preside at the Broadway 50/50, and one of the city's best wine lists calls Niles Wine Bar home. For a gift for that special someone, you can't go wrong at Sloan-Hall, Timbuktu, or Sunset Ridge Home and Hardware. At Twin Sisters, pull up a chair and get your daily dose of neighborhood gossip over breakfast or lunch.

Monte Vista/Olmos Park This area neighboring Alamo Heights vacillates between very well-to-do and woe-is-me. Home to some of the most exquisite mansions in the city, at the very least it is worth driving through just to gawk. But then turn the corner and find a once-elegant home standing in disrepair. Improvement is creeping through the area, but slowly. Regardless, you will find some wonderful neighborhood secrets, such as the thick chocolate shakes at Olmos Pharmacy, the city's best breakfast tacos at Panchito's, superb deli take-out at WD Deli and goofy gifts at On Main.

North East/North Central “Go north, young married, professional couple with 2.5 kids and a dog seeking a mammoth-sized mortgage!” The growth in this direction has been so overwhelming, you would think someone must have screamed that command. Shopping centers, housing developments and highways are popping up all over North East and North Central San Antonio as many new residents move in, both from out of town and from within the city's more central neighborhoods. This kind of rapid growth seems to require predictability, as is evidenced in the plethora of restaurant and shopping chains. If you want to shop at Old Navy, use the phone book. Otherwise, be a rebel and shop at Sticks and Stones, Too Good to Be Threw or James Avery Craftsman. Likewise with dining, enjoy Mama's Cafe, Maggie's, Casey's Bar-B-Q or Alamo Cafe.

Northwest/Medical Center The medical industry is big business in San Antonio; therefore this area continues to grow at a steady pace. Sort of a hodgepodge of strip shopping centers, restaurants, residences and office complexes, the atmosphere of the neighborhood seems a bit disjointed. Still, you can find great dining at Fratelli's, Casa Real, Carraba's and Hui's Chinese. Shopping is somewhat limited to chain stores, with the delightful exception of Elements gifts. For a fun night out in this part of town, you can't beat Jewels or Joe's Volcano.

Far Northwest When big money folks are tired of paying city taxes, they flee outside the city limits. In the 80s and 90s, they fled to the Dominion and Fair Oaks Ranch housing developments, and beyond to the towns of Leon Springs, Boerne and Comfort. Locals that feel the need to escape the city head out this way to dine at Macaroni Grill or Rudy's BBQ and then dance the night away at Leon Springs Dance Hall. The next day, they may shop at all the antique stores in Boerne or spend the day at Six Flags Fiesta Texas or Sea World.