San Antonio, Texas Real Estate Blog & Market News - Richard Soto's Blog | Page #3

San Antonio’s music scene is on the rise, with many bands and performers cruising over from nearby Austin and realizing that SA is one cool city. If you’re looking for great venues for local live music, wander into one of these houses of sound.

Club Rio

San Antonio is, as anyone knows, heavy on Latin influence. Club Rio is heavy on Latin rock and pop, and is the best venue in town for catching the liveliest, driving Latin beats going. This is no venue for amateur acts, by the way. Major Latin pop acts like Julieta Venegas and Alejandra Guzmán have played here, as have funky Afro-Caribbean acts like Elvis Crespo and Oscar D'León.

Gruene Hall

Okay, so Gruene Hall is actually in New Braunfels, but is that any reason to nitpick? Of course not. A short…

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No other city in Texas does the holiday season like San Antonio. A tailor-made backdrop of beautiful nature and architectural splendor lend the festivities a unique aura, from simple tree lightings to the indescribably delicious food.

Lights and Parades

            Light the Way, Nov. 22 – Jan. 6, citywide: San Antonio’s historic streets and the River Walk get a bold, bright makeover for the holidays. There are, literally, more than a million lights glimmering from Thanksgiving through New Year’s.  You’ll see something new every time you go out and look. The light show formally begins at the University of Incarnate Word campus, with the "A Cardinal Christmas" on Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

            Holiday Parade, Nov. 28,  7 p.m. San Antonio River:…

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Don’t make the mistake of thinking there’s no such this as excellent pizza in San Antonio. Because there really, really is.

Grimaldi’s

Chain restaurants seldom get the notice they deserve when they’re good. But Grimaldi’s corners the market on what real New York pizza tastes like. Not what New York-style pizza tastes like, what actual New York pizza tastes like. The company filters local water so that its chemical composition matches that of the water in New York (which actually is considered the among cleanest and best-tasting in the country), so that the crust comes out exactly right. If you’re from the East Coast, taste this little slice of home, it doesn’t get any more authentic (or delicious) than this. Locations at Quarry Village and La…

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Ever get the vague sense that something in a movie looks familiar? Well, you’ve likely walked right through some of cinema’s more mainstream sets and never knew it. Or maybe you did. In either case, here’s a list of some of the coolest movies ever to set up camp in San Antonio.

Pee-wee’s Big Adventure

The utter, absurd silliness of Pee-wee Herman’s big day out made 1985 a lot funnier than it would have otherwise been. And San Antonio made a perfect backdrop for Hollywood’s favorite goth filmmaker, Tim Burton, whose entire career was launched from the back of Pee-wee’s bike, zipping through the streets of Alamo City.

 

Miss Congeniality

Speaking of funny (and silly), Sandra Bullock’s biggest comedy hit, about an FBI agent staking out the Miss…

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People from everywhere visit San Antonio to take in the Texas history, see the best team in the NBA, walk the fabled Riverwalk, and dine on the best Tex-Mex in the state. So why leave the city just because you have some time off. Whether you need a weeklong reprieveor a weekend getaway, San Antonio is a great spot for a staycation. Check out (and check into) these hotels next time you need a getaway.

JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa

This luxurious hotel in the Hill Country ‒‒ voted one of the top 500 hotels in the world by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine ‒‒ is home to TPC San Antonio, which features two championship golf courses and hosts the annual Valero Texas Open. Families will love the River Bluff Water Experience, the…

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Let’s face it. Summer near the Equator can be a little intimidating when it comes to outdoor dining. But the fall can be a glorious time to have a great dinner outside. And when it comes to beautiful outdoor fall dining, few places in the Southwest offer the views, the bustle, and the culture of San Antonio. So check out these great restaurants with beautiful patios.

Aldaco's Stone Oak

This Mexican restaurant is built on the highest point in San Antonio   on, which means its patio offers fantastic views of the city and the woods. In fact, sunset on the patio feels more like a vacation getaway than a fine meal. And if you’re visiting from out of town, Aldaco’s offers a courtesy shuttle to and from the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort and Spa guests.…

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A checklist for great golf: Awesome scenery? Check. Convenient to get to? Check. World-class course? You better believe that’s a check. San Antonio and its neighbors have all these bullet points and more. If you’re looking for reasons to golf in the Alamo City, here are five compelling ones:

Tapatio Springs Golf Resort & Conference Center

Eighteen holes? Pah! Tapatio Springs offers 27 holes of championship golf just a few minutes northwest of San Antonio. Its three 9-hole courses offer exquisite Hill Country views, complete with blue lakes, limestone cliffs, and soaring trees. The terrain runs from simple to challenging and is a must for anyone looking for a unique day on the links.

Northern Hills Golf Club

Looking for a real challenge? Try…

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We all know San Antonio has some of the hottest real estate in Texas. As one of America’s fastest growing cities, San Antonio draws hundreds of new residents by the week. And to accommodate the flow of new residents moving in, developers are ever building new places to live. Here’s a look at three of the best new subdivisions in the capital area.

1. The Colony at Indian Springs

This master-planned community along the Bulverde Road corridor is nestled in beautiful North Central San Antonio and features a pool and cabana, a playground, and the kind of gorgeous views you’d expect from life near the Hill Country. The Colony is served by the award-winning Comal Independent School District and blends rural living with modern convenience and close proximity…

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Just because you live in a place that always has something to do doesn’t mean you always know what to do. But there are always things to do, and several you must do if you live in or near San Antonio.

1. Wine, Anyone?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Texas produces some fantastic wines. So much so that there really is such a thing as the Texas Wine trail, which runs a string of 30+ Hill Country wineries. Follow the trail (but don’t drive it) from just north of San Antonio, though Fredericksburg and Lampasas, and stop in New Braunfels. See how the state’s best wines are made, get samples, and take in some fabulous scenery along the way.

2. Boo!

 

It doesn’t need to be Halloween season to enjoy a good spooky haunted house (though Halloween…

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San Antonio is home to two Texas landmarks. One, of course, is the Alamo, and the other is the tallest structure south of Houston, the Tower of the Americas. But we’re talking about skyscraper buildings here, and the Tower is the city’s famed observation deck. From up here, you can see these other Texas-sized buildings, the tallest skyscrapers in San Antonio.

1. Bank of America Plaza

At 387 feet, the BOA Plaza tower is the fifth-largest building in town. The building opened in 1984 as Interfirst Bank Plaza, and measures 28 stories.

2. The Tower Life Building

Perhaps the most beautiful, most “San Antonio” of the city’s skyscrapers is it’s fourth-largest building, the Tower Life Building. This landmark began construction in 1927 and opened in 1929.…

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