San Antonio, Texas Real Estate Blog & Market News - Fun Stuff

Venturing off the beaten path is usually a good thing in a place like San Antonio. Like any great city, it’s got its share of hidden gems and best-kept secrets that usually delight whoever finds them.

Hogwild Records Tapes & CDs

Believe it or not, some record stores still exist and even thrive, Hogwild is one of these beacons for the music fan. It’s San Antonio's premier record store. Casual yet knowledgeable; knowing yet daring. It’s easy to get lost in Hogwild’s acres of vintage records, where you’ll find everything from gospel to 70s metal. There’s also a top-notch selection of Texas music on vinyl, tape, and CD from all eras.

Ocho Lounge at Hotel Havana

Unless you’re a guest, you’ve probably never thought much of Hotel Havana. But you…

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Not far from the hustle-and-bustle of downtown San Antonio (and yet somehow so very far removed from the city) is the San Antonio Botanical Garden, a 38-acre nature walk that will give you a whole new appreciation for just how beautiful and intricate the natural world can be.

SABOT, as those in the know know it, is a little more than your standard arboretum. It features the futuristic Lucile Halsell Conservatory, which itself features a courtyard surrounded by plants from around the world ‒‒ orchids, bromeliads, tropical rain forest plants, deserts plants of Mexico and Southern Africa, and some of the oldest living plants on Earth.

It also features the glorious Texas Native Trail, where a nice walk will give you a close encounter with the beautiful…

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We know ‒‒ haunted houses and such are supposed to be a Halloween thing. But the ghosts don’t know that. They stick around all through the year, and like all good spirits of the beyond, they like to play at night.

San Antonio at night is gorgeous near the Alamo, River Walk, and missions, so maybe it’s no surprise that whoever’s haunting some of the city’s great downtown places chooses to stay around. And what better way to wave to them than to do it from a Segway tour? Beginning at the Menger Hotel, in the shadow of the Alamo (literally), you can take the San Antonio City Lights Ghost Tour by Segway, a 90-minute cruise through the attractions and find out just what kind of spooky goings-on are really going on. Plus, you get to see the Tower of Americas…

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Let’s just all acknowledge that being in Texas gives one a hankerin’ for really good barbecue. Fortunately, it also gives one access to really good barbecue. In fact, it may be harder to choose which BBQ joint to pick from the bevy of low-lying fruit.

 

Well, don’t say we’re not here to help. Check out a few of these top-notch BBQ places in the San Antonio area.

Smoke Shack Barbecue

Every city in Texas claims to have the BBQ to end all BBQ. We’ll leave that much up to you, but believe us when we say that if you want the best ‘cue in San Antonio, you need to drop by the Smoke Shack food truck on Nacogdoches Road. If you don’t believe us, believe pretty much everybody else, because we’re all saying the same thing. You can’t find anything here…

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You don’t need to be a beer disciple to enjoy a good craft brew. And, if you’re ‘meh’ about beer, that attitude probably stems from the fact that you’ve never had a really great one, crafted by loving hands. Never fear, San Antonio is on the rise as a genuine craft beer Mecca. So get yourself out to one of these world-class brew pubs and try a pint of something special.

Blue Star Brewing Co.

Blue Star is the oldest brew pub in the city, and with good reason. Ever on the prowl for new and delicious beers, Blue Star changes its offerings to fit the seasons and has elevated its menu to a status far above typical bar food. It also features King William, a beer brewed from and on the waters of the San Antonio River.

Freetail Brewing Co.

‘Freetail’ is…

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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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