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Texas city strives to be even world-classier than Boston
By adamg on Fri, 01/15/2016 - 7:21am
Watch out, world: San Antonio is on the move:
Sandy Morander, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio, addressed the broad question of San Antonio's potential as a world-class city by comparing it to her stays in Boston and Dallas.
"A world-class city starts and ends with the people,” she said. Neither of those cities have "the collaborative spirit that San Antonio does. San Antonio is an amazing city."
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Comments
Generations of residents here
Generations of residents here created one of the most desirable parts of the country from the Puritans to the Ellis Island immigrants, which is a large reason why so many transplants are coming to this place from other parts of the country.
San Antonio
Is one huge suburb with about 3 chain restaurants, a couple of hotels, and a poorly renovated missionary downtown.
San Antonio: we aren't quite
San Antonio: we aren't quite in the top 3 cities in the US that start with San, but our basketball team is good!
Gee I don't know
I've been to San Antonio a few times.. nice people, but its big, flat, hot, dry, and looks like one big strip mall or an office park. Not sure if that's world class....
The only quaint part of SA is the downtown area near the riverwalk (brown water!) and the Alamo (which was a big disappointment)
Our Old Buildings Have Basements Unlike San Antonio
Basements, excuse me cellars, make you world class.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYfjq3ZYZbA
The Riverwalk
I thought that the Riverwalk was rather rousified, forced rather than authentic. A nice idea, I love it when cities incorporate even small bodies of water rather than forcing them underground (as the Muddy River was for so many years), but what they surrounded it with struck me as very Quincey Market.
SA
Last time I was there was in July of 2012. And yes the river walk is forced. Its all man made. And yes it's in a tourist area and the Alamo. Its more of a tourist trap than anything because there isn't many reasons to go to downtown San Antonio
But the water is BROWN. Of course it didn't help that when I was there it was 109 in the shade!
If you ever go down again,
If you ever go down again, you really should check out the newer parts that extend north to the Pearl Brewery and South to the missions. Completely different.
Honestly, the riverwalk is something best done in the mornings when its quiet, then it's really damned pretty.
Rousified
Fantastic. OED worth in my book.
Wish I could claim it
I wish I could claim it, it is great, but it's not mine.
There are lots of places in
There are lots of places in this country that are just a series of strip malls and fast food joints, and the residents never know anything else.
Oh yeah, there's a ton of
Oh yeah, there's a ton of collaborative spirit in San Antonio. You got the guy who steals the truckload of Sudafed, the cook, the ventilation workers in the lab...not to mention corner boys, and the corrupt lawyer. Real collaboration!
Um, are you confusing San
Um, are you confusing San Antonio with Albuquerque?
It might surprise you
It might surprise you that methamphetamine production and distribution is not just limited to a TV show
No, that part is pretty
No, that part is pretty obvious. Your adding that description to San Antonio...not so much (I'm from Texas).
Dallas and Boston...
...cats and dogs, fire and ice, night and day, and
massachusetts and texas.
San Antonio and Dallas...
San Antonio and Dallas are two different cities. Both are different from Boston and also different from each other.
New England
I'm eagerly awaiting all the forthcoming comments today inevitably trashing San Antonio, coupled with some serious New England chest pounding over what a great city Boston is.
Relax everyone! There are lots of great cities in the country, with lots of interesting regions, people, and cultures. I've resided in New England for most of my life, but personally enjoy visiting lots of different areas of the country and haven't ruled out living in some them at some point in life.
Knowing that folks in SA look to Boston and use Boston as a measuring stick for their own city should be flattering.
Gonna hold your breath while you do that?
This is some messed up form of reverse schadenfreude, isn't it? Like, taking pleasure in having your low expectations confirmed? What word can we use for the rancid bitterness you feel when your low expectations are not confirmed?
(Not that your anticipated chest-pounding doesn't often happen (the proper word is "chauvanism"), but I think if you read the original post, you'll see the shoe is on the other foot in this case)
add to the list
IMHO a city enters the "world class" by having mass transit rail and the density to support it.
That's addressed in that article, too
IMHO
IMHO a city drops out of "world class" by being slavishly anxiously obsessed (or even giving the slightest damn) whether it is "world class". As the veterans advise the rookies in the NFL, "try to act like you've been here before."
I am here to defend San Antonio...
... as I had the best al pastor taco in the universe at a stand in San Antonio. And the best tequila out of a mason jar, too.
Culture is culture is culture, amigos.
They would instantly be World Class
if they would just finally open up the basement at the Alamo.
San Antone to the bone
Having been there many times I'll say this. it's a huge military town, like Boston is to colleges. San Antonio is great, the cost of living is cheap the weather is nice (other than the ridiculously hot summers) the food is dope and the women are pretty. Oh and Texans know how to party. No need to be world class, it's fine as it is
San Antonio YMCA CEO is one person who is misrepresenting S.A.
Well, it is not too classy to say other people (cities) are not classy.
Sandy Morander
was in high-level leadership of YMCA of Greater Boston for quite awhile, and I believe her adult children still live nearby, so she's quite connected to the Boston area. This comment was probably in appreciation of Boston, not an insult or slight.