All Wheels Welcome: Inside San Antonio’s Slow Sunday Motor Club
Between the church bells and train horns of a Sunday morning in downtown San Antonio, there is another sound echoing down E. Houston Street, for those who know to listen for it. From far and wide, every week, cars of this decade and ones long past hum their way to Estate Coffee. Settled evenly between […]
The Active River
Article 4 of a four-part Urban Nerd series exploring the three distinct personalities of the San Antonio River Walk. One of the reasons I have such strong opinions about the River Walk is simple. I have lived on or next to all three of its personalities: the Visitor’s River, the Local’s River, and now the […]
The Era of Big Has Arrived in San Antonio
Growing up, I didn’t think big. I think a lot of us in San Antonio carry that, whether we realize it or not. I grew up in an inner-city neighborhood where most of my world existed within about a five-block radius. I didn’t get on a plane until I was 18. My life felt small, […]
The Local’s River
Article 3 of a four-part Urban Nerd series exploring the three distinct personalities of the San Antonio River Walk. In 2017 I bought a house in Tobin Hill that I probably had no business buying. It was rough, the kind of house where even the listing photos seemed to be warning you about the foundation. […]
Where San Antonio Is Watching the Spurs Right Now
As the Urban Nerd, I normally spend most of my time talking about downtown, walkability, urban districts, and the city core. But I wanted to break from that a little for this article because one of the things I love most about the Spurs is that they are one of the rare things in San […]
The Visitor’s River
Part 2 of a four-part Urban Nerd series exploring the three distinct personalities of the San Antonio River Walk. I’m embarrassed to admit this now, but for a long time, I had a terrible attitude about the River Walk. Not the whole thing. Just the part I thought didn’t belong to me. I saw the […]
The Three River Walks
Part 1 of a four-part Urban Nerd series exploring the three distinct personalities of the San Antonio River Walk. When I was a kid, I went on a school field trip to see the Alamo. Like most San Antonio students, that was my first real trip downtown. But what actually stuck with me wasn’t the […]
Maximum Fiesta, Minimum Spend
Fiesta has always been about showing up, not spending big. And this year, as prices climb and budgets tighten, that spirit matters more than ever. Across San Antonio, there are still plenty of ways to take part in the color, music, and energy of Fiesta without stretching your wallet. We pulled together a list of […]
The Alamo 190 Salute Honors a Sacred Legacy and Lights the Way Forward
Surrounded by the beauty of the historic Alamo Gardens, an unforgettable evening commemorated the 190th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo and raised more than $1.5 million to preserve this sacred site for generations to come. Lantern light fell across limestone walls that have stood for nearly two centuries as San Antonio gathered in […]
We Need to Incentivize Civic Wealth
All great places have civic wealth: shared elements that elevate everyday human life—walkable streets, beautiful buildings, shade trees, plazas, local businesses, and access to nature. These communal resources make the simple joys of life easily available. Great places aren’t purely economic machines built for efficiency. They are human places; places for work, creativity, rest, connection, […]