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 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. […]
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 […]
A Vote for San Antonio’s Future—Go Spurs Go
As we enter the final days of early voting, San Antonio stands at a crossroads that will define our downtown for generations to come. From the vantage of the Market Street Bridge, you’re able to look down on a simple yet stirring message painted atop our umbrellas: “Go Spurs Go.” It’s a statement of solidarity […]
A Love Letter from San Antonio, for San Antonio
San Antonio is standing at a crossroads, and I fear too few of us understand just how important and fragile this moment is. The decision we make on the future of our downtown arena is not just about basketball, and not just about billionaires—it is about who we are, how we see ourselves, and whether […]
Paved Over: Rethinking San Antonio’s Sprawl
San Antonio is a city of contradictions. On one hand, it is a beacon of historic preservation and urban revitalization. We have incredible historic districts, beautifully conserved buildings like the Alamo and the Missions, the world-renowned River Walk, and the 21st-century model for great mixed-use development in the Pearl. On the other hand, we have […]
An Alternative Idea to Project Marvel: Let’s Retrofit the Alamodome and Save Hemisfair
There’s a lot to like about the vision behind Project Marvel. Bringing the Spurs downtown, anchoring a vibrant entertainment district, finally delivering on the promise of walkable urban life…it’s a compelling idea. But here’s the problem: we may not have the political will to make it happen. That’s not a judgment on whether the project […]
Unleashing Safety – Using Dogs to Deter Crime in San Antonio’s Urban Core
Over the last few weeks, a couple of high-profile shootings have shaken San Antonio’s nightlife scene. One incident happened outside a popular bar in the suburbs. Another took place on North Alamo Street. These weren’t isolated events. They were flashpoints. And they got me thinking about public safety in our city, especially in the urban […]