This Isn’t About An Arena. It’s About A Mindset
Disclaimer: Dax has served for 6 years as a board member of Spurs Give, the non-profit of the San Antonio Spurs. This November, San Antonio faces a defining choice: whether to extend hotel and rental-car taxes to help fund a new Sports & Entertainment District downtown. It’s a decision about more than a venue; it’s […]
Rethinking San Antonio’s Sprawl: Zoning Reform
In my last article, I gave several reasons why our suburban sprawl has negatively impacted our society. These articles going forward will suggest pragmatic solutions to slowly but surely curb sprawl and help us create a more beautiful, human-scaled, and walkable San Antonio. First, let’s imagine what we want in a city. Most people that […]
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 […]
How the Initiatives Behind San Antonio’s Art Scene Are Making It a Creative Capital
San Antonio’s art scene is both vibrant and accessible, unfolding in galleries, on street corners, and across neighborhood festivals. For decades, First Friday and Second Saturday have drawn residents into studios and galleries in Southtown and downtown, and have been the standard Date Night for me and my husband for many years. My favorite part […]
Explore the Core: Downtown West District
For decades, San Antonio’s central business district — downtown proper — felt like occupied territory. With nearly 90% of the foot traffic driven by tourists, it was easy to assume the area was off-limits to locals unless they were clocking in. But that’s changing. A new neighborhood energy is emerging in Downtown West, clawing back […]
The Billion Dollar Question: Who Really Pays for the Spurs Arena?
(It’s Not Your Pothole Fund.) This is Part 4 in a 12-part series on San Antonio’s Sports & Entertainment District, aka Project Marvel. In order to understand how the new Spurs arena will be funded, take a little ride with me. Meet two characters heading to the future San Antonio Sports & Entertainment District (aka […]
Three Years of Fear: When Students Turn Stories Into Healing
Seven years ago, I was lucky enough to be sitting at a table with some of the most creative people in San Antonio education, the Cast Network and friends. We were brainstorming and dreaming about opportunities for kids. We shared memories from our own middle and high school experiences, and Lorenzo Gomez’s book, Tafolla Toro: […]
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 […]
Divorcing the Sports District from the City’s Deficit
This is Part 3 in a 12-part series on San Antonio’s Sports and Entertainment District, also known as Project Marvel. One of my favorite quotes comes from the movie Raising Arizona. An inmate, watching a couple argue, leans over to another inmate and says, “I wouldn’t be surprised if the source of the marital friction […]
Explore the Core: The Creamery District
Tucked between the Pearl and Midtown, The Creamery District is one of San Antonio’s newest microdistricts in motion, where bold culinary concepts, rooftop hangouts, and underground lounges meet a slice of history. Anchored around the Tin Top residential and commercial complex, the district sits on the former Borden dairy plant site, reimagined into a walkable […]