When I think of Urban life, I think of big-city-living like New York City. As amazing as that sounds, it also is very intimidating. Typically, urban life is accompanied with high-stress, fast-paced life. Sure, urban life is great because it is equipped with modern amenities. What I love about downtown San Antonio is that you still have that urban-city vibe with a touch of your grandma's baked cookies.
When we first moved to our apartment downtown, there was a lot of construction going on. To be honest, Broadway Street looked a little messy. However, after a year, we started to notice that San Antonio is quickly expanding and improving! Within that year, the Historic Pearl Brewery had completely been revamped, new stores opened up, and about 4 new apartment complexes were already in construction along the Riverwalk. Broadway Street is an important street because it connects the majority of Uptown and Downtown, which also has been revamped because of new stores and the New Witte Museum.
Dog Friendly
Another plus about San Antonio is how incredibly dog-friendly it is. I have two dogs and staying home alone is almost never an option, so we take them EVERYWHERE. I don't think we had encountered a restaurant that didn't allow dogs--some even accommodated our dogs inside! The Riverwalk has doggy stations at almost every block (doggy bags/trash) and water bowls.
Leisure
Urban life isn't so lavish if you compare it to other large cities, but San Antonio does have a pretty good urban feel. We lived in close proximity to a lot of bars, restaurants, and are in-the-know with a lot of events. Surprisingly, though, we've never really immersed ourselves into that life. It's weird, before living in the city, we were always inclined to make a trip downtown. Since living there, though, we just appreciated the fact that we can enjoy the luxuries of the urban entertainment at any time because it's just down the street. I love that there are many local coffee shops and restaurants. It's always a pleasant experience encountering different shops with their own personality as opposed to your typical monotonous corporate eateries. San Antonio is becoming a very eclectic city as evidenced with the Pearl Brewery, the new "artsy" apartment complexes, museums, and Southtown, to name a few.
Groceries
There are some things that didn't really change from the rural life. HEB was in every corner, so shopping for groceries really wasn't a shocker, except lugging bags of groceries to your apartment. One thing, though, was a little different. The nearby HEB had a lot of local products that made up the majority of their inventory--which is great, support local! Although, they typically run a little on the pricey side. The nearest HEB was a specialty store --Central Market--so it ran primarily of local products and specialty items. We'd only go there for our favorite local items, but I wouldn't suggest doing an entire grocery run there if you're on a budget.
Downtown Tuesday
Parking, just like any major city, is a bitch. Make time to look for parking, and even make the walk from the parking to your destination. However, every Tuesday, the City of San Antonio does a "Downtown Tuesday." That's free parking downtown on Tuesdays at any city-operated parking garages, lots, and meters from 5pm to 2am.
Roads downtown can get a little confusing with all the "one ways." If you've missed a turn, be prepared to drive a few blocks down just to make it back to that street. I still don't know my way around. Uber is your best friend. Not only do you have to worry about finding parking, but the price for a ride is just as much, if not less than parking downtown. Also, if you plan to drink---there's your designated driver!
Downtime
Downtown downtime is amazing. Although it can get a little noisy, it's pretty much what you'd expect living in a busy, growing city. The views are amazing. We actually live just outside the "touristy" part of downtown San Antonio, so it's a little quieter. The Riverwalk is just outside our apartment, so going for a jog never felt like a chore. Also, with the amount of people around and police patrolling on bikes, I always felt safe.
