San Antonio, Texas
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- "San Antonio" redirects here. For other uses, see San Antonio (disambiguation).
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| Image:TXMap-doton-SanAntonio.png {{{2 }|1{{{1|}}}={{{3|}}}}}}|Location in Texas| }} | ||||||
| Founded Incorporated | 1731 | |||||
| County | Bexar County | |||||
| Mayor | Phil Hardberger | |||||
| Area - Total - Water | 1,067.3 km² (412.07 mi²) 11.7 km² (4.51 mi²) 1.09% | |||||
| Population - City (2004) - Density - Metropolitan | 1,236,249 1,084.4/km² 1,820,719 (2003 est.) | |||||
| Time zone | Central (UTC –6) | |||||
| Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS) | 29.4251° N 98.4946° W | |||||
San Antonio is the county seat of Bexar County, Texas.
San Antonio was named for Saint Anthony of Padua, whose feast day it was when a Spanish expedition stopped in the area in 1691. San Antonio was the third-largest city within the state of Texas and ninth in the United States as of the 2000 U.S. Census, with a population of 1.1 million. The July 1, 2004 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau, however, placed the city's population of 1,236,249 and is now the second-largest city in Texas (surpassing Dallas) and eighth in the United States. San Antonio is the county seat of Bexar County.6 The San Antonio metropolitan area (MSA) is the third largest within Texas with a population of about 1.8 million as of the 2003 U.S. Census estimates.
Famous for its Riverwalk and the Alamo, its Tejano culture, the three-time NBA Champion Spurs basketball team, the Tower of the Americas, and being home to SeaWorld and Fiesta Texas theme parks, San Antonio is visited by 20 million tourists per year.
The city has a strong military presence, it is home to Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base and Brooks City Base.
San Antonio is home to the first museum of Modern Art in Texas, the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum[1].
SBC Communications, Valero Energy Corp, USAA, Tesoro Petroleum Corp, Southwest Research Institute, H-E-B supermarkets and Clear Channel Communications are headquartered in San Antonio.
San Antonio is also home to the South Texas Medical Center, the largest medical research and care provider in South Texas.
The Fairmont Hotel, built in 1906, is in the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the heaviest buildings ever moved intact. It was placed in its new location, three blocks south of the Alamo, over four days in 1985, and cost $650,000 to move.
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History
The place San Antonio and the San Antonio River were formally named under Spanish viceregal authority on June 13, 1691, by a Spanish expedition led by Domingo Teran de los Rios, the governor of the province of Texas of New Spain and Franciscan Father Damien Massanet who named the river and site in honor of Portuguese born Saint Anthony of Padua "because it was his day" on the official Catholic Church calendar.
St. Anthony was born June 13, 1231, in Lisbon. From that point on, the location was known as San Antonio and it appeared that way on both official and unofficial maps. Some settlers had been left at the site, but they soon died from the elements or from hostile Indians. Various other expeditions came through the area but the one which established permanent occupancy by European settlers occurred May 1-5, 1718, when Gov. Don Martin Alarcon and Father Antonio Olivares founded Mission San Antonio de Valero and the Presidio of San Antonio de Bexar. In 1720, Mission San Jose was founded and then three missions were moved from East Texas to San Antonio in 1731 -- Mission Conception, Mission San Juan and Mission Espada.
On March 9, 1731, a contingent of 55 settlers from Spain's Canary Islands arrived in San Antonio armed with a royal charter to establish the first civilian government in Texas, joining the religious and military establishments that were already in San Antonio. The islanders named their city, Villa de San Ferfnando, a name that never stuck because the place and river had already been known for 40 years as San Antonio. The missions closed in the late 1700s and the old Mission San Antonio was occupied in 1803 as headquarters for 100 members of the Second Flying Company (mounted lancer cavalry) of San Carlos de Parras (Alamo de Parras) sent to reinforce the Spanish garrison at the Presidio. They named the old mission compound El Alamo after their former home. The city's first hospital was opened there as well.
In 1821 Spain granted Mexico its independence and American settlers were allowed into Texas under special conditions. In late 1835 San Antonians fought with the Mexican garrison, forcing its surrender and sending the troops to Mexico City. That enraged Mexico President Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who led his army to San Antonio to put down the local insurrection. He arrived Feb. 23 and a 13-day siege ensued with about 200 defenders inside the Alamo complex holding off several thousand Mexican troops until the final assault before dawn on March 6 in which all the defenders died in what became one of the most famous battles in history. Santa Anna was defeated April 21 at the Battle of San Jacinto near Houston in which he agreed to recognize Texas independence that had been declared on March 2 by Texas leaders.
The independent Republic of Texas, however, was not recognized by the goverment in Mexico City, but was by the United States, France and England. Texas petitioned the United States for annexation as a state, which was granted in 1845. That touched off war with Mexico (1847-49)in which the U.S. Marines occupied Mexico City (from the Halls of Montezuma) and eventually saw Mexico surrender to the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in which the United States claimed Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma and parts of Kansas, Wyoming and other states. Today, the Alamo is s historic shrine in downtown San Antonio surrounded by businesses, hotels and tourist attractions such as the REiver Walk or Paseo del Rio. The other four Spanish colonial Missions have been restored and are part of the Missions San Antonio National Historical Park and all operate as active missions or parishes of the Catholic archdiocese of San Antonio.
Geography and climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,067.3 km² (412.07 mi²). 1,055.6 km² (407.56 mi²) of it is land and 11.7 km² (4.51 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.09% water. The city sits on the Balcones Escarpment.
Climate
San Antonio's weather is somewhat dry, turning hot in the summer, mild in the winter with cool nights, and comfortably warm in the spring and fall. Only a few freezes occur each year and snow is rare.
In San Antonio, July is the average warmest month. The highest temperature ever to be recorded was 111°F/43.8ºC on September 5, 2000. The average coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature ever was 0°F/-17.7ºC on January 31, 1949. May, June and October have quite a bit of precipitation.
Winter: Average daytime highs are in the low to mid 60's while being around 40 degrees overnight.
Spring: Average daytime highs are in the upper 70's to low 80's while being in the upper 50's low 60's overnight.
Summer: Average daytime highs are in the mid to upper 90's while being in the low to mid 70's overnight.
Fall: Average daytime highs are in the low to mid 80's while dropping into the upper 50's and low 60's overnight.
Demographics
According to the 2000 census, San Antonio is the 9th largest city in the United States and the 3rd largest in Texas (8th and 2nd according to the July 1, 2004 U.S. Census Bureau estimates). There are 1,144,646 people, 405,474 households, and 280,993 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,084.4/km² (2,808.5/mi²).
There are 433,122 housing units at an average density of 410.3/km² (1,062.7/mi²). According to Texas.com, the current racial make up of San Antonio is: 32% non-Hispanic White, 7% African-American, 2% Asian, 1% Native American; 58% of the population is Hispanic. Hispanics blanket the city, and can be found anywhere in the city. San Antonio's relatively small African-American community resides in the city's eastern neighborhoods, while Anglo/Whites reside in the northern neighborhoods.
In the city the population is spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. In San Antonio, 48% of the population are Males, and 52% of the population are Females. For every 100 females there are 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $36,214, and the median income for a family is $41,331. Males have a median income of $30,061 versus $24,444 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,487. 17.3% of the population and 14.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.3% of those under the age of 18 and 13.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Tourism
San Antonio is a popular tourist destination. The jewel of the city is the Paseo del Rio, or River Walk, which meanders through the downtown area. Lined with numerous shops, bars, and restaurants as well as the Arneson River Theater, this attraction is transformed into an impressive festival of lights during the Christmas and New Year holiday period.
The downtown area also features HemisFair Park (home of the Tower of the Americas and the Institute of Texan Cultures), La Villita, El Mercado, and the city's most widely recognized landmark, the Alamo.
Other places of interest include Brackenridge Park (home of the San Antonio Zoo), the missions of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, the Witte Museum, the McNay Art Museum, SeaWorld of Texas, and the Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme park.
Every April, San Antonio hosts Fiesta San Antonio, a 10-day celebration of the city's diverse cultures and of the heroes of the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto, featuring over one hundred events held throughout the city. Visitors can also experience something of the cowboy culture every February at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo; year round, they can also see the 40 ft./12 m. tall cowboy boots at North Star Mall.Beyond taking in the sights and sounds of San Antonio, tourists can sample some of its world famous Tex-Mex cuisine at the many fine restaurants located throughout the city. San Antonio also has no shortage of establishments offering Texas style barbecue, and for the truly intrepid barbecue aficionado, a day trip to some of the more renowned barbecue pits and smokehouses of Central Texas is both necessary and easily manageable.
Districts and communities
San Antonio has several neighborhoods of interest:- The Monte Vista National Historic District is located one and a half miles north of downtown San Antonio and is home to approximately 3,000 people. Its distinguished residential architecture, primarily from San Antonio's "Gilded Age," defined as extending from 1890 to 1930, forms the most extensive and intact neighborhood of this era in Texas.
- The King William Historic District is just south of the central business district of San Antonio. It comprises parts of some twenty-two blocks with seventy-nine historic structures, most dating from the second half of the nineteenth century.
- The northeast suburb of Windcrest is known for its tradition of elaborately decorating homes with lights every Christmas.
- The Redland Division is very nice. It is close to the Vineyard, A large shopping center. Houses are big aswell and a shopping center is under construction, as of 12:40, Sunday, October 2, 2005
- The North Central side of San Antonio contains some of the most valuable residential property in the city. The city of Alamo Heights is populated with historically wealthy families. Castle Hills is a little further North, located around Loop 410 and Blanco. Castle Hills is another upscale community with houses dating around the 1950's era. Inwood just inside Loop 1604 is where many newly upper class residences are located.
- The southeastern suburb of China Grove has a song written and sung about it by the Doobie Brothers entitled "China Grove."
- Downtown has a growing residential population. It is surprisingly affordable to live in the downtown area, although there can be a waiting list for an apartment to open up. Another benefit is that rush hour traffic is generally going in the opposite direction. The only thing missing is a grocery store! While the bus system (VIA Metropolitan Transit) is not ideal, it is far better than most mass transit systems in the US.
- Randolph AFB and Fort Sam Houston Army Base are operational. Kelly is dwindling, but is home to Hurricane Katrina Victims. Brooks is shrinking as well and is scheduled for closure.
Government
San Antonio operates on the council-manager form of government. Voters elect 11 representatives. This includes 10 district representatives and 1 mayor to pass laws and establish policies for the city. San Antonio politics is non-partisan. Representatives are paid $20 a meeting, while the Mayor earns $4040 a year. The council hires a City Manager to serve as the City's chief administrator.
The current mayor is Phil Hardburger.
Transportation
Image:San Antonio Intersection.JPGThe San Antonio International Airport is located in north central San Antonio, approximately eight miles from downtown. It has two terminals and is served by 12 airlines serving 28 destinations including 3 in Mexico. An extensive bus and trolley system is provided by the city's metropolitan transit system, VIA. VIA offers 78 regular bus routes and four trolley routes, including express routes from downtown to the theme parks. VIA also offers a special service to city events, including Spurs games and city parades, from its Park and Ride locations.
San Antonio serves as the southern terminus for Amtrak's Texas Eagle train service, originating in Chicago. From there, the Sunset Limited travels west to Los Angeles and east to Orlando three times per week. The old Sunset Station is now an entertainment venue owned by VIA and neighbored by the current station and the Alamodome.
People and culture
Henry Cisneros was the mayor of San Antonio from 1981 to 1989. He was the first Hispanic mayor of a major U.S. city, and later went on to serve as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton.
NFL players from San Antonio include Kyle Rote (Thomas Jefferson High School), Keith Cash and Kerry Cash (Holmes High School), John Hagy, Priest Holmes and Ndukwe "N.D." Kalu (Marshall High School).
Shaquille O'Neal graduated from Robert G. Cole High School, having led his team to a 36-0 record and a state championship his senior year.
Professional wrestler Shawn Michaels grew up on Lackland Air Force Base, where his father, an Air Force colonel, was stationed.
Olympic gold medalist swimmer Josh Davis was born in San Antonio on September 1, 1972, the same day Mark Spitz won one of his seven 1972 gold medals and made Olympic history.
Native actors include Carol Burnett, Ann Prentiss, Hal LeSueur, Joan Crawford, Henry Thomas, and Ricardo Chavira.
While not a native of San Antonio, actor Tommy Lee Jones makes his home on a 3,000 acre (12 km²) cattle ranch just outside the city (in the Texas Hill Country) and keeps up another house in the San Antonio suburb of Alamo Heights. Other residents of the Hill Country area include actress Madeleine Stowe (with her husband Brian Benben and family), actor Patrick Swayze, and country singer George Strait, who was raised in nearby Pearsall.
Syndicated advice columnist Heloise was born in San Antonio and still resides there.
Author Sandra Cisneros resides in the historic King William District, in a purple house that has gained her notoriety beyond the city limits.
American Juniors runner-up Jordan McCoy, who is now signed with Sean Combs, also hails from San Antonio.
Businessman and San Antonio Spurs owner Peter Holt is a notable resident, as is Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.
Best selling Christian author, Max Lucado, serves as minister to the Oak Hills Church of Christ in San Antonio.
Sister cities
- Guadalajara, Mexico
- Kaohsiung Municipality, Taiwan
- Kumamoto, Japan
- Kwangju, Korea
- Las Palmas De Gran Canaria, Spain
- Monterrey, Mexico
- Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Spain
Education and scientific research
Colleges and universities
San Antonio hosts several institutions of higher education offering associate's degrees or higher, including:
- Our Lady of the Lake University [2]
- St. Mary's University [3]
- Trinity University [4]
- University of the Incarnate Word [5]
- The University of Texas at San Antonio [6]
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Alamo Community College District. [7]
- ITT Technical Institute. [12]
- Hallmark Institute Of Technology [13]
- Southwest Research Institute [14]
Public schools
San Antonio and Bexar County are served by 15 separate independent school districts, largest among these are Northside Independent School District with an estimated total enrollment of 65,700 (6th largest in Texas), San Antonio Independent School District with an estimated enrollment of 57,500, and North East Independent School District. Other districts that serve portions of the city of San Antonio include Alamo Heights, East Central, Edgewood, Fort Sam Houston, Harlandale, Judson, Lackland, South San Antonio, and Southwest.
Private Schools
San Antonio has many private schools, notably Saint Mary's Hall, Keystone and T.M.I.: The Episcopal School of Texas
Other educational facilities
- San Antonio Public Library [15]
Media and entertainment
Newspaper
San Antonio has one major newspaper, the San Antonio Express-News [16], which has been in service since 1865. The Express-News currently circulates as the largest newspaper service in South Texas. A second newspaper, the San Antonio Light, purchased the original Express-News, abandoned the Light name, and became the "new" Express-News. The San Antonio Current is the "alternative" paper with weekly listings of events and nightlife around town.
Television
While the city may be one of the largest in the country, San Antonio is only the 37th largest television market in the United States, according to Neilsen. The following list are the major affiliate television stations in the city.
| Broadcast television in the San Antonio market | ||
|---|---|---|
| KBEJ 2 (UPN) - WOAI 4 (NBC) - KENS 5 (CBS) - KJLF 7 (Ind) - KLRN 9 (PBS) - KSAT 12 (ABC) - KNIC 17 (Ind) - KTDF 18 (TV Azteca) KHCE 23 (TBN) - KEVI 25 (Ind) - KPXL 26 (PAX) - KABB 29 (FOX) - KRRT 35 (The WB) - KWEX 41 (UNV) KQEV 46 (DS) - KFTO 47 (UNV) - KVDA 60 (TEL) | ||
Radio
About 40 radio stations can be heard in the San Antonio area; 30 of them are actually located in San Antonio. The first radio station to broadcast in South Texas was KTSA AM-550 in 1922; that station continues today as the San Antonio's only all-local 24-hour news-talk station. Another significant station is WOAI AM-1200 (affiliated with the WOAI TV station and the flagship of Clear Channel Worldwide), which is the radio home of the San Antonio Spurs.
Two significant changes in the Latin radio market (as of June 27, 2005): Univision Radio's Amor 95.1 (KCOR) FM flipped formats from Spanish Contemporary to Reggaeton, now named "La Kalle 95.1". (http://www.univision.com) "La Kalle 95.1 FM," is a new youth-targeted Spanish-language radio station that will cater to San Antonio Hispanics in the highly sought-after 18-34 demographic, reflecting changes also seen in similar stations in New York and San Francisco.
La Kalle’s high-energy format will primarily feature Reggaeton and Latin Hip-Hop music. Reggaeton, a relatively new genre of dance music that originated in Puerto Rico and derives from a blend of Latin tropical sounds, Jamaican reggae music and urban hip-hop, has taken the US Hispanic market by storm.
This format change adds some needed diversity to the radio landscape, with a playlist that is more inclusive of the tastes of all Latinos in the San Antonio area, including those of non-Tejano descent. Most Latin stations in the area play Regional Mexican, Tejano or Contemporary Pop. Another station, which just started broadcasting in 2004 is Digital 104.1 (SKRIO) FM, which bills itself as Pop en Español, but mostly mimics the format of the former Amor.
Nightlife
San Antonio has a robust nightlife that centers on several key areas:
- The Riverwalk is home to several night clubs, all with a 2am or later closing time, depending on what night it is. Notable clubs in this area include the Hard Rock Cafe, the DANCEPLEX (formerly Polly Esther's), Club RIVE/TABU and Dick's Last Resort.
- Downtown San Antonio, away from the river, has several clubs, including the popular Coyote Ugly franchise bar, gay nightspot The Bonham Exchange ("the" place on Fridays), and the Rivercenter Comedy Club.
- Away from downtown, a strip of Main Street near San Antonio College includes gay-oriented clubs such as The Electric Company (younger crowds), The Saint (disco, drag shows, strippers), The Silver Dollar Saloon (country-western), and the Heat.
- Also in the area is the North Saint Mary's Strip, located to the east of main street. On this strip, several bars can be found, such as Paparay's, Joey's, the Mix, Tycoon Flats, small coffee shops such as The Candlelight Cafe (mixed gay-straight crowd), and the latino-themed video bar, Arriba.
Professional sports teams
The city's only top-level professional sports team, and consequently the team most San Antonians follow, is the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. The Spurs have been playing in San Antonio since 1973 and have won three NBA Championships (1999, 2003, 2005). Previously, the Spurs played at the Alamodome, which was built for football, but the Spurs built and moved into the SBC Center in 2002. One of the immediate consequences for the SBC Center is the creation of two new teams, The San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League and the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA. San Antonio is also home to the Double-A Minor League affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, the San Antonio Missions who play at Nelson Wolff Stadium on the west side of the city.
The city is also a temporary home for the New Orleans Saints for the 2005 NFL season due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The Saints have set up practice facilities in San Antonio for the season, and will play a split home schedule in the Alamodome and Baton Rouge, Louisiana's Tiger Stadium. City officials are said to be attempting to lure the NFL permanently to San Antonio, and have said that a strong showing at the Alamodome for the three local Saints games is vital to showing that San Antonio can support an NFL franchise.
San Antonio hosts the NCAA football Alamo Bowl each December.
Sources
External links
- San Antonio official website
- San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau
- San Antonio Area Parks
- San Antonio Golf by Bunkershot.com Golf Magazine
- San Antonio International Airport
- Fiesta, San Antonio
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Local or Yahoo! Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Satellite image from Google Local or Microsoft Virtual Earth
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