Looks like we may be moving to San Antonio

[ARogers]

DH just got accepted to PA school and has to be in San Antonio at the end of March for approximately a year. We (the LO's and I) plan on moving out there in June after DS finishes school. We are planning on renting an apt or townhome because we don't know if we will be able to find a renter for our house. What areas would you recommend? Stay away from?

I hear that it's a nice area. Is there a lot for myself and the LO's to do as DH will be busy in school? How is the school system? DS is currently in private school. Any recommendations for private Catholic schools? Thanks mamas!

[Minniebees]

What part of the city is his school going to be?

In general, the north and northwest parts of the city are "nicer" with "better" schools.

There doesn't seem to be a ton of Catholics here. I've been trying to get us started on the conversion thing, but the local Catholic Church has not responded to my calls or e-mails, and the next closest one is about a 25 or 30 minute drive. There is a Catholic school, but IIRC it's not in a neighborhood I would be tripping over myself to live in, so you'll drive, and driving in San Antonio can be annoying.

If you worry about traffic, then avoid Stone Oak and Alamo Ranch. If, however, you love that large subdivision feel, then those are great neighborhoods for that. We prefer privacy and land, so we are outside the city in the "country."

As far as renting your other house, hire a property management company. That's what we did with our house in CA. They don't get paid unless it is rented, so that is a huge incentive. It rented 2 weeks after we moved out, and has been rented continuously since.

Personally, I don't find that there is a lot to do here. Sea World is OK, not nearly as fun as the one in San Diego. The Alamo, Mercado, and Riverwalk are something to do, but once you've done it a few times, it gets old. The zoo is small. It's a LONG drive to anywhere fun, as well. We went to Carlsbad Caverns last weekend, and it takes 8-10 hours to get out of the state. It's a huge state.

Get a house with a pool. We love our pool.

[ARogers]

Thanks so much Minniebees! I just saw that you are a military family. DH got into the military PA school at Fort Sam. We were considering staying on post but I don't know what the waiting list is like AND I am afraid that we will have problems getting our house rented.

Does your DH work at Ft Sam? How long is his commute? I don't want DH to have to sit in too much traffic. I read somewhere that San Antonio is the 7th largest city!

Bummer about Sea World. That was my mail selling point to DS. But he's only 5 so he won't know the difference.

PS I love your avi and siggy. We're a Disney Family too! I'm going to miss being 4 1/2 hours from WDW.

[pieceofjess]

Alamo Heights isn't too bad of an area if you prefer to remain central and it is also close to Ft. Sam. I would avoid being inside loop 410 unless you decide to move to AH.
Of course if you prefer to have a lot of land AH won't be for you. We live in Leon Valley and it's okay but the traffic is terrible.
Definitely live somewhere with/close to a pool. The summers here are brutal.

[Minniebees]

Jess, I will get to your PM, I promise, I have been busy and keep forgetting!

Originally Posted by ARogers Thanks so much Minniebees! I just saw that you are a military family. DH got into the military PA school at Fort Sam. We were considering staying on post but I don't know what the waiting list is like AND I am afraid that we will have problems getting our house rented. Does your DH work at Ft Sam? How long is his commute? I don't want DH to have to sit in too much traffic. I read somewhere that San Antonio is the 7th largest city! Bummer about Sea World. That was my mail selling point to DS. But he's only 5 so he won't know the difference. PS I love your avi and siggy. We're a Disney Family too! I'm going to miss being 4 1/2 hours from WDW.

More than likely he will be at BAMC, and not Ft Sam. It's confusing, I know, but the medical stuff is at BAMC. Previously dh was at Wilford Hall at Lackland, but they are moving all inpatient services to BAMC, so they moved the NICU last week. Dh is a neonatology fellow. You will want to live on the east side of town, then, but be aware they may rotate him through to wilford Hall, which is on the complete opposite side of the city. We know some people in Shertz who like it, but they homeschool. I think in general it's not as "nice" as some of the north and NW areas, but there are definitely some great areas there, and I think it's a bit cheaper than where I am. Dh's commute is about 30-40 mins, but that includes getting on base, which is a major PITA for the staff. I have never had a problem using the patient gate at non-commuting times, but I have heard of 30+ min backups in the morning. They have a staff parking garage that just opened, too, so there is at least parking.

The wait for dh's rank for base housing was over a year (I think he's field grade now? I get that confused, he's not a junior officer anymore), but it might be less for other ranks. I really don't know.

If you guys like Disney, you will be disappointed in Sea World and 6 Flags here. And it's about a 19 hour drive to WDW. We're going in November, and it's going to be a long drive! That's why we are going for 2 weeks.

Carlsbad Caverns is about 8 hours from San Antonio, and it's awesome if you haven't been. We've gone twice since June. There's not much to do here....