I love living and working in the San Antonio area. In 2020, my husband, Malachy McKinney, and I decided to move with our dog, Lola, to this great city where I was fortunate to find a teaching job at Roosevelt High School.
Finding a place we could call home was important for us. Our realtor, Peter Falcone, was very accommodating and helped us with the process since we were living in Corpus Christi at the time. Peter helped us find our perfect first home, one that is near my place of work, in a safe and calm neighborhood and in a convenient location.
Our house is located in North Converse just a couple of blocks away from Live Oak and a few miles from Universal City and Selma. In my daily commute to work, I drive through Windcrest. Roosevelt High School is only 5 miles away. We’re near public parks, a Walmart neighborhood market, pharmacies, small businesses, a variety of restaurants, amazing bakeries and, most importantly, the Methodist Hospital Northeast medical area and Kitty Hawk Animal Hospital. We can easily arrive in a few minutes to our appointments.
I have lived in different places throughout my life, from Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Tamaulipas in Mexico to Laredo and Corpus Christi in Texas and Philadelphia. Since my first visit to San Antonio, I knew this was where I wanted to live. There are a lot of opportunities for young, emerging and established professionals. Early in my career, I started participating in art exhibits in San Antonio, which helped me make connections that I still maintain now.
My husband and I are both artists and paint murals together, and our home also serves as our studio. We have been beautifying and transforming places for the last eight years. You can find some of our murals in Laredo, Corpus Christi, Philadelphia, Uvalde and San Antonio.
The city of San Antonio and surrounding areas inspire us to create art that reflects our colorful Tex-Mex culture. I love that San Antonio is rich in traditions, history and art. Our local murals can be found at Tony G’s Soul Food Restaurant, Mission San José, downtown San Antonio and at the San Antonio International Airport in the Terminal A baggage claim area.
My husband and I also try our best to attend First Friday and Second Saturday art events in our community. We like organizing community painting events where people have an opportunity to be part of the creation process and enjoy seeing how people feel empowered by beautifying their neighborhoods. One of our future goals is to create murals in our area.
Our favorite place for desserts is El Folklor Bakery. They have the best pan dulce in the area. We recommend Taqueria Guanajuato for authentic Mexican food. Whenever we are not painting murals, we try our best to enjoy our surrounding parks. We love going for a walk with Lola or riding our bikes at Live Oak’s Main City Park, which is located right next to the Northeast Lakeview College campus. The park features several amenities including a football field, basketball court, baseball fields, disc golf course and a network of walking trails. We enjoy seeing families and neighbors having fun in this beautiful park.
My husband and I are very grateful for finding a perfect location for our home and art studio. We look forward to many more years of living and creating art in this thriving neighborhood.
