The Where I Live series aims to showcase our diverse city and region by spotlighting its many vibrant neighborhoods. Each week a local resident invites us over and lets us in on what makes their neighborhood special. Have we been to your neighborhood yet? Get in touch to share your story. If your story is selected and published, you will receive a $250 stipend.
Learning to fall in love with San Antonio was a process, but once I made the move downtown, life truly started falling into place. After several years in New York City, Texas called me home. I first landed in the SeaWorld area, where I quickly found myself “caving,” or spending most of my time indoors, disconnected from the city and starved for community.
This all changed when I decided to make the move downtown. I realized I needed the energy of a city to keep me active and motivated. I needed the appeal of events and culture right at my doorstep. I missed walking to the grocery store or my favorite bodega. Mostly, I missed feeling like I was a part of something. Downtown San Antonio has truly provided all of this and more.
This neighborhood is where I found my groove, my people, and even my person. I met my fiancé online, and to my surprise, he lived right here too. We fell in love exploring downtown together, taking long walks on the quieter stretches of the River Walk, date nights bar hopping and hunting down the best michelada, and brunches at Box St. All Day in Hemisfair.
Fittingly, we’re getting married right on the River Walk at Marriage Island. There’s truly no place more “us.” It’s intimate and deeply tied to the version of ourselves we’ve grown into in this neighborhood.
Living downtown isn’t just about convenience, though. It’s about connection. That’s what inspired me to create Chulas of San Antonio, a community for women in the city who are looking for friendship, fun, and real connection. Whether you’ve just moved here or you’re a lifelong local, it can be hard to find your people as an adult. This neighborhood reminded me how vital that is and gave me the push to build something that brings women together.
That same inspiration also fuels the content I create on social media, where I highlight the everyday life, culture, and charm of downtown San Antonio. As the self-proclaimed Reina de Downtown, my goal is to showcase what makes this part of the city so special and to help others see it as both vibrant and accessible.
One of my favorite parts of living downtown is how beauty and history are woven into daily life. I can stroll past the San Fernando Cathedral on a weeknight walk or take in rooftop views from 1Watson and be reminded of just how lucky I am to call this place home.
I spend most days walking my pup, Sophia Loren, through the quieter areas of the River Walk near our apartment. But let me tell you, from Holidays on Houston street, to Fiesta, to Muertos Fest- there is never a shortage of things to do. I absolutely love that my neighborhood is the setting for so many great events in San Antonio.
Sure, my rent is a little higher than it used to be, but so are my spirits. Living here has changed my relationship with the city and with myself. It’s made me feel more rooted, more inspired and more alive.
