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.
San Antonio’s South Side has always been home to me. I grew up in the McCollum High School area, where the community around me always took care of me and made me feel comfortable. Though I’ve moved to a neighborhood on the Southeast Side, the South Side is still where I spend much of my time.
I still go to B&B Smokehouse, where I’ve been going for their chopped brisket sandwich since I was in high school. Best Burgers is another childhood favorite that’s still going strong.
Brooks is a good midpoint between my old and new neighborhoods, where my family often walks the trails of The Greenline, which is especially beautiful in the spring. We also enjoy catching a movie at City Base Cinemas and savoring a meal at La Gloria.
Another great way to get some walking in among beautiful scenery is by exploring the missions. The nearby Mission Marquee Plaza hosts frequent events, and my family especially enjoys the outdoor film series in summer and the farmers market held from spring to fall where we can pick up fresh produce, shop local vendors and participate in different activities. Across the street from the plaza is Fruteria La Mision, a neighborhood staple serving up fresh fruit that really hits the spot on summer days.
In my neighborhood on the Southeast Side, I’m reminded of visits to my grandmother’s house when I was a kid. She still lives in the same house, but the neighborhood has changed a lot. My grandmother worked at the little H-E-B on Goliad for many years, and back then it was just that H-E-B, the nearby Walmart and not much else in the area. Now there are several chain stores and restaurants, which certainly make things more convenient, but also bring more traffic. It can be frustrating at times but is a good sign of economic development in the area.
I was so happy when La Gloria opened their new location down here and am pleased to see more local restaurants popping up to balance out the chain businesses. As someone who prefers to support local businesses, I hope more small business owners look toward the South and Southeast sides of town.
The development where my husband and I bought our house in 2016 was a new development adjacent to an already existing neighborhood. But having grown up nearby and having spent so much time at my grandmother’s house, it felt familiar and comfortable from the start.
We love entertaining in our home and host all the big family gatherings. Celebrating the holidays with loved ones filling our home with conversation, laughter and warmth is the ultimate tradition for us as a family.
In 2020, I started becoming more active on social media and connected with other local creators sharing what they love about our city, especially the South Side. This really opened me up to a whole new community and a new way of experiencing my hometown.
As we continue to see growth on the Southeast Side, I hope the City of San Antonio will prioritize infrastructure. Making improvements to roads for the people who already live here and being smart about planning for rapid development will be crucial in the next few years. I love my part of town and am excited to see it grow, but I want to make sure we are prepared for that growth.
