[KevinFromTexas]

San Antonio doesn't have a grocery store downtown? I've walked pretty much every street in downtown San Antonio, but I didn't notice that. That's really surprising. There's atleast 1 other major one also and several smaller markets also. One at the Dobie, on 6th Street and Congress, then we have an Eckerds--sp? and a 7-11. And there's atleast 1 more convience store on the western side of downtown.

I think San Antonio definitely has the daytime and evening crowds. I think the thing with San Antonio is that when people go there they just figure that everyone they see walking around is a tourist. And some of the people clearly are, I mean 2 weeks ago when I was in downtown San Antonio walking around I had a family drive up and flag me down asking for directions to the Alamo. I gave them. But obiviously some of those people do live down there and of course work there.

My impression of San Antonio though is that not all of downtown is busy, touristy and vibrant. Particularly on the opposite side of downtown from the Alamo and the convention center. The areas around the Weston Centre, Bank of America Plaza, One Riverwalk Place, the Adams Mark Hotel, (Now called the Crown Plaza Hotel). That area is not busy. Those buildings are of course in use no doubt, but you don't see the heavy foot traffic, or for that matter auto traffic like you do on the other side of downtown near the Alamo and convention center. And the extreme far side of downtown from the convention center, near I-35, that area is really sleepy. There's a lot of parking lots and not much to do in the way of touristy stuff with shops and things. And there's even a few 10-story buildings that are completely vacant and boarded up. I have them listed at Skyscrapers.com, but can't remember off the top of my head their name. I took their pictures also. But the way I look at it is, those are just areas that havn't filled in "yet". A lot of those "gritty" vacant 10-story buildings would be great to be renovated and turned into residential. Every city has those places. Including Austin. Downtown San Antonio has HUGE potential. I have never been to a city that compete with the culture, the atmosphere of it's downtown, in touch with nature, the Riverwalk is the coolest place on the planet. I love walking through downtown for hours getting worn out, tired and hot then taking the Riverwalk back and being replinished by the plants and the water. I especially enjoy the Riverwalk because enjoy plants, growing things, gardening and landscaping working out in the yard. I get that from my dad. So walking a long the Riverwalk and seeing the same kind of plants that I have in our yard, only 3 to 4 times as big is pretty cool.