Relocating to San Antonio | Relocation Resources for Moving to San Antonio

An advantage for many who are relocating to San Antonio is that they probably visited here already – either as tourists or as trade show attendees. As the most popular travel destination in the state, more than 26 million people visit each year. So it’s possible that if you’re preparing a move to this area, you’re already aware of its many attractions, including sports, culture, recreation, shopping and cuisine. Combine all of these attractions with a beautiful climate and a thriving economy, and you’ll find no better place to call home than San Antonio.

One aspect that truly defines the area is the respect for its history, whose traces can be seen throughout the River Walk area and beyond. It’s a city that is comfortable with its diversity and mix of cultures – with more than 58 percent of the population who are of Hispanic or Latino origin. The harmonious mix results in a truly cosmopolitan city, one comfortable with its past but certainly living in the present with an eye on its future. One great to see this firsthand is to experience Fiesta, with its multi-generational participants, all enjoying a 10-day celebration with many events and parades. The Mardi-Gras-like atmosphere features music, food, sports, pageantry, military and patriotic observances, exhibits and parades. The event takes place each year in April. See the Calendar of Events pages throughout this section to learn about all the many year-long activities that occur in San Antonio.

When measuring a city’s quality of life, it’s not just the main attractions but a wide range of factors, including its weather, cost of living, educational access, health care facilities, job growth and overall positive attitude. In San Antonio, you’ll find all of this in addition to the friendliest people and plenty of opportunity to live life to its fullest.

The city’s success at attracting newcomers and visitors is recognized among many – here’s a partial list of what people are saying.

ForbesTraveler.com names San Antonio one of nation’s top 10 golf cities. March, 2009.

Southern Living Readers’ Choice Award, ranked San Antonio among top ten southern cities. January, 2009.

National Geographic Adventure magazine named San Antonio as one of the nation’s next great adventure towns, noting the upcoming River Walk extension which will add 460 acres of parkland, Government Canyon State Natural Area and the city’s diversity of attractions. September, 2008.

NBC’s Today Show ranked San Antonio as one of the five friendliest cities in the U.S. The city was judged on safety, diversity, the amount of parks and public spaces, civic celebrations (can you say fiesta?) and personal stories of friendliness. Various statistics were also taken into consideration, such as does the city offer a large enough hotel inventory to welcome visitors (over 36,000 hotel rooms); how many tourists does the city attract (26 million each year) and the median cost of a single-family home ($150,000). May, 2008.

Relocate-American named San Antonio as one of the top ten best places to live in America. 2008.

Forbes magazine named San Antonio as the No. 2 most recession-proof city in America. 2008.

Expansion Management named San Antonio one of America’s hottest cities for company executives looking to relocate or expand their businesses within the next three years. San Antonio ranked fifth of the top 50 metropolitan markets in which to expand or relocate. February, 2006.

As you can see, the accolades include having fun and enjoying life as well as being a great place to relocate a business or start one. The city is able to seamlessly combine all facets relating to quality of life into one impressive package of amenities. In this chapter, you’ll be given a tour of the best the city has to offer and hopefully discover many new aspects about the Alamo City.

Family-Friendly
What better way to share time with your children outdoors then to visit the important sites of the city and all learn a little history at the same time. This is possible by starting the tour in the heart of the city.

Thanks to the imagination and foresight of civic leaders in the 1940s, the River Walk is now one of the major defining landmarks in the city. Each year, millions of people visit the River Walk each year to enjoy this unusual urban sanctuary that winds along the San Antonio River in central San Antonio, one story below the bustling street level. Fine dining, art galleries and boutiques line the banks of the downtown River Walk. The relaxing pace of the lush landscapes, quaint pathways, tinkling waterfalls, quiet pools, outdoor art and relaxing outdoor patios evoke the renowned public spaces and always there is a sense of history around every corner.

And now there is even more to see and explore with The River Walk’s new “Museum Reach.” This opened earlier this year and stretches north along the San Antonio River and connects the existing River Walk to the San Antonio Museum of Art and the 125-year-old Pearl Brewery, a vibrant urban village. New public art installations, by local, national and international artists, line the banks. A lock and dam system, the only one in Texas, overcomes a 9-ft. rise in elevation. Take a river taxi and navigate right through the lock and dam.