The team at Travel + Leisure is giving San Antonio a big vote of confidence. The lifestyle magazine has named San Antonio the eighth best place to live in Texas, one of only two of the state’s major metros to make the list.
To compile the rankings, writer Amanda Ogle chatted with real estate experts from across the state. The list considered all aspects of the city’s quality of living, including entertainment options, dining, highly-rated schools, green spaces, and culture.
“As the second-largest city in Texas, San Antonio has more than 300 years of history, which can be observed through its numerous world-class museums, beautiful missions, and annual events like Fiesta Noche del Rio,” wrote Ogle. “There’s always something to do here, whether it’s tackling the local food scene…catching a San Antonio Spurs game…strolling the River Walk for shopping and dining, or taking the kids to city attractions like Six Flags Fiesta Texas and the DoSeum.”
Putting aside the fact that few locals actually stroll the River Walk, Ogle has a point. While one doesn’t have to do a deep dive to find Reddit posts bemoaning San Antonio’s lack of entertainment options, anyone braving downtown traffic on a weekend can see there’s plenty to do — even if national publications tend to only scratch the surface.
“San Antonio feels like it lacks things for young adults because it’s built more for families and tourists than a vibrant youth scene,” wrote one Reddit commenter. Nightlife is spread out, public transit is weak, and college life isn’t centralized, making spontaneous fun harder.”
Although it is easy for visitors to be enchanted with San Antonio’s many tourist attractions, the experience of living here is more niche. Alamo City is Fiesta and Spurs games, but it also has Michelin-starred restaurants, a spectacular art scene, and underground scenes devoted to oldies, nerd culture, and goth.
Still, we’ll take the honor. During the holidays, the River Walk is indeed spectacular, whether we stroll on it or not.
The best places to live in Texas, according to Travel + Leisure experts, include:
- No. 1 — Fort Worth
- No. 2 — Pflugerville
- No. 3 — Frisco
- No. 4 — Sugar Land
- No. 5 — Round Rock
- No. 6 — Plano
- No. 7 — The Woodlands
- No. 8 — San Antonio
- No. 9 — McAllen
- No. 10 — Flower Mound
