SAN ANTONIO │ City and Metro Off-Topic Thread

[kingkirbythe....]

This is silly but kind of fun.



Here’s what a San Antonio and Austin metroplex should be called, according to Reddit

https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/austin-san-antonio-metroplex-reddit-17454227.php

Gridlockistan

Traffic Hell

The Corridor or El Corridor

The MetroMex

San Austonio

Austintonio

San’stone

Greater San Marcos

Greater New Braunfels

San Braunfels Marco Austin, featuring Lil Buda



Acronyms

ASA

ayy, ese

ASS (Austin/San Antonio/Suburbs)

Austin-San Antonio Metropolitan Region (ASMR)

[jaga185]

I am particular to ASMR and ASS.

[wwmiv]

My favorites:

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

San Austonio
Austintonio
ASA:
ayy, ese

[kingkirbythe....]

I like ASA and San Austonio or just Austonio.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Originally Posted by jaga185

I am particular to ASMR and ASS.

Yeah I'm 100% on team ASS. It's what I think about every time I drive through Schertz or Buda anyway.

Realistically it will be referred to as "the Austin-San Antonio area". I think the cities are just too far apart to be a true metroplex, even if Austin sprawled more to the south and the suburbs start to touch:

DT SATX to DT ATX- 80 miles
DT FW to DT Dallas- 33 miles
DT San Francisco to DT San Jose- 57 miles

Ain't no one I ever heard of call it "San Francisco-San Jose". It's the Bay Area. And the Census Bureau agrees, even though it's one continuous built up area, San Jose and SF are two separate metro areas. So, we don't have a bay in central Texas, but we will still be an "area", imo.

[kingkirbythe....]

Then maybe The Corridor moniker would fit. A combination of ASA and The Corridor. The ASA Corridor sounds nice.

[frogs3b12]

Originally Posted by Keep-SA-Lame

Yeah I'm 100% on team ASS. It's what I think about every time I drive through Schertz or Buda anyway.

Realistically it will be referred to as "the Austin-San Antonio area". I think the cities are just too far apart to be a true metroplex, even if Austin sprawled more to the south and the suburbs start to touch:

DT SATX to DT ATX- 80 miles
DT FW to DT Dallas- 33 miles
DT San Francisco to DT San Jose- 57 miles

Ain't no one I ever heard of call it "San Francisco-San Jose". It's the Bay Area. And the Census Bureau agrees, even though it's one continuous built up area, San Jose and SF are two separate metro areas. So, we don't have a bay in central Texas, but we will still be an "area", imo.

It's interesting how Philadelphia to Newark/NYC is similar distance to San Antonio to Austin but I don't think most people would think of them as their own area. Maybe because NYC is an anomaly of US cities and the Northeast Corridor is a different scale.

[kingkirbythe....]

Should the 100-year-old Hughes House be named a historic landmark? A city panel says yes

https://sanantonioreport.org/hughes-house-historic-landmark-san-antonio/

With a city panel on Wednesday in agreement that the Hughes House in Tobin Hill is worthy of historic designation, a century-old San Antonio home could be free from future threats of demolition.

Now nearly a year since its owners made plans to raze the Prairie-style home, halted by pleas from neighbors and the Conservation Society of San Antonio, the structure could soon enter its third act as an upscale neighborhood wine and cheese bar.

The Historic and Design Review Commission voted unanimously to approve the neighborhood’s request for a finding of historic significance, making the Hughes House eligible for landmark designation — but only if the owner agrees or City Council passes a resolution.

That is the next step in assuring the Hughes House never meets a wrecking ball, and with new owners in place, the historic designation could be within reach.

To be eligible for local historic landmark designation, a property must meet three of 16 criteria set by the Unified Development Code. City staff agreed with the applicant that the house meets five of the criteria.

The majestic Hughes House, owned by the Archdiocese of San Antonio for more than five decades and most recently used as a Catholic student center, sits just outside both the Tobin Hill and Monte Vista historic districts.

The archdiocese put the property on the market in 2021 and sought a city permit to demolish the vacant house, a right it has under laws that prohibit any municipality from designating a structure as a historic landmark over the objection of a religious entity.

Soon after, Tobin Hill residents joined the Conservation Society in submitting a request for a review of the home’s historic significance.

[Spoiler]

Some out-of-towner just filmed and uploaded a walking tour of downtown including drone footage, inaccurate commentary, and even a little cheesecake. Some good views, unfortunately the drone footage is relatively brief.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m37KVnA3KPk

[kingkirbythe....]

SeaWorld San Antonio unveils new one-of-a-kind ride coming in 2023

It's the world's first launched flume coaster

https://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/article/seaworld-san-antonio-new-ride-2023-17470058.php

SeaWorld San Antonio unveiled its plans for a new thrilling water ride that will be the world's first launched flume coaster with the world's steepest drop, according to a news release from the attraction on Tuesday, September 27. It's set to arrive in 2023.

The new ride, Catapult Falls, will have a vertical life that lifts riders above the theme park and a water flume ride with the steepest drop, according to the release. A flume coaster is a type of water ride where logs or boats are propelled around a trough by the water flowing through it.

[kingkirbythe....]

Mystery skydivers jumped off the Tower of the Americas 37 years ago this week

https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/tower-of-the-americas-parachute-17470073.php

Four mystery skydivers jumped from the observation platform of the 750-foot Tower of the Americas 37 years ago this week, shocking downtown watchers who viewed the fall silhouette against the night sky.

Park rangers arrived within minutes, but the jumpers, with the help of friends on the ground, escaped police by speeding away in four different vehicles.

The incident — the first time anyone had parachuted from the city’s tallest structure — led to similar stunts and an eventual law passed by the city council that banned base jumping from the Tower of the Americas.

A 1985 city ordinance makes it unlawful to bring parachute equipment anywhere within the tower. It’s also illegal to parachute, or attempt to parachute, from anywhere on the Tower of the Americas. Violators are subject to a $200 fine.

Some daredevils weren’t deterred by San Antonio’s anti-parachuting law until certain renovations were made in recent years. At least two parachuters floated down from the Tower of the Americas and escaped without arrest.

One of those jumpers was John Pety, who leaped from the Tower of the Americas with his parachute in February 1988.

After floating to the ground, he quickly packed up his parachute and climbed into a waiting car and sped off into the night.

This was reportedly Pety’s second jump from the Tower of the Americas. Pety, who would go on to make the Guinness Book of World Records for illegally jumping from the Houston Astrodome, later told the Express-News that he was one of the original four to parachute from the structure in 1985.

But Pety was among the last to make the jump.

Recent renovations to the observation have made it physically impossible to jump from the tower. The last known incident was in 1999, when a 27-year-old Florida man jumped and attempted to evade arrest.

The man told reporters at the time: “It’s the biggest rush you can get. Nothing compares to it.”

[kingkirbythe....]

Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales files legislation to keep Spurs in San Antonio

https://www.expressnews.com/politics/article/Tony-Gonzales-spurs-act-17462053.php

What if it took an act of Congress to keep the Spurs in San Antonio?

With the team playing two games in Austin this season and Austin billionaire Michael Dell buying a 10 percent share of the team last year, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales worries it might, even as the Spurs’ owners have sought to reassure fans and local officials that they have no plans to move.

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire — and there’s absolutely smoke,” the San Antonio Republican said.

“Look what happened to the Seattle SuperSonics,” Gonzales said of the now-Oklahoma City Thunder; or the San Diego Chargers or St. Louis Rams, both of which now call Los Angeles home.

“No one would ever imagine the Spurs would leave San Antonio, but what if they do?” Gonzales said. “Sometimes when we say it takes an act of Congress, sometimes we have to take that seriously.”

So Gonzales is filing legislation to stop any possible move up Interstate 35 for the Spurs, and to prevent other small market teams from ditching communities that have invested time, tears — and a whole lot of cash — in them.

His bill, The Strengthening Public Undertakings for Retaining Sports Act — or SPURS Act for short — would set up strict requirements for teams to relocate. A franchise would have to lose money for five years in a row, plus prove that its stadium is inadequate or that local governments are flouting its agreements with the team.

The legislation would require teams to give a year’s notice if they want to relocate, and it would allow local governments to veto the move. It would also force teams that do move to reimburse whatever financial assistance or incentives were provided to them, such as special tax incentives or arena financing. Local governments could sue teams for damages, as well.

[kingkirbythe....]

Kate Purdy brings the San Antonio of her childhood to the screen in ‘Undone’ animated series

https://sanantonioreport.org/undone-animated-series-amazon-prime/

Any San Antonian watching the Amazon Studios streaming television series “Undone” will immediately recognize the Tower of the Americas and downtown skyline among its familiar backdrops, which also include the Alamodome, Trinity University and St. Anthony de Padua church.

The church appears with its familiar campanulate façade because “Undone” creator, writer, executive producer and showrunner Kate Purdy grew up in San Antonio, and her parents were members of the St. Anthony de Padua congregation.

While growing up in Terrell Heights, her father taught at Boerne High School, her mother taught at Herff Elementary School, and she attended Alamo Heights High School.

[kingkirbythe....]

Leaving San Antonio made me realize the Alamo City's beauty

https://www.mysanantonio.com/lifestyle/a...x-17458020.php?IPID=MySA-HP-CP-Spotlight

As a kid, my scope of the world was greatly influenced by my experiences here in San Antonio. I learned about other countries and cultures in school, but life according to the Alamo City felt like a universal standard to me. It was a standard that I used to see as normal, maybe even a bit boring at times.

It wasn’t until I moved away from San Antonio that I was able to fully realize just how unique the city truly is, how its charm can be misunderstood. Growing up in San Antonio is an experience heavily determined by a native’s stomping grounds (code for high school, because it truly does matter). For me, I was used to seeing taquerias and panaderias and molinos every few blocks. Landmarks like the Tower of the Americas and Market Square were for special occasions, while Mission San Jose was just a pretty building to admire when driving by my grandparents’ house.

[kingkirbythe....]

CannaBus, Texas' first mobile marijuana dispensary, coming to San Antonio

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/...mobile-marijuana-dispensary-17459427.php

Coming soon to a Texas town near you: a roving cannabis dispensary. The CannaBus has returned on its "Ride For Your Rights" tour, with a mission to let residents know how they can qualify for medical marijuana.

Operated by Austin-based company goodblend — one of only three licensed operations in Texas — the CannaBus will tour the state in October as part of an effort to bring awareness to Texas' medical cannabis laws. The 36-foot bus will have a private consultation room, product displays, and an "outdoor education exhibition."

The CannaBus made stops all over the state last year after Texas House Bill 1535 went into effect on September 1, 2021. House Bill 1535 added post-traumatic stress disorder and all forms of cancer to the list of qualifications for medical cannabis. According to goodblend, however, fewer than 30,000 patients are enrolled.

[kingkirbythe....]

Donkey Lady returns with a talk show and a famous anarchist guest

https://sanantonioreport.org/donkey-lady-regeneracion-marisela-barrera-slab-cinema-san-antonio/

For a new video produced with the help of a Department of Arts and Culture individual artist project grant, performing artist Marisela Barrera brings together two seemingly disparate characters: San Antonio legend the Donkey Lady and revolutionary Mexican journalist Ricardo Flores Magón.

What do a mythical figure and a doomed anarchist have in common?

“The Burra is an anarchist, as well,” Barrera said, using the Spanish nickname of the Donkey Lady. “They’re really of the same people.”

The legend dates back to the settler days of San Antonio when a young woman was victimized by a wealthy landowner, who burned her and her family in their house. Horribly disfigured, she threw herself into Elm Creek, and now reportedly haunts a bridge nearby.

As Barrera plays her, the Donkey Lady is a gregarious, politically charged figure unafraid to confront wrongs she sees in the world. In politically charged reporting against the regime of Porfirio Diaz, Magón was hounded, forced to flee and ultimately murdered. After their deaths, both are free to realize their true selves, Barrera said.

[kingkirbythe....]

New study ranks San Antonio as the city most deserving of an NFL expansion team

https://www.sacurrent.com/news/new-study...erving-of-an-nfl-expansion-team-29962977

When it comes to the Alamo City's prospects of attracting a pro football team, hope springs eternal.

Here's the latest development as San Antonio chases its long-elusive gridiron dream: a new report by a sports-focused media platform named the 210 as the city most deserving of an NFL expansion team.

To compile its list of 20 cities worthy of a pro football team, the platform Yardbarker used metrics including the individual metros' populations, whether they're home to another professional sports franchise and whether they previously had an NFL team.

The report's authors justified putting the San Antonio at the top of the list by ranking it as the most populated city without an NFL team. They also pointed to the Spurs' success as proof that we have "what it takes to host a professional sports team."

Also drawing a mention was the Alamo City's success at hosting the New Orleans Saints for a portion of the 2005 regular season while the Superdome underwent repairs following Hurricane Katrina.

Even so, SA football fans should probably know by now not to get their hopes up. After all, Texas already boasts two NFL franchises, and despite its population, San Antonio has yet to crack the top 30 media markets. And, yes, we've been let down so many times before.

In yet another reality check, Yardbarker also ranked Sydney, Australia as one of the top contenders for an NFL expansion team. Riiiiiiight.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

New study ranks San Antonio as the city most deserving of an NFL expansion team

https://www.sacurrent.com/news/new-study...erving-of-an-nfl-expansion-team-29962977

When it comes to the Alamo City's prospects of attracting a pro football team, hope springs eternal.

Here's the latest development as San Antonio chases its long-elusive gridiron dream: a new report by a sports-focused media platform named the 210 as the city most deserving of an NFL expansion team.

To compile its list of 20 cities worthy of a pro football team, the platform Yardbarker used metrics including the individual metros' populations, whether they're home to another professional sports franchise and whether they previously had an NFL team.

The report's authors justified putting the San Antonio at the top of the list by ranking it as the most populated city without an NFL team. They also pointed to the Spurs' success as proof that we have "what it takes to host a professional sports team."

Also drawing a mention was the Alamo City's success at hosting the New Orleans Saints for a portion of the 2005 regular season while the Superdome underwent repairs following Hurricane Katrina.

Even so, SA football fans should probably know by now not to get their hopes up. After all, Texas already boasts two NFL franchises, and despite its population, San Antonio has yet to crack the top 30 media markets. And, yes, we've been let down so many times before.

In yet another reality check, Yardbarker also ranked Sydney, Australia as one of the top contenders for an NFL expansion team. Riiiiiiight.

Sydney, London, Toronto, and Auckland actually make some amount of (non) sense as the Anglosphere’s largest cities outside of the United States. The NFL has long looked abroad, in an attempt to internationalize the sport.

[Verbl1]

I am looking for anything you guys may have on projects they have rejected because the aesthetics didn't match the city, or some other dumb reason. I am also looking for anything that could have been built and would have been a great benefit to the city but this committee decided against it. I'm setting up a meeting with my local council person to ask him about this as well. If nothing else I will need help to create some sort of petition so that we as a city can possibly dissolve the HDRC. I understand that this city has a lot of culture and we have a lot of pride in that. We will never forget the 300 years of culture and tradition but we also need to progress, there are no cities that I can think of that say let's follow in San Antonio's footsteps when it comes to architecture. I truly believe we have one of the best highway systems in the country and I truly believe in this via trackless train.
I also feel that our city council is doing absolutely fuck all to help our airports aiport. I want us to tackle issues that affect us economically, and also give us a sense of pride in where we live. TLDR LET'S DISSOLVE THE HDRC AND FIX THE HOMELESS PROBLEM BEFORE WE LOOK LIKE AUSTIN AND SAN FRANCISCO. Any help would be appreciated so I can show them a case.

[JACKinBeantown]

Originally Posted by Verbl1

I am looking for anything you guys may have on projects they have rejected because the aesthetics didn't match the city, or some other dumb reason. I am also looking for anything that could have been built and would have been a great benefit to the city but this committee decided against it. I'm setting up a meeting with my local council person to ask him about this as well. If nothing else I will need help to create some sort of petition so that we as a city can possibly dissolve the HDRC. I understand that this city has a lot of culture and we have a lot of pride in that. We will never forget the 300 years of culture and tradition but we also need to progress, there are no cities that I can think of that say let's follow in San Antonio's footsteps when it comes to architecture. I truly believe we have one of the best highway systems in the country and I truly believe in this via trackless train.
I also feel that our city council is doing absolutely fuck all to help our airports aiport. I want us to tackle issues that affect us economically, and also give us a sense of pride in where we live. TLDR LET'S DISSOLVE THE HDRC AND FIX THE HOMELESS PROBLEM BEFORE WE LOOK LIKE AUSTIN AND SAN FRANCISCO. Any help would be appreciated so I can show them a case.

I think a potentially achievable objective might be to establish parameters within which the HDRC can evaluate and make their recommendations. I don't think the chances of dissolving it are very high, but making the recommendations fall within a set of defined criteria may help alleviate the issues you have with them.