The latest closure to hit San Antonio’s Southtown neighborhood might be symptomatic of a larger transition for the arts and culture district, which has seen numerous shakeups in recent years.
Near Dark confirmed in a social media post that its last day of business will be Saturday, April 4. For four years, the goth bar has been a part of the South Presa retail strip that has long housed Taco Haven among several bars, restaurants and even a tattoo shop.
That same strip has seen a few of the comings and goings in recent years that appear to be a part of an ongoing shift happening throughout Southtown. In 2026, Southtown felt the loss of Brick at Blue Star and the Filling Station Tap Room, two enduring businesses that had unceremonious exits connected to issues of rent.
“The rent has gone up quite a bit for everyone here,” Jon Rowe, owner of Filling Station, told MySA in a recent interview. “Even though we get a fair amount of business, it’s just not enough to sustain a new lease.”
Other well-known food and drink spaces in and around Southtown have shuttered over the last few years, including Casacabel, The Good Kind, Künstler Tap Haus, South Alamode, Brown Coffee Co., A Perfect Day, Hands Down, Up Scale and Barrio Doggs. Reasons behind these closures included rising operating costs, lack of parking, construction obstructions or simply a new chapter for some business owners.
“The economy isn’t what it was 20 years ago, hell, even before COVID. Other things factor into it, like the construction and the parking situation,” Natalia Alejandro of Cascabel told MySA when the restaurant closed in July 2025.
All of this is to say that Southtown continues to find itself in a state of fluctuation ahead of some major developments planned for the surrounding area, including the whole Project Marvel thing that’s supposed to happen by 2032. Companies associated with such projects have already begun purchasing property in Southtown, including the building that houses Battalion, according to a report by the San Antonio Express-News.
With its long-standing history as a hub for local artists and restaurateurs, Southtown remains one of San Antonio’s trendiest places to wine, dine and unwind. However, considering its seemingly constant ebbs and flows, the neighborhood’s cultural identity might continue to transform for years to come.