The San Antonio of today is not the same San Antonio it was decades ago. Sometimes that’s for the best, but other times, there’s things locals wish would’ve stayed the same.
In a post on the r/sanantonio subreddit, residents sounded off on the ways they’ve seen the city change and how they wish it could’ve unfolded differently. Here’s what the majority had to say.
The city has seen improvement when it comes to green spaces, one commenter wrote, saying, “Been here since 1978. Something positive is the increase in parks/improvements/trails etc such as the Salado Creek Greenway System. Parks have come a long way! I wish for more of the same.”
However, others said they feel like there’s actually less green space overall. One commenter wrote, “It seems like to get away from the city to see open green spaces now its a couple hours. I’m honestly not sure how to fix it, but I miss seeing the areas of trees like we used to have all over.” At least in downtown, trees are about to become more abundant. In order to tackle urban heat and add more shade, Centro recently partnered with the City of San Antonio on its Trees Everywhere project, which aims to plant 1,000 trees downtown in the next decade.
So it seems that while the city has upped its game on parks, some residents are picking up on the outward growth of the suburbs and shopping centers, making those true rural areas feel more remote. To that effect, urban sprawl was another major topic of conversation on the thread.
If you’ve ever sat in San Antonio’s highway traffic, you’ll have picked up on the sheer amount of people that live in the Alamo City. And you wouldn’t be alone, as residents on the thread complained of “constant, neverending sprawl” in the 210 and said they “miss the small town feel.”
Another commenter said they grew up in the I-10 and De Zavala area but left in 2005 after graduating from high school. According to the commenter, “it was always busy, but nowhere near the nightmare it is now.” They continued, saying, “It’s odd too because there haven’t been a ton of neighborhoods added since I was in high school in that area, but it has still become chaotic. There are a lot of cool businesses in that area now which is why I end up there from time to time, I can only guess maybe people like me are making it crazy.”
Others reminisced on a time before Loop 1604 was home to the Shops at La Cantera and some of the city’s biggest developments. “There were so many areas that were wildflower fields, open fields with cows grazing, and farmlands that are now huge, busy 6 lane highways with frontage roads and shopping centers,” one commenter said. Another said while they remember when Loop 1604 was only two lanes dubbed the “death loop, “there’s a silver lining that people aren’t getting killed (as much) on an unsafe road. Plus, I like shopping and there’s much more opportunity for that now, lol!”
These locals remember bygone amusement parks like Splashtown (closed in 2021), Malibu Castle (closed in 2015), Funtown USA (closed in the 1990s), Pear Apple County Fair (closed in 1997), Playland (closed 1980) and more. “I wish there were more family friendly things to do,” one commenter said.
All in all, the city looks pretty different these days, and whether that’s good, bad or ugly is up to you. But one thing’s for sure: San Antonio is going to change some more.