The Where I Live series aims to showcase our diverse city and region by spotlighting its many vibrant neighborhoods. Each week a local resident invites us over and lets us in on what makes their neighborhood special. Have we been to your neighborhood yet? Get in touch to share your story. If your story is selected and published, you will receive a $250 stipend.

One of the first questions you ask when meeting someone new is, “What side of town do you live on?” Your response can elicit both positive and negative reactions. Unfortunately, I get the latter.

I was born and raised on the Southside of San Antonio. On Nov. 5, it will be 39 years of living in this beautiful city. I have seen the good, the bad, the fiesta sucias and everything in between.

What sets me apart from many friends I grew up with is that I never left the Southside; I never left home.

My childhood home was built in the 1950s, and my mother purchased it in 1979. While it’s undergone several changes, it remains modest. It’s not modern by any means, but it offers so much more than any luxury home could — providing love, memories and a sense of belonging. 

The Palacios family enjoys putting up Halloween decorations at their Southside home, hearkening back to Victoria’s childhood spent there when a haunted house was open at the end of their street. Credit: Clint Datchuk for the San Antonio Report

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Now, my childhood home has become my adulthood home; I even moved my husband in with me and my mom. He didn’t have a choice, because I was adamant about staying in my home.

There are many reasons why I never left. To keep it simple, I am the youngest of four, and there is quite an age difference between all of us. By the time my siblings were grown enough to move out on their own and live their lives, I was just getting into high school, specifically McCollum High School (Go Cowboys!).

My father, a Vietnam veteran, was sick all of my teenage years. After my high school graduation, my mother got sick as well, so I just never left.

For a time, I longed to leave and move to the “better” parts of town like my friends. But as I grew older, I realized what I have here is irreplaceable.

Victoria Palacios and her husband Patrick relax on the front porch of their Southside home. Credit: Clint Datchuk for the San Antonio Report

My home is located right off I-35 and SW Military, which, to me, is the heart of the Southside. It’s the gathering place for our community, and the cruising on Sundays shows it continues to be a staple of San Antonio.

It’s a beautiful thing to remain in your childhood home and see the neighborhood grow with you. My community is unique because my home neighbors three houses with families I grew up with. 

Across the street from me is a friend I met at Rayburn Elementary (R.I.P.) who lives with his wife and kids. Next door to him is his childhood home, where his mother still lives. Right next to me, my neighbor lives in his childhood home, along with his mother, wife and son. 

Victoria Palacios and her husband Patrick (right) talk with their longtime neighbors Alfred and Priscilla Olivares in the driveway of their Southside home. Credit: Clint Datchuk for the San Antonio Report

Living in a community where families grow together is truly special, and we all keep a close eye on each other. Things can get rough around us, especially on those cruising Sundays, but I have never felt unsafe in my neighborhood.

Southside gets a bad wrap. Some say it’s “ghetto” just because we don’t have all the nice things that other sides of town have, but we have culture! Many mom-and-pop shops are not only still standing but are expanding because of this community, like Bobbie’s Cafe. Bud Jones has had its downs, but the community rallied, and it still stands.

Places like Sherry’s Texan, Rocky’s Taco House, Don Pedro’s, Rudy’s Fish, B&B Smokehouse, and several panderias are the types of restaurants you go out of your way to visit because, aside from the fantastic food, each of these places has a truly family feel.

We have other staples, such as South Park Mall, The Mayan Palace Theater, Pica Pica, Papa Jim’s Botanica, feed stores like Moore’s, and meat markets like Thrif-T-Mart and Bolner’s.

Although it may not have the best reputation, the Southside is a thriving place, and the plethora of taco trucks proves this point. I love the taco trucks, but one of my favorite places to see when I’m driving down Military Dr. is La Gloria at Brooks. All of the art and sculptures surrounding the restaurant beautifully encompass the culture of the Southside.

Ultimately, if I had to sum up the Southside in a few phrases, it would be: family, good food, strong drinks, and sunshine. It’s my happy place. It’s my home. It’s “Where I Live.”

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