All eyes have been on some pretty big developments along Broadway, across from the Pearl district. But progress on these massive plans has slowed to a crawl in many cases. And it turns out there’s already a micro-district ripe with local businesses and walkability worth visiting.
For years, the promise of a massive retail and residential project has loomed over the stretch of Broadway from I-35 to East Grayson Street. Luxury shops and high-rise apartments were outlined in plans, but progress has been slow and barely noticeable ever since.
While it may seem like a waiting game to find a reason to cross Broadway, sticking to the familiar walking paths of Pearl, there’s already a booming district along Grayson Street. And it boasts a far more interesting feature –– it still feels like you’re in the city instead of in an isolated oasis that lacks a sense of place.
“Even as the neighborhood has grown and evolved, I still love that it feels very organic and like there’s interesting and surprising and authentic things that feel different than maybe a shopping center,” Patrick Shearer, partner with On Tap Investments, which is underwriting the Grayson District Instagram account, told MySA. “One of the things that I like about the Grayson District is it feels like there’s something for everyone.”
Shearer, whose company is linked to Modernist Bar, Still Golden Tavern, Bésame, Tokoy Cowboy and Louie’s Icehouse, knows all about this micro-district. In fact, he’s linked to several businesses along the booming slice of town and helps manage a social media account that promotes happenings in the Grayson District.
The Modernist bartender David Naylor serves a nonalcoholic drink to Erin Chase. (Matthew Busch /Contributor)
The area has seen some hiccups. The promise of a new watering hole, Jackie’s Desert Rose, has a sign looming high over what appears to be a perpetual construction site, with no word on progress. And two halves of a development company linked to the massive Broadway East development were tied up in a legal battle that resolved in mid-June, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
Shearer says he’s not sensing any trepidation among smaller, local business owners in the area about potential competition from the massive retail spot. In fact, he says there’s more excitement. The first wave of tenants announced for the BESA development doesn’t directly compete with businesses in that area, and anything that draws more people to the burgeoning Grayson District is seen as a big win.
This is what the Broadway East development will look like from the Broadway entrance to Pearl. (Shop Companies)
“If you’re a pizza shop in New York City, you’re not concerned if another pizza shop opens up in the next block or across the street because there’s just so many people and so much activity that it builds on it,” Shearer said. I feel the same way. I think the more it becomes a hub [the better]. And these little micro-districts, I think, each have their own different personalities and attract people looking for different things.”
Already, you can find groups on a girls’ night out or young professionals on a date, wandering the streets around Grayson and frequenting the plethora of small homes converted into eateries, bars, or retail shops. And there’s a live music scene emerging – something San Antonio has notably lacked, says Shearer.
“I think a lot of people maybe haven’t realized what a live music hub Grayson Street has become. Between Lion and Rose, Sam’s Burger Joint and Smashed and now Moonshine recently opening up, and they’re doing live music,” he said. “Almost every night of the week there’s some live music on Grayson Street.”
While big developments may be moving surprisingly slow, there’s already reason to explore the grid of streets on the other side of Broadway from Pearl. Plus, you can still find free parking near this micro-district.
This article originally published at This walkable San Antonio district is hiding across from Pearl. What to know.