San Antonio, dream retirement town

[CuppaJoe]

Quote:
Originally Posted by CuppaJoe
AT&T, we know you are the same varmints formally known as SBC, don't get me started.

Yep, these varmints are the reason I moved to Dallas 14 years ago from St. Louis; traded snow for dust......

--

Oops, sorry.

My complaint about PacBell/SBC/AT&T is really a complaint about how "customer service" in general has changed over the years. Moving business phones is the best example of that. Years ago I could call the phone company and say, "our business is moving, what do we need to do?" One person at the phone company would be assigned to handle it. easy. A few years went by and most businesses push some of their internal procedures onto the customer, customer needs to know those internal procedures but ends up learning by making mistakes.

I call and say, "we are moving, we have four lines and a DSL line." I think I've disconnected all five and set up new lines at the new address. Four months go by and I get a forwarded phone bill and see that the DSL line is still connected. I talk to four or five people at SBC and they even set of a four-way conference call to figure out what happened. Well, I misunderstood, "disconnect the DSL line" means take DSL service off the line, and I should have called a different person to disconnect the number from the line. And I'm saying, "what part of 'we are moving' don't you get?"

 

[bbbamI]

Shoot, CJ...no offense to me. I'm retired...remember?

 

[Nomad]

"The Cable Guy" Is Alive and Well in San Antonio

To each his own. After hearing so many good things about San Antonio and Texas I tried to retire in San Antonio just last year, but found the city to be intellectually regressive (perhaps just undereducated), the countryside featureless, and the weather terrible. Moreover, after seeing the "sights" a few times I felt there was little stimulating about the place. When I wanted to do something it usually meant leaving the city; but go where? Wow, Texas Hill Country is hugely overrated. I am not Texan, proudly, and perhaps I just "didn't get it." While it may be a good place to raise a family, I would not want to retire there.

 

[Gumby]

After having read such a nice first post, I must know more about you. Care to share?

 

[REWahoo]

After having read such a nice first post, I must know more about you. Care to share?

Hey, don't be thinking it's me in disguise, attempting to discourage people from moving to this area. I'm just one of the intellectually regressive inhabitants.

 

[Nomad]

Gumby, I see REWahoo is a Texan, don't tell me you are of similar persuasion! I don't know if you respond to all first time posters, but in case it's not your usual practice then I have to laugh because it's just like me to say something controversial and guaranteed to irritate right out of the box. That may be a clue as to why why I retired at 48 from the foreign service (and from the Air Force Reserve), living since on savings and investments which, as I turn 60 this year, are fast running out. I move every year, including to Europe where I lived for circa 15 years, searching for a place that meets/exceeds my requirements and God knows what else. Discovered this website while surfing and find it both entertaining and informative. Cheers.

 

[Leonidas]

...because it's just like me to say something controversial and guaranteed to irritate right out of the box.

Really? Hmmph, I just don't see it.

Although, I bet that some of those intellectually regressive knuckle-draggers in San Antonio would try to twist the friendly words in your first post into something other than what you intended. One must expect such things from the under-educated I suppose.

Thank heavens that you managed to escape and continue your search for a place that meets the needs of someone of your caliber. A daunting task, I'm sure.

Good luck with it, and have yourself a nice life.

 

[2B]

To each his own. After hearing so many good things about San Antonio and Texas I tried to retire in San Antonio just last year, but found the city to be intellectually regressive (perhaps just undereducated), the countryside featureless, and the weather terrible. Moreover, after seeing the "sights" a few times I felt there was little stimulating about the place. When I wanted to do something it usually meant leaving the city; but go where? Wow, Texas Hill Country is hugely overrated. I am not Texan, proudly, and perhaps I just "didn't get it." While it may be a good place to raise a family, I would not want to retire there.

Except for mentioning property taxes, Nomad hit it all. This is the most articulate description of why I don't want to retire in Texas.

 

[Gumby]

Gumby, I see REWahoo is a Texan, don't tell me you are of similar persuasion! I don't know if you respond to all first time posters, but in case it's not your usual practice then I have to laugh because it's just like me to say something controversial and guaranteed to irritate right out of the box. That may be a clue as to why why I retired at 48 from the foreign service (and from the Air Force Reserve), living since on savings and investments which, as I turn 60 this year, are fast running out. I move every year, including to Europe where I lived for circa 15 years, searching for a place that meets/exceeds my requirements and God knows what else. Discovered this website while surfing and find it both entertaining and informative. Cheers.

Welcome to the board. I actually thought you might be REWahoo in disguise. You mentioned you have moved every year looking for a perfect place. Where have you lived and what was it about that place that led you to conclude it was not the one? I'm sure there are many people here who would be interested in that information.

 

[chinaco]

Welcome to the board. I actually thought you might be REWahoo in disguise.

Better watch it... REWahoo might open up a can of Tejas Whoop@$$ on ya.

 

[Enuf]

After seemingly igniting a carfuffle (Scottish version), I'm taken aback by the discussions hereto pertaining. All kidding with REWahoo aside, I love Texas and especially San Antonio.

And being the one actually in beautiful "downtown" San Antone until heading for N'Awlins yesterday, I shall endeavor once more to set the record aright. San Antonio is very walkable and I did the entire summation of the various "districts" in one easy stroll on Friday.

Nice city, nice people, nice dry heat, great parks, fine food, and lots of hospitality. I found the cost of consumables to be amazingly low.

If you want an affordable RE in a nice city, San Antonio fits that nicely.

I wrote this while consuming a Po' Boy with oysters and shrimp. For breakfast.

 

[haha]

...I retired at 48 from the foreign service (and from the Air Force Reserve), living since on savings and investments which, as I turn 60 this year, are fast running out.

Hey Nomad, many of us have a fear of not dying broke. Could you give us some pointers?

Ha

 

[Enuf]

What is the fear of dying broke? I recall the bounced hooker check that my grandpa wrote the day he died. It was for $1000 and in those days that must have bought a nice last day on Earth.

Hey Nomad, many of us have a fear of not dying broke. Could you give us some pointers?

Ha

 

[W2R]

I wrote this while consuming a Po' Boy with oysters and shrimp. For breakfast.

No, no. We New Orleanians would forgo such decadence, and in order to pig out later, we would choose a much "healthier" breakfast... like beignets and cafe au lait.

 

[2B]

No, no. We New Orleanians would forgo such decadence, and in order to pig out later, we would choose a much "healthier" breakfast... like beignets and cafe au lait.

I thought you could only get that between 2 and 4 am.

 

[W2R]

I thought you could only get that between 2 and 4 am.

Actually, despite my attempts above to be cute, I usually drink my own fake cafe au lait (coffee with skim milk and SF sweetener, ugh!!!) and eat an apple for breakfast.

But I COULD get beignets and cafe au lait, if I wasn't at work by 6 AM and if I was naturally skinny.

 

[Enuf]

Hey, as a true Creole dude (mother and father in NO before 1800), I can eat gumbo for every meal as long as the stock has shrimp heads and a file finish (no okra). I'm going to Gumbo Shop on St. Peters for late lunch and then blackened shrimp etoufee for dinner.

Got my shoes shined by Augie on the corner of St. P and Chartres and his comment to passers by is, "don't act like a white person." To funny. $5, nice shine-up.

Damned hot and humid but otherwise, nice day. Room overlooks the creek so I'm watching barges right now.

 

[W2R]

Hey, as a true Creole dude (mother and father in NO before 1800), I can eat gumbo for every meal as long as the stock has shrimp heads and a file finish (no okra). I'm going to Gumbo Shop on St. Peters for late lunch and then blackened shrimp etoufee for dinner.

My waistline says: seafood gumbo yes (5 Weight Watcher points per cup), but po'boys no (18 WW points per 6" shrimp po'boy, which is more like half a po'boy). Sounds like you plan to enjoy your visit to La Nouvelle Orleans.

Damned hot and humid but otherwise, nice day. Room overlooks the creek so I'm watching barges right now.

Frank and I were out doing yardwork an hour ago. Too hot and humid for me! I had to come in.

 

[Enuf]

My waistline says: seafood gumbo yes (5 Weight Watcher points per cup), but po'boys no (18 WW points per 6" shrimp po'boy, which is more like half a po'boy). Sounds like you plan to enjoy your visit to La Nouvelle Orleans.


Frank and I were out doing yardwork an hour ago. Too hot and humid for me! I had to come in.

Yeah, gonna eat all I can, Creole cuisine is a fave but not done nearly right 'cept here. I got driven into town by a 20ish Bangladeshi cab driver and he showed me a few holes in the wall. I'm out to find them.

But, wow, walking along Rampart and getting a feel for what happened is an awakening for me.

 

[Orchidflower]

...still rolling on the floor over "maraschino band." Good one...and I needed that.
From reading City-Data, there seems to be more than one person who was highly educated that left San Antonio because they found the inhabitants undereducated; however, to me, it's a great, friendly/warmhearted city, with a good hospital system and low, low cost of living. SURELY there are some intellectuals there: college profs, bankers, lawyers, medical people, etc. etc. etc. And REWahoo, of course, too!

 

[Enuf]

... SURELY there are some intellectuals there: ... And REWahoo, of course, too!

Orchidflower, you are welcome for the "maraschino band" laugh and a big thanks for the return.

I'm eating shrimp, sausage and chicken gumbo. File' style.

Since I only have a few days and want to experince it all, it appears that I will have to rent a pirogue and pretend the Mississippi is a bayou. The renter said all I'll need is a longer pole than normal. Got it.

 

[playaman]

As a former professor who has chosen to retire in San Antonio (close to where my wife and I were born so we're prewired), I can attest that this is a great city in which to retire - but it too has its faults (but what place doesn't?).

Summers are miserable; prices are low vis-a-vis most other places; people are nice; restaurants are good; airplanes go wherever you want to go; and there are lots of varmits (REWahoo didn't warn me about feral pigs!).

 

[RetiredGypsy]

I was actually thinking about moving to Texas for a while to finish college because of the incredibly low cost of living. Following this thread has been...interesting. I think I'll still make a trip around some of the cities and see how well I would like it. The drive I took across I-10 did it no justice, and the layovers in DFW only piqued my curiosity.

 

[Florida]

Alot of negatives regarding Texas but the two positives I read are:

A. The low cost of living (any specifics)?

B. The fine Mexican ladies (more specifics)?

 

[haha]

Alot of negatives regarding Texas but the two positives I read are:

A. The low cost of living (any specifics)?

B. The fine Mexican ladies (more specifics)?

I keep seeing Mexican food mentioned. Am I missing a deeper meaning?

Ha