SAN ANTONIO
San Antonio is the second-largest city in the state of Texas and the 7th largest city in the United States. Located in Central Texas, the city is a cultural gateway into the American Southwest. San Antonio is the seat of Bexar County with a population just under 1.3 million as of the 2006 U.S. Census estimate, and it is also the 4th fastest growing large city in the nation from 2000-2006 in terms of percentage. Its metropolitan area has a population of over 1.9 million. It is the 28th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S.
DOWNTOWN
The architecture and layout of San Antonio are more traditionally urban than other cities in Texas because of downtown's status as an historic urban center.
Downtown is home to many districts including the Alamo District, Alamodome District, Central Business District, Convention Center District, Historic Civic District, Houston Street District, King William Historic District, La Villita District, Market Square District, North Downtown, North River District, River Bend District, SoSo (South of Southtown), Southtown, and the University District.
The Central Business District is home to Rivercenter, anchored by Dillard's and Macy's. The five-level Art Deco Dillard's, at the corner of Alamo and Commerce streets, opened in 1887 as Joske's. Joske's flagship store was 551,000 square feet (51,200 m²) in floor space until Dillard's bought the Joske's chain in 1987. Today, Dillard's only occupies a fraction of the original building.Housing the famous Alamo many people can be seen traveling to visit the historic district. Attractions such as the river walk are home to many of the festivities throughout the year including NIOSA (Night In Old San Antonio) which celebrates Fiesta, Cinco de Mayo, and numerous parades such as celebrations for their home NBA team the Spurs, Christmas parades and much more.
The River Walk at North St. Mary's St.
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The Emily Morgan Hotel, one of the city's earliest highrises.
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The Cathedral of San Fernando, the Tower Life Building, and the Tower of the Americas.
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Demographics
As of the 2000 U.S.Census, San Antonio had a popoulation of 1,144,646 which ranks it the 9th most populated city in the country. However, San Antonio has a low density rate and a lack of significant population surround the city limits, so the metropolitan area is ranked just 30th with a population of 1,592,383.
According to U.S. Census data from 2006, the racial composition of San Antonio is 66.0% White, 6.7% African American, 2.1% Asian, 0.5% Native American, 22.5% Other, and 2.1% from two or more races. However, 61.3% of the population identify themselves as being of Hispanic origin. Whites of non-Hispanic background were 31.83% of the population.
The age of the city's population is spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. In San Antonio, 48% of the population are males, and 52% of the population are females. For every 100 females there are 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $36,214, and the median income for a family is $53,100. Males have a median income of $30,061 versus $24,444 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,487. 17.3% of the population and 14.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.3% of those under the age of 18 and 13.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Economy
San Antonio has a diversified economy with four primary focuses: financial services, health care, national defense, and tourism.
Located northwest of the city center is the South Texas Medical Center, the largest medical research and care provider in South Texas, which is a conglomerate of numerous major hospitals, clinics, and research and higher educational institutions. It employs over 27,000 persons. San Antonio is the only city in the United States hosting three Level I Trauma Centers within the city limits (2 military, 1 civilian).
The city is also home to one of the largest military concentrations in the United States. Fort Sam Houston on the city's northeast side hosts Brooke Army Medical Center, focus of the U.S. Army's medical command and training functions. Lackland Air Force Base on the city's west side is one of the world's largest training complexes. While it is known for hosting the U.S. Air Force's basic military training, it also hosts follow-on technical training for many other Air Force specialties, as well as other operations. Randolph Air Force Base on the far northeastern outskirts is the headquarters of the Air Education and Training Command, headquarters for Air Force personnel management and also hosts pilot and navigator training. Additionally, Brooks City-Base on the city's south side and Port San Antonio (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) adjoining Lackland still have significant military presences as well as defense contractor businesses. The defense industry in San Antonio employs over 89,000
which provides a $5.2 billion impact to the city's economy.
Twenty million tourists visit the city and its attractions every year, contributing substantially to the city's economy. The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center alone hosts
more than 300 events each year with over 750,000 convention delegates from around the world. Tourism employs 94,000 citizens and makes an economic impact of over $8.7 billion in the local economy as revealed in the Economic Impact Study conducted every two years by the San Antonio Tourism Council and the research team of Dr. Richard Butler and Dr. Mary Stefl of Trinity University. Tourism also brings new annual revenues to the City of San Antonio and other governmental entities with the hotel & motel tax, sales taxes and other revenues from hospitality agreements and contracts.
San Antonio's corporate profile includes: Advantage Rent A Car, AT&T, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q, Clear Channel Communications, Frost National Bank, Harte-Hanks, H-E-B, Jim's Restaurants, NewTek, Rackspace Managed Hosting, Southwest Research Institute, Tesoro Petroleum Corp, USAA, Valero Energy Corp, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, Taco Cabana, NuStar Energy, V. K. Knowlton Construction and Utilities, and Zachry Construction which are all headquartered in the city. Companies not headquartered in San Antonio but which have a strong presence in the city include: Bank of America, Boeing, Caremark Rx Inc., The Capital Group Companies, Citibank, InfoNxx, QVC, NSA, Wachovia Bank, Washington Mutual, West Corporation, Clarke American and Lowe's, while Microsoft is currently constructing a server farm on the city's northwest side
Other industries are establishing plants in the area, as the city's economy continues to grow at an outstanding rate.
MAIN ATTRACTIONS IN SAN ANTONIO - TOURISM
Attractions San Antonio is a popular tourist destination. The main attraction of the city is the River Walk, which curves through the downtown area. Lined with numerous shops, bars, and restaurants, as well as the Arneson River Theater, this attraction is transformed into an impressive festival of lights during the Christmas and New Year holiday period, and is suffused with the local sounds of folklorico and flamenco music during the summer, particularly during celebrations such as the Fiesta Noche del Rio. Also based along the River Walk is the newly restored Aztec On The River, the only surviving exotic-themed movie palace in Texas.The Alamo, located nearby, is Texas' top tourist attraction, while the River Walk is the second most visited attraction.The downtown area also features Cathedral of San Fernando, The Majestic Theatre, HemisFair Park (home of the Tower of the Americas and the Institute of Texan Cultures), La Villita, El Mercado, the Spanish Governor's Palace, and the historic Menger Hotel. On the northern side of the Alamo complex, beside the Emily Morgan Hotel, is the San Antonio Cavalry Museum, which features cavalry artifacts and exhibits and is frequented by local re-enactors.The Fairmont Hotel, built in 1906, is in the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the heaviest buildings ever moved intact. It was placed in its new location, three blocks south of the Alamo, over four days in 1985, and cost $650,000 to move.
The Alamo, San Antonio's most famous attraction
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The holiday season on the River Walk
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The Torch of Friendship sculpture
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San Antonio's historic River Walk extends some 2½ miles, attracting several million visitors every year.
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Another view of the city's downtown area
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Central Library of The San Antonio Public Library
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The Tower of the Americas characterizes the city's skyline
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The historic Bexar County Courthouse
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The San Antonio Convention Center
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The San Antonio Botanical Garden
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San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
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Aztec On The River Theater
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Other places of interest include the ,San Antonio Zoo, Japanese Tea Gardens, Brackenridge Park, the missions of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, the San Antonio Museum of Art, the Witte Museum, the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, SeaWorld San Antonio, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, The Texas Transportation Museum,and Splashtown San Antonio.
Beyond taking in the sights and sounds of San Antonio, tourists can sample some of its world famous Tex-Mex cuisine at the many fine restaurants located throughout the city. Mexican restaurants are abundant in virtually all parts of town, and most — except for those in the Far North and some of the Uptown
enclaves like Alamo Heights — are relatively inexpensive.
Sports
he AT&T Center is home to the 4-time NBA champions, the San Antonio Spurs.
The city's only top-level professional sports team, and consequently the team most San Antonians follow, is the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association. The Spurs have been playing in San Antonio since 1973 and have won four NBA Championships (1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007). The Spurs built and moved into the SBC Center in 2002, since renamed the AT&T Center, following the merger of SBC and AT&T.
The AT&T Center is also home to the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League and the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA, both owned by the Spurs. San Antonio is also home to the Double-A Minor League affiliate of the San Diego Padres, the San Antonio Missions who play at Nelson Wolff Stadium on the west side of the city. San Antonio also hosts the NCAA football Alamo Bowl each December. San Antonio also has two rugby union teams, the Alamo City Rugby Football Club, and San Antonio Rugby Football Club.
The city was also a temporary home for the New Orleans Saints for the 2005 NFL season due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The Saints set up practice facilities in San Antonio for the season, and played a split home schedule between the Alamodome and Baton Rouge, Louisiana's Tiger Stadium during the 2005 season. After the final game in San Antonio, the Saints committed to moving back to New Orleans for the 2006 season. City officials are said to be attempting to lure the National Football League permanently to San Antonio and have also said that a strong showing at the Alamodome for the three local Saints games was vital to showing that San Antonio can support an NFL franchise. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stated San Antonio was successful in hosting the team, and that the city would be on the short list for any future NFL expansions.
The city has also hosted the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Oilers preseason camps in the past, and they have signed a contract with the Cowboys in which the Cowboys will practice in San Antonio through 2011.
Education
San Antonio hosts over 100,000 students across its 31 higher-education facilities which include The University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, and the Alamo Community College District's five colleges. Other schools include St. Mary's University, University of the Incarnate Word, Trinity University, and Wayland Baptist University. The San Antonio Public Library serves all of these institutions along with the 17 school districts within San Antonio.
The city is also home to more than 30 private schools and charter schools. These schools include San Antonio Academy, Holy Cross High School, Incarnate Word High School, and St. Anthony Catholic High School.
Colleges, universities, and research institutes:
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The University of Texas at San Antonio
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The University of Texas Health Science Center
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