My New Hometown

A lot has happened since I published my last blog in this "finding a new hometown" series.  I just came up for air and discovered that my last post on the subject was way back in January!  So here's a brief update on the past ten months of this adventure ...

Having narrowed my search to a Top Ten list of cities, I was able to eliminate a couple more based on a combination of factors, such as proximity to my kids and grandkids, transportation costs, crime statistics, and climate, leaving me with a Top Eight list.  As I alluded in my 09 January post on San Antonio, what made the most sense to me was to begin personally investigating those cities closest to my immediate family and work my way eastward if I found them unworkable.  And so the moving process began.

My relocation to San Antonio is a subject that would require several posts to cover fully, so I'll just summarise it for now.  I began the process by going room to room through my house, sorting everything I owned into one of four categories:  keep, sell, donate, or discard.  Knowing that I am a "pack-rat" I was determined to move less than half the possessions I owned to San Antonio.  Overall, I sold very little -- only a few high-value items to help finance my relocation costs.  I donated the majority of my excess clothing (especially items like winter clothing I knew I would seldom need again, but would greatly benefit recipients in Indiana), thousands of books (keeping only those I either use for research, reread frequently, or are family heirlooms), and furniture items that are cheaper to replace than to move.  A nearly equal amount (by weight; not value) of stuff I simply discarded.  Most of the discards were furniture items that had been all but destroyed by the cats and dog I had been sharing my home with:  two hide-a-bed sofas, a matching couch and love seat, a La-Z-Boy rocker/recliner that had seen far too many better days, and two bedrooms of garage sale rejects -- all bulky and practically worthless!  That process occupied me through the end of March.

By mid-April everything I didn't absolutely need was packed and ready to go.  I had rented a mailbox in San Antonio and arranged forwarding of my mail.  So I rented a moving truck and moved everything but my clothes and the essentials I would need to set up a temporary household to a storage unit in San Antonio.  I chose Palo Alto Self Storage solely because it is a Budget Truck Rental affiliate, but I was absolutely thrilled with their friendly, personal, and highly accommodating service (so they deserve this accolade!).  Then I returned to Indiana for my SUV, which I loaded to the gills with my clothing, personal effects, and living essentials, said my farewells, and drove back to Texas.

The day I decided that San Antonio was the best starting point for the final phase of my research, there were over 100 homes in the MLS in my targeted price range.  The day I arrived, that number was fewer than 20!  One thing I had not counted on was the healthy Texas economy causing a shortage of affordable housing.  Speculators were gobbling up the low-cost homes and "flipping" them.  The first home on which I submitted an offer sold for 50% more than its listed price.  There was a bidding war for any affordable house that wasn't ready to fall off its foundation!  As a result it took me five frustrating months to find a home.  Employment and business opportunities are plentiful in San Antonio, so it was quickly apparent that I could flourish here ... but not without a suitable place to live!  Twice, while I was in the process of completing the offer forms for a house, my realtor received word that another offer had been accepted earlier that same day.  I was on the verge of giving up on San Antonio and heading up to Dallas/Fort Worth when I took one last try at a house in central San Antonio ... and was high bidder!

It's a charming little "American Craftsman" style home built in 1924.  It's age shows in several places, and it needs a lot of cosmetic work, but it is structurally sound with recently updated electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems.  So I have now embarked on Phase II of my life in San Antonio ... what I will probably refer to as my "Bob Villa" phase as I embark on the restoration of "this old house".

San Antonio, Texas

At long last we have arrived at #10 on my Top Ten list of cities to which I might relocate this year.  Last (in alphabetical order), but certainly not least (as I'll explain a few paragraphs down), I give you ...

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio's history dates back to 1691, when Spanish explorers and missionaries first arrived there on June 13th, the feast day of San Antonio de Padua.  Of course, the area had been settled centuries earlier by aborigines, but they had named it Yanaguana for its "refreshing waters", so prior to 1691 would be pre-San Antonio history.  Early Spanish settlement of San Antonio began with the Martin de Alarcon expedition and the establishment of the San Antonio de Valero Mission (now the Alamo) 01 May 1718.  Four days later (Cinco de Mayo, coincidentally enough) the Presidio San Antonio de Bexar was established a little less than a mile away.  The mission was established to minister to the indigenous people, and the presidio was built to prevent incursions into New Spain by the French from their colonies in neighboring New France.  The first group of European colonists arrived in San Antonio from the Canary Islands in 1731, which marks the beginnings of a true city at the site, which grew to be the largest in New Spain and later the capital of the Spanish Province of Texas.  At the conclusion of the Mexican War of Independence in 1821 Texas was incorporated into the state of Coahuila Y Tejas and San Antonio ceased to be its capital.  The war had left Mexico bankrupt, so immigration was encouraged in order to bring much needed capital into the state.  The majority of these immigrants came from the USA seeking inexpensive land and business opportunities.  By 1830 immigrants had become the majority and Mexico began imposing oppressive taxes, tariffs, and restrictions on the immigrants.  After five years of trying peacefully to redress their grievances, only to have newly elected president Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna unilaterally abolish the Mexican constitution and most of its elected legislative bodies, Texans revolted in 1835 and won their independence on 02 March 1836.  The Republic of Texas joined the United States in 1846 as the state of Texas.

Its origins in New Spain, its subsequent annexation as part of Mexico, its ten years as an independent nation, and its participation in major events in US history give San Antonio a rich, unique, and diverse cultural heritage.

San Antonio lies on the San Antonio River, which serves as the western boundary of the humid subtropical climate of the Gulf States and the semi-arid climate of West Texas.  As a result, San Antonio has features of both climate zones, so it is hotter than most Sun Belt states, but less humid, and with warmer, milder winters.  The city experiences light snowfall about once every four years and a tornado within 50 miles once every five years.  The major weather problem is flooding, which is a frequent occurrence, often resulting in property damage and occasionally deaths.

The city has a population of a little over 1.3 million, with about 2.2 million in the metropolitan area.  As America's 7th largest city, it ranks between Phoenix (#6) and San Diego (#8) in size.  It hosts a major airport, and has all the civic, cultural, and entertainment attractions expected of a major city, including museums, a zoo, Japanese Tea Gardens, Six Flags, Seaworld, and numerous historical landmarks.  The state capital of Austin is only an 80-mile 1.5 hour drive, and Houston is a 200-mile 3-hour drive away, making additional events, attractions, and opportunities accessible.  Corpus Christi and the Gulf Coast are also only a 2-hour drive away.

Advantages

There is a moderate supply of low-cost housing in the greater San Antonio, Texas, although affordable homes are not as plentiful as in several of the other cities I'm considering.  San Antonio's overall cost of living, however, is second-lowest in the nation for cities over 500,000 population.

San Antonio is the nearest Top Ten city to Phoenix, San Diego, and Seattle.  Not surprisingly, its air fares are also the lowest to these destinations, so traveling to visit my kids and grandkids will be easiest and least expensive from San Antonio.

San Antonio has several well established dojo already offering most of the martial arts I teach.  It is a large and growing city, however, so there should be an opportunity to establish a dojo in the area.  In addition, its proximity to Austin, Houston, and Corpus Christi could afford opportunities to provide seminars in those cities.

The area also has several scenic and well maintained golf courses with green fees under $30.00 for 18 holes, so I would be able to enjoy a round of golf at least once a month.

Disadvantages

There seems to be very little not to like about San Antonio ... except the heat and the flooding.  However, San Antonio's overall climate is probably the most tolerable of all the cities I'm researching, and there are usually parts of town that are less susceptible to flooding than others.

The only other potential concern might be crime.  The published reports on crime in San Antonio are highly conflicting.  Some rank it one of the most dangerous cities in America, while an equal number rank it among the safest.  More research may be needed to find out which reports are true.

Speaking of which ...

More research!  That brings me back to the statement I made at the top about San Antonio being "certainly not least" among my Top Ten prospective new hometowns.  Before picking one of these ten and permanently settling there, I still need to know more about each of them.  There's only so much I can learn from the Internet.  But whether or not I will like a city will require that I actually experience it for myself.  I've narrowed the list down to ten.  Now I need to go visit them.  So the next step and the next question becomes:  which city to start with?

And San Antonio seems to be the logical answer!  It has most of the advantages and the fewest disadvantages (on paper, at least) of any city I've researched.  It is the closest to those I would visit often and has nearly all the factors I'm looking for ... its only major disadvantage (climate) being common to all the others, as well.

What do you think?  Does it sound like I should head to San Antonio for a visit?  Or, after reading this blog series, do you have a better idea?  Please let me know!

Dallas, Texas

We are now at the halfway point in my overview of my Top Ten possible now hometowns.  Despite going in alphabetical order, the first four potential locations were in South Carolina and Georgia.  Now we finally get a glimpse of a different state ... the Lone Star State!  So I now present ...

Dallas, Texas

Dallas is by far the largest city to make my Top Ten list, with a population of about 1.2 million in Dallas proper and a total of nearly 6.5 million in the greater DFW metropolitan area.  Dallas has a strong, growing economy and the state of Texas is one of only 3 or 4 US states that is experiencing economic growth under our federal government's relentless war against prosperity and freedom. 

Like most other cities I'm considering, Dallas has a humid subtropical climate that is periodically fanned by dry winds from the north and west in the summer, bringing temperatures well over 100 °F (38 °C) at times and heat-humidity indexes soaring to as high as 117 °F (47 °C). When only temperature itself is accounted for, the north central Texas region where Dallas is located is one of the hottest in the United States during the summer months, typically exceeded only by the Mojave Desert!  Winters in Dallas are generally mild to warm, but strong cold fronts known as "Blue Northers" sometimes pass through the Dallas region, plummeting nightly lows below 25 °F (−4 °C) for up to a few days at a time.  In addition, Dallas is subject to freezing rain, severe thunderstorms, hailstorms, and lies in America's notorious "Tornado Alley".

Due to its size, Dallas offers a wide variety of culture and entertainment options, with major sports franchises, museums, symphonies, Six Flags theme park, the Dallas Zoo, and of course Gilley's.  DFW airport is one of the largest and busiest international airports in the world.  More about Dallas can be found in the Wikipedia article here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas,_texas.

Advantages

Dallas offers numerous advantages not found in most of my other Top Ten cities:  lower airfares and shorter travel times, major attractions to enjoy if/when my children and grandchildren visit, and a much wider array of cultural, civic, and entertainment activities.  The economic climate of Dallas is also a major advantage.

Dallas has a large number of inexpensive homes in inventory, and it also offers a surprisingly low cost of living for a major US city.  However, as I point out under "Disadvantages" below, most of the inexpensive homes are either located in high crime areas or well out in the suburbs.

With its large population, Dallas offers a huge market for a traditional Japanese dojo.  However, this market size is partially offset by the fact that there are many competing dojo and many of those dojo owners violently oppose new entrants in the market.

There are numerous golf courses in the DFW area, but because of the comparative wealth of local residents, only a few of them are moderately priced.

Disadvantages

Dallas is HUGE!  And I generally dislike everything about big cities:  traffic, noise, congestion, crime, driving distances to government offices and public facilities, and the layers of bureaucracy common to big city life.

Dallas is the hottest city of any I'm considering.  It's summertime temperatures -- even without factoring in the humidity -- are as high or higher than Tucson, Arizona!  And you know how I hate the heat!  So this is a major downside for me ... then add hail and tornadoes and you can see why the Dallas climate is not at all attractive to me

Although the cost of housing in Dallas is within my price range, the quality of housing in my price range is among the lowest of the cities I'm considering.  Many require extensive upgrading or repair, or are located in high crime neighbourhoods ... the notable exception being a couple of areas in which the majority of residents are low income blue-collar Hispanics.  These areas have significantly lower crime and better quality of housing than I've found in the other parts of the DFW metropolitan area.

As always, I'd like to know your thoughts about Dallas ... Is moving there a good idea or a bad idea for me?  What are your impressions of Dallas?  If you know me, would you be more inclined or less inclined to visit me in Dallas than you would in Marion?  Or compared to the other locations I'm considering?