A massive urban renewal project that’s reviving plaza culture. An Alamo fight centuries in the making. Avant-garde Mexican food inspired by Maya trade routes. From billionaire Kit Goldsbury to artist Ana Fernandez to former NBA All-Star Tim Duncan, seventeen San Antonians talk about why the historic city might be the most interesting place in America right now. Read them in our collection below.
Collection
San Antonio at 300
The Alamo at dawn.
Photograph by Tamir Kalifa
Stories
Why San Antonio Is the Best City in Texas for Artists
Artists Ana Fernandez and Cruz Ortiz on finding inspiration in their hometown.
Not Your Grandfather’s Conjunto
Rapper Marco Cervantes, who performs as Mexican Stepgrandfather, and Álvaro Del Norte, founder of the accordion-powered punk rock band Piñata Protest, discuss their inspirations.
Tim Duncan Has a Car Story for You
The future Hall of Famer hangs with his buddy, Jason Pena, at their joint venture, BlackJack Speed Shop.
The Alamo Is Still Under Siege
How San Antonio handles the Alamo Plaza redevelopment will say a lot about what kind of city it wants to become.
San Antonio Is the Mother of Texas
The city that gave birth to the republic continues to nourish the traits that distinguish the state’s character.
Read the Full Story“The population of Texas is going to mirror San Antonio in 20 or 25 years, so we're basically a laboratory. ”
Our San Antonio Playlist: Music That Captures the City in Its 300th Year
From Tejano to punk and hip-hop, there's so much great music coming out of San Antonio today.
The Remarkable Rise of One of Texas’s Most Accomplished Families
How an African-American family managed to rise to prominence during the height of Jim Crow-era segregation.
Maverick Still Haunts the City
The poet Naomi Shihab Nye pays tribute to Maury Maverick, Jr., one of San Antonio's greatest sons.
San Antonio Restaurants That Have Stood the Test of Time
Native Nicki Longoria offers up her favorites from before the city’s big culinary boom.
Rob the Original’s Hair Designs Are the Real MVPs
San Antonio barber Rob Ferrel on the origins of his famous hair designs.
How to Make Your Own Shangri-la
Hairdresser and local celebrity Karlos Anzoategui, known as Karlos With a K, on throwing the most memorable parties in town.
Read the Full Story“From the start, I felt that the city was feminine, probably because wherever I went I saw the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. ”
How Two Billionaire Entrepreneurs Are Reinventing San Antonio
Kit Goldsbury made his fortune in Pace Picante sauce, and Graham Weston in the cloud computing company Rackspace. Now the billionaire philanthropists are leading ambitious urban renewal projects.
The Future Is Bilingual
Former state senator Leticia Van de Putte and Representative Diego Bernal discuss the childhood experiences that shaped their priorities for San Antonio’s—and the state’s—public schools.
The Most Innovative Mexican Fare Is Thousands of Years Old
Chefs Rico Torres and Diego Galicia have earned national acclaim for their newfangled takes on age-old dishes.
San Antonio Is a City of Metamorphosis
Though the city’s Tricentennial Commission has thus far been a dismal failure, creative residents have found a way to celebrate their complex history and promising future.