Enlow is on point with the types of jobs that are available in San Antonio. While we are looking to net roughly 275,000 jobs by 2022, she cites a report that only a small amount of them (25,000 – 50,000 jobs) are what she terms “knowledge based.” While this may be what the reports are saying, there is a shift that is happening to the urban core that is going to be a huge draw for jobs and people.

In the Pearl complex, condos are going up quicker than the city’s collective BAC during Fiesta. But the Pearl is just the beginning. Go a couple of blocks East to Broadway and you will see other apartments/condos being built. Go a couple blocks South to Quincy and there is more construction. With all this construction in the core, San Antonio is setting itself up for an urban renaissance similar to that seen in Fort Worth.

While the urban construction is a way to jumpstart interest, the next wave of jobs in San Antonio looks to be in the startup community. Just as TechStars ignited the Boulder scene, TechStars Cloud and Geekdom look to do the same to the Alamo City. If past is prologue, this shift can happen rather quickly, and in fact it is happening now.

With Rackspace being an anchor to the burgeoning tech community, the low cost of living and the willingness of movers and shakers like Graham Weston to provide an outlet like Geekdom for the tech/entrepreneur community, I predict that this city will see some amazing growth over the next three to five years. Growth that will be far more than the formal reports and research are predicting.

Enlow’s second point, that it is “downright impossible to find enough likeminded individuals for friendship, professional partnerships, or romance” rings hollow. This is the same reason that I get frustrated with shortsighted people who plaster the “Keep San Antonio Lame” bumper stickers on their cars (although I do find the actual stickers amusing). The only thing keeping San Antonio lame is the people who can’t see what is right in front of them.

San Antonio has every bit of the variety of things to do in cities like Austin, however, it is not blatantly thrown out in front of you. While there may not be a concentration of venues like 6^th Street at present time, there are tons of great places to hear live music. Our art scene is world class with contemporary galleries congregated in one place like Blue Star and other galleries along the South Flores area, not to mention the very unique Artpace. This is all in addition to the more stately McNay Art Museum and San Antonio Art Museum.

The culinary scene has some of the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants anywhere around coupled with a group of restaurateurs/chefs who are producing some amazing food. The waistlines of San Antonians can attest to the quality of the food in our city; however, with the advent of ambitious park and trail systems like the Leon Creek and Salado Creek Greenways, even that is changing. Our city is getting more fit.

Meeting people is challenging for younger people in a post-college life in almost any city without a dense urban core. It comes down to the fact that you are being removed from a large, diverse population where you can choose friends just as easily as getting a piece of pizza from the $6 CiCi’s buffet, and thrown into the working world where you have to be proactive to make new connections. For those of who are non-married without kids, this can be difficult.

Fortunately, being in a big city can temper this. Have a passion? Find a Meetup. Are you entrepreneurial and love software? Join Geekdom (ok – yes, it’s another shameless plug, but I am a proud member of this organization). Enjoy races and marathons? Join a running group. Like to drink? Go to a bar. Want to run and drink? Join a pub run. Want to drink and learn about the Lord? Check out Beer and Bible Study. With a city the size of San Antonio, there are many groups to explore your interests (or combinations of interests).

Yes, the public transportation isn’t the greatest, but the city is laid out in a way where traffic flows pretty evenly (outside of rush hour), and there are typically several different ways to arrive to a destination. I wonder if any of the people who complain about the public transportation have ever been on a Via bus. When I served on jury duty, the express bus from 1604 and I-10 to downtown was fast and had Wi-Fi. Additionally, Via does a great job with having park and ride service to many of the major events (such as Fiesta). I’m not saying that they have everything figured out, but the bus system is not the worst in the nation. The blue and red trolleys are an easy way to get around downtown and the San Antonio Bike Share is an option for residents to ride from Pearl to South Alamo.

The point is there is plenty to do in San Antonio and that should not be a reason for anyone to leave. The people, culture, neighborhoods, food and ethos are all amazing. Yes, I might leave this city for an opportunity that’s not available here, but it had better be a damn good one. Viva San Antonio.

Note: I have not been active on the blog because of the fact that I have recently taken a job in a field that is completely new to me, am in the process of getting married in May, moving out of two houses and into one and trying to start a business. Needless to say, it has been busy, but I look forward to blogging more once June gets here.

Lüke San Antonio - A John Besh Restaurant, Lüke is a relative new comer to the downtown dining scene. The food is fantastic, but no meal would be complete there without the Shrimp in a Cup appetizer.

Mexican Manhattan – The restaurant looks totally shady from the street entrance, but it has a nice river view on the tranquil side of the river. The margaritas are good and the prices are reasonable. I like the tamales smothered in guisada gravy.

Schilo’s Delicatessen – One of the better delis in town; the Papa Fritz special gets you a huge sandwich and potato salad. Wash it all down with some homemade rootbeer.

Lula’s Mexican Cafe – Lula may have moved her restaurant to this location, but she is still serving up some mean Mexican food. If you are looking for breakfast, stop by to try her chilaquiles (scrambled eggs, peppers, cheese and fried tortilla strips). They are so good you’ll want to slap your mama!

Sip - My favorite coffee joint downtown – the staff is super friendly and there are tons of sweet baked treats.

Mr. Tim’s Country Kitchen - This is the best American breakfast in San Antonio, you literally get a basket of biscuits when you sit down at the table.

Tito’s - My favorite cheese enchiladas in all of San Antonio; the chips and salsa are pretty righteous too.

Esquire Tavern - This is the oldest bar on the River Walk (was recently reopened) and has a great speakeasy feel; the drinks are stiff but so are their prices. As my brother once remarked, you go to the Esquire to drink, not get drunk.

SoHo - This bar is in an old bank, at least I think because the vault holds all the wine. Similar to the Esquire but with more fruity cocktails than “serious” cocktails. I like the Lu in New Orleans, a take on a sazerac, made with bourbon (note: this is one of their “serious” drinks). They do make this creme brulee drink that looks out of this world – the egg whites are whipped then torched.

If you dine at any of these restaurants, be sure to stop by the SnappTours booth in the Exhibit Hall to let me know what you thought!

Artpace

Founded by the heiress of Pace Picante, Artpace is a residence/library/exhibition space for understanding contemporary art by focusing on artists and their process of creating their work. Every year, there are three cycles consisting of an International artist, United States artist and Texas artist who live, create and exhibit in the Artpace facility. Each cycle lasts for four months and the artists have complete freedom as to what they create and where their creations go after the exhibition.

Furthermore, Artpace has what they call WindowWorks where local artists have the ability to create anything they would like in this small room that faces the street. Think of WindowWorks as being one of those storefront windows on 5^th Avenue, but instead of hawking overpriced clothing it is displaying an artist’s work. Currently, artist Judith Cottrell has a contraption affectionately named Mr. Drew that is actively drawing here images on the window. Having a machine create a work of art raises the question: Who really is the artist, human or machine? Consider this and strike up a discussion when you come visit.

There are also many programs, including Artpace After Hours where you can learn more about contemporary art, take a guided tour of the exhibit space and installations in progress, and drink a couple of adult beverages. Taco Friday occurs during lunch at the end of the work week, and you can stop by the facility to grab a street taco and enjoy lunch in their courtyard. Finally, you should consider becoming a member – an individual membership is only $40 and not only will you be supporting the art scene in San Antonio, you will also get some incredible discounts around town, including buy-one-get-one free at all Santikos theaters!

Luminaria

Held in Hemisphere Park and spilling into the streets downtown, Luminaria is San Antonio’s celebration of art and artists. This year the festival will be on March 10th from 7PM to 1AM as artists re-imagine HemisFair Park as a canvas for enlightened, innovative, and interactive contemporary artwork from all artistic disciplines.

There will be a wide variety of artists who will represent many different mediums including: Dance, Literary, Media, Music, Theater and Visual Arts. There is even a smartphone app that you can use to find where artists are located, where different food vendors are and also see what is around you if geolocation is enabled on your phone!

Pie to the People

Before you go to Luminaria, you should get downtown a little early to enjoy the second annual Pie to the People event brought to you by S.M.A.R.T. (Supporting Multiple Arts Resources Together).  They promise that there will be more education, more music, more people, more fun and most importantly more pie!

S.M.A.R.T. will transform La Villita into a place to celebrate art and education, and will have workshops where you can learn how to reuse recycled material in your art. A brainchild of Andy Benavides and wife Yvette, S.M.A.R.T. has a mission to educate, be involved with the community and create an appreciation for the arts.

Blue Star Art

Be sure to stop by Blue Star Art complex to view the three exhibits on display during CAM. Passage to the Future is curated by the Japan Foundation and is a traveling exhibit of contemporary Japanese artwork that made its way to San Antonio. Spaces Between is an exhibit by Cornelia White Swan and is a series of paintings on paper where the artist explores ideas of dissonance, harmony and where the converge. Juanito features work by Guillermina Zabala of Argentina who is a photographer, filmmaker and media artist; she explores the life and art of Juanito Castillo, a 22-year-old musical genius.

Grand Opening of New Sculpture and Ceramics Studios at UTSA

If you live on the northside, you will want to stop by UTSA’s main campus on Thursday, March 22 from 6:00PM to 8:00PM as they open up the new facility. Richard Romo, president of the university, will be on hand to cut the ribbon and there will be demonstrations of kiln firing, wheel throwing ceramics, pouring bronze and forging iron. Works will be on display from both faculty, graduate and undergraduate students.

No coupon, identification, or other collateral is needed in order to obtain free parking. Just park your car and enjoy many of the downtown businesses that are offering discounts and special rates. You can either look for the Downtown Tuesday logo in the windows of local businesses, or check out this list (towards the bottom of the page) for all those restaurants and bars.

With anything free, there is always a catch. Please note that the Downtown Tuesday free parking will not be offered at the Houston Street Garage on Majestic Theatre show nights which include Feb 21, Apr 3, Apr 24, May 1, May 8 and Ma7 22. Additionally, for all you Fiesta goers, there is no free parking downtown during Fiesta.

Overall, this is a great chance to get out and explore downtown San Antonio!

• Were you downtown last night and wondering why we were having a Christmas parade in the middle of January? Turns out that Top Chef is not the only show in town as Extreme Makeover Home Edition was filming their season finale for 2012. Already filming for 2012?!? Man, and folks think department stores begin setting up Christmas early in October…

• Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible was another TV show that stopped by the Alamo City to spend $10,000 to help renovate Mama Lee’s, the soul food restaurant on the Windcrest side of town. As I said before, I love their meatloaf and I don’t even like meatloaf; I’m excited to see what the new atmosphere feels like inside the restaurant.

• I made the quick trip up I-10 to Leon Springs for some BBQ at the original Rudy’s location. While the sausage and smoked turkey hit the mark, the baby back ribs were a little on the dry side (but that did not stop me from taking them down!). I love the atmosphere of the restaurant with the smokehouse attached to the general store; the original location is quite different from many of the franchises throughout Texas. Note: a trip to Rudy’s is not complete without a side of their famous cream corn.

The smokehouse at the original Rudy's in Leon Springs, TX.

• Thai Chalurn offers a full plate of Pad Thai along with a side soup and egg roll at lunch for $6.50. They pile on the food so take a healthy appetite. I enjoyed the plate, but if you like spicy, be sure to go on the top end of their 1-5 spice scale. I got a 4 and it was lacking the heat that I wanted.

The Pad Thai at Thai Chalurn; if you like it spicy, don't mess around and go for the top of their scale.

I made the trip to Uvalde, TX the other night to see Congressman Francisco “Quico” Canseco (who represents my district, the 23rd District of Texas) speak at a Town Hall. The 23rd District of Texas is one of the larger congressional districts that stretches all the way from San Antonio to El Paso and includes that stretch along the US-Mexico border.

This is one of the largest congressional districts (by land mass) in the entire United States.

I didn’t quite know what to expect and was curious as to how many people would actually be in attendance at this event. This was one of my first times to see “democracy in action” and I wasn’t disappointed. There were about 30 people in the room and I was impressed at how informed they were on different political topics and how they affected their district. While some folks were a little rambunctious towards those with an opposing viewpoint, I found it an overall fairly welcoming environment.

I went to the Town Hall in particular to ask Congressman Canseco to strongly consider how the SOPA bill could affect the US Information Technology sector and the future of the Internet. According to Congressman Canseco’s website, he is “a staunch advocate of limited government and free markets.” This ethos was echoed loud and clearly as he pointed to many governmental regulations in both the banking and healthcare industries as being a weight on the economy.

As his presentation ended, I saw this as a moment to ask my question as I feel that SOPA could impose many regulations on the tech industry that could inhibit growth. Additionally, I wanted to voice my concern of having the government effectively add a layer to our internet that was similar to the “Great Firewall of China.”

Congressman Francisco Canseco talking SOPA at the Uvalde, TX Town Hall.

Congressman Canseco responded by saying that he did not necessarily like the regulations that were part of the SOPA bill as he thought they were similar to the government regulations on the Banking and Healthcare industries that he had complained about tonight. He also echoed a similar sentiment of mine of not wanting to live in a country like China, however, he did note that the bill was still in the steering committee. In summary, he had not quite made a definitive decision on his position on SOPA (you can read the transcript of his response and hear audio from the Town Hall below).

After I had spoke my piece, an older gentleman stopped by and showed me a card that he had typed up asking Congressman Canseco to say “No” to SOPA. There was a link to the Stanford Law Review post entitled Don’t Break the Internet and he gave it to the congressman at the conclusion of the Town Hall. I thought that this was a poignant moment because Congressman Canseco got to see that I was not just a young internet zealot, that there is a wide concern about SOPA in his district from all people – young, old, urban and rural.

There was also a couple that came to ask me further questions about SOPA and I explained it to them using the “phone” analogy on my previous post. They were unsettled to find that the government could potentially have a power similar to China to block citizens’ access to different websites.

I was extremely glad that I got to go to this Town Hall to meet and visit with my congressman face to face. Reflecting on the ride back, I was amazing that our forefathers could have developed a style of government so revolutionary and that has changed the world for the better. Hopefully we can continue to carry on their vision.

The following is a transcript of my question and Congressman Canseco’s answer. From the transcript, you will see that he has not made his mind up quite yet on SOPA, so I would encourage you to call his office at 202.225.4511, ask him to vote “No” to SOPA and mention you heard his Uvalde Town Hall response here on SanAntonioJoe.com.

*NOTE: I have also attached the video, but please understand that my voice is loud because the recorder is by me while his voice is softer because he is further away. Please take precaution if you listen with a headset!

SA Joe: Congressman I am on the far East part of your district in San Antonio and made the trek out here. I know that you have quite the amount of land that you have to cover. But one of the things that was coming up to vote very soon, and in my mind, is a job killing regulation is SOPA bill that is on the House floor.

SA Joe: I’m part of a company in San Antonio that is very high tech and this bill, and those similar regulations that you are talking about on banks [this evening] I think this [bill] does to technology. The technology field, I think, is a very economic growth driven field, and I think that this [SOPA] could have some very damaging effects on it. On top of the fact that it fundamentally changes the way the internet works.

SA Joe: It ‘s going to add a layer to the internet, much like what China has, where it censors, the government could potentially, or in China’s case the government does censor its citizens by what is called “The Great Firewall of China.” I just would like to ask you, I know that this is coming up, it has been very much in the press, and just for your consideration on this bill, to really look at it, because it, it has some far reaching implications into how the internet works. I don’t want to live in a place similar to like China where…

Congressman Canseco: Nor do I.

SA Joe: … where the government…

Congressman Canseco: Nor do I.

SA Joe: …would be censoring its citizens.

Congressman Canseco: I will tell you this, I have read what is coming and it hasn’t cleared committee yet, and it hasn’t cleared committee it still needs to go through markup by committee.] There are provisions in SOPA, which would, stop internet piracy act, well good, you know we need to stop internet piracy…

SA Joe: And I completely agree with that.

Congressman Canseco: And I agree with that, with that aspect of it. But the way that it is going about doing it, what it does is the same thing that I have been complaining about, what the EPA does, what the Department of Energy does, what Dodd-Frank law does and what the Healthcare law does. I’m with you on that.

Congressman Canseco: I’ve read the SOPA bill as it is moving through committee, I’m not on that committee. I’m very concerned about it and fortunately I’m very close friends with Lamar Smith [the sponsor of the bill] and we can sit down and talk. But it is for his committee to resolve it and there many good people on that committee that agree with you on that both sides of the aisle.

SA Joe: Yeah, and I know it is very much a bipartisan support, when anytime Ron Paul and Nancy Pelosi can agree [to oppose] something, I think that, *laughter in the crow* I think that in general that’s a pretty good bill to make sure it doesn’t get through.

The purpose of this bill is to stop people for ripping off proprietary material, and while admirable with intent, the bill proposes many things that could fundamentally change how the Internet works.  In particular, the bill proposes a layer to the Internet that is eerily similar to “The Great Firewall of China.”

There are many bad things that SOPA does, but consider this analogy to better understand one thing in particular that could affect you.  When you type in a URL into your address bar, such as http://sanantoniojoe.com, your browser will look up what is called an IP, a series of numbers that correspond to a server where the data of the website is located.  This is similar to you going to a phone book and looking up “Steve Smith” and getting Steve’s phone number.  The “phone book” for the Internet is what is called the Domain Name System (DNS).

One of the things that SOPA plans to do is put a government “middleman” between the website’s URL and IP address.  Using our analogy above, if you wanted to call Steve Smith you would first have to call Government Agent Jones and request to get Steve’s phone number.  Government Agent Smith would then check his records, determine if Steve is a good guy or not and then transfer you to Steve if he was deemed OK.  But what happens if Government Agent Jone’s phone is busy? Or if he gets sick for the day?  Or if he thinks Steve is a bad guy, but in reality Steve is a good guy?  You wouldn’t be able to connect with Steve.

These same checks would hold true for going to websites; all of them would have to be approved by the government.  I don’t know the last time you have spent in line at the DMV, but that sort of “efficiency” is not very encouraging for me to trust the government with executing my requests in a timely manner.

Furthermore, the government then has the possibility of controlling what its citizens can access on the web.  I am not saying that the current incarnation of our government would do this, but they would have the same power that China has over its citizens.  If all the sudden Government Agent Jones dislikes the name “Steve,” he could block calls to Steve Smith, Steve Salsbury, Steve Swanson, etc.  That is unsettling to me because I thought we lived in a country quite different than China.

I know that Friday’s are reserved for Quick Bites, but I wanted to forgo writing small snippets about food and restaurants to call your attention to this serious matter.  The IT sector of the United States is one of the fastest growing segments in our economy, employing many Americans in a time when jobs are truly necessary.  SOPA is bad for business and I would encourage you to call your Congressman (or Congresswoman) to let your voice be heard.  Here are some of the numbers of the San Antonio metro area US Representatives:

• Congressman Charlie Gonzalez, 202-225-3236, represents the 20th District of Texas
• Congressman Lamar Smith, 202-225-4236, represents the 21st District of Texas
• Congressman Francisco “Quico” Canseco, 202-225-4511, represents the 23rd District of Texas
• Congressman Henry Cuellar, 202-225-1640, represents the 28th District of Texas

The district lines are kind of crazy in San Antonio, so this interactive US Congressional Map might help you find who you are looking for.  Thank you for your time and for hearing me out.  I promise to return to the regularly scheduled program this next week!

• I was able to eat at The Lodge right before Chef Dady closed the doors.  Being the first time I dined there (it was a Christmas present from my fiancé), I enjoyed both the atmosphere and food.  I was a fan of the amuse bouche (a toasted baguette with nutella, olive oil, sea salt and charred red onion marmal) and loved the mixed green salad (with green apples, goat cheese and candied pecans).  My main course was the grilled quail which was all right, but her seared beef tenderloin was outrageously good.  The best part – the chocolate and peanut butter dessert.  Check out the menu.

• Of course you have to have champagne to ring in the New Year, so I opted for Moët & Chandon.  I have no concept of what good champagne should taste like, but I enjoyed this bottle of bubbly (it was a step up from the André Cold Duck).  What are some of your favorite champagnes and why do you like them?  (Yes, I also ate my black eyed peas on the first!)

• Since it is the New Year, it is time to watch what I eat again. . . So that obviously means that I had to get chilaquiles at Thousand Oaks Cafe.  This time I decided to try the chorizo chilaquiles which were exceptional; if you ever are looking for a greasy plate after your night out, this one will do the trick.

If you need a plate of greasy, delicious food the chorizo chilaquiles at Thousand Oaks will not disappoint.

• I know I already posted about it, but I can’t tell you enough how much of a fan I am of Whataburger’s spicy ketchup.  Keep in mind this ketchup is not a replacement, but rather a compliment to the fancy ketchup.  We all know nothing could ever replace their fancy ketchup.

• San Antonio blogger Eva wrote about the 2012 San Antonio Food Trends on her blog Mesa a Mesa this past week.  I am most excited about her fourth trend, South WW White Road, and hope to get over in that neck of the woods in the near future!

I’ve been to the double-decker store near the beach in Corpus.  I pine for the return of the Honey BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich.  I have a fancy ketchup shirt, and bought my fiancé the pure honey shirt for Christmas.  You can imagine how excited I was when I found out that Whataburger was releasing their spicy ketchup yesterday.  Could it live up to the bar that the fancy ketchup set?

To heck with the New Year’s diet.  With only a limited batch, I knew I had to try the spicy ketchup before they were gone, so I made my way over to the local Whataburger.  (Speaking of – have you noticed how Whataburger is the master of “limited time only” items on their menu?  My mouth will literally start watering when I hear that the Honey BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich has returned; they also once had a great promotion where you could call a help line to cope with the absence of the A1 Thick and Hearty Burger.  I expect Whataburger will toy with our tastebuds with the spicy ketchup as well.)

The packaging is clever; the black label evokes something dangerous, mysterious as compared to the affable red packaging of the fancy ketchup.  I was surprised to see that the ketchup indeed had a kick that came from red jalapeños which lingers in your mouth.  While not a replacement for the fancy ketchup, the spicy sister sauce is a terrific compliment for their crispy French fries.  The spicy ketchup can also be a sauce of choice in the morning for the hash browns that accompany their ranchero styled Breakfast on a Bun.

I can only hope that they make this limited item a regularly appearing item on the menu; if not for the sauce, simply for the fact that I want a new black spicy ketchup t-shirt.

With limited supplies, be sure to try some of their spicy ketchup today and let me know what you think in the comments below!

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• Looking for some waffles and chops? Consider stopping by Waffles and Chops (yes, that is the actual name) off of Walzem and I-35.  The food is really good, but allow yourself plenty of time to get the food because they are slower than molasses at Christmastime.

Need I say more?

• The Puttanesca pizza (tomato sauce, house-made Fior di Latte, rapini, garlic, olives, hot pepper flakes, anchovy, extra virgin olive oil) was a winner at Dough.  I particularly liked the roasted peppers and the saltiness of the anchovy.

Puttanesca pizza at Dough.

• On my day off this week I looked to get barbacoa at Rios Barbacoa on Huebner and Babcock.  It turns out they are only open on Friday and Saturday so I stumbled upon Los Mariachis (formerly Caralis) on Floyd Curl and Huebner.  They serve a mean chilaquiles plate that is incredibly cheap ($5 with a cup of coffee); my favorite parts were the potatoes that were freshly cut and fried up with a crispy skin along with the green sauce that was more smokey than spicy.

I really liked Los Mariachis! Check out the crispiness of the potato skins. Great Mexican breakfast!

• I finally got to eat at MK Davis for a friend’s birthday party this past night.  Just north of downtown, the restaurant and bar is a dive that is sure to be packed.  This is my friend’s, a native San Antonian, favorite chicken fried steak in town.  I thought it was pretty tasty, but then again my judgement could have been a little skewed by the ginormous schooner of Dos XX.

The chicken fried steak at MK Davis.

• The Lodge will cease operations at the conclusion of 2011.  I am looking forward to dining there before they close shop to not only experience Chef Dady’s food, but also the atmosphere of the elegant Castle Hills house.  I’m looking forward to see what 2012 holds for this chef.

• If you are like me, you wonder where the time has gone; my mom once suggested that at the end of the year you write down everything that you accomplished to get a perspective of how much you have done and how you’ve grown the past year.  I really think that gives you a nice perspective of where you’ve been and where you’re going.