The Where I Live series aims to showcase our diverse city and region by spotlighting its many vibrant neighborhoods. Each week a local resident invites us over and lets us in on what makes their neighborhood special. Have we been to your neighborhood yet? Get in touch to share your story.
As a San Antonio native and real estate professional, I’ve come to know this city very well. I’ve also seen it change quickly and significantly over the years. When I moved out to the Northwest Side about 20 years ago, it was in search of a safe community with access to good education.
I found that and more in Alamo Ranch. We love our neighbors and have built a close bond with them. As a community, we take care of one another and our shared spaces and keep an eye on what’s happening in the neighborhood.
Our neighbors are also very involved in the homeowners association, which my wife and I appreciate as part of the social committee. We organize events to help neighbors get to know one another and build relationships. These events include movie nights, local vendors markets, holiday celebrations and themed parties, like ‘80s nights.
We especially love market days because we get to know and support local business owners and entrepreneurs. For instance, we met a young man who makes cutting boards and could tell us about all the different woods he cures for his distinct designs. Even the local kids have gotten involved, with one girl setting up a lemonade stand and others making and selling jewelry.
Helping bring people together is one way we like to give back to our community. We also give out paletas in the summer to families in the area and in the community where I grew up on the South Side.
On my block growing up, I remember about four or five houses shared a back gate, so it was like all our yards were connected. The kids would all play together, and I have many fond memories of that time.
After I moved out and my parents got older, they started attending the Good Samaritan Community Services Senior Center and getting more involved at the community center, helping out however they could. Then in 2017, my father reached out to me after a donation of box fans to the community center fell through. By reaching out to my networks, I was able to get 50 fans donated, and the community center was able to distribute those to seniors in the area.
The following year, my dad passed away unexpectedly. Later my mom started coming down with Alzheimer’s and dementia and stopped going to the community center, so I wasn’t really in the best space to take on the task of organizing another fan donation until 2020. Since then, I’ve organized a box fan donation drive every year called Project Cool, with our goal this year being 200 fans to distribute. Doing this work has been a way for me to keep my dad’s memory going.
I still drive down to the South Side almost daily, to take care of my parents’ house and support small businesses in the area, like our favorite Mexican restaurant, Susana’s.
There’s no Susana’s in Alamo Ranch, but we definitely have a strong sense of community like the one I grew up with and we’ve made plenty of beautiful memories here over the years.
As this area continues to grow, we have to consider its growing needs. We’re hoping to get a city park in the area soon, and there have been talks of bringing VIA bus services out here. Right now, our population growth is outpacing our roadways, so it’s important to address our infrastructure needs so that current and future residents can all enjoy Alamo Ranch as much as we have.
