Best place to retire: Downtown
Pros: Easy access to all points in San Antonio; walkable; ongoing development
Cons: Downtown living still "a new concept"
Real estate: Expect to pay $400,000 and up for a two-bedroom condo. Rentals can be found for $1,700 and up.
San Antonio is beginning to offer a walkable, urban setting in the center of the city. "There's more downtown accommodation than there's ever been," says Travis Kessler of the San Antonio Board of Realtors. But the area still has a way to go. You can count the number of condo sites on one hand, although more residences are in the works. What's available is fairly pricey for Texas, but in return you get luxury amenities and walking access to shops, restaurants, a full-service hospital and the tourist-populated River Walk.
You can get around downtown on foot or by bus, but you'll need a car to reach nearby communities. Still, residents claim that traffic is light compared to a city like Houston. It often takes 30 minutes or less to get where you're going, including the airport. Says Joan Korte, 69: "It's like being in the hub of a big wheel. This is where the action is."
See complete data and interactive map for San Antonio
Public transportation maps: System
