Downtown San Antonio
Encyclopedia
Downtown San Antonio is the central business district
of San Antonio, Texas
, United States
.
Downtown is encircled by three numerical freeways, I-35
, I-37, and I-10
. Together the three highways create a rectangular route around the downtown area of San Antonio: I-35 to the north and west, I-37 to the east, and I-10 to the south.
Downtown is home to many districts including the Alamo District, Alamodome District, Central Business District, Convention Center District, Historic Civic District, Houston Street District, King William Historic District, Lavaca District, La Villita District, Market Square District, North Downtown, River North District, San Antonio CO-OP district, River Bend District, South Flores Warehouse District, SoSo (South of Southtown), Southtown Arts District, Eastbourough, and the University District.
The Central Business District is home to Rivercenter Mall
, anchored by a Macy's
, an IMAX
theater, and formerly Dillard's
. The five-level Art Deco
Dillard's, at the corner of Alamo and Commerce streets, opened in 1887 as Joske's
. Joske's flagship store was 551000 square feet (51,189.6 m²) in floor space until Dillard's bought the Joske's chain in 1987. In August 2008, Dillard's moved out of the historic building as a part of a redevelopment plan for Rivercenter Mall.
Many people travel to visit the historic district, which houses the famous Alamo. Attractions such as the river walk are home to many of the festivities throughout the year including NIOSA (Night In Old San Antonio) which celebrates Fiesta, Cinco de Mayo, and numerous parades such as celebrations for their home NBA team the Spurs, Christmas parades and much more.
(SAPD) serves Downtown from the Central Substation. The main SAPD headquarters are in Downtown.
The Texas Fourth Court of Appeals
is located in the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center in Downtown San Antonio.
The San Antonio Post Office and Courthouse, at 615 East Houston Street, functions as a United States Postal Service
post office and as a regional office for federal agencies. In 2009, $61 million were allocated to renovate the Post Office and Courthouse as a part of federal stimulus spending. The six story, neoclassical
, Beaux-Arts building opened in 1937.
is located at 127 Navarro Street in Downtown.
operates the San Antonio Station at 500 North St. Marys Street.
, which is headquartered in Downtown San Antonio.
Austin Academy, a PreK-8 school, is northwest of Downtown and serves parts of northern Downtown. Bonham Elementary School, an elementary school which will become PreK-8 by 2009, is south of Downtown and serves southern Downtown. Bowden Elementary School, east of Downtown, serves parts of northern Downtown.
Middle schools serving sections of Downtown include Tafolla, Twain, and Wheatley.
Northern Downtown is in the attendance zone of Fox Tech High School in Downtown, while southern parts are zoned to Brackenridge High School, south of Downtown. Navarro High School, a magnet school, is adjacent to Downtown.
University of Texas at San Antonio
has its Downtown campus in Downtown.
operates the Central Library at 600 Soledad Street.
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of San Antonio, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Downtown is encircled by three numerical freeways, I-35
Interstate 35 in Texas
Interstate 35 in Texas is a major north–south Interstate Highway running from Laredo near the United States-Mexico border to the Red River north of Gainesville where it crosses into Oklahoma. Along its route, it passes through the cities of San Antonio, Austin, and Waco before it splits into two...
, I-37, and I-10
Interstate 10 in Texas
Interstate 10 is the major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. In the U.S. state of Texas, it runs east from El Paso, near the border with New Mexico, through San Antonio and Houston to the border with Louisiana in Orange, Texas....
. Together the three highways create a rectangular route around the downtown area of San Antonio: I-35 to the north and west, I-37 to the east, and I-10 to the south.
Downtown is home to many districts including the Alamo District, Alamodome District, Central Business District, Convention Center District, Historic Civic District, Houston Street District, King William Historic District, Lavaca District, La Villita District, Market Square District, North Downtown, River North District, San Antonio CO-OP district, River Bend District, South Flores Warehouse District, SoSo (South of Southtown), Southtown Arts District, Eastbourough, and the University District.
The Central Business District is home to Rivercenter Mall
Rivercenter
Rivercenter is a shopping mall located in downtown San Antonio, Texas along the River Walk. It is anchored by Macy's, as well as a 38-story, 1,001-room Marriott hotel. The mall was purchased in 2005 by Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation.-History:...
, anchored by a Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
, an IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
theater, and formerly Dillard's
Dillard's
Dillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
. The five-level Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
Dillard's, at the corner of Alamo and Commerce streets, opened in 1887 as Joske's
Joske's
Joske's, founded by German immigrant Julius Joske in 1867, was a department store chain originally based in San Antonio, Texas. In December 1928, Hahn Department Stores acquired the company along with the Titche-Goettinger department store of Dallas, and three years later Hahn became part of Allied...
. Joske's flagship store was 551000 square feet (51,189.6 m²) in floor space until Dillard's bought the Joske's chain in 1987. In August 2008, Dillard's moved out of the historic building as a part of a redevelopment plan for Rivercenter Mall.
Many people travel to visit the historic district, which houses the famous Alamo. Attractions such as the river walk are home to many of the festivities throughout the year including NIOSA (Night In Old San Antonio) which celebrates Fiesta, Cinco de Mayo, and numerous parades such as celebrations for their home NBA team the Spurs, Christmas parades and much more.
Government and infrastructure
The San Antonio Police DepartmentSan Antonio Police Department
The San Antonio Police Department is the municipal police department of San Antonio; it is headquartered in Downtown San Antonio.The department can trace its beginnings to 1846 when the first City Marshal was appointed. The city had its laws enforced only by Texas Rangers and the City Marshals...
(SAPD) serves Downtown from the Central Substation. The main SAPD headquarters are in Downtown.
The Texas Fourth Court of Appeals
Texas Courts of Appeals
The Texas Courts of Appeals are part of the Texas judicial system. In Texas, all cases appealed from the district level, both criminal and civil, may be heard by one of the fourteen Texas Courts of Appeals. The exception is for cases where the death penalty is a factor; these cases go directly to...
is located in the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center in Downtown San Antonio.
The San Antonio Post Office and Courthouse, at 615 East Houston Street, functions as a United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
post office and as a regional office for federal agencies. In 2009, $61 million were allocated to renovate the Post Office and Courthouse as a part of federal stimulus spending. The six story, neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
, Beaux-Arts building opened in 1937.
Diplomatic missions
The Consulate-General of Mexico in San AntonioDiplomatic missions of Mexico
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Mexico, excluding honorary consulates. Mexico's foreign service started in 1822, the year after the signing of the Treaty of Cordoba which marked the beginning of Mexico's independence...
is located at 127 Navarro Street in Downtown.
Transportation
Greyhound LinesGreyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
operates the San Antonio Station at 500 North St. Marys Street.
Primary and secondary schools
Downtown is within the San Antonio Independent School DistrictSan Antonio Independent School District
San Antonio Independent School District is a school district based in Downtown San Antonio, Texas .San Antonio ISD is one of 15 school districts serving San Antonio. San Antonio ISD serves the downtown and inner city areas of San Antonio. San Antonio ISD also serves a small portion of the city of...
, which is headquartered in Downtown San Antonio.
Austin Academy, a PreK-8 school, is northwest of Downtown and serves parts of northern Downtown. Bonham Elementary School, an elementary school which will become PreK-8 by 2009, is south of Downtown and serves southern Downtown. Bowden Elementary School, east of Downtown, serves parts of northern Downtown.
Middle schools serving sections of Downtown include Tafolla, Twain, and Wheatley.
Northern Downtown is in the attendance zone of Fox Tech High School in Downtown, while southern parts are zoned to Brackenridge High School, south of Downtown. Navarro High School, a magnet school, is adjacent to Downtown.
Colleges and universities
University of Texas at San Antonio
The University of Texas at San Antonio, commonly referred to as UTSA, is a state university in San Antonio, Texas. With an enrollment of more than 30,000 students, it is the third-largest of nine universities and six health institutions in the University of Texas System and the eighth-largest in...
has its Downtown campus in Downtown.
Public libraries
San Antonio Public LibrarySan Antonio Public Library
The San Antonio Public Library is a collection of a Central Library and 24 branch libraries that serve the City of San Antonio, Texas, USA. The library serves other cities in the area, including Alamo Heights, Hill Country Village, and Olmos Park.The Central Library is a , six-story structure that...
operates the Central Library at 600 Soledad Street.
See also
- Carl Wilhelm August Groos HouseCarl Wilhelm August Groos House (San Antonio, Texas)The Carl Wilhelm August Groos House is located in the King William Historic District of San Antonio, in the U.S. state of Texas. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1977. Designed by Alfred Giles in 1880, the building contractor was John H. Kampmann. Giles used a Victorian...