A front-facing facade of a white Victorian-style, two-story house with columns providing a grand entrance.

The King William neighborhood is marked by its distinctive European architectural influences | Photo by @parkerleefilm

When you head to King William, you’re visiting one of San Antonio’s coolest + delightfully quirkiest communities. The neighborhood has grown since our city’s early days, so we wanted to check out what’s currently brewing here. If you haven’t explored in a while, it might be time to rediscover why so many people — maybe even you — love to call it home.

💡 Need to know

You’re not the only one with your eyes set on Southtown. In 1968, the area’s became San Antonio’s first designated historic district. It was around this time that the neighborhood began to attract a large creative community along with a mix of artists, locally-owned bars, coffee shops, boutiques, museums, and art galleries.

📜 The early days

During the mid-nineteenth century, many German immigrants settled in the area, creating impressive houses designed in the Greek Revival, Victorian, and Italianate styles. This would then be known as “Sauerkraut Bend” to the rest of San Antonio. The main street was given the name King William in honor of King Wilhelm I, King of Prussia in the 1870s.

After a short decline in the 1930-1940s, the area began to attract those interested in restoring the old mansions and smaller cottages. Slowly, it once again became a fashionable and desirable place to live. Since its designation as a historic district, The King William Association was formed — that is dedicated to the preservation of the architectural heritage of the area.

🍽️ Eat + drink

Dig in to these spots that are sure to make any foodie proud.

Breakfast and brunch served up in a Victorian parlor — Guenther House, yes please.
A pick-me-up cup of joe from Poetic Republic Coffee Co. is always a must.
Let’s keep this a secret — Bar 1919 is your go-to Prohibition era-inspired speakeasy.
Grab a burger, margarita, and a paleta all in one place: Burgerteca.
If you’re looking for a pink, bohemian dream, the Liberty Bar is your spot.

READ THE FULL GUIDE

POLL

Would you ever consider changing neighborhoods?

A. No way, I love it here
B. Yes, I’m looking to move to a new ‘hood soon
C. Maybe, if I saw a good deal

LET US KNOW

EVENTS

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Wednesday, Nov. 30

The Velveteen Rabbit | Wednesday, Nov. 30-Saturday, Dec. 24 | 2-3 p.m. | The Magik Theatre, 420 S. Alamo St., San Antonio | $18.50-$23.50 | Witness a delightful Magikal retelling of the classic children’s story of a child who receives a stuffed rabbit sewn from velveteen as a present on Christmas Day.
Holiday Night Markets at Pearl | Wednesday, Nov. 30 | 5-9 p.m. | Pearl, 303 Pearl Pkwy., San Antonio | Free | Holiday shoppers can head to Pearl to check off those gift-giving lists while supporting over 40 local vendors.
Swap N Shop | Wednesday, Nov. 30 | 6 p.m. | Brick at Blue Star, 108 Blue Star, San Antonio | $35 | Bring your gently used clothing, accessories, and small housewares to exchange with others and shop some amazing local artists and makers.
Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical | Wednesday, Nov. 30-Sunday, Dec. 4 | 7:30 p.m. | Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., San Antonio | $45-$120 | The Grinch discovers there’s more to Christmas than he bargained for in this heart-warming holiday classic.

Thursday, Dec. 1

Texas Fiddle Night at La Villita | Thursday, Dec. 1 | 6-11 p.m. | La Villita Historic Arts Village, 418 Villita St., San Antonio | Head to the heart of the city for a showcase concert and public fundraiser for the Festival of Texas Fiddling.
San Antonio Poetry Jam - Open Mic & Showcase | Thursday, Dec. 1 | 7:30-10:30 p.m. | Upstage Comedy Lounge, 4441 Walzem Rd., San Antonio | $20-$150 | The hottest spoken word poets hit the stage for a night of thought-provoking vibes.

Friday, Dec. 2

THE GINGERBREAD DOLLHOUSE | Friday, Dec. 2-Sunday, Jan. 8 | 12-6 p.m. | Retro Fun Store & Museum, 619 W. Hildebrand Ave., San Antonio | $5-$10 | Get into the holiday spirit as you browse hundreds of vintage dolls.
Ballet San Antonio: The Nutcracker | Friday, Dec. 2 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | H-E-B Performance Hall at The Tobin Center, 100 Auditorium Circle, San Antonio | $36-$132 | Gather friends and family to re-live your fondest childhood dreams, overflowing with larger-than-life puppets, breathtaking acrobatics and dazzling costumes.

Saturday, Dec. 3

7th Annual Pecan Harvest presented | Saturday, Dec. 3 | 6-9 p.m. | Progreso Hall, 1306 Guadalupe St., San Antonio | $25 | Join the community for an evening of savory pecan-themed food and beverages as they celebrate American Indian culture in Texas.

Sunday, Dec. 4

Foodie Matinee: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) | Sunday, Dec. 4 | 1-3 p.m. | San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Pl., San Antonio | $18-$30 | As you watch, enjoy culinary treats inspired by the movie, full of holiday spirit and whimsy — registration deadline is today at 10 p.m.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

NEWS NOTES

Weather

78º | Scattered showers | 30% chance of rain

Show

The Alamo City Arts Academy will be performing their 30th Anniversary Nutcracker production with a live accompaniment by Symphony Viva, a local semi-professional orchestra, on Saturday, Dec. 17 and Sunday, Dec. 18. Tickets for either 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. showtimes can be purchased online. 🩰

Read

Nowhere Bookshop announced its newest subscription club, The Little Bitty Book Club. For $25 a month, subscribers will receive new picture books monthly. This month’s selection is “Dark on Light” by Dianne White and illustrated by Felicita Sala. 📚

Edu

TAMU-SA will construct a $13.3 million recreation gymnasium and fitness facility. According to a public filing, the 23,000-sqft project will break ground next month and is expected to wrap up in March 2024. 🏗️
Celebrate the holidays with St. Mary’s University’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony today, Wednesday, Nov. 30 from 7-7:30 p.m. After the ceremony, guests are invited to the Pecan Grove, where about four inches of human-made snow will be on the ground to play in during the alumni social. 🎄

Featured

Swap next year’s vacation for a staycation, because San Antonio has been named one of The 23 Best Places to Go in the US in 2023 by Condé Nast Traveler. Noted was our food scene including restaurants Cured, Pharm Table, and La Panadería, the Alamo’s forthcoming Collections & Exhibitions Building, and recently opened hotels including Estancia del Norte. 🏆

Announced

Take your love for SATXtoday to the next level by joining our new membership program. Support local journalism while enjoying perks like: exclusive birthday deals, shoutouts on our member wall, discounts from our online shop (Six & Main) + more. 🎉

Cause

In the spirit of the upcoming season of giving, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio and Guadalupe Valley is asking San Antonians to help them give the gift of coming home. Here’s how you can help: Volunteer or donate to the nonprofit, or apply for a home if you or a loved one needs access to affordable housing. 🤝 *

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Holiday

A new downtown holiday tradition ❄️

There’s nothing like spending the holidays in the 210. | Photo by Centro San Antonio

Legacy Park will kick off the city’s newest holiday tradition this Thursday, Dec. 1 with a lighting celebration as part of “Tis the Season.”

As part of a partnership of Centro San Antonio and the 80|20 Foundation, Legacy Park will also debut a Paseo Market on Houston, a rotating selection of artisan vendors with pop-up performances, DJ sets, and prize giveaways. This market will take place on Thursday and Friday evenings through Friday, Dec. 23.

What you can expect at both events:

Visits with Santa 🎅
Festive performances from the Bexar Brass Band 📯
Delicious refreshments for the season ☕

These holiday events are free and open to the public. Festivities will kick off at 4:30 p.m. at Legacy Park, followed by the park lights illumination at 5:30 p.m. Visitors will be able to shop the market from 5-8 p.m. on Houston Street between Flores and the San Pedro Creek.

Pro tip: Weston Urban is providing two hours of free parking at 211 W. Houston St.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Iván.

Editor’s pick: One of my favorite memories of when I first moved to San Antonio for college was going to Halycon pretty late at night for some coffee with friends. It’s not uncommon for college students’ schedules to be, well, non-existent, so having a spot where I could work (or just hang out) past midnight — that wasn’t a bar — was really cool. It still is one of my favorite spots in Southtown.

Missed our last newsletter? Cross holiday shopping off your to-do list with these 20 local Etsy shops.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Ivan Briones, Britt Thorson, Dayten Rose, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Carolyn Hudson | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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