Is This the Best Place to Walk in Texas?

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San Antonio's River Walk is the most popular place for visitors to Texas. It also happens to be a wonderful pedestrian space that other cities can learn from.
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Information from this video came from my experience there and the book "Urban Waterfront Promenades" by Elizabeth Macdonald: www.amazon.com/Urban-Waterfro...
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Standard Studios.
Select images and video from Getty Images.
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[@NotJustBikes]

Americans really do love walkable urbanism. It's the same reason that people love main street at Disney or rave about their summer in Europe. It's a shame that most Americans can't seem to put it together that actually living like that would be better, too.

[@SuWoopSparrow]

Problem is they try to use their faulty "logic" to make decisions rather than actual real-world examples and studies. They believe that to get such walkability they have to give up too much. More infrastructure used for pedestrians and bikes means less infrastructure for cars and a worse situation for cars, right? Thats only logical, isnt it? In reality, its not so simple, but most of them wont admit or understand that. Instead, theyll make excuses for why it wont work where theyre at.

[@flyingfoamtv2169]

i want you to make more videos about urbanist prodjects in the us

[@River-zo6ve]

I lived in San Antonio for two years (around 2013), and from what I remember, most locals consider the Riverwalk a destination, rather than infrastructure, and for the most part we avoided it during tourist season :-/

[@bakolon8698]

Not just bike i thought this was you when i first saw the thumbnail and here you are 😄 thanks for your good job

[@ramochai]

@@River-zo6ve river walk gets flooded by tourists because there aren’t many like that in the US - it’s a novelty. If cities come up with more areas like this one, then there’ll be room for locals to enjoy too.

[@OuijTube]

The crazy thing is that Americans will travel a long way to enjoy this kind of urban environment but will fight tooth and nail to prevent the construction of this kind of environment in the place where they live.

[@1981menso]

We are seeing that here in San Diego, people are HOWLING over lost parking spaces because they are adding bike lanes.

[@michaeldyblie5500]

@@1981menso Glad to hear my home town is changing a bit. Screw those NIMBYs

[@linuxman7777]

It is not the people, it is the big corporations. Back in the 80s and 90s Small town conservatives fought hard against walmart destroying their walkable towns, but they lost, and it was very sad.

[@1981menso]

@@michaeldyblie5500 They are trying to create a walkable North Park, why would anyone want to keep El Cajon Blvd. and University ave. the way they are?

[@Strideo1]

In most places they don't have to fight tooth and nail to prevent this sort of development because it's already illegal

[@CityGeek]

I didn’t realize it was the top tourist attraction in Texas. That’s incredible!

[@RaghunandanReddyC]

Try "only".

[@luis_zuniga]

@@RaghunandanReddyC don't they have a space center or something like that?

[@colormedubious4747]

@@luis_zuniga Yes. Houston also has more seats in its Theatre District than any city except New York. Galveston is a very popular tourist destination, as is DFW. Austin is a popular location for music and comedy festivals. Palo Duro Canyon is second only to the Grand Canyon for tourists who love enormous holes in the ground. America's second-largest state is an incredibly popular tourist destination ("it's like a whole 'nother country") so I suspect that Reddy was sarcastically implying that the Paseo del Rio was HIS top attraction. I can respect his opinion. It's a great place to be.

[@luis_zuniga]

@@colormedubious4747 Oh thanks, I know very little about Texas.

[@zesty_5193]

Yep! Came from the midwest to see it! It puts every river walk to shame.

[@s.n.9485]

San Antonio native here. Overall San Antonio is far from a walkable city, but downtown certainly is. The past 10-15 years downtown and downtown adjacent has exploded with residential development. Mostly due to economic transplants from other states and huge developer tax cuts. You can navigate the whole area easily by foot or bike. It's also connected to linear trailways city wide. So I can bike from my local park 5 minutes from my house to downtown without ever touching traffic. Although it's about a 15 mile ride. The Riverwalk is mostly for tourist, personally I stay far from it lol, too crowded. I am happy for all the continued development, there's really no end in sight, there currently adding more Riverwalk canals with more in the future.

[@TheBakedPotato]

Yeah that's going to be the main problem. The space is nice but you are driving further to pay more for something closer to home?

[@ironmatic1]

I'm from San Antonio and I have never thought I'd hear the term "walkable" being used with "San Antonio" lol. Also downtown is primarily just for tourists. I think it's a special occasion to go downtown for most San Antonio residents. (5:08)

[@thetimelapseguy8]

@@ironmatic1 didn't he mention they are building residential complexes in the downtown

[@Merrinen]

That is so sad that something is so good and nice that it can only exist as a tourist attraction money grab instead of serving mainly the people who live around it.

[@jfs0000]

@@ironmatic1 it’s changing rapidly. I recommend you reevaluate your opinions

[@andreaorofalo]

I loved it when I visited San Antonio. Actually the fact that it became an attraction says a lot about the lack of walkable places in the USA. In Amsterdam it would be just a regular street full of tourist traps.

[@Lumberjack_king]

Exactly

[@taylorchaney8316]

I love how the riverwalk is the states biggest attraction but they don't think "we need more of this"

[@keithprice4711]

Unfortunately I can't see a democrat being voted governor of texas

[@sm3675]

@@keithprice4711 California is extremely car dependent and full of Nimby's. You can't get more democrat than Cali.

[@praisethesun7255]

@@keithprice4711 they’ve been shifting pretty purple for years/decades now so I wouldn’t say its impossible. The other commenter is right too btw, dems are just as bad as conservatives about development

[@colormedubious4747]

And yet, oddly, Texas already has more of this and is planning even more.

[@taylorchaney8316]

@@colormedubious4747 I’m not from there, that may be absolutely true. And yet, oddly, you still have Austin widening a highway instead of working to take cars off the road with trains and bikes and other methods

[@KJSvitko]

People need to take pride in their homes, neighborhoods, community and the planet. The lack of litter and the abundance of flowers, trees and bushes makes this a pleasant amenity.

[@mikek9297]

It's not just about cleanliness and plants. It's about how the place is planned and laid out. You can scrub a stroad until it shines and plant a billion tulips on the sides - it will still be a horrible space to be in.

[@danieladdled]

Litter isn't just a matter of people not taking enough pride in their community. The San Antonio Riverwalk is a great example - the sections tourists visit are clean because there's a budget to pay for constant cleanup. Other sections of the Riverwalk are where locals actually spend time - and they do clean up, do take pride, and do have a sense of the river being part of their community, just without the budget to constantly manicure those stretches.

[@mikek9297]

@Zaydan Naufal This is just not true. It's this sadomasochistic attitude of punishment as the only means of inflence. I'm sorry but Bhutan doesn't actually pop into my mind when I think "clean places". What does pop up is Berlin. Kopenhagen. Bilbao. Vancouver... Rich cities with well organised services. Plenty of garbage bins in public spaces, regularly emptied and monitored, and well lit, walkable streets. It's not rocket science.

[@lperry3349]

The city keeps it looking this way to attract tourism money. It has nothing to do with people not taking pride in their neighborhoods. We also definitely have a large population of unhoused people. They just get chased out by the cops from the super touristy parts of downtown.

[@teedeeaaa]

The downtown section looks just like my hometown Utrecht. This city in the Netherlands has so called medieval 'wharf cellars'. The cellars used to be warehouses below street level and stretch underneath buildings along the streets. Nowadays they are often occupied by restaurants with the wharves being being used when weather is good. The Utrecht cellars are said to be unique in the world, but this looks just like it. Nicely done! :D

[@Snowshowslow]

That's what I thought too :) But lovely to know that something similar is available in as unlikely a place as Texas :D

[@dimitrianagnostaras3055]

I was thinking the same. Don't seem so incradible from a low country perspective.

[@michaeldyblie5500]

I have always wanted to visit your hometown, hope to make a trip there next year, and possibly study abroad there.

[@alexvanmanen619]

I was also thinking about the Oudegracht in Utrecht (Netherlands). The concept is very similar

[@erikengheim1106]

Hahaha, I just wrote a comment remarking on the same, before I saw your comment. I lived 3 years in Utrecht and spent a lot of time around the wharf so it was an instantly recognizable urban area. I am from Norway and while we don't have areas quite like this, there is a lot of focus on building nice areas around the water. While traveling around the US I have often been disappointed in how poorly American cities utilize water areas which could have been such beautiful areas if one cared about Urban planning and urban spaces and not just fast highways.

[@noah_am_i]

The riverwalk is excellent. Its tight, compact, shaded, and calming with a balance of nature and city. Its really ideal, especially so with a warm bright climate such as texas.

[@Suho1004]

Cheonggyecheon is a stream running through downtown Seoul that for many years was "lost," as it had been covered over to build a highway during Korea's development boom. It was restored in the early 2000s and turned into a river walk that is a popular destination for both tourists and locals (local office workers can be seen enjoying it all the time). One downside, as far as I am concerned, is that the river walk itself isn't really connected to local businesses--you have to ascend back to street level and then cross a street (admittedly much narrower than the former highway!) to get to any shops, restaurants, etc. Still, it's really nice, and it has made downtown Seoul a more attractive place, along with the new Gwanghwamun Square that runs down the middle of Sejong-daero from the palace (and _almost_ meets Cheonggyecheon, but not quite).

[@FGH9G]

Yes, I'm so glad someone mentioned Cheonggyecheon. Love that place!

[@heyfriend8519]

I also really like tteuksom. I think it's really cool how the got the plants to klimb up the highway pillars making the highway seem like a componant of the park instead of an eyesore. And the grand scale of the Han river combined with the grand scale of the infrastructure and the park makes it a pretty impressive place. I also love how it's more then just some grass and trees, it has many leasurely functions and a few nice squares as well. And it has subway acces, wich is nice. I aggree that it would have been nice if the Cheongyecheon stream would have had at least one side where it wasn't cut of from the buildings by a street though.

[@thejoshuacastillo]

Hi! I was born and raised here in San Antonio about a mile or two away from direct access to the Riverwalk. I will say that I personally made an effort to spend time downtown as a teenager and young adult, but most locals don't spend any time downtown unless it's for a special event or occasion. For the longest time, most locals saw downtown as a touristy place, so it was never really worth the visit for most (not to mention having to pay for parking). It also wasn't a very livable place for the longest time. There were no amenities that catered specifically to residents. Also, there's some irony here since for a majority of locals to visit and enjoy these walkable spaces, they need a place to park their car. Parking outside of downtown is free at most places, which most would obviously prefer. But all of these access points to the river outside of downtown have just recently (roughly the last decade) have been developed. We are just now seeing the most development San Antonio has ever had in about three decades for both residential and commercial buildings, and we continue to see it around the river and downtown area. In fact, a new apartment high-rise in the downtown core was just approved a few days ago. All this to say that I'm happy to see this growth and development that considers residents of the city. We have a lot more to downtown San Antonio that we ever had growing up simply because it was an urban core to visit and not to live. I definitely want to say thank you for recognizing San Antonio. I often forget how unique it is as compared to most U.S. cities, so this was a nice reminder.

[@ashleyhamman]

The walkable, compact, lively, and scenic bubble that attracts people to old-town mainstreets and riverwalks is a phenomena that I think university campuses share, albiet for a more precise demographic. When I was working on my degree, I'd arrive half and hour early just so I could have some time to stroll around campus, and tended to eat lunch on the move when on campus. These kinds of spaces are definitely desirable and exist, so its dissappointing that its constrained to such small and specialized areas.

[@greykeith]

When I took a architectural boat tour of chicago, the tour-guide pointed out that the very nice chicago river walk in downtown was directly inspired by the san antonio river walk

[@BrianSal93]

Lived in SA for 3 years. Locals definitely don't go to the downtown part of Riverwalk. Locals go more to the north end (pearl and more north) and the southern end (Bluestar/Southtown).

[@mattcelder]

Can confirm, lived in SA my whole life and recently got an apartment on the Riverwalk itself. Locals go to the Pearl and Southtown.

[@jfs0000]

Holidays/birthdays/mothers day/etc my family does. I thought this was fairly common but maybe not.

[@BrianSal93]

@@jfs0000 Yes I probably should have said locals mostly don't go there. In my experience it was seldom any of my friends went there, but might be different for families.

[@gabmaye]

Interesting, thanks for sharing!

[@ElyseMarieee]

San Antonio resident- I went to college in SA and live there now and definitely take advantage of being able to park for free at the Pearl or somewhere else along the riverwalk and make my way to all the spots on the way to downtown - where parking is crazy high because of the Alamo 😵‍💫 i feel so lucky to have such an awesome way to access the city. and THE PLANTS! Are AMAZING! I love how the riverwalk is landscaped- glad you touched on that!

[@elizabetht308]

I dont think the parking at the pearl is free anymore sadly

[@adm111490]

As someone who's lived in SA for over 5 years, I can attest that locals do not spend much time downtown or on the riverwalk unless it's a special occasion like Fiesta, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or taking our out of town family members for a tour. Most SA natives that I know all say the same thing, it's too crowded with tourists, and the one-way streets are a headache. My first job in SA was at the courthouse downtown so I was able to get really comfortable making my way around the streets and crowds by car and bus or by foot. But ask any local, most will say they haven't been to the Alamo in years...

[@mattdajedi]

Native here can attest to most stuff but the streets cmon there's only a few one way streets I used to live in NYC and that's the king of one way streets ha

[@sm3675]

Couldn't they park their car outside the city center and walk or take the bus ?

[@adm111490]

@@mattdajedi I mean, I had the same thought. One ways aren't that confusing tbh but I've heard more than one person tell me their first accidents occured downtown so they don't go down there.

[@adm111490]

@@sm3675 I've done this, park on the outskirts and take the bus/walk around downtown. Most people won't because the car is so convenient

[@--julian_]

what is "fiesta"? in mexico fiesta just means party

[@tylergraham7352]

Locals don’t hang out on the river walk at all. The restaurants just aren’t that great. Locals much more often hang out in the Pearl District which is another amazing urban space. Hopefully you were able to check it out! Many great and unique places to eat and drink there.

[@nunyabidness3075]

Exactly what I was going to say. Been living here for a couple years, and this is the general consensus. It seems to me the only restaurants that were considered good at all on the walk closed during covid. All are considered over priced, but that seems to be expected.

[@jfs0000]

Not true for my family. We got there on holidays/birthdays etc. Not to hang out like at the Pearl etc but special events are nice to punctuate by going to the riverwalk

[@tylergraham7352]

@@jfs0000 I do enjoy just walking around the River Walk from time to time. But there’s just isn’t any good places to eat IMO. Now finding a place to watch a Spurs playoff game on the river walk… that’s another story and an amazing experience

[@justjon_6844]

Very this!

[@tristianosstuff2444]

The Pearl is definitely more used by locals, though in my experience locals will use the river walk

[@duck8dodgers]

You mentioned that if your city doesn't have a river you can build one, but it's worth mentioning that a lot of cities buried their rivers in the 19th and 20th centuries. Those buried rivers can and have been "daylighted". A great example of this is just north of me in Yonkers where they daylighted a nice section of the Sawmill river. You should totally do a video about daylighting.

[@deportu]

I've visited 3 or 4 times, and as an amateur urbanist I love the entire concept although it does bother me that the businesses in the area are almost entirely tourist traps and chain restaurants. Given its attractiveness, I understand why this is so, but it still bugs me.

[@zoibydalobster22]

Yeah but unfortunately that tends to be the case in many places. Ever seen the Canadian side of Niagara Falls or Times Square?

[@carfreeneoliberalgeorgisty5102]

@@zoibydalobster22 Clifton Hill in Niagara falls is the worst, despite the fact that it has all the elements of a walkable urban environment.

[@lj2265]

@@zoibydalobster22 Its the same with Banff too lol Its so pretty and quaint but you know not a single one of those shops is somewhere a local would want to spend even a minute in if it wasn't their job to be there and sell things to the cattle. There's a cute town on Vancouver Island called Qualicum Beach and its kind of the same deal. No local would want to spend $15 on a hamburger at the beach, the tourists took over anything remotely cute and ruined it for locals. I'm fine with tourism and inviting lots of them over but not at the expense of everyone else. If a city or town becomes a theme park you've missed the point because tourism is supposed to help locals make money and survive and thrive, not drive them out of enjoying their own town.

[@calebjackson4110]

The cost of maintaining a business is astronomical alongside the Riverwalk. Countless businesses throughout my life I've seen come and go because they could not afford the exceedingly high cost of rent there. (This is why we locals know the best Mexican restaurants and other food is not alongside the Riverwalk).

[@KyurekiHana]

@@lj2265 I have started coming around to the idea that maybe tourism isn't that great after all. My parents community has become much more tightly knit since the pandemic closed down tourism. If people stay where they belong rather than moving around and bringing their bad ideas with them, then there might be be less conflicts overall.

[@fashionwunderkind4]

SA native here! I can also attest that the Riverwalk and central downtown area in general aren’t places where locals tend to frequent. In the last say 20 years, central downtown of San Antonio has felt strangely detached from the daily lives of locals who live in the surrounding suburban enclaves. I’m getting the sense that this is slowly starting to change as the downtown revitalization effort continues. This particular part of the city feels like quite the oasis, especially with the oppressive heat of central Texas. Great video!

[@sunandsage]

In Denver and many other cities in Colorado almost every Waterway, even little canals, have at least some sort of foot path along side of them. Many cases there's a nice path for walking and biking.

[@zacharytippit926]

I was just thinking about Denver as well! Specifically, imagining Confluence Park and Cherry Creek as slightly more urbanized places. Some of the walking malls even dead end at the Platte already!

[@JondGames]

The High Line Canal trails were one of my absolute favorite places to regularly exercise while I lived in that metro! Weaved through commercial, residential and parks and went on for 71 miles

[@gack1015]

same in Phoenix

[@yusufhanif3704]

Yet the Denver metro area is still ugly and boring as hell despite the High Line Canal and Cherry Creek

[@zacharytippit926]

@@yusufhanif3704 and so is a lot of the rest of metro San Antonio which isn’t really the point? We’re highlighting the good aspects of our communities to build on and why they work.

[@dARKONE06]

It is not just a tourist attraction due to the river. There is as mention a convention center , a mall, a movie theather (inside the mall) a lego attraction and a new aquarium (also inside the mall), The tower of the Americas is on the other side of the parking lot. The Alamo is at the far end of the river walk from which the Alamo Dome ( soccer and basketball venue) is about a short 10 minute walk on the other side of the highway. It is not really my cup of tea but I as well as many Texans have come here for the lively atmosphere ( few places in Texas that public consumption of alcohol is allowed) and the great rich history of Texas.

[@ussglowcloud6988]

No one really goes to those places outside tourists though

[@teraymarine148]

1) As a Houston Native, I love the Riverwalk... you should REALLY go back during the holidays! Tons of the trees are lit up along the river! 2) The history of and along the Riverwalk is just as interesting. I loved walking next to old buildings and figuring out what they originally were. Maybe one day you guys can put something together on it! 3) The segway to the Warby Parker ad caught me off guard... well done!

[@benjaminlemley8206]

OKC resident here. I was so glad to see the Bricktown river-walk mentioned. Bricktown as a whole is the best area of our downtown and I have great memories of riding on the river as a kid. Great video

[@trident1125]

Every street should be like the riverwalk

[@ashaman8567]

Perhaps when these types of cool places are more common, they won't be so touristy, because people won't have to travel just to enjoy some high quality urban space!

[@gildone84]

@ashaman Exactly! And they'll be more affordable to live in too.

[@granth537]

As far as locals are concerned, my experience was that it was mostly only visited during the day by people who worked downtown. Although it is very touristy, I always enjoyed being down there, but never made a special trip to visit. Also, when I was living there the riverboat company was experimenting with "park n ride" commuter boats that could take workers downtown. Not sure if the idea stuck.

[@josephmanning3179]

I always felt that New Orleans would be a perfect canidate for a river walk. Not only would it add immensly to the charm of the city but also necessary in the same way the Canals/levees help amsterdam

[@marlonmoncrieffe0728]

👍 Good idea!

[@Tamales21]

New Orleans doesn't even need one. It's such a beautiful and lively city. It would just be overkill

[@michellek4349]

with the storms and flooding we get in southeast texas and louisiana I don’t think that’s wise.

[@josephmanning3179]

@@michellek4349 That would be the point. Similar to the canals in Amsterdam/Netherlands being important for flood prevention there

[@iyt6407]

@@josephmanning3179 Amsterdam is actually below sea level. Water is completely regulated in most places in The Netherlands by many dikes, dams, pumps and other waterworks. The canals itself aren't invented for flood prevention and don't stop that from happening, they were used to transport goods (now mostly tourists).

[@neiandresamuels5428]

San Antonio gets a staggering 37million visitors a Year Just after DFW with 48million and ahead of Austin with 32million and Houston with 23million. Always enjoyed going to San Antonio, it's in my opinion the Best toursit destination in Texas.

[@solracer66]

That's surprising, except for maybe Circuit of the Americas I don't think there is anything that would ever get me to visit Texas.

[@justjon_6844]

@@solracer66 you should give Texas a try! So much to see and do and I think there’s something for everyone

[@suuwooski6416]

@@solracer66 hill country is beautiful. West texas mountains are too. City wise austin and San Antonio have alot of stuff to do. Houston too but its not as aesthetically pleasing as sa or austin. Kinda surprised the dfw gets that many visitors tbh. Its flat and dry with not mutch, maybe people going for work? And the fact that its a american airlines main hub.

[@solracer66]

@@suuwooski6416 It’s the politics of the place that would keep me away. Since this isn’t a political video I’ll not elaborate as it wouldn’t be appropriate but that’s the short version.

[@mattcelder]

San Antonian checking in! There actually are river taxis for locals that take largely the same paths as the tourist barges! They're just not as frequent. I wish SA would lean into them a little more, most people don't even know they exist.

[@CityBeautiful]

Wow, I didn’t see them at all and I was there for a whole day. But maybe I just thought they were tourist barges!

[@s.n.9485]

@@CityBeautiful the only ones I'm familiar with are the ones that go from the Pearl brewery to the Riverwalk, and a few that interconnect the Riverwalk.

[@neiandresamuels5428]

Wish San Antonio would get more Transportation like the other Texas cities.

[@jillengel4124]

Indianapolis also has a canal downtown. It’s quite beautiful and looks similar to Riverwalk. Several major employers have located along its banks. My favorite burger restaurant sadly didn’t survive the pandemic. An Italian restaurant has gondolas you can ride in. There are also paddle boats.

[@eriklakeland3857]

Plus it connects to major attractions like San Antonio does including monuments (Indy loves its memorials). My favorite is the 9/11 memorial that has girders from the twin towers with a bald eagle standing on top of them looking towards NYC.

[@AnalogueKid2112]

I visited Indianapolis a few years ago and found the Canal Walk pleasant but somewhat sterile. There aren’t many restaurants or nightlife where I was walking (by Eiteljorg) so it doesn’t seem like the concept is fully realized

[@eriklakeland3857]

@@AnalogueKid2112 yeah it’s way too residential and sadly has had a few high profile crimes take place within the last couple years.

[@j0nm055]

Fort Worth is aiming to have something somewhat similar. Check out the Panther Island/Central City project. It involves building a few canals and flood gates for the Trinity River just north of downtown to aid in flood control and make the riverfront developable, which isn't possible with the current levee system. It's mired in political controversy (and not without good reason) and currently awaiting federal funding to start the canals. But the idea is to allow urbanist development of the waterfront and the land just north of downtown that has largely been commercial/industrial.

[@havek23]

Yeah getting some more things inbetween downtown and the stockyards will be nice

[@29Texan]

I really want Panther Island to succeed. I'm just tired of the Granger family muddying (for lack of a better term) this project up. The bridges are done and we at least have one apartment development opening up, but this could have gone much faster...

[@jangheungjournal]

I live in Korea, and a good example of water-related urban renewal is the Cheongye-cheon stream in Seoul (청계천). They tore down an elevated highway and re-established a long gone stream right in the middle of the city.

[@OutboundShane]

Monterrey, Mexico built their own version of the Riverwalk. I like the one in San Antonio more, but the one in Monterrey is very worth checking out.

[@gregorriusadolphus2729]

I just moved to San Antonio and am loving how they have embraced their river. Yeah, the RiverWalk in the central part of downtown is mostly touristy, but there are different sections of the riverwalk-it's actually all continuously connected....the "Museum Reach" is the northern half that stretches past a few museums and into Brackenridge Park; the "Missions Reach" extends to the south and connects a bunch of 18th century missions. You can literally walk/bike uninterrupted for about 15 miles and it is all well lit, signed, and landscaped. As someone who travels globally often, I find it very well put together, clean, and on par with similar developments I've seen across the world.

[@cyclingtexas1670]

I’ll add to that, The Medina River Greenway, San Pedro Creek Greenway, Apache and Alazan Creek greenways are all continuously connected providing roughly 40 miles of uninterrupted walking and biking paths on top of the other numerous miles of trails across the city

[@Jack-fw4mw]

San Antonio River walk is amazing. River Walks are of particular benefit in cities where it gets hot in the summer (such as San Antonio and OK City), as the river provides additional passive cooling for the area.

[@julennavarrete732]

San Antonio native here: I’ve lived just north of downtown in the Five Points neighborhood my entire life. I frequently visit the riverwalk and hemisfair park and I find it really funny when people who live outside Loop 410 talk about never going to downtown. I feel like there’s always something to do and it’s not just for tourists.

[@adnanilyas6368]

Indianapolis has a canal walk in the middle of downtown that looks something like this. The underpasses beneath all the bridges have really cute murals and it’s used really frequently by locals. It’s one of the few real highlights in an otherwise dreadfully boring city.

[@eriklakeland3857]

The Indy canal has some potential. It has all the monuments like the 9/11 memorial with actual twin tower girders and it connects to major attractions, but it’s overall too residential IMO. Could use more restaurant and retail options to liven up sections of it.

[@amylee435]

I'm going to imagine this is what Miami will look like when the sea levels rise so high that it will flood the stroads where cars currently dominate the city.

[@aidanmurphy7624]

I agree Miami Beach will probably look like this but mainland Miami is at a little higher elevation so it will be some time before that happens

[@Snst-404]

Foreshadowing? Or maybe that was the plan all along

[@josephmanning3179]

@@user-zz5tc8wo2b Imagine selling nudes on a City Beautiful video. This channel exudes asexuality

[@michaeldyblie5500]

A glorious day that will be

[@DrewRueDoo]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@kylejones4440]

Awesome! Proof that it isn’t impossible to develop great examples are urban planning in the USA! Let’s start setting examples

[@D2theJ26]

Milwaukee has a really nice river walk that goes for miles and ranges from dirt/gravel paths for hiking through the woods to something similar to what you see in this video in the downtown portion

[@curiousfirely]

Love that you talked about the Canal in Ottawa! In winter it definitely counts as transport infrastructure, as I've know people who commute to work or school via skating the canal.

[@OwenRULESSS]

Reminds me of the providence RI river walk and their water fire festival! Great walkable experience, would recommend.

[@orfeasdroop2733]

The best river walk is located in Utrecht. It's called the Oudegracht!

[@vcalblas]

That one is jawdropping indeed! I love the Oudegracht.

[@michaeldyblie5500]

Have not been but def agree, been a dream destination of mine for a few years now.

[@ANTSEMUT1]

Comparing other places not in Netherlands is just not fair especially with water and urbanism as their main attractions.

[@FrostCanine]

There are taxi barges (Rio Taxi) along the River Walk that goes north from downtown to The Pearl with a few stops along the way. Barges can't travel south of downtown due to the large flood control spillway/dam at E. Nueva street.

[@memory2857]

CityBeautiful has the sneakiest, smoothest ad transitions on KZbin, much respect. And another great vid.

[@herschelwright4663]

Downtown Winnipeg has a river walk that would usually get muddy after spring floods. But it’s walkable most of the year. There are also skating trails, hockey and curling rinks in the river during the wintertime.

[@aaronta8332]

When I lived there I used to love walking along the riverwalk all the way from Pearl Brewery down to Southtown. You have to try the gelato shop called South Alamode down there. An awesome reward for a long two-ish hour walk.

[@alfredolumba7936]

San Antonio is my hometown! I’m so shocked to see it on here! I also went to college near the riverwalk (University of the Incarnate Word) from 2009-2015 and watched the city slowly turn the focus of the riverwalk from tourists to the locals. The riverwalk is still a good deal 80s tourist but they have since placed more apartments, shops and townhouses near the river. They have improved connections to the upper parts of the river that cater to the museums and the historic pearl brewery and they are rehabbing the lower stretch to connect the remaining Spanish missions and the historic lone star brewery while improving the natural look of the river to bring back the wildlife. I’d say since the pearl brewery has opened and the increasing popularity of old Victorian neighborhoods like king William the riverwalk is finally a place for locals to enjoy.

[@justbeingkar]

Love that river walk. I've met up with a friend in a wheelchair there and she had no issues getting around either so good news on accessibility

[@christophernolen4117]

The big trees along the Riverwalk are Montezuma Cypress trees / it is truly a jewel of our wonderful city! Thanks sharing! The locals go in the off season when all the tourists are mostly gone..

[@JeffreyScott1394]

I was "dragged" around Texas with my family to see all the sights when I was a kid, and the only thing I really remember is the river walk (I don't even remember the Alamo). I didn't make the connection to walkable urbanism until this video.

[@justjon_6844]

I’ve lived in SA my whole life and I still don’t remember what the Alamo looks like

[@Tamales21]

You don't remember the Alamo?

[@vasilikonstan]

Milwaukee has a very successful and lovely riverwalk that was built beginning in the 1990s. Built on the already existing Milwaukee River, which snakes through downtown. It's definitely a different feel than San Antonio's, with public art, public boat docks, breweries, etc. But it is super cool.

[@lyssasletters3232]

Awesome! Thank you for sharing! I love the river walk in Providence, RI and the beautiful Charles river in Boston 💗

[@Platypi007]

I was in San Antonio when I was a sophomore in high school on a choir trip and I was very impressed with it back then and it's charm has stuck in my mind for the past 25 years as an example of really successful urban design.

[@kvnbal]

I actually live next to the riverwalk in an historic apartment building, (very few in the downtown core) and its great using the riverwalk to get to another part of downtown when I need shade. It connects to Main Plaza (cathedral) and rivercenter mall. There used to be a water taxi that connected the downtown river to the pearl area. Wish the city would invest in attracting local residents more than tourist.

[@lperry3349]

Yes! I wish the city would develop downtown more for locals to live and own their own businesses their instead of attracting tourists.

[@SuperTobyproductions]

Funny that you compared it to Amsterdam, it is actually more similar to the Oude Gracht (old canal) in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Here too is the street higher up with restaurants on the lower level directly next to the water. Worth checking out! Anyway thanks for the video, I think it is really cool that something I'm so familiar with also exists in Texas of all places 😝

[@andrewaisen2618]

I walked from the Downtown River Walk to the Pearl District my last visit to San Antonio. I'm a slow walker and it took me ~1 hr. Very nice transition from super touristy to what felt like more of a local hang out at the Pearl. It was also nice to see parts of the walk that were not as crowded but still very well lit.

[@jessegee179]

Beautiful, love the atmosphere. Flood defence schemes are a great starting point.

[@mfaizsyahmi]

We've been sold the "River of Life" in Kuala Lumpur. What we got? Just literal light and fog show over a glorified storm drain. Bet a handful of people laughed their way to their offshore banks.

[@MarsJenkar]

So would these offshore banks also be considered river banks? _[tomato'd]_

[@inceldestroyer1069]

I would love for canals to be in my city, but i fear flooding could be an issue given heavy rainfalls in the northeast.

[@angeloguerrero9566]

That’s actually one of the benefits of the river walk. It has a a floodgate system which helps regulate water levels.

[@mikek9297]

You know what's great at moving water through a city ? Canals, that's what.

[@jfs0000]

The riverwalk downtown loop is segregated from the part that is meant to flood. Also the downtown area is protected by a giant flood tunnel that lets the river water bypass downtown by going underground.

[@jfs0000]

@@malexosh San Antonio has separate storm sewers that still dump directly in the river unfortunately. But actually, nobody can tell, but the river water is mostly recycled water these days. The natural river springs mostly dried up in the 70’s/80’s due to city growth so it’s been augmented first by pumped aquifer water and later by recycled water since then.

[@MediocreMedic123]

@@jfs0000 false

[@QuinnGriffithIsTheBest]

that effortless transition into the end-of-video-ad was absolutely perfect

[@philstone3859]

This is one of the best shot videos of my city that I’ve seen on KZbin. Excellent picks for highlighting the Riverwalk. Now go up in the tower! Nobody ever talks about one of the coolest things in our city! It’s right there in downtown! You can’t miss it, it’s 750’ high! It’s like it doesn’t exist! This happens every time!

[@creaturesfromelsewhere203]

Tampa has something like this called the Tampa Riverwalk. It's on one side of the Hillsborough River & Garrison Channel, which are much, much wider than the San Antonio River. The route is 2.5 miles long and you only have to cross 2 streets, which is astounding for Tampa. The San Antonio one looks much nicer, though.

[@natevomhof9780]

I’m curious how this compares and contrasts to Milwaukees Riverwalk which extends through the heart of its downtown. I feel like it may have been partially inspired by San Antonio but is a completely different experience. It’s also interesting to see how Chicago’s Riverwalk seems to have been inspired by Milwaukee’s but takes things another step further and also lies below street level.

[@MattDecuir]

So glad you mentioned Oklahoma City! I lived there for three years, walking distance to brick town.

[@nabrzhunter]

I forget what a pleasant experience the River Walk always have been. I love SA. Very very very smooth sponsorship segue. I applaud. 🤣

[@danielkeller9729]

I feel like you forgot to mention why so many people visit the Riverwalk. Air Force basic training is in San Antonio so everytime there is is graduation families come into visit. Awesome video btw

[@LARKXHIN]

Hometown pride!

[@alechernandez1942]

SA resident here. In your video you asked if locals gather at the Riverwalk, and the answer is that it depends on where. The Riverwalk is pretty large. Some parts of the Riverwalk, like the sections mostly showcased in your video, I rarely ever visit. I would say that most locals don't eat at any of those downtown restaurants or riverside bars (too expensive, not very good). A little further up north of downtown, however, you have areas like The Pearl that have Riverwalk access and are pretty trendy and popular. A little south of downtown, you have the aptly named Southtown neighborhood which is also pretty popular with locals. In the areas away from downtown its super common to see locals running and walking along the River. Further south, the San Antonio River actually connects the San Antonio Missions (a national historic park), but I'm unsure if people would consider that section of the river part of the Riverwalk (I haven't visited in years, so if anyone is more familiar with that side of town lmk your thoughts). Hoped this rambling comment helped a bit! Btw, long time fan of the channel. Thanks for paying us here in SA a visit!

[@ASDFCH]

Thank you @City Beautiful. I have always wanted to learn more about the San Antonio River Walk. I will certainly visit it some time. And I hope the rest of the state can take inspiration from it.

[@Hawxxfan]

i love the riverwalk, too. it's ironic how people will drive 100s of kilometers just to awe at walkable places without cars 🤷‍♂️ maybe every city on a river should just build this way

[@danielmwendwa791]

Nairobi has such potential since the Nairobi River runs through the city and nearby communities It's just a heavily polluted mess and the political will isn't there to support the numerous ideas that Nairobians have come up for the river Seeing this Riverwalk is both inspiring and encouraging, thanks for sharing it

[@TheJremple]

Winnipeg, Manitoba also has a really amazing skating trail during the winter on its two rivers: Red River & Assiniboine River

[@alescab13]

Monterrey, Mexico native. Santa Lucia has museums, restaurants, murals, and open air theaters. One end you find the city downtown, and on the other end, Fundidora Park (Indy car used to run there), which also has museums and lots of open space to do plenty of activities. A big fan of the bike bell channel.

[@KJSvitko]

Bicycles, ebikes, electric cargo bicycles, robo taxis and escooters are great options for last mile, short distance travel. Cities need to do more to encourage people to ride bicycles by providing SAFE, PROTECTED BIKE LANES and trails. Every adult and child should own a bicycle and ride it regularly. Bicycles are healthy exercise and fossil fuels free transportation. Electric bicycles are bringing many older adults back to cycling. Ride to work, ride to school or ride for fun. Children should be able to ride a bicycle to school without having to dodge cars and trucks. Separated and protected bike lanes are required. It will also make the roads safer for automobile drivers. Transportation planners and elected officials need to encourage people to walk, bike and take public transportation. Healthy exercise and fossil fuels free transportation. In the future cities will be redesigned for people not cars. Crazy big parking lots will be transformed.

[@mackbodie1866]

Chicago also has a very nice river walk downtown and additional infrastructure for this type of development. In recent years the riverwalk downtown has become a hot spot for drinks, food and continued development. Also - a goal within the next 5 - 10 years is to make the chicago river(s) swimmable, so I think Chicago is one of the most prime locations on the country for a project like this

[@RickAlmaria]

The Santa Lucia Riverwalk it's amazing! It's part of a project to renovate the Downtown of Monterrey (about a decade ago) and along several kilometers have been reconstructed. Also, it connects two of the major attractions of the City: The Macro Plaza and Parque Fundidora, and have connections with all the transit and metro lines. It definitely bring back to life the Downtown!

[@AaronOrtiz]

It needs trees though!

[@lemondude6174]

Nailed it! Love the river walk.

[@chloejouzu]

I was born and raised in SA and I can say for me and my family the riverwalk was only visited on rare/special occasions. There’s not great parking and the whole area is pretty touristy. Also there is better and cheaper tex mex found in other parts of the city lol. I can also say, as someone who works downtown on the street level, that the river walk is an exception to a lot of the culture happening above ground downtown . The riverwalk gets patrolled more for instance, San Antonio recently did a “boots on the ground” initiative to have more sheriffs deputies on the riverwalk (after they got so many calls from tourists) while the streets of downtown get neglected and have poor responding bike police. The streets do not feel very safe to walk alone imo. Also being able to live downtown and walk for groceries/other amenities is virtually out of the question in most areas there. I actually had a woman come in complaining that when she lived in Austin and lived downtown, she never had to drive. Everything was right there and she even said that she had a brand new car that she had only put a handful of miles on because she could walk to everything . She also used that time to walk for exercise. When she moved to downtown SA she was very disappointed when she realized she would have to drive to get most of her necessities. I will also say the rest of San Antonio is not very walkable in general. Downtown/Southtown plus a few other pockets are an exception to the majority of town. They are expanding greenways which is nice but theres not full accessibility around town. San Antonio is also one of the most economically segregated cities in the US so what you see on the riverwalk is definitely not representative of the rest of town.

[@Netasha]

Agree with the different feel between street level and the riverwalk. Last time I had jury duty I had to park several blocks away from the courthouse. Getting there I walked the streets and it just felt shady, lots of homeless people and litter. Heading back I took the nearest riverwalk entrance and it was quiet, green, clean, and not too many people. The area around the Alamo and convention center is better but you can really tell the city put all it efforts into making the most heavily tourist areas enjoyable.

[@lperry3349]

@@Netasha I’m not sure if they still do it, but the last time I had jury duty VIA offered free rides to the courthouse from the Crossroads Park and Ride if you had your summons. They’d drop you off a few blocks from the courthouse. It was much easier and cheaper than driving downtown.

[@b9904]

The Pasig River, NCR, Philippines could be like this.

[@jadoei13]

For a nice example of this in a Dutch city, look up Oudegracht in Utrecht. I like the combination of shops on street level and restaurants next to the water below. (you might have to search a bit for photos where things are open and alive, as things like streetview cars could ofc only access it when everything was closed and not completely packed with pedestrains)

[@Noelwiz]

That sponser transition was great

[@carfreeneoliberalgeorgisty5102]

Can you please do a video on the vibrant walkable Victorian era neighbourhoods in Toronto? Toronto is an underrated city around the world for it's urbanism, but despite the newer sprawling parts it's old neighbourhoods like Kensington Market and the Beaches are some of the best examples of urbanism in North America.

[@Zeyev]

I lived in San Antonio when I was in the Army, 1970-72. The Paseo was one of the few treasures there at the time, along with the Institute of Texan Cultures. But the city and the State have rammed highways through the core of the city with little regard for the damage they did. On the whole, I would give San Antonio low scores - except for the delightful Paseo. To be even more forceful, the canals of Amsterdam are part of the fabric of the city, not a WPA project that was largely for flood control since they diverted the main flow of the rover away from the center of town. Merely the opinion of a crabby septuagenarian.

[@UserManson]

Looks lovely and reminds me of what I love about Brisbane so much

[@River-zo6ve]

Around Christmas, there are strings of colored lights hanging from the trees at the main Riverwalk, and with the reflections in the water, it is absolutely breathtaking!

[@ReddoFreddo]

I know this is, for some reason, a controversial question, but why do you think how historical an urban space is, is a factor in how successful it is? I think it's purely because non-historic (i.e. modern) architecture is cold and sterile, which works in some instances, if done well, but it definitely doesn't work when you're trying to create romantic scenery.

[@gildone84]

The architecture definitely plays a role because such areas were built before the automobile, and it was commonplace for buildings to have an architectural style that is uplifting and to design cities to a human scale. However, historic architecture is not required to make a walkable urban environment inviting. See the Atlanta Belt Line for an example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6Ksd4Rupc5pl80

[@GojiMet86]

This is an incredible oddity in Texas, but in New York City this would just be another walkway.

[@dingbat3440]

I don't recall NYC having canals or walkways adjacent to them.

[@HallsofAsgard96]

@@dingbat3440 I think he's talking Abt the walkway along Brooklyn Heights in Brooklyn Bridge Park? It's adjacent to the east river. Or maybe the multiuse path along the Hudson?

[@dingbat3440]

@@HallsofAsgard96 buuut the Hudson is not a canal.

[@HallsofAsgard96]

@@dingbat3440 yes dingbat I know tht (lol) but I think OP meant restaurants along waterways not just canals

[@dingbat3440]

@@HallsofAsgard96 That's still not really a thing in NYC and I don't blame them. Nobody wants to eat side by side to one of the most polluted rivers in the world.

[@fallende]

Amazing video as usual! I'd add Birmingham in the UK as another great example of good use of canal spaces

[@currently7886]

I have been to the Riverwalk when I visited San Antonio and I found it super lovely, I found that it was like a secret that was a great find. Absolutely beautiful.

[@clarkhatfield8093]

*Despite the economic crisis, this is Still a good time to invest in Gold and crypto*

[@rogersteve9559]

@steve Henison How do I contact Mr James Wilson ?

[@rogersteve9559]

@steve HenisonThanks, will do that Asap

[@nancyroberts3318]

Really y'all know him ? I even thought I'm the only one he has helped walk through the fears and falls of trading

[@soundscape26]

That smooth smooth ad transition... The San Antonio Riverwalk is just lovely. So far removed from your typical American city downtown.

[@joaohenriques4666]

From someone who never was in that part of the globe, San Antonio now become a serious potential destination. The Riverwalk seems to be such an interesting amenity to enjoy.

[@Boost00130]

visited the River Walk over 20 years ago and it is still one my strongest memories of San Antonio and my 6 months tripping around the US

[@lucgoose6656]

My family did this when I was younger! I always think about this and how beautiful it was

[@ctk3316]

It’s awesome, I went there and was walking with my friends on a band trip a few months ago

[@northamericanintercontinen3207]

I have many fond memories in the SATX Riverwalk and in Monterrey a similar project was built Paseo Santa Lucía

[@randcarlson2296]

The twin cities has a creek that’s perfect for this kind of example but instead, minnehaha creek is a long park. It’s really cool with a lot of interesting bridges and bike trails that follow the creek. The houses along the creek are really nice as well and it’s a cool little area for recreation