San Antonio is the seventh-most populous city in the United States and one of America’s fastest-growing cities. The site of the first Spanish settlement in what is now the modern United States, San Antonio has historically been an important crossroads for trade, with a significant military presence since its early days. It’s also home to popular tourist destinations like The Alamo and Sea World San Antonio and intriguing international districts like La Villita. Here’s a guide about living in San Antonio!

Moving to San Antonio is a big decision. It’s a great city, but with that opportunity comes responsibility — making the right choices and trusting your gut when it comes time to find a place to live can make or break your experience in this sprawling Texas metro. Here are some things you’ll want to know before you make this big move!

San Antonio is a great city, but it’s in the middle of many other cities. Seriously. San Antonio is a suburb of Houston, Austin, Fort Worth, and just about any other Texas metropolitan area, you can think of. The closest large city is the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, which isn’t that far from San Antonio but still across a border (1 hour north). New York City — 378 miles west — is the closest major city if you’re looking to escape North Texas’ sprawl.

It’s completely normal to want to spend as much time alone as you can while living in San Antonio — but keep in mind that this isn’t a city where everyone lives by themselves. You’re going to have neighbors, and you’ll need to be a lot more considerate of them than you might be accustomed to. The city doesn’t have the same culture of “making friends” that other cities do — most people will just come and go, but it still helps if you’re polite when walking in front of your neighbor’s house.

Public transportation is pretty nonexistent. San Antonio is a town where cars were before the horse. With one big interstate dividing the city into two sections (the east/west I-35 and the north/south I-10), almost everyone here has a car and uses it daily.

In conclusion, San Antonio is a fantastic place to live, but there is any number of small things that could make or break your experience. Get ready for a friendly and open-minded town, and make sure that you’re on good terms with your neighbors before you move in — you’ll be glad you did.