Nightlife

· The River Walk is the city's central entertainment district. It is home to several nightclubs, pubs, bars and restaurants. Among them are Hard Rock Cafe, Biga on the Banks, Jim Cullum's Landing, On The Half Shell Oyster Bar, Durty Nelly's, Mad Dogs on the River Walk, Casa Rio, County Line BBQ, Howl at the Moon, and Dick's Last Resort.

· Also in Downtown, the street scene includes several lounges, restaurants and bars. Among them The Palm, Mi Tierra Cafe Y Panaderia, Coyote Ugly, The Bonham Exchange, Rivercenter Comedy Club, Schilo's Deli, Zinc Wine and Champagne Bar, Steers and Beers Saloon, Morton's, The Steakhouse, Swig Martini Bar, Zen Bar, Suede Lounge and Davenport.

· Another area popular with college students is the Saint Mary's Strip. On this strip, several bars and restaurants can be found such as Paparay's, Joey's, The Mix, White Rabbit, Hardbodies, Demo's Greek Food, La Bikina, Lime Light, Tycoon Flats (a local favorite) and The Candlelight Cafe. The area is also home to the Josephine Theater, which since 1995 has been home to a non-profit resident theater group, the Josephine Theatrical Company, Inc. The theater originally opened in 1947 as an art-deco style neighborhood movie house.

Attractions

The Alamo is one of the most popular cultural attractions in Texas.

San Antonio is a popular tourist destination. The jewel of the city is the Paseo del Rio, or River Walk, which meanders through the downtown area. Lined with numerous shops, bars, restaurants, as well as the Arneson River Theater, this attraction is transformed into an impressive festival of lights during the Christmas and New Year holiday period. (The Alamo is Texas' top tourist attraction, while the River Walk is the second most visited attraction.)

The downtown area also features HemisFair Park (home of the Tower of the Americas and the Institute of Texan Cultures), La Villita, El Mercado, the Alamo, the city's most widely recognized landmark, and the historic Menger Hotel. On the northern side of the Alamo complex, beside the Emily Morgan Hotel, is the San Antonio Cavalry Museum, which features cavalry artifacts and exhibits and is frequented by local re-enactors.

The Fairmont Hotel, built in 1906, is in the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the heaviest buildings ever moved intact. It was placed in its new location, three blocks south of the Alamo, over four days in 1985, and cost $650,000 to move. The Fairmont houses the "Sage Ristorante e Bar."

The city attracts numerous visitors in Christmas for its suitable weather.

The Torch of Friendship sculpture is one of the more recent additions to the downtown area.

San Antonio's historic Paseo del Rio, or "River Walk," extends some 2½ miles, attracting several million visitors every year.

Another view of the city's vibrant downtown.

The postmodernist Central Library of The San Antonio Public Library.

The Tower of the Americas characterizes the city's skyline.

The historic Bexar County Courthouse is still in operation.

The San Antonio Convention Center has been voted "one of the best convention centers in the industry".

Other places of interest include Brackenridge Park (home of the San Antonio Zoo), the missions of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, the Witte Museum, the McNay Art Museum, SeaWorld San Antonio, Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme park, and Splashtown San Antonio. Visitors can also experience something of the cowboy culture year round, they can see the 40-foot (12 m) tall cowboy boots at North Star Mall.

Beyond taking in the sights and sounds of San Antonio, tourists can sample some of its world famous Tex-Mex cuisine at the many fine restaurants located throughout the city. San Antonio is (to residents, former residents, and many visitors) the undisputed home of authentic Tex-Mex. Mexican restaurants are abundant in virtually all parts of town, and most — except for those in the "nouveau riche" Far North and some of the Uptown enclaves like Alamo Heights — are relatively inexpensive. Jacala Restaurant on West Avenue, Los Barrios on Blanco Road, Karam's on the West Side, and Mario's on Fredericksburg Road are just a few examples of the outstanding Tex-Mex eateries San Antonio offers. San Antonio also has establishments offering Texas style barbecue, and for the truly intrepid barbecue aficionado, a day trip to some of the more renowned barbecue pits and smokehouses of South Texas is both necessary and easily manageable.