A friend of mine recently moseyed up to Dallas with her family with children aged 5, 10 and 13.  I wondered if she was visiting family or if there was a business convention for her to attend.  She said that they were staying closer to home and letting the trip to Dallas be their summer vacation.  Based on pictures and updates posted on Facebook, the #12 ranking by U.S. News and World reports is spot on.  She said the kids had a blast and that there were lots of great things to enjoy.

Top on her recommendations was the Dallas World Aquarium.  Housed in an old warehouse located in the Historic West End District in downtown Dallas, the aquarium is full of wonders for all ages to enjoy.  Talks, feedings, and performances are scheduled throughout the day and there is plenty to see for an all day adventure.  One of the most unique exhibits is a 10,000 gallon Dragons from Down Under exhibit which houses one of the largest collections of Leafy seadragons in the world.  Land and sea animals are represented throughout the many exhibits which represent five continents and 14 countries.

And what visit to the Dallas area would be complete without visiting Six Flags over Texas? Six Flags offers a 212 acre park featuring thrill rides, family rides, entertainment, and special events.  Located just a short drive from Dallas proper, Six Flags in Arlington has been a popular tourist attraction for years.   Whether you are a kid or a kid at heart, the more than 50 rides will certainly make you want to come back for more.

With baseball season in full swing, a Texas Rangers’ game might be just the thing for the whole family to rally around.  Why not get an “All You Can Eat Seat” while you are at it?  These seats come with all-you-can-eat access to grilled chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn, and soft drinks and can make your day at the baseball park a “full” experience!

Dallas is a great destination for the whole family.  In a town that seems to cater to oilmen and big business, there is still plenty of room for any family, big or small, to have a great vacation in Dallas, Texas.

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* Cost of Doing Business (450 points)

* Workforce (350 points)

* Quality of Life (350 points)

* Economy (314 points)

* Transportation & Infrastructure (300 points)

* Technology & Innovation (250 points)

* Education (175 points)

* Business Friendliness (175 points)

* Access to Capital (50 points)

* Cost of Living (25 points)

After the points were tallied, Texas ranked number one followed by Virginia, Colorado, North Carolina, and Massachusetts at number five.    Rounding out the bottom five were West Virginia, Nevada, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Alaska at number 50.

According to government figures, the Texas economy is ranked 15th in the world, bigger than many countries.  It is also home to 64 companies in the Fortune 500, more than any other state.  Big business helped Texas’ economy rise to the top.  That along with many other factors including a more stable real estate market has helped Texas appeal to big businesses.

Despite the fact that the state still has a multi-billion dollar deficit to wrestle, the business economy is healthy and the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M recently reported that Texas has seen positive employment growth in many parts of the state along with job growth in many industries in the state.

For more information on the study, visit: http://www.cnbc.com/id/37642856

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These top ten cities are places for the young business professional to seek employment and receive better than average incomes.  The list was compiled based on the rankings of unemployment numbers, average income and cost of living.  Forbes also ranked metro areas based upon how many of the 200 largest U.S. public companies were located in that area.  “Elite graduates” were also factored into the equation.  Forbes counted the number of Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Rice, and Northwestern University Class of 2000 graduates who were living in each city today.

Forbes declared, “The Lone Star Shines” based on the fact that three of the top ten cities on their list hail from Texas.  Houston, ranks number one overall, and boasts a strong economy, good average income and is home to 14 of the top 200 public companies, second only to New York City.  Dallas at number six offers a “$63,000 median salary for college graduates,” and Austin has low unemployment numbers compared to the rest of the nation.  Below is how Texas stacked up:

Houston, Texas

1. Houston, Texas
(Metropolitan Statistical Area: Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas)
Cost of Living rank: 27
Large Companies rank: 2
Elite Graduates rank: 6
Average Income rank: 7
Unemployment rank: 18

6. Dallas, Texas
(Metropolitan Statistical Area: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas)
Cost of Living rank: 28
Large Companies rank: 10
Elite Graduates rank: 13
Average Income rank: 12
Unemployment rank: 13

10. Austin, Texas
(Metropolitan Statistical Area: Austin-Round Rock, Texas)
Cost of Living rank: 33
Large Companies rank: 25
Elite Graduates rank: 11
Average Income rank: 17
Unemployment rank: 5

Other cities on the list were Washington, DC (2nd), Minneapolis /St.Paul, MN (3rd),  New York, NY (4th), Boston, MA (5th), Seattle, WA (7th), Denver, CO (8th), and Atlanta, GA (9th ).

The full Forbes list can be accessed at their website: http://www.forbes.com/2010/06/17/best-cities-young-professionals-lifestyle-real-estate-careers.html

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Unemployment Line

Based on the report by Ali Anari and Mark G. Dotzour, “After 16 months of job losses, the state’s annual employment growth rate turned positive and posted an annual employment growth rate of 0.2 percent for the period from May 2009 to May 2010. The nation’s rate of job losses has decreased from 4 percent in August 2009 to 0.4 percent in May 2010.”

Texas saw positive employment growth in thirteen of its metro areas from May 2009 to May 2010.  According to the study College Station-Byran ranked first in job creation.  The Austin-Round Rock – San Marcos area became the leader in Texas for major economic recovery, showing two consecutive months of job gains.  The Dallas area, including Plano and Irving, saw a

positive growth rate in May 2010 after 19 months of job losses.  The rank of the top thirteen metro areas are below with percent growth in parenthesis:

1.College Station-Bryan (3.3)

2. San Angelo (2.7)

3. Waco (2.4)

4. Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood (2.1)

5. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission (1.6)

6. El Paso (0.9)

6. Brownsville-Harlingen (0.9)

6. Tyler (0.9)

9. Texarkana (0.5)

9. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos (0.5)

11. Laredo (0.3)

11. Lubbock (0.3)

11. Dallas-Plano-Irving (0.3)

Beyond that, five Texas industries produced more jobs in May 2010 than in May 2009.  The industries included education and health services, mining and logging, other services, leisure and hospitality, professional and business including the government sector.  The education and health services added 59,500 jobs, the government sector added 35,100 jobs, the leisure and hospitality industry saw an increase of 10,600 jobs, andprofessional and business services added 1,500 jobs.  Other services which include

repair and maintenance, personal and laundry services, religious, civic and professional organizations gained 4,800 jobs.  The mining industry grew by 4.3 percent. (The complete report can be viewed at: http://recenter.tamu.edu/pdf/1862.pdf ).

Positive employment data has helped make Texas a true shining star during this economic recovery period.

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Recently a story surfaced about a military soldier, Michael Clauer, who was foreclosed on by his homeowner’s association while he was serving in Iraq.  Heritage Lakes Homeowners Association said the soldier and his wife owed the association $977.55 and that several certified letters were sent to the homeowners before they were foreclosed on.   The wife was said to be suffering from depression and that she had not opened any mail, including the certified letters, since her husband was deployed.  The attorney representing the Clauers, Barbara Hale, stated that her clients are protected from foreclosure by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.   Though that act should get the couple their home back, the homeowner’s association does not own the home anymore.   It was auctioned off for $3,201 and then sold to another person after that.   The case is still in litigation, and the couple may never get their home back.

In a story that recently aired on San Antonio’s KENS 5 TV, a woman in the Panther Creek Subdivision of Stone Oak recently filed an application to build a small gate at the entrance of her house to help protect her autistic son.  She specifically stated that the gate was for the protection of her autistic son. The application stated if she heard nothing back from the HOA in 30 days she could proceed.   Ms. Colquhoun, the owner, waited 60 days and then proceeded to build the life-saving gate to match existing railings on the home.  After she had the gate professionally installed she was harassed by neighbors and was reported to the HOA.  The HOA told Colquhoun to tear down the gate and pay a fine.  She was told that her house could be foreclosed on if she did not remove the gate.

Though many HOAs are set in place with good intention to help better the neighborhood, retain/increase home values, and provide services and maintenance for pools, parks and community centers, many HOAs abuse the powers they have.  Exercising the right to foreclose on a home for a few hundred does not seem like something that is possible, but many people have lost their homes to HOAs in this manner.  To make sweeping changes, legislative reform may be the only way to set things straight.

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#7.          Small town feel – San Antonio is a big city with well over a million people, yet it still maintains the charm of a small town.  It offers all of the conveniences of a major city, including great shopping, restaurants, hospitals, colleges, nightlife, but you still feel like you know everyone.  It’s a friendly town where everyone wants to know your name, if they don’t already.

San Antonio Riverwalk

#6.          Close to vacation hot-spots – San Antonio is a vacation hot-spot, so there is always something to do.  You can visit the downtown area right on the San Antonio Riverwalk or take in the many sites such as the Alamo, the Missions, Sea World, or the beautiful Hill Country.  In just a couple hours, you can take in some sunshine on the beautiful Texas coast.

#5.          Military town – Being a military town often attracts a wide range of people from all over the country, and even all over the world.  San Antonio is not

just home to active military, but many come back to call it home and retire here.  There are several military bases in San Antonio and the base services that are available help those who have served our country feel right at home.

#4.          Mild winters – The term “Winter Texan” is often used to describe many from the North who call South Texas their home during the winter.  But why not live here year round?  Summer temperatures in New York and Washington D.C. have been hotter than San Antonio summer temperatures this year.

San Antonio offers a mild climate all year long.

#3.          Stable and good housing market – While much of the rest of the country has seen a real slump in the housing market, San Antonio has weathered the storm quite nicely.  The San Antonio market is not as volatile, and so the extreme shifts were not seen.  Though the market has slowed in reaction to the economy, it’s still pretty healthy and has an excellent forecast with several neighborhoods in town seeing as much as a 10% increase in price!

#2.          Great hospital and medical facilities

– In retirement it’s nice to be close to facilities that can take care of you in case something happens.  San Antonio offers an amazing medical center, a medical school (UT Health Science Center) and a growing suburban hospital sprawl.  Several parts of town now have full service hospitals, doctors’ office complexes, testing facilities and a whole range of convenient medical facilities.

#1.     Low cost of living – The best reason

to retire and call San Antonio home is the low cost of living.  A more reasonable housing market along with good utility and grocery rates make it the ideal place to live large and enjoy your retirement without having to worry about pinching pennies.

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According to a June 15, 2010 CNN Money article, “The nation is simply not building enough homes to keep up with potential demand.   Just 672,000 new homes were started in April, an annualized rate and less than half the long-term run rate needed to meet the nation’s natural population growth.”   Along that same vein, Brian Wesbury, chief economist at First Trust Advisors said in an interview with Steve Forbes, “We need one and a half million houses per year just to keep up with population growth.”

Perhaps the panic of a housing bubble may be years away, or may not even be a realistic issue.  The fact that fewer new homes have been built can be explained by simple looking at supply and demand: less demand means less supply.  The National Association of Home Builders reported that new home sales plunged 33% to their lowest level on record in May.  With so much current surplus inventory and a myriad of glum economic reports, many doubt the validity of a true housing shortage.

Those who continue to support the idea that a housing shortage is coming look to the fact that many of the homes available from foreclosure may not be inhabitable or that people may not be willing to live in the areas where these houses are.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau as many as 7 million homes are vacant, but not for sale.  It could be that when employment levels stabilize and people are able to save for a down payment, they may want a new home and not a foreclosed one that has been sitting vacant for years.

Others have noted many individuals and families have moved out of their unaffordable or foreclosed homes and moved in with parents, relatives, or friends.   When the economy recovers, these people will likely want to move into their own homes.  Combine this with an ever-growing population and it is possible that a housing bubble could be on the horizon.

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Here are just a few restaurants that have made the San Antonio Current’s Reader’s Choice “Best Of” list for 2010 and are among my personal favorites.

Best Barbecue – Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q

Started in 1989 in Leon Springs, Rudy’s Barbecue is one of those restaurants that seems like it’s been around for 100 years.  It’s a barbeque staple among many.  Rudy’s brisket will melt in your mouth and the cream corn will make you smile.  If you are looking for true Texas barbeque and an old country store feel, Rudy’s is a place that you have to try.

Best Local Burgers – Chris Madrid’s

Over thirty years and running strong, Chris Madrid’s is that local mouth-watering hangout that everyone knows about.  The menu offers burgers, a grilled chicken sandwich, chalupas, and nachos.  That’s it, and that’s all you need!  (Oh, of course they also offer the tastiest homemade fries this side of the Mississippi too!)   Their specialty is the Tostada Burger made with homemade refried beans, chips, onions, and creamy cheddar cheese on a beef patty.   The cheddar cheesy is also a big favorite, with gobs of cheddar cheese dripping off that delicious patty and set just so between a buttery bun –yum.  If you really want your fill of Chris Madrid’s, they also offer the “Macho” which is the ½ pound version of their regular burgers.  They also sell t-shirts that you can buy that say, “I’ve Eaten the Macho at Chris Madrid’s.”

Best Tamales – Delicious Tamales

I think I’ve tried every tamale in town and though Ruben’s Homemade Tamales on Rigsby has a decent tamale, the Delicious Tamales are consistently good and are plumb and oh-so savory.  They have multiple locations around town and you can always walk in and pick up a dozen or so hot, fresh tamales.

Best Italian – Paesanos

Paesanos has some of the most amazing Italian food and it also topped the Current’s Reader’s Choice for 2010 beating national chain Olive Garden (3^rd) and local favorite Capparelli’s.  (By the way, Capparelli’s is also one of my favorites and has some of the best pizza in town!)  Paesanos sports three locations, including one right on the San Antonio River Walk.  The menu offers an impressive selection including pasta, seafood, chicken, beef, and veal. Of course, you can’t visit Paesanos without trying out their classic Shrimp Paesano, a lightly breaded, savory shrimp in a white wine lemon butter sauce.

Braodway Daily Bread - Chocolate Cupcakes

Best Bakery – Broadway Daily Bread

If you are trying to diet, you might not want to walk into this bakery.  It’s hard to resist all they have to offer and the smell of all of that amazing bread is just too much!  Of course, they offer healthy whole wheat, specialty and seasonal breads too.  If you walk into Broadway Daily Bread you must try one of their amazing chocolate cupcakes.  The chocolate icing must be at least an inch thick atop the moistest chocolate cupcake you’ll ever bite into.  Their muffins, kolaches, and sandwiches are pretty impressive as well.

I’d tell you more about the best restaurants in San Antonio, but I’ve made myself so hungry I’m going to have to take a break and get some tamales and chocolate muffins.

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With the prospects of becoming a tier-one university, UTSA has gained momentum on many levels, including research.   According to a recent article published through the UTSA website (www.utsa.edu),  Robert Gracy, UTSA vice president for research said, “To say we’ve almost doubled our research activities in the past five years is really significant.  Today, we are certainly on an upward trajectory to tier one status. We have developed a stronghold of collaborative research partners in the region and our recruitment of top faculty will certainly lead to even larger increases in research expenditures in the coming year as those individuals gain traction at UTSA.”  Research activities are key in gaining the tier-one status and the funding that goes with it.

As this University continues to grow, so does its housing.  According to the San Antonio Business Journal, American Campus Communities Inc. has begun developing a new apartment complex with 14 building and 792 private bedroom and bathroom “configurations” which will serve the students at the University of Texas at San Antonio.  It is scheduled to be completed in time for fall of 2011 and will be located next to the main campus.

With Larry Coker at the helm of its newest venture, the University of Texas at San Antonio now has a football team.  Twenty-four high quality athletes recently signed National Letters of Intent to play for the school.   The team will begin playing in 2011 as a Football Championship Subdivision Independent and will begin a reclassification period to become a Football Bowl Subdivision Independent in 2013.

What football team is complete without a band?  In March of 2010 University of Texas at San Antonio hired a marching band director to lead a 150 member marching band for the 2011 season.  Ron Ellis, the new band director, said he planned to expand the band to 350 members eventually.

The high quality research, new buildings, new housing, football team and band added to a myriad of other accomplishments make the University of Texas at San Antonio a true stand-out.  Additionally, the June 2010 Edition of Diverse Issues in Higher Education Magazine ranked UTSA fourth in the nation in the number of undergraduate degrees awarded to Hispanics.

Ricardo Romo, president of the University of Texas at San Antonio, summed it up best by saying that the University will work on creating a tier-one university for a “tier-one city.”

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Downtown San Antonio – The Riverwalk, Tower, Alamo and So Much More

San Antonio River Walk

Downtown San Antonio has so much to offer.  If you want to make your visit a true staycation, there are a variety of hotels in which to stay.  Many of the hotels are right on the riverwalk with views of the river.  There are name brand hotel chains such as the Hyatt and Marriott which offer lavish accommodations and restaurants.  If you want to get into the true feel of San Antonio, there are also the Emily Morgan and Menger hotels, accommodations  unique to San Antonio and rich in history.  Some even claim that the Emily Morgan is haunted!

Whether you choose to stay downtown for your staycation or you are just planning a day trip to the downtown area, there are plenty of things to see and do.  For those who like to shop, there is the River Center Mall which is home to a variety of department stores, specialty shops and restaurants.  The mall also houses an IMAX theater.  If classic San Antonio is more your style, then a quick walk from the shops leads you to the historic Alamo.  Full of rich history, the Alamo is still one of the top tourist destinations in the U.S.

Tower

The Tower of Americas, built for the 1968 World’s Fair, Hemisfair, offers an observation deck high above.  The views are absolutely amazing and you will feel like you are “on top of the world” when you take the elevator trip to the top.  The tower also offers visitors an upscale dining experience and a 4-D Texas-themed multi-sensory theater.

Walking along the river is better than ever with the recent multi-million dollar expansion.  Once you’ve strolled along the river and taken a boat ride you’ll probably want to dine at one of the many restaurants on or near the river.  With plenty of choices, there is sure to be something that pleases even the pickiest of eaters.  Just some of the many restaurants include the Hard Rock Cafe, Rain Forest Café, Landry’s, County Line, Dicks and a myriad of unique San Antonio restaurants.

Sea World, Fiesta Texas and Splash Town

If you are looking for something more “themed” San Antonio has its share of theme parks as well.  Sea World of San Antonio offers children and adults the chance to get up close and personal with sea creatures from all over the world.  Fiesta Texas offers visitors a chance to ride roller coasters, watch shows and cool off on some wild water adventures.  Splash Town offers visitors a full water park complete with slides, rides and a wave pool.

Day Trips – Hill Country and Beyond

Texas Cowboys

True hill country life is only a quick trip away.  In about 30 minutes to an hour you can be in one of many quaint towns surrounding San Antonio.  Bandera, Texas is home of the cowboy and offers an opportunity to visit a real dude ranch.  Hiking trails, horseback riding and nightly rodeo shows are just some of what you can find in Bandera.  If cuisine and wine are more your thing, Fredricksburg, Texas offers several local vineyards complete with tours and tastings.  Perhaps a relaxing day at Canyon Lake or a ride down the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels will help you beat the heat and relax on a lazy summer day.  Caves, canyons, natural springs, and a variety of local wildlife can also be enjoyed around the area.

There is so much to see and do in San Antonio and the surrounding areas that once you go on your staycation or day trip, chances are you’ll be planning your next trip to another San Antonio destination by the time you are done.

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