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When you hear about San Antonio, about 90% is The Alamo, about 5% is the other Missions, 4% about whatever is going on at The Alamodome, and 1% is everything else. Amongst that unfortunately unrepresented 1% is the King William Historic District. When friends go to Old San Antone, I recommend giving at least a half-day to the district ... and even longer if the weather's favorable. It's not just houses ... its museums (in some of the houses), eateries, tons of art stores and galleries. It's the most creative, dynamic, and fun area of town. The District actually has a connection to the Alamo, as the area was part of its irrigated farmland. In the mid-1800s, German immigrants began buying land and building homes in the area. From there, it was unofficially known as "Sauerkraut Bend" ... officially the immigrants named a street (and eventually the area) in honor of King Wilhelm I of Prussia. As time went on, the generations of immigrants became the generations of the well to-do ... and so came the grandiose homes that line the streets today. There are so many INCREDIBLE homes. Sartor House, Villa Finale (a.k.a. Norton-Polk-Mathis House), Carl Wilhelm August Groos House, the J.M. and Birdie Nix House, Anton Wulff House, Steves Homestead (which has a museum in it!), Margaret Gething House (which ALSO has a museum in it!), Carl Harnisch House, Ike West House, Max Oppenheimer House, Ernst H. Altgelt House, and about a zillion others should be on your to-do list. As this being Yelp 'n all, I recommend coming to the area with an appetite. There are so many choices: The Mexican meals of Rosario's, the snack-sized fare of Big Daddy's and The Frutera, La Tuna's fish tacos and Beer Garden; and, considered by many to be the pièce de résistance, the great meals and famed brunch of The Guenther House. The King William area is also considered an art district. There's San Antonio Art League Museum right there on King William Street. The real epicenter of art is on the 1000 through 1500 blocks of S. Alamo Street: Blue Star Arts, Carlos Cortes Studio, Hello Studio, MockingBird Handprints, Zollie Glass Studio ... and a whole bunch more. It's is a district fit for a King!
Breathtaking historic homes, unfortunately we didn't do our research and they are open for viewing on weekends only . However we drove and walked by them and enjoyed the architecture of each home . These historic homes are also near the end of the river walk, which is also a nice stroll through the walkway .
King William is one of the best places to take out of towners for a unique SA experience. Solid 5 star! It is a very beautiful and charming historic neighborhood with lots of trees and old mansions. Highly recommend for a tour while in the riverwalk area. The district actually has their own fair during fiesta. I've been here for the King Williams fair which is superb. The whole neighborhood is decorated and filled with music, food, entertainment and art. It's one of the best times to showcase what it has to offer. Last week, I drove a friend who came from Cali here for a tour. She was totally pleased and took lots of pictures of these old mansions. I also came here with my dad. He absolutely loved it. Walking or biking would have been so much better than driving but we didn't have much time. It's better to go to the King Williams association website to print out a map so you don't miss anything. You can also learn more about the history behind these mansions that way. Pretty neat. Oh and don't forget about all these excellent nearby restaurants and eateries. I suppose it would be an awesome place to come see the Christmas lights also. That's deff on my to do list. A must visit for both locals and travelers alike!!!
This felt like the Garden District of New Orleans. Very nice, large, classical style architecture in a neighborhood that is separated from, but not far from, the city center. It's nice to walk around an take in the quiet area.
I am absolutely in love with this area. My day dream about owning a home and serving (spiked) lemonade to friends rocking themselves into a nap after supper on the porch of my historic home as we gaze at the river... But the reality is I'll take walking on the non-tourist section of the River Walk and maybe hitting up Halcyon for a coffee or brunch at the Guenther House. A stroll down any of the streets makes for a fantastic history lesson in what craftsmanship really is and a for me... A bit of jealousy of those homeowners. My favorite time of year? Fall. Enter the river near the River Authority and walk in towards downtown. Go over the dam and just let the colors melt over you. I love it here. Don't tell everybody about this, ya hear?
I fell in L-O-V-E with the King William area the moment I stumbled upon it. If you are visiting San Antonio and don't want to do the touristy thing (unless your crazy) and you rather see some amazing architecture and walk through old neighborhoods rich in history and boasting beautiful mansions and lawns then come to King Williams. I had the wrong perception of San Antonio from the start. I thought of chaps, spurs, rancheros and BBQ. I did tons of research on the area and looking on Yelp for things that I may be interested in. I didn't even find King Williams on Yelp. I stumbled upon it while looking for the Blue Star Art area. I ended u coming back to King Williams another time strolling through the neighborhoods that was once land belonging to the Mission San Antonio. I began to google information about this area as I was walking through it (love the iPhone) Old homes dating to the 1840's you can sense the European influence. Come to find out this area was also once called the "Sauerkraut bend". This area has a heavy German influence population. Who would of thought of Oktoberfest in San Antonio. There is. Trust me I walked in the middle of it. There are also some German Delis here as well. Here is a good link to info on the area.. http://www.kingwilliamassociation.org/neighborhood/history.htm I took so many photographs just of the homes... Speaking to a bartender at the Liberty Bar which is in the area I was told that to buy a home here is nothing insanely overpriced. I suggest visiting the Guenther House. The Guenthers were one of the earliest immigrants that built the still operating flour mill Pioneer Flour mill. Liberty Bar is another cool spot boasting amazing food, service and cocktails. The Friendly Spot restaurant/bar is also a spot of S. Alamo that has a park like atmosphere good for the kids. Blue Star art area has a few galleries. Some open some not and the main gallery is hmmmm OK. La Tuna is a little bit off the beaten track and hard to find. But good food as well.. The Jewelry Box is a cute jewelery shop with some vintage clothing and accessories and tons of novelty items. Jive Refried is also a cool little vintage boutique.
Thank you, Yelpers for recommending this place. We have never seen such a nice area of the Riverwalk before. The historic homes are beautiful and some of the landscaping is fabulous, including hedge mazes and fountains. You can learn a little of the history of the homes by reading the little plaques. We walked across a bridge enjoyed a serene area of the Riverwalk we would have never known existed. All that and it is FREE! The only small downside is you might feel like a stalker staring at people's homes, people still live in these historic homes. And you will probably sweat your butt off, but that's just how it is in Texas. I want to go back during the fair! It sounds like a lot of fun!
I absolutely adore this part of town. Huge old mansions, delicious restaurants and a quiet little river. Located not too far from downtown, the King Williams Historic District is the perfect place to take a stroll, especially if you love old architecture like me. I usually eat at Guenther House (a must stop for breakfast) before starting my leisurely walk through this district. A friendly tip: if you actually want to know about this history of each house, you can visit the website listed above to print out a walking tour that will give you fun historical facts about each residence. The map will also guide you past the most impressive houses and even along the river for a bit. One of my favorite features of this neighborhood is the marble blocks alongside the roads, where people used to step down from their carriages. It is really neat to be able to see little fun bits of history still hanging around. There's also an art museum which is fun to stop into, as well as a little park. Whenever we have family come visit, I make it a point to at least drive past these gorgeous old houses after eating at Guenther. Older family members love it especially, but I like it too!
Most of the time when you stand and stare at peoples' houses for long periods of time and take pictures, you're likely to be shot for casing the place. Strangely, this activity appears to be encouraged in the King Williams Historic District. There are even pamphlets at the Historical society that map out a route and specific houses you should stare at! After being reassured that this was common practice, I endeavored to try this for myself. Sure enough, I didn't come under fire and after a while was able to relax and consider some of the buildings. These are a number of (mostly) well-maintained Victorian homes: some appear to be of the Gothic variety with a few Queen Anne inspired touches. The association also apparently holds a street fair, but since this doesn't occur until April, I didn't feel like sticking around that long to check it out.
2 years ago
9 years ago
Pretty sure I could start a blog featuring all of the historic neighborhoods I've visited. Clearly, it's my jam. We own a registered historic home so I'm always keeping my eyes peeled for inspiration. I walked to this district from Hotel Valencia on Houston street among the riverwalk. It's an easy mile walk with shaded portions along the route. I enjoyed strolling five blocks of the neighborhood to find small wooden cottages from the 1800s to large mansions with gorgeous trees in the front yards. I feel I would have enjoyed my experience more if I could have found some signage/markers sharing the history of the neighborhood and significance of the architecture. I especially enjoyed that I was visiting the week after Fiesta- the festive decor on the porches, doors and fence made for fun photography. read more
When you hear about San Antonio, about 90% is The Alamo, about 5% is the other Missions, 4% about whatever is going on at The Alamodome, and 1% is everything else. Amongst that unfortunately unrepresented 1% is the King William Historic District. When friends go to Old San Antone, I recommend giving at least a half-day to the district ... and even longer if the weather's favorable. It's not just houses ... its museums (in some of the houses), eateries, tons of art stores and galleries. It's the most creative, dynamic, and fun area of town. The District actually has a connection to the Alamo, as the area was part of its irrigated farmland. In the mid-1800s, German immigrants began buying land and building homes in the area. From there, it was unofficially known as "Sauerkraut Bend" ... officially the immigrants named a street (and eventually the area) in honor of King Wilhelm I of Prussia. As time went on, the generations of immigrants became the generations of the well to-do ... and so came the grandiose homes that line the streets today. There are so many INCREDIBLE homes. Sartor House, Villa Finale (a.k.a. Norton-Polk-Mathis House), Carl Wilhelm August Groos House, the J.M. and Birdie Nix House, Anton Wulff House, Steves Homestead (which has a museum in it!), Margaret Gething House (which ALSO has a museum in it!), Carl Harnisch House, Ike West House, Max Oppenheimer House, Ernst H. Altgelt House, and about a zillion others should be on your to-do list. As this being Yelp 'n all, I recommend coming to the area with an appetite. There are so many choices: The Mexican meals of Rosario's, the snack-sized fare of Big Daddy's and The Frutera, La Tuna's fish tacos and Beer Garden; and, considered by many to be the pièce de résistance, the great meals and famed brunch of The Guenther House. The King William area is also considered an art district. There's San Antonio Art League Museum right there on King William Street. The real epicenter of art is on the 1000 through 1500 blocks of S. Alamo Street: Blue Star Arts, Carlos Cortes Studio, Hello Studio, MockingBird Handprints, Zollie Glass Studio ... and a whole bunch more. It's is a district fit for a King! read more
6 years ago
Breathtaking historic homes, unfortunately we didn't do our research and they are open for viewing on weekends only . However we drove and walked by them and enjoyed the architecture of each home . These historic homes are also near the end of the river walk, which is also a nice stroll through the walkway . read more
12 years ago
King William is one of the best places to take out of towners for a unique SA experience. Solid 5 star! It is a very beautiful and charming historic neighborhood with lots of trees and old mansions. Highly recommend for a tour while in the riverwalk area. The district actually has their own fair during fiesta. I've been here for the King Williams fair which is superb. The whole neighborhood is decorated and filled with music, food, entertainment and art. It's one of the best times to showcase what it has to offer. Last week, I drove a friend who came from Cali here for a tour. She was totally pleased and took lots of pictures of these old mansions. I also came here with my dad. He absolutely loved it. Walking or biking would have been so much better than driving but we didn't have much time. It's better to go to the King Williams association website to print out a map so you don't miss anything. You can also learn more about the history behind these mansions that way. Pretty neat. Oh and don't forget about all these excellent nearby restaurants and eateries. I suppose it would be an awesome place to come see the Christmas lights also. That's deff on my to do list. A must visit for both locals and travelers alike!!! read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
7 years ago
This felt like the Garden District of New Orleans. Very nice, large, classical style architecture in a neighborhood that is separated from, but not far from, the city center. It's nice to walk around an take in the quiet area. read more
I am absolutely in love with this area. My day dream about owning a home and serving (spiked) lemonade to friends rocking themselves into a nap after supper on the porch of my historic home as we gaze at the river... But the reality is I'll take walking on the non-tourist section of the River Walk and maybe hitting up Halcyon for a coffee or brunch at the Guenther House. A stroll down any of the streets makes for a fantastic history lesson in what craftsmanship really is and a for me... A bit of jealousy of those homeowners. My favorite time of year? Fall. Enter the river near the River Authority and walk in towards downtown. Go over the dam and just let the colors melt over you. I love it here. Don't tell everybody about this, ya hear? read more
5 years ago
I fell in L-O-V-E with the King William area the moment I stumbled upon it. If you are visiting San Antonio and don't want to do the touristy thing (unless your crazy) and you rather see some amazing architecture and walk through old neighborhoods rich in history and boasting beautiful mansions and lawns then come to King Williams. I had the wrong perception of San Antonio from the start. I thought of chaps, spurs, rancheros and BBQ. I did tons of research on the area and looking on Yelp for things that I may be interested in. I didn't even find King Williams on Yelp. I stumbled upon it while looking for the Blue Star Art area. I ended u coming back to King Williams another time strolling through the neighborhoods that was once land belonging to the Mission San Antonio. I began to google information about this area as I was walking through it (love the iPhone) Old homes dating to the 1840's you can sense the European influence. Come to find out this area was also once called the "Sauerkraut bend". This area has a heavy German influence population. Who would of thought of Oktoberfest in San Antonio. There is. Trust me I walked in the middle of it. There are also some German Delis here as well. Here is a good link to info on the area.. http://www.kingwilliamassociation.org/neighborhood/history.htm I took so many photographs just of the homes... Speaking to a bartender at the Liberty Bar which is in the area I was told that to buy a home here is nothing insanely overpriced. I suggest visiting the Guenther House. The Guenthers were one of the earliest immigrants that built the still operating flour mill Pioneer Flour mill. Liberty Bar is another cool spot boasting amazing food, service and cocktails. The Friendly Spot restaurant/bar is also a spot of S. Alamo that has a park like atmosphere good for the kids. Blue Star art area has a few galleries. Some open some not and the main gallery is hmmmm OK. La Tuna is a little bit off the beaten track and hard to find. But good food as well.. The Jewelry Box is a cute jewelery shop with some vintage clothing and accessories and tons of novelty items. Jive Refried is also a cool little vintage boutique. read more
14 years ago
Thank you, Yelpers for recommending this place. We have never seen such a nice area of the Riverwalk before. The historic homes are beautiful and some of the landscaping is fabulous, including hedge mazes and fountains. You can learn a little of the history of the homes by reading the little plaques. We walked across a bridge enjoyed a serene area of the Riverwalk we would have never known existed. All that and it is FREE! The only small downside is you might feel like a stalker staring at people's homes, people still live in these historic homes. And you will probably sweat your butt off, but that's just how it is in Texas. I want to go back during the fair! It sounds like a lot of fun! read more
17 years ago
I absolutely adore this part of town. Huge old mansions, delicious restaurants and a quiet little river. Located not too far from downtown, the King Williams Historic District is the perfect place to take a stroll, especially if you love old architecture like me. I usually eat at Guenther House (a must stop for breakfast) before starting my leisurely walk through this district. A friendly tip: if you actually want to know about this history of each house, you can visit the website listed above to print out a walking tour that will give you fun historical facts about each residence. The map will also guide you past the most impressive houses and even along the river for a bit. One of my favorite features of this neighborhood is the marble blocks alongside the roads, where people used to step down from their carriages. It is really neat to be able to see little fun bits of history still hanging around. There's also an art museum which is fun to stop into, as well as a little park. Whenever we have family come visit, I make it a point to at least drive past these gorgeous old houses after eating at Guenther. Older family members love it especially, but I like it too! read more
Most of the time when you stand and stare at peoples' houses for long periods of time and take pictures, you're likely to be shot for casing the place. Strangely, this activity appears to be encouraged in the King Williams Historic District. There are even pamphlets at the Historical society that map out a route and specific houses you should stare at! After being reassured that this was common practice, I endeavored to try this for myself. Sure enough, I didn't come under fire and after a while was able to relax and consider some of the buildings. These are a number of (mostly) well-maintained Victorian homes: some appear to be of the Gothic variety with a few Queen Anne inspired touches. The association also apparently holds a street fair, but since this doesn't occur until April, I didn't feel like sticking around that long to check it out. read more
13 years ago
A beautiful neighborhood with lots of trees for shade while walking. There's sidewalks on both sides of the roads: A+ The handful of Southtown and Blue Star businesses around the area are an easy walk as well. If you want to drive as well, there are tons of Mexican eats if you keep going south. read more
13 years ago
10 years ago
Beautiful neighborhood to drive through, ride bikes through, heck, even take a long stroll through. Stunning architecture and an eclectic handful of restaurants to enjoy. Spend a Sunday afternoon and enjoy a gem of San Antonio! read more
9 years ago
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