When I drove into the area back on May 25, 2025, I was taken aback by how much this area of San…read moreAntonio had changed. The street that I remember driving in front of the Alamo many years ago is now non-existent! I am really digging the Alamo Plaza, though. From what I understand, the plan is to make it entirely pedestrian-friendly - no more vehicular traffic. Thus, much of the surrounding area is still under construction, but most areas in front of the Alamo are safe. This plaza is not the same as the Plaza de Valero, which is in front of Menger Hotel. Just ensure to wear loose, breathable clothing and drink plenty of water on the really warm to hot Texas days... a young lady in a tour group I was in passed out and hit her head on the concrete of the plaza. She (or rather her boyfriend) refused medical attention. I don't know if she's okay now, but it seemed serious at the time. PARKING I think your best bet with all the ongoing construction would be at the Rivercenter Parking Garage. TIP The building west of the Alamo will be the new Alamo Visitor Center and Museum. A grand opening for 2027 has been slated.

Sometimes, the grounds outside an attraction are more interesting than the attraction itself. This…read moremay very well be the case for the Alamo Plaza. While the Alamo itself is rich in history, I prefer people-watching myself. And boy howdy, is there people watching here! While on my visit, I was enjoying a dish of ice cream, curtesy of one of the shops along the street, when I was able to get my fix of religion. There was a street preacher, or perhaps someone who just wanted to be a street preacher, yelling out scripture and nonsense. It didn't take long for him to be escorted to the end of the street by the police officers who where there patrolling on their bikes. Too bad, I was ready to repent and convert. The plaza provides lots of shade with several large trees and a little bit of seating on benches and concrete walls surrounding the landscape. Most of the shops along the street are geared toward tourists (souvenir shops, overpriced oddity museums and some eateries.) It's worth a visit for a while, but you might find better, less expensive options, a few blocks away.

Fever: Machu Picchu VR experience with my kiddos on Mother's Day. What a fun way to send this…read morespecial day with my family. Makes me happy.

My husband and I used the parking garage at the Shops at Rivercenter while we were in downtown San…read moreAntonio. It was very convenient being right next to the Alamo and the Riverwalk. The garage was decently priced and was easy to get in and out of. The kiosk next to the parking area made it to simple to pay our parking bill. The mall itself was nice to walk through after being outside in the 95 degree heat.

This is a collection of different vendors selling a variety of things. There was candy, crafts,…read moreCBD, toys, clothes, snacks, food.... Whatever you want they have! You want to dance away the time? There's a dance floor and a live band! The band was super loud (uncomfortably so when shopping) and I think you can probably get a contact high at the CBD shop. Otherwise, it was a good time!

I love this shopping center! There is so many different vendors under one roof. From antiques to…read moresouvenirs to you name it you can find it! During the weekend it is so lively sometimes they have live bands and people dancing. Also you get the opportunity to try all kinds of Mexican snacks!

When I travel and take on the persona of tourist, I do things I would not normally do in my typical…read moreday-to-day life...like browse through souvenir shops. I do not like to collect anything and only purchase items that have a purpose. So this shopping setup goes against everything I usually gravitate toward. However, when on vacation I do like to get a taste of the local fare and perhaps grab a little something to remember my visit. Near where we were staying is the Market Square-an indoor/outdoor market boasting brightly colored, cheaply made and mostly imported items. There are lots of people, upbeat music and an energy that lures you in. Here, you can find a variety of articles of clothing, hats and shot glasses. I was looking for something that I could take to my son-something practical-ish that I wouldn't mind seeing around the house. We visited three separate times (it was a stop on our tour bus), but each time I left empty handed. The hours are a bit limited-they open at ten (or a bit after, really) and close at 4pm. There are restaurants sprinkled throughout, which might draw more people than the actual market. I would have liked to see some more high-quality, artisan made items rather than so many cheap things that were mass produced. Or more "consumable" items such as soaps, candles, candies, etc. But if you're looking for a souvenir without having to spend a lot of money, you just may find something here.

Growing up visiting family in Mexico I can appreciate all the shops at the Market Square. It…read morereminded me so much of my childhood! I remember walking along the Mexican touristy boardwalks and markets enjoying all the gift shops, music and street food. Mexico is a country known for it's rich culture. I remember traveling to the Garibaldi square famous for Mariachi Music and its local native vendors who come and sell handmade items like dolls, sarapes, rugs, pottery, jewelry, Agua Frescas, churros, fruit on a stick, roasted corn, street tacos. Well, the Marketplace is a tiny taste of Mexico, and thankfully, I don't have to drive all the way to the Motherland to find some great souvenirs. You'll find all kinds of curios, pottery, marble chess sets, wooden toys...no shortage of fun gifts. I loved showing my kids all the wonderful artisans since we no longer visit Mexico on a regular basis. We bought some beautiful pottery and my boys got some fun souvenir luchadores and candy to take home. Overall a fun day of touristy shopping! We'll be back!

We were here during the week and it was very quiet. Only a handful of stores were open on Wednesday…read morearound 5pm. Very easy to walk and browse. Love the local cats that wander around and live in some of the stores. The cats look homeless, but they are domesticated street cats. The stores have a lot of amazing locally made items - a lot of talented artists. One store - the bird and pear had fun stickers, art work and sauces, a lot of souveniers available. The prices were decent for a tourist area. There was a least one store that has a sign posted, no photos allowed in the store. Please be aware and respectful of these requests. I would love to be able to go back at some point when more stores are open.

We visited a few times. We first went to explore dinner places - yet all the shops had closed. So,…read morewe went back the next morning and explored for a couple of hours. It is a restored set of buildings that date back over a century sandwiched between streets on 3 sides and the river on the 4th side. Wide variety of small, specialty shops ranging from handmade stuff to unique gifts. There are 2 parks within. There are historic signs by the buildings. There's an outdoor theater. Very easy access to the River Walk. To see it all took us about three hours.

Close doors before 9 should get in trouble for that , guy in register was rude didn't bother to…read moreopen the door

Store is well organized but they could use another cashier as the lines are a little long. Store is…read morealso a little cluttered it could definitely be a little more organized.

This is my heb shopping location. Come here almost every week for grocery needs or anything in…read moregeneral, but I warn you that it gets extremely packed during the noon hours. Be sure to try their grilled pollo that they have cooking right on the flame for you. This store just recently went through an inside remodeling(aisle swaps) so everything looks so much better and open for those busy crowded days. Only negative for me is that the parking lot seems to irritate me a little when I come here, especially during busy hours so do what I do and come on the AM when the store is empty.

I really don't like the HEB at this shopping center but it's in a convenient location. This is good…read morefor families since there are several children's dentist offices here and also the Ricardo Salinas Metro Health clinic that offers low cost immunizations and other services.

Always enjoy the events held at the Mercado. Today is the 2021 version of Fiesta de los Reyes…read more The usual beer, food and crafts booths you name it: gorditas, fajitas, tripas, mini tacos, chicken on a stick, etc. get you name on a rope bracelet. Get an airbrushed t-shirt or cap. Tattoos that last a couple of weeks. Music throughout the area. Rock, tejano, pop, bluesy. Go out the back door to the area under the highway. Always a good time there. I discovered hard seltzer. What a refreshing break from beer. Low cal, low carbs. Bud Light offers a peach , strawberry and I think a blueberry version. I tried the peach and strawberry, both tasty. 5% alcohol. Go there. Runs through tomorrow, June 27.

When I travel and take on the persona of tourist, I do things I would not normally do in my typical…read moreday-to-day life...like browse through souvenir shops. I do not like to collect anything and only purchase items that have a purpose. So this shopping setup goes against everything I usually gravitate toward. However, when on vacation I do like to get a taste of the local fare and perhaps grab a little something to remember my visit. Near where we were staying is the Market Square-an indoor/outdoor market boasting brightly colored, cheaply made and mostly imported items. There are lots of people, upbeat music and an energy that lures you in. Here, you can find a variety of articles of clothing, hats and shot glasses. I was looking for something that I could take to my son-something practical-ish that I wouldn't mind seeing around the house. We visited three separate times (it was a stop on our tour bus), but each time I left empty handed. The hours are a bit limited-they open at ten (or a bit after, really) and close at 4pm. There are restaurants sprinkled throughout, which might draw more people than the actual market. I would have liked to see some more high-quality, artisan made items rather than so many cheap things that were mass produced. Or more "consumable" items such as soaps, candles, candies, etc. But if you're looking for a souvenir without having to spend a lot of money, you just may find something here.

This Five Below used to be chaotic. But they have since gotten new management and the store has…read moretidied up quite a bit. Let me tell you it's very noticeable when a store gets a manager that actually cares about presentation. The store is somewhat organized and has decent stock. Sure they're sold out of some things (mostly the Hello Kitty merch), but it's in a high traffic area being next to Home Depot and Ross, so it's understandable. Was recently there and they were out of plastic bags. Slight inconvenience as we had gathered a large quantity of items. But if you can overlook the small hiccups, this location is leaps and bounds further than it was a year ago.

Yelp Rule no.# 8675309: No two franchises are alike! Period…read more For example the Five Below in Del Norte Plaza by Northstar Mall might yield a different set of experiences than say the one, which I recently encountered in the Southside. In all fairness to this location my review happened to coincide with the Christmas shopping season. But is that any excuse for a business to succumb to incivility and floors littered with items such as the Poop Emoji game? Friend, I feel that stores have slowly become the measures of our frustations. Let me begin by starting at the beginning. If you've never been to a FB everything is five dollars or less, a place created with last minute shoppers in mind. They offer: sloth printed blankets, fuzzy journals, Star Wars toys (of irrelevant characters), Polo cologne knockoffs, gaudy makeup, etc. It's mainly stuff that people purchase in bulk to use as fillers to accompany gifts. Once inside they have these small blue carrying baskets that you pull as if you were lugging a suitcase through an airport terminal. It's really quite confusing further exacerbated the minute you walk through the door. Firstly you find yourself maneuvering your basket through very limited space. It's all one big clusterfudge. Inventory is scattered all over the floor as if barbarians came to pillage and plunder. Children are running, screaming unsupervised by parents. Whilst adults are on their phones surveying items only to throw them back onto the floor. It reminded me of that scene in "Raising Arizona" where the kids are chasing each other, guided by chaos. I saw a store associate throw up their hands in resignation as if to say, "They don't pay me enough to do this!" Mind you I know the shopper during Christmas is wired differently as opposed to other times of the year. They become very tunnel visioned. As a result they invade your personal bubble. It creates a snowball effect. Aisles give way to rudeness. The manner in which we shop at a store often represents the way in which we carry ourselves in life. I don't expect people to be holding hands and singing Kumbaya next to the Mr. Rogers t-shirts. I do see why online shopping via Amazon is becoming more appealing to people versus the stress in stores. At this point I ask myself do different locations of the same brand deliver varying degrees of an experience? For example say FB's location in Northwoods. Would there be a better selection? Would the place be in order? Would patrons be more humane? Or do the holidays bring out the worse in human behavior? I'm not sure. I can only judge a place on its individual merits at the time of purchases. There probably is no reason for me to go on about my discontent. No sooner do you enter a place do you exit it. And these are good things to know. Sometimes one franchise's location is welcoming the next, you thought you stepped midway into the apocalypse. A brick and mortar store is really just some arbitrary mechanism that doesn't care one way or the other. It is its managers, staff and ultimately us that make a place great or suck. ps. If your Secret Santa got you that embarrassingly bad set of makeup I'm not totally saying they got it here! Okay, I am!