The Soul of San Antonio

San Antonio's Eastside 

Diversity drives the attraction of San Antonio’s Eastside. Landmarks, venues and eateries reflect the city’s rich Black American culture. The Eastside is filled with old treasures and new surprises from St. Paul Square, a bustling dining and entertainment district, to Dignowity Hill, a vintage residential suburb undergoing tremendous revitalization.

Historical Significance

Did you know Ellis Alley, one of the city’s first Black American settlements, is known as the birthplace from which the east side of San Antonio developed? And today, St. Paul Square, named after one of the oldest African-American churches in town, is a bustling dining and entertainment district. Nearby Dignowity Hill, two miles east of downtown, is considered the city’s oldest elite residential suburb.

Neighborhood Favorites

Walk or ride to St. Paul Square, named after one of the oldest African-American churches in town, to dine, shop and explore attractions in restored historic buildings.  For feeding a group, head to Big Lou’s Pizza for their famous 62” pizza. Experience authentic soul food at Mrs. Kitchen, where every menu item is made from scratch, devour tacos Mittman Fine Foods, or grab a Texas-sized smoked meat sandwich at Dignowity Meats. Get active on the Salado Creek greenway, take a yoga class atop Hays Street Bridge, then grab a tasting flight of locally brewed beer at Alamo Beer Company. Drive to Sullivan Park to check out a 32-foot-tall, orange sculpture of an open hand called “Open Hand, Open Mind, Open Heart” that’s dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr. Root for the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center, catch your favorite artist in concert at the Alamodome, or experience local cultural events at The Carver Community Cultural Center. Explore jaw-dropping pieces of art from muralists from around the world at Essex Modern City. Take in the beauty of the “Spheres of Reflection” sculpture by local artist Kaldric Dow at Martin Luther King Park. Come explore what is new on the Eastside.