Spraying Truth: Crime Stats in San Antonio & My Can's Perspective
so i'm crouched behind a dumpster off broadway at 3am, dodging security lights, and my phone's buzzing with a text from my cousin in houston: "yo san antonio safe?" real question. like, does my spray can need a bulletproof vest now? let's break it down raw, no sugarcoating. san antonio's murder rate jumped 15% in '23 according to SAPD stats - brutal. but here's the twist: property crimes dropped 8% because everyone's too broke to steal anything worth taking. your $50 bike? gone. your neighbor's gnome? safe.
rent's a joke here. $1,200 for a one-bedroom in king william? that's cheaper than my studio's aerosol budget. but jobs? mixed bag. healthcare's booming, but tech pays like you're still using dial-up.
"heard from a cop at blue star: 'don't look at the dealers in la villita unless you wanna buy. they'll offer you tacos first, then keys.'"
weather's brutal right now. sun's so hot the asphalt's sweating, but a 45-minute drive to the hill country gets you pine trees and 20° cooler.
"bartender at esquire tavern told me: 'avoid loop 410 after midnight unless you wanna see a fender bender turn into a mariachi standoff.'"
"nursing student overheard in cafe: 'that new 'safer streets' app? it's just google maps with red flags. useful for avoiding bad spots, but like... google maps already does that.'"
real talk? safety's relative. when i'm painting under the bridge near st. paul square, i feel more threatened by drunk frat bros than actual criminals. but that's my bias. for a tourist? stick to the riverwalk after dark. for locals? maybe don't park near the silver stars arena on game day.
pro move if you're sprayin': always carry a cheap umbrella as a quick shield. and remember, the san antonio subreddit will warn you about new sketch spots faster than the news. if you're hungry after a night mission, yelp's got decent late-night tacos - though the one on culebra has questionable bathroom graffiti.
tourist-wise? tripadvisor's top spots are mostly safe, but that 'haunted' alamo ghost tour? skip it. the real ghosts are your student loans.
so safer? depends where you stand. statistically, maybe not. but i've seen more street art than street fights lately. call it a draw.
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