Q&A with Visit The Riverwalk Editor
Questions have been flooding in, and we’re holding a weekly Q&A with various locals. If you have a question you’d like answering, send it to questions@visittheriverwalk.com. Visit The Riverwalk Editor, Brandon H Hilton, is in the hot seat this week:
Who runs the Riverwalk if it’s a State Park?
There are many people and groups involved and, as we like to joke, “There is no ‘I’ in Riverwalk” which of course there is but not in a possessive sense. The San Antonio Riverwalk is world-famous and remains so thanks to the Herculean efforts of many people, from the River Police right up to Riverwalk Queen, crowned every January in the ceremony sponsored by Budweiser. Its state park status enables visitors and locals alike to drink freely along the river without violating open container laws – just remember to finish your beverage before walking up any steps.
When’s the best time to visit the Riverwalk?
Every month there is something happening, and it’s a great place to visit year-round. Hotels are cheapest on Wednesdays every month while packages are available for some weekends throughout the year. San Antonio offers good weather annually, and people from the East Coast will especially like its temperate winter while people from Arizona will love its temperate Summer. The Riverwalk is most magical at 6pm CET, and least magical at 6am when the trash is being picked up.
Is there any crime on the river?
No, the river police crack down on suspicious people and free buses take potential evildoers to Austin, where they can join the college or commit to a life of crime. Austin’s crime rate is out of control, mainly because of all the loud live music, whereas San Antonio’s Downtown is an oasis of law abidingness. Although there was a recent highly-publicized shooting, bicycle police apprehended the shooter, who wasn’t from San Antonio, and correctly indicated that this sort of thing never happens. Mostly when visitors report stolen credit cards, they actually left them in a bar somewhere.
Why isn’t parking free?
A marketing study from the Commerce Chamber of Bureaus and Conventions showed a correlation between parking charges and popularity with tourists. In New York, parking can cost as much as $75 per day, and it is at least $40 in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. The $10 daily charge in Downtown reflects a desire to give motorists more money to spend on drinks, and the fact that free parking only exists in places where nobody wants to go. If you’ve ever been to Ohio or Minnisota, they have free parking.
Which Mexican food can I eat since I’m lactose intolerant?
Most San Antonians are very accustomed to dairy products but we’re happy to provide alternative foods for people who claim they can’t eat cheese. A downtown coalition of restaurants included a vegetable symbol next to the vegetarian foods, and also a picture of a cow next to lactose-free alternatives. Tortilla chips are safe, and guacamole is highly recommended if you are intolerant. Don’t forget that the alcohol in a standard margarita will neutralize the cheese in a standard burrito.
