Residential streets in older sections of San Antonio are full of surprises. You never can be sure of what you'll find. What began as bungalows can end up as mansions, with multiple architectural styles in between. The tree-lined street where the homeowner and her...
After 40 years, couple is still together and enjoying art, travel and gardening Rarely these days do we hear about high school sweethearts -- native San Antonians, no less -- who are still together and happily married after more than 40 years. Diane and Bob are just...
With the decline in the economy, some people are opting to remodel their current dwelling rather than move to a bigger or better residence. Not only does remodeling allow homeowners to customize changes to suit lifestyles, personal tastes or current trends, remodeling...
The Elm Creek garden home of Dr. Francisco and Graciela Cigarroa is a study in elegance. The large gas lamp by the entry gate hints at the Old World ambience within. Just beyond the gate is a large courtyard of sun and shadows with a fountain that plays its natural...
The Dominion in northwest San Antonio is noted for its celebrity mansions and an elegant golf club where the city"s elite meet for recreation. Not all of the community"s residents live in mansions, though; some reside in the garden homes located along the golf club"s...
San Antonio is a city full of residential surprises. Particularly in the older neighborhoods, you never know what you'll find. Around one corner there may be a full-blown Tudor mansion, and the next bend in the road can reveal a Prairie home. Some of these treasures...
The hills of Cordillera Ranch are the site of many beautiful homes, which come in all shapes and styles, from ranch to Tudor. Tucked away on a quiet cul-de-sac, quite distant from the community's gatehouse, is a house that looks as though it was plucked out of the...
Walk down any residential street in San Antonio and chances are, one house will stand out. One house will hold your attention, pique your interest and create a desire to linger just a little longer, gazing at the structure. Linda Hummel-McAlpin and her husband, Chico,...
It takes a special talent to look at an old house and see possibilities. The Monte Vista neighborhood, one of the largest and oldest historical districts in the United States, has its share of beautiful renovations. Here and there, though, there are structures whose...
This is a story about a house that was a dream. A dream born of travels to sunny Spain, lingering hours spent in the Alhambra and countless hours studying Moorish architecture. It is a story about Al Aguilar and Gisela Girard, a couple with the creative drive to build...
Deerbrook Farm is a love story, straight out of the True Romance series. It's about a young girl named Betsy Skillin, born in New York City and raised in Europe, who met Tom O'Connell, an American soldier, on a train traveling from Frankfurt to Paris. She was 14, and...
The owners of a magnificent Atlee B. Ayres-designed home in a near-urban San Antonio neighborhood have many a story to tell about their circa 1937 Mediterranean-style residence. Perhaps one of the most charming anecdotes is shared by the lady of the house, who relates...
The Monte Vista home of Henry Muñoz is a "sketch that is always evolving," says the owner. As chairman of the board of directors and CEO of Kell Muñoz Architects, Inc., and an award-winning designer, he knows whereof he speaks. Since purchasing the circa 1922 house 15...
As the awareness of health dangers associated with obesity and the sedentary lifestyle grows, proactive Americans are increasingly turning to exercise to help them stave off decline and illness. Athletic clubs have become commonplace, and more people are signing up...
With a mischievous smile, Jennifer Day makes a tongue-in-cheek declaration, "The worst thing you can see outside your home is Phyllis Browning's silver BMW." She recalls the Realtor's visit to her Monte Vista home and her pronouncement, "I think I can sell your...
The Alamo Heights home of Carol and Ed Kopplow, designed by architect Fred Buenz, was built in the early 1940s. It seems, however, that the home has been a work in progress since they purchased it more than 30 years ago. The reason is simple. Needs changed as their...
We've always been drawn to the energy of what happens downtown," says local urban dweller Kathy Griesenbeck. She and her attorney husband, Ty, have enjoyed the delights of a spacious condominium overlooking the heart of our city for close to four years. Urban...
Fred and Jade Bettah bring to their sprawling, multilevel Alamo Heights home the unique blend of two cultures. Jade is originally from Portugal, and Fred is Lebanese though he came to San Antonio most recently from El Paso. Jade arrived in the United States following...
