Tobin Hill

Welcome to Tobin Hill

Tobin Hill from an Artist Point of View | Written by Bill Baird

           " What's in a name?  Well, in the case of the Tobin Hill neighborhood, quite a bit. The Tobin family – the neighborhood's namesake – might have the city's most intriguing lineage, going all the way back to the original Canary Island settlers of San Antonio. 

            William Gerard Tobin moved to town first, arriving from South Carolina in the 1850s.  William became a Texas ranger and city marshall and married Josephine, the daughter of John Smith, the last messenger from the Alamo and the first mayor of San Antonio.  William and Josephine had ten kids.  Yikes!   One of whom was John Wallace Tobin – mayor of SA and builder of the Olmos Dam.   John Tobin was Sherriff for 21 years and became known as the 'gunless sheriff.'   He built the house on the hill, for which the Tobin Hill neighborhood was named. 

            One of John's kids was Edgar Tobin, who was the first aerial photographer for Standard Oil, later known as Exxon. Not a bad gig! Hear it pays pretty well. Those Tobins had an estate off Harry Wurzbach road, on Salado Creek, called Oakwell Farms. Any of these names familiar?  Oakwell Farms, that's where Robert Tobin grew up. Robert became a major patron of the arts, and it's his largesse that refurbished the old Municipal Auditorium into the present-day Tobin Center.

            Whew.

            There's not gonna be a quiz on all that, but I list it all just to show that the Tobin Hill neighborhood truly taps into San Antonio's immense history.  It is a legacy that can't be conjured.

            Now on to the fun stuff.  

            Tobin Hill is directly north of downtown, so it's pretty much exactly where you want to be.  The Pearl Brewery has been the center of hip SA for years now, with no end in sight.  Hotel Emma has celebrities passing through frequently.  They show free movies on the lawn;  I have taken my kids to many of them.  

            There's just too many good places to eat here.  I'll go broke and get fat, but to heck with it.  There's Cullum's Attaboy, one of the city's most delectable spots.  I love Best Quality Daughter for Asian fusion dinner, El Milagrito for Mexican breakfast.  Lest we forget, the Pullman Market.  It's Texas' answer to Erewhon, and everything in there is local, delicious, and, well, maybe slightly expensive. Oh, go on and splurge – you're worth it.

            Down on St. Mary's there's my favorite bar in town, the Lonesome Rose.  Best bar in town.  Paper Tiger has tons of touring bands.  Little Death serves incredible wines and fresh bread.  Burger Boy is down there too.   Orange Slushie, here I come.

            Ok, eaten too much yet?   Hop on the museum reach of the riverwalk, running right through the Pearl.   It'll take you all the way down to Mission Espada if you want, or just downtown.  Set below street level, it's nice and cool down there most days. 

            Or you can walk across 281 and, boom, you're in Brackenridge Park. 

            Honestly, this is the neighborhood where I bring out of town guests.  Impeccable vibes, historic homes, incredible name and legacy, food, drinks, and live music. Close to downtown, right on the riverwalk trail.  It is close to pretty much anything you want, unless what you want is a boring area with nothing to do.  If that's what you're looking for, stay far away from Tobin Hill."