Live oaks and friendly folks
Colloquially known as “the official birthplace of the cowboy,” Pleasanton is a small town of about 10,000 people situated 35 miles south of San Antonio. Its official motto, “The City of Live Oaks and Friendly Folks,” sums up its spirit, as what many residents love about living there is its welcoming manner and natural scenery. Folks come here to escape the busyness of modern life, preferring a slower pace in a city that maintains the spirit of the American West. It’s just south of San Antonio and just over an hour from the Texas coast, offering residents a cozy small-town community within reach of the city and the beach.
Housing options in Pleasanton
Housing in Pleasanton comes in various architectural styles, including manufactured homes, bungalows, ranch-style homes and contemporary traditional-style homes. The Pleasanton Meadows is a new planned community currently being constructed on the west end of town, offering buyers the opportunity to purchase a newly built home. Aside from these, most homes in Pleasanton cropped up in the 1950s through the 1980s. Though Pleasanton is a more rural area, residents here still get to live in a community, as most homes are in neighborhoods where nearby homes are close to each other. Prices here start around $90,000 for a manufactured home and get as high as $500,000 for a large single-family home with a pool on nearly two acres. The median price is $225,000, and buyers should expect to spend $150,000 to $300,000 for most single-family homes.
Mexican food, BBQ and H-E-B
The best spot in town for an authentic Mexican meal is Sely’s Mexican Restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a playful, laidback atmosphere. Bill Miller BBQ, a Texas-based chain, is another popular pick, as is The Office Bar & Grill, a local American restaurant with ample outdoor seating. There’s an H-E-B in town, which makes grocery shopping easy, and locals can pick up other necessities at Walmart, Dollar General and Tractor Supply Co.
Pleasanton Independent School District
Students attend Pleasanton Primary School before continuing to Pleasanton Elementary, Pleasanton Junior High and Pleasanton High School. All of these schools received B or B-minus ratings on the educational review site, Niche. Pleasanton High School offers its students career and technical education courses that allow them to work towards a certificate or an Associate of Applied Science degree while still in high school. Community organizations like the Woman’s Club of Pleasanton also give back to the city’s schools and work to improve these programs. “We help out the schools’ vocational programs, like the ag departments, welding program and barbecue teams,” says Melissa Royal, Treasurer of the Woman’s Club. Our Lady of Grace Catholic School is also in Pleasanton for parents who prefer private education.
Spending time outside at Atascosa River Park and the Pleasanton Country Club
Pleasanton’s central city park, Atascosa River Park, has expansive recreational facilities like a playground, skate park and splash pad, all wrapped up in an all-natural riverside setting. “Just recently, the city added a walking trail around an old pecan orchard around the river, and we bought signs to go along the trail,” Royal says. A loosely treed field with a few picnic tables, the smaller Iron Gate Park is another place locals spend time outside. Golfers take a swing at the Pleasanton Country Club, a semi-private 18-hole course lined by large oak trees. The club also has a restaurant and bar, tennis and swimming.
Community events in Pleasanton
Pleasanton’s Civic Center hosts community events, like Merry on Main at Christmastime, a Cinco de Mayo celebration, Cowboy Heritage Days and Wings & Wheels, a car and aircraft show. The Woman’s Club of Pleasanton celebrates community veterans each November with an extra patriotic meeting. “Quilts of Honor comes down and presents quilts to our community’s veterans,” Royal says. “It’s one of our favorite programs.” The City also provides ongoing programming for its residents, like yoga and Zumba classes, toddler time at the library and senior dominoes at the Civic Center.
Getting around via Atascosa Cowboy Connect
Pleasanton is 26 miles south of San Antonio, and residents can take US Highway 281 or Texas State Highway 97 to Interstate 37 to get there. The closest hospital to Pleasanton is Methodist Hospital Atascosa, four miles west in Jourdanton, and the nearest major airport is the San Antonio International Airport, 43 miles north. Atascosa Cowboy Connect is a public transit system connecting Pleasanton residents to stops in town and nearby towns of Jourdanton and Poteet.
Photography Contributed By
Adam Michaud
