San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
The Crossvine connects residents in Schertz with new community garden
Master-planned community with a focus on nature provides a respite for residents
After a year and a half of digital connections through video calls, virtual happy hours and online schooling, the idea of finding meaningful connections has become more important than ever. For many during the pandemic, spending time in nature provided an escape from the monotony of working from home and a chance to safely enjoy activities that didn’t involve screens and reliable internet connections. Cultivating safe social bubbles of friends and family in close proximity also provided comfort.
The housing market was directly impacted by the pandemic, increasing buyer demand for more space and greenery. For some, the idea of shutting down a laptop and walking out onto a nature trail was enough to prompt a move outside of the concrete walls and noisy streets of urban living. Instead, buyers sought homes just outside of major cities promising better quality of life. For one local neighborhood, the concept of prioritizing natural landscapes wasn’t an afterthought, it was the entire foundation of the community.
The Crossvine, a master-planned community in Schertz, TX, spreads
across 500 acres northeast of San
Antonio. Nestled between two of the state’s main thoroughfares, I-35 and
I-10, Schertz provides residents with a unique advantage for growth and easy access to both highways for travel. With the comfort, feel and stability of a small town and big city advantages of proximity to excellent employment opportunities, entertainment and culture, Schertz is recognized for familyfriendly community activities, workforce opportunities, and strategic, innovative urban planning initiatives.
The Crossvine caters to people in various stages of life and once fully developed, the community will include single-family homes, garden homes, townhomes, multi-family clusters and independent and assisted living facilities, alongside commercial areas comprising neighborhood services, retail, office, municipal and potential medical uses to provide more dynamic housing options for the Schertz area.
Throughout the pandemic, The Crossvine’s proximity to nature provided residents with an abundance of space to stretch their legs and breathe in fresh air right from their doorsteps. The Crossvine is crisscrossed by an extensive greenbelt system of open outdoor spaces to promote a healthy lifestyle and connectivity among neighbors. This includes residential lots nestled up to green spaces, playgrounds, exercise parks, butterfly gardens, a sports field, newly completed community garden and bocce ball court, and roughly 12 miles of hike and bike trails.
As residents have taken advantage of the sprawling landscape at The Crossvine over the past year and a half, they have also continued to foster a strong sense of community throughout the various stages of the pandemic, with many residents partaking in virtual cooking classes, family trivia nights, neighborhood ‘bear’ hunts, walks along the trails, outdoor movie nights, musical bingo, happy hours with live music and themed weekend events.
The neighborhood has welcomed multigenerational families and residents looking to form close bonds with their neighbors. As the community continues to grow, so do the offerings available for residents of The Crossvine. On Sept. 23, The Crossvine will mark the grand opening of its community gardens, which include 24 plots available to residents for a yearlong lease. Gardeners will be able to connect with nature in a new way that allows them to spend time outdoors, socialize with their neighbors and bring fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs into their homes.
Later this year, The Crossvine will also offer Garden Homes that back onto greenbelts to continue providing a variety of housing types for residents of all stages of life. If you’d like your next home to include sprawling outdoor spaces, a focus on neighborhood-building and a sense of community, look no further than The Crossvine.