From industrial to thriving urban village
“Pearl is . . . full of restaurants and bars and activity ranging from a coffee shop to a jazz club. It has been a game changer for the city.”
In addition to CIA San Antonio, this unique planned neighbourhood is home to the fabulous Hotel Emma,11 chef-driven restaurants, seven cafés and bars, 14 independent shops, a twice-weekly farmers market and more than 400 rental apartments.
It sits on nine hectares along the northern reach of the San Antonio River that had been home to the San Antonio Brewing Association (later renamed the Pearl Brewing Co., hence the name) for more than a century.
“When the brewery closed in 1999, the property seemed destined to be razed,” says Pearl’s chief marketing officer Elizabeth Fauerso. But in stepped local billionaire philanthropist Christopher “Kit” Goldsbury, whose company purchased the site in 2001.
“He saw in the defunct brewery the potential for a revitalized food-centric neighbourhood,” Fauerso says.
Work immediately began on the vision of turning the longtime industrial area into a thriving urban village, with the first business opening its doors in 2006.
The area’s first year-round farmers market began in 2009 and CIA San Antonio came soon after in 2010. Beer production has also restarted on the site, with last year’s opening of Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery, a beautifully designed craft brew pub.
“We saved and preserved all of the old equipment, materials and ephemera from the original brewery,” Fauerso says. “We want to put these elements of Pearl history back to work.”
I can see that history while walking around Pearl’s mostly pedestrian brick streets.
A footbridge is made from an old conveyor system; CIA San Antonio’s outdoor kitchen is a repurposed fermentation tank; and Hotel Emma has reworked a piece of bronze from an antique bottle capper into a showstopping chandelier.
The hotel, which is owned by Goldsbury and is housed in the original brewing building, opened in 2015 and has been named one of Travel + Leisure’s Best New Hotels on the Planet in 2016.
“Hotel Emma was the missing puzzle piece. It feels like San Antonio’s living room as opposed to a luxury property that you could find in any market,” Fauerso says.
“It’s a truly unique environment that embodies South Texas history and culture.”
Guests are greeted in the wellstocked library (curated by author and urban planner Sherry Kafka Wagner) with seasonal nibbles and La Babia, a handcrafted margarita inspired by a Goldsbury family recipe from northern Mexico.
The decor blends industrial chic with relaxed, rancher style — think rough southwestern weavings with wrought-iron installation pieces.
Sitting right on the river with direct access to the River Walk and river taxi system, the hotel’s 146 rooms are lovely — but it’s the neighbourhood-enhancing amenities that really make it stand out.
The Sternewirth bar lounge hops with well-heeled patrons, Larder is stocked with house-butchered meats and fine-food provisions and Curio covers the fashion-seeking shoppers, selling supersoft cashmere ponchos and handmade silver jewelry.
Steps from the hotel — and steps from each other — are myriad other shops that make Pearl shine.
The Twig Book Shop is an independent bookstore with heart that also has an awesome selection of Texas and San Antonio titles. The Tiny Finch stocks an eclectic mix of handcrafted home and fashion goods and is a gifting treasure trove. The Sporting District is a one-of-everything men’s store that celebrates southern sartorial traditions — think bow ties and straight razors.
There are also plenty of places to park your bags and refuel. Specializing in traditional French baking, Bakery Lorraine makes the perfect croissants and a mean latte. For something more substantial, Cured focuses on regional ingredients and makes all its preserved foods — from the lamb chorizo to the gingerbread mustard — in house.
One of the latest additions to Pearl’s culinary family is Botika, an AsianPeruvian concept restaurant run by chef Geronimo Lopez, a former instructor at CIA San Antonio.
He mixes South American flavours with Asian favourites, for creations such as crab and maize sushi rolls or short rib egg noodles.
Pearl has been such a commercial and community success that a different development company hopes to revamp Lone Star, another underused brewing district just south of downtown.
“The precedent set by Pearl is encouraging more preservation, more revitalization and more investment in assets that are uniquely San Antonio,” Fauerso says.
In the meantime, the combination of food, foresight and historical fascination helped turn an old shell into a shiny Pearl — and it’s just waiting for you to enjoy. Emma Yardley was hosted by Visit San Antonio, which did not review or approve this story.