The former Pearl Brewery site in San Antonio is in the process of being transformed into a mixed-use development; the brewery operated from 1881 until 2001. The site sat vacant until 2006, when the first tenant of the redevelopment, the Aveda Institute, opened. Now there are about 35 tenants.

The last time I was in San Antonio, for a conference, my work colleagues and I took a cab over to the brewery to check it out. Our cab driver was entertaining. By “entertaining” I mean she scared us to the point that we opted to walk back. She talked the whole way about various traffic accidents she’d been in; none of them were HER fault, though, so I am not too sure why we were worried. As she pulled into the brewery, and ran up over a curb, we suddenly realized that the very first place we saw – which turned out to be the Aveda Institute – was just where we needed to stop. She offered us a card, so we could phone her to arrange a return back downtown. I guess she’s probably parked under a tree somewhere, waiting on that call.

After we ditched her, we decided that our frayed nerves could probably do with a margarita or four. Luckily for us, we found La Gloria Icehouse, which had an accommodating wait staff, and accommodating happy hour prices.

Then, as I said, we walked back, along the Riverwalk, which is pedestrian-only, so we weren’t at risk of seeing that cab driver. Or being run down by her.

None of this has really anything to do with the photograph, except that it is another building on the brewery grounds.

San Antonio, Texas
photographed 11.26.11