Small Town - Big Heart

Bandera Texas is definitely a small town- in fact, Bandera is the only incorporated city in the entire county. The population hovers around 1000 residents, in about a 2 mile square area. They are happy with who and where they are, and I don't expect they'll change anytime soon. In fact, the hub of commercial activity has moved to the highway that intersects the City of Bandera, Highway 16. Without any zoning in place, the highway is a hodge podge of office buildings, strip centers, and car dealers and retail. Water and sewer needs will increase as more businesses move to this corridor of activity. TXDOT does what it can to regulate access off of the highway, to avoid accidents with 70 mph traffic on 16. All of this activity hopefully will not change the heart and soul of Bandera- the cowboy and western influence that has attracted visitors and residents alike.

One aspect of Bandera that I hope will never change is the friendliness and compassion of the people of Bandera. I like walking into the Bank, the supermarket, the post office etc. and it's "Hi Mary Jo, How are You?". Can the same be said for bigger cities like San Antonio, Austin, even New Braunfels and Boerne have gotten too big for the warm hugs I receive in Bandera. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE big cities- the excitement, the activities, the shopping, I could go on & on, I just appreciate the love. Thank you Bandera, I feel the love!