Hey y’all, Cory here.
The heat showed up fast this year. We’re not even into June, and it already feels like peak summer. Makes you want to slow everything down, find a bit of shade—or just post up by the nearest body of water.
Still, it’s been a full (and very warm) week: we recorded a new bigcitysmalltown episode on free legal services in San Antonio, I toured the Beacon Hill Community Garden with landscape designer Luke Hoy, and I’m gearing up to moderate a book launch at Nowhere Bookshop next week.
Plus, my brother and his wife were in town, so of course we had to treat them to one of our family’s go-to spots: Best Quality Daughter.
Hope you’re staying cool out there—let’s get into it.
🌡 Feature of the Week How One City Cooled Down—and What San Antonio Can Learn
San Antonio was just named one of the hottest cities on the planet this week—and the trend isn’t letting up. We’ve already broken records for 100°+ days, and projections say we could double our yearly average by 2036 .
But it doesn’t have to be this way. And Medellín, Colombia, is proof.
Just a few years ago, Medellín was facing its own urban heat crisis: rapid development, lots of asphalt and concrete, very little green. So the city launched a bold initiative: green corridors.
Over 30 stretches of densely planted vegetation were woven through roadways, riverbanks, and sidewalks—designed to mimic forest ecosystems with native trees, layered plantings, and citizen gardeners hired from local communities to maintain them.
The results? Within three years, temperatures in parts of the city dropped by 3.6°F (2°C). Long-term modeling expects 7–9°F reductions across more of the city .
So what does this have to do with San Antonio?
A lot.
We already know which neighborhoods are hurting most from the heat. San Antonio’s hottest areas are concentrated in the Westside, Eastside, and Southside—especially District 5, where tree canopy is thin, and heat levels are rated Level 5, the highest severity .
Meanwhile, northern districts like 8 and 9—similar in density—have far more tree cover, and measurably cooler surroundings.
The difference isn’t natural. It’s the result of planning decisions, disinvestment, and policy failures that left lower-income neighborhoods paved over and overheated.
Medellín shows what’s possible when cities plan differently—when green infrastructure becomes a primary strategy, not an afterthought. We don’t need to wait for billion-dollar cooling technology. We need to cool our streets, schoolyards, and sidewalks. We need to prioritize the places that need shade the most.
Because as the trees—and the heat maps—keep telling us: where we plant really matters.
📆 This Week's Picks:
🍕 1472 Pizza Pop-Up at Copper Rose Wine📍 1810 Blanco Rd, Copper Rose Wine. Friday, May 16, 5–9 PM. Free to attend (food & wine for purchase) Pizza, wine, and a backyard with a slide! This is 1472 Pizza’s first Friday pop-up, and they’ll be slinging fresh pies while you sip wine in one of the coziest, most family-friendly hangouts in town.
🎉 Gardopia’s 10th Birthday Farmer’s Market📍 Gardopia Gardens, 619 N. New Braunfels Ave. Saturday, May 17, 6–9 PM. Free! Gardopia Gardens is turning 10—and they’re throwing a garden-style birthday bash to celebrate. Expect live music, food demos, giveaways, and many local vendors to check out. Bring the whole family!
🍷 Wine Festival at Tower of the Americas📍 Tower of the Americas, 739 E César E. Chávez Blvd. Saturday, May 17, 2–5 PM. $55 GA / $90 VIP / $50 Landry’s Club. Taste wines from 24 Washington State wineries with skyline views, small bites, live music, and games. VIPs get a private tent and extras.
🍽️ San Antonio Restaurant Week: River Walk Edition📍All over the River Walk! Through Sunday, May 18. $25–$55 prix fixe menus. Your final weekend to try 3-course meals at some of the River Walk’s best spots—at a discount. Restaurants like the Range, Acenar, and Boudro’s offer curated menus, with $1 each supporting the San Antonio Hospitality Foundation.
🥂 Cherrity Bar Brunch Market📍 Cherrity Bar, 302 Montana St. Sunday, May 18, 10 AM–2 PM. Free entry (food for purchase). A solid Sunday plan: grab coffee, listen to live music, and check out what some of San Antonio’s chefs and artists are cooking up. This brunch market at Cherrity Bar brings together local food, vendors, and a good excuse to hang out on the Eastside for a bit.
📖 Plants with Purpose: Book Launch at Nowhere Bookshop📍 Nowhere Bookshop, 5154 Broadway. Tuesday, May 20, 6–8 PM. Free. Excited to share I’ll be moderating this one! Author Monika Maeckle is launching her new book Plants with Purpose, a beautiful tribute to 25 plants that feed wildlife, heal people, and tell stories. We’ll chat about the plants, the process, and the stunning illustrations by Hilary Rochow.
✈️ Could Our Airport Really Become Gregg Popovich International?
This week, San Antonio Report shared the story: Councilmember Manny Pelaez has filed a request to rename the San Antonio International Airport in honor of Gregg Popovich. It’s not official—yet—but the request is making its way through City Council.
On the heels of Pop’s retirement as Spurs head coach, the proposed renaming would celebrate not just his basketball legacy but his Air Force service, mentorship, and deep connection to the city.
Would it become Gregg Popovich International? Pop Airport? Coach Pop Field? Hard to say, but the symbolism hits—especially for a city that doesn’t always agree on much, but sure as hell agrees on Pop.
🔗 Read the story from San Antonio Report
🍽️ Discover Something New: 11 Best New Restaurants in San Antonio
The team at San Antonio Magazine just dropped their annual Best New Restaurants list—and it’s a fantastic reflection of what’s fresh, bold, and exciting in San Antonio’s food scene right now.
Confession time: I’ve only made it to two on the list—Ladino and Mezquite. Both were absolutely worth the hype. But now I’ve got nine more to explore.
Here’s your 2025 foodie checklist:
⬜ Ladino
⬜ Mezquite
⬜ Chika
⬜ Isidore
⬜ Nicosi
⬜ Pumpers
⬜ Yozora
🍴 Want to eat your way through the full list? Read the full guide here.
🌳 Texas Nature Journal: San Antonio’s Future Forest
This past weekend, Arboretum San Antonio unveiled its much-anticipated master plan—a vision years in the making to transform the former Republic Golf Course on the Southeast Side into a 200-acre public sanctuary for trees and nature education. And just before the reveal, I had the chance to walk the property with Scott Anderson, the arborist on the job, and get a behind-the-scenes look at what’s growing now—and what could be in the years to come.
Scott’s team at Urban Tree Company has already identified over 30 different native species of trees and shrubs, from cedar elms and pecans to massive green ash and Osage orange trees—some of which evolved alongside woolly mammoths and giant ground sloths (!). They’re also marking “hero trees”: specimens exceptionally large for their species that will become anchor features in the arboretum’s trail system and future programming.
The new master plan, designed by landscape architects at Sasaki, includes:
- 🌲 A welcome center, nature trails, and an amphitheater
- 🧑🏫 Outdoor classrooms and research zones
- 🐦 Wildlands and riparian habitats along Salado Creek
- 🌳 Preservation of existing tree canopy and native groves
But none of this happens overnight. As Scott noted, trees that were once irrigated along the golf fairways are now struggling, and the Arboretum’s long-term success depends on intentional species selection, fire resilience planning, and ongoing care of mature trees. It’s a lesson that applies just as much to our own yards as it does to a city-scale project.
🎥 Watch our walk & talk here: Walking the Arboretum with Arborist Scott Anderson
And if you’re as excited as I am about the future of this place—stay tuned. There might be more Ensemble Texas x Arboretum collaborations ahead.
If you make it out to any of this week’s picks—or just find yourself somewhere unexpected and great—I’d love to hear about it. Hit reply and let me know what you got into.
Want to support or collaborate with Ensemble Texas?
Whether you’re a local business, community group, or just have an idea worth exploring—I’m always up for a good conversation.
📬 sponsor@ensembletexas.com or just reply to this email.
Until next time—stay cool and drink water.
He gave this city more than just championships.
Take care,
Cory