When I first came to Texas, I thought of San Antonio as just one of the major cities in Texas.

It was just four cities: Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio.

However, after living in San Antonio for a few years, I found it interesting that Texans have a slightly different view of San Antonio.

People from Houston seem to think their city is the economic center of Texas. There are many oil companies, a port, hospitals, and the city itself is really large.

Dallas is different. There are many financial companies, a lot of new buildings, and people tend to dress a bit more formally. There's a strange vibe of "We are Texas, but a more sophisticated Texas."

Austin is in its own world. It's the capital, has universities, and many tech companies. Even though it's in the heart of Texas, sometimes it feels like they think they're not part of Texas.

But what about San Antonio? When Texans talk about San Antonio, they oddly say one phrase.

"Oh! You live in San Antonio?"

This phrase carries a lot of meaning. It's not seen as an incredibly business-oriented city, nor does it have the vibe of a trendy tech city.

Yet, it's definitely not viewed as a small rural town either. By population, it's quite a large city, but strangely, it lacks the typical tension of a big city.

From my experience, that's both a downside and an upside of San Antonio.

Here, people are relatively less concerned about showing off.

Many people drive nice trucks, but there's no need to wear a suit in that truck. In fact, it feels like only those in downtown dress up.

You can wear shorts and a t-shirt to go to HEB, go out for BBQ, or just take your kids out on the weekend.

And here, tacos are not a special food. People eat them from the morning. You can hear Spanish spoken here and there. Of course, there are plenty of people who speak English well.

When you ask Texans about San Antonio, they start talking about the Alamo and the River Walk, but the reality of San Antonio is different.

We don't walk along the River Walk every day sipping margaritas.

Real life is on 1604. You get stuck on 1604, complain about the construction on 281, and see new apartment complexes going up, thinking, "They're building again here."

After a few months, a hospital pops up next door, and a shopping center appears. One day, there's suddenly an entrance to a housing development where there was nothing yesterday.

Especially as you head north, it feels like the San Antonio I knew keeps spreading outward.

So here, there's a strong feeling that the city is still growing rather than being fully completed.

And when talking to people from other Texas cities, you can sense another image of San Antonio.

It's seen as a family-friendly city.

If you're a young person dreaming of a glamorous career, you might be more drawn to Dallas or Austin.

If you want international business, Houston might come to mind first.

But if you want to buy a house, raise kids, drive around, and live relatively leisurely while grilling meat on the weekends, San Antonio is a pretty good place.

In fact, I think it might be the best city for that vibe among all major cities in the U.S.

Clean skies, a relaxed neighborhood atmosphere, and endless stretches of large, modern homes and gated communities.

Of course, when you go outside in July and August, you briefly think about how hot the summer is.

Opening your car door feels like opening an oven, and walking from the parking lot to the store entrance is a workout.

But strangely, when winter comes around, with its chilly feel that drops to freezing, you forgive it all.

Ultimately, this seems to be San Antonio's place in Texas.

It doesn't boast wealth like Houston, doesn't show off like Dallas, and doesn't claim to be special like Austin.

People just eat tacos, drive trucks, talk about the Spurs, shop at HEB, and live with the air conditioning blasting.

But after living here for a few years, that dullness becomes comforting.

And when you return home from another city, driving back on 281, you strangely feel at ease.

That's when you realize.

Oh, I've become a San Antonio person too.