Alamo City Reads

Alamo City Reads was founded with a simple, radical premise: that every neighborhood in San Antonio deserves access to quality books, regardless of income level. Located on South Flores Street in the heart of San Antonio's predominantly Mexican American Southside, the store fills a literary desert in a part of the city that had been without a bookstore for over a decade. The bilingual literature section is the store's beating heart, with fiction, poetry, and children's books in both English and Spanish that honor the community's cultural heritage. The Chicano studies section draws university students from across the city, and the community history shelf documents the Southside's contributions to San Antonio's identity, from its labor movement roots to its vibrant conjunto music scene. Prices are kept deliberately accessible, with a robust used book section and a pay-what-you-can shelf for families in need. Owner and former UTSA professor Elena Garza has built partnerships with local schools, churches, and community centers that extend the store's reach far beyond its modest storefront.