Walking the Walk: The Pearl and River of Lights

I love holiday lights, the more the merrier and San Antonio has a lot of lights like these at The Pearl just north of downtown.

The Pearl Brewery buildings have been an iconic presence along the San Antonio river for more than a century.  Now known simply as "The Pearl" the brewery closed in 2001 and the buildings have been redeveloped into spaces for restaurants, shops, and special events.  It's one of my favorite places in town because it also provides easy  access the north end of the River Walk.  Last night we went down to take a look at The Pearl and the nearby "River of Lights" display.

The former brewing building is outlined in lights.  The smokestack is one of several in town which have been preserved.

Blue, Blue Christmas and Happy "Blue" Year?

This year San Antonio "modernized" the famous River Walk holiday lights.  Yes, we are talking about the lights that put San Antonio on so many "must see" holiday destination lists.  This year they were changed to energy saving LEDs, and it's not without controversy.  Earlier this evening, we took a stroll on the River Walk so I could see the new lights for myself.  It's quite a change.  Gone are the garlands of twinkling lights cascading over the trees and reflecting their soft glow on the water creating a magical walk along the river.

 Photo from station WOAI
 
They've been replaced with the blue glow of LED lighting.  Out with the old bulbs and in with the new.  So going green has turned the famous River Walk blue.

It's not as bad as some of the comments I've read online, but somehow it lacks the San Antonio charm.  It appears that the combined multi-colored lights blend together into a harsh, modern glare.  The lights would work in Houston or Dallas, it just doesn't look like San Antonio.

It's more than the River Walk going blue over this, I checked several sites where locals discuss issues and couldn't find a positive comment anywhere.  I even found a reference to this as a "New Coke moment" for San Antonio.  There are petitions out there to bring back the old lights.  To be fair, they look OK; but if you have seen the old lights, they just don't have the same warm feel about them.

"Bring a flashlight" was one helpful hint I saw online.  It does feel rather dark.
By contrast, Houston Street stayed the same with the white cascading lights.

I enjoy showcasing my city in the best light possible, but sometimes I have to vote "thumbs down".  This all went off track when the lighting designer decided that draping the lights over the trees didn't work and planned a new, updated approach with lights wrapping the tree trunks.  It was approved with very little public input -- and even in spite of public objections.  If we must keep the current lights, I think the draping effect would at least make them more acceptable.
 
Along the way, someone forgot that the River Walk is all about the magic.  Sometimes the modern and green approach ignores what makes a place special.