There’s been a wonderful outpouring of nostalgia for downtown San Antonio’s mid-century heyday recently, from the tender memories of John Philip Santos’ Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation to Paula Allen’s fascinating local history column in the Express-News. San Antonians, whether life-long residents or recent transplants, love to imagine a San Antonio city center bustling with locals taking advantage of the glamorous décor of the Empire Theatre or eating lunch at the Kress five-and-dime.