Why is Waco hated so much? (Tyler, Jasper: airport, moving, stadium)

[CherryMagic]

Originally Posted by Sarasota_Blues

While I cannot claim to know much of anything about Waco, I know that around the country, it used to be known as "Whacko".

Otherwise, it's acronym during the Branch Davidian days was affectionately known as "We Ain't Comin' Out"!

I remember it as: What A Cook Out.

[Canine*Castle]

Wow, what clever acronyms.

[DLM8486]

I need some help. My husband and I are moving to Waco Texas in just a few months, and Its a little nerve racking hearing things about Waco. I am from a small, small town, and so I was wondering what people could tell me about Waco, like what kind of city is it? what do people actually think about Waco, besides the whole religious view, I think I got that, but just basic information about the city would be helpful. Thanks!

[spanko75]

I lived in Waco and hated it, but I hated it for the lack of nightlife, too baptist ran,its crime rate per capita is greater than Houston, property taxes are sky high, and its not a clean city IMO.

[txstate]

DLM8486 I would just say read all the post on here good and negative, but don't listen to anybody from Temple or Killeen, the evil step sister.

[spanko75]

Originally Posted by txstate

DLM8486 I would just say read all the post on here good and negative, but don't listen to anybody from Temple or Killeen, the evil step sister.

Good point!!!!!! lol, about the only centex city worth anything would be Austin.

[jluke65780]

Originally Posted by DLM8486

I need some help. My husband and I are moving to Waco Texas in just a few months, and Its a little nerve racking hearing things about Waco. I am from a small, small town, and so I was wondering what people could tell me about Waco, like what kind of city is it? what do people actually think about Waco, besides the whole religious view, I think I got that, but just basic information about the city would be helpful. Thanks!

Well, the city is pretty nice and I feel offers what you'd expect for a city it's size and more. It's only about 120k with a very nice zoo, new mammoth museum, water park plus spray parks, a world class city park, hills and natural beauty, historic downtown and expanding, Dr. Pepper Musuem, Highly rated university,etc.

The whole religion thing is really exaggerated to me, as a christian man myself, it's not as bad as people make it out to be. They actually use to have a few gay clubs and maybe still do, I knew their was one on Elm Street. Crime was really bad last year, especially on the east side of town. I really wouldn't consider Waco a small town even though it dosen't have a large population, and a metro area of about 220k. 1-35 runs right through the city and brings in lots of business, also very centralized in between cities like Austin and Dallas.

The nightlife is really improving with clubs like Legacy, Wild Wild West, Energy, MC's, Alazon's,etc. Wild Wild West usually attracts girls gone wild, also Waco has pretty nice events like Heart O' Texas Fair and Rodeo which draws in over 400,000 people. WWE Smackdown is coming in March I think, 4th of July Downtown,etc

[NOTAM]

I live 45-60 min drive from Waco and have only been there a few times-to TSTC Air Show, driven through Valley Mills Road (a main drag with lots of shops....and Katie's Frozen Custard-yum!), and have been to Cameron Park Zoo.
From what I have seen, I doubt it's really as bad as some make it out to be, but then again, I don't live there. And never would, since I don't do cities.
To me, it's really no different than Wichita Falls or Corpus Christi or Abilene. However, the BIG difference is that in Corpus the drivers on the main drag (SPID) scared me to death.
Waco can't be THAT bad if Pat Green is from there, and sings a song "George's Bar" about George's Bar, on Speicher Street (apparently a Waco tradition but found out closed on Sundays dang it). I hear there are lots of good bbq places e.g. Vitek's etc.
Personally, I wouldnt mind working in Waco, but wouldn't live in Waco proper. However, there are lots of VERY nice rural areas surrounding the city, within easy commute.
Just a few thoughts.....

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by DLM8486

I need some help. My husband and I are moving to Waco Texas in just a few months, and Its a little nerve racking hearing things about Waco. I am from a small, small town, and so I was wondering what people could tell me about Waco, like what kind of city is it? what do people actually think about Waco, besides the whole religious view, I think I got that, but just basic information about the city would be helpful. Thanks!

Waco's fine. I've been living here for the past 5 years with my wife and 3 young daughters. We actually moved here from Alaska but I've also lived in Oregon, Washington St., Indiana, and Washington DC before moving here.

There are definite slums in Waco that are primarily black on the north side and Hispanic on the east side. But there are also lots of nice places to live. If you have kids, you'll probably want to look at the suburbs due to the schools. The schools in Waco proper struggle with all sorts of poverty-based social issues and you have better school options in the suburbs.

If you want closer-in established suburbs, look at the Woodway-Hewitt area. Lots of good houses and schools out there. If you want more distant newer suburbs, look at the China Spring area. It's more rural with newer subdivisions. Both areas have good schools and from either area you won't be more than a 15-20 minute commute to just about anywhere in Waco.

As for Waco being boring for singles or childless types. I'd say Duh. Pretty much every city in Texas of this size is going to be the doldrums for young professional single types or young childless couples. I would not chose to live here if I were single. But when you have kids your life is pretty much, kids, schools, neighborhood, soccer practice, dance lessons, music lessons, shopping at Home Depot and Target, check what's on the Tivo, rinse, repeat. Gonna be the same in Waco as Austin or Seattle for that matter. I teach at a local HS and I have noticed that they do have a hard time keeping young single teachers around unless they can get them married off to other young single teachers. After a couple years, many of the young single teachers flee for the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area where new schools are popping up like mushrooms after a rain and certified teachers with a pulse can find work for $10 grand more/year than schools in the Waco area pay.

I'm not particularly enamored with the place but then I'm still an outsider. But I will say this. There are certainly a lot of middle class types who love the Waco area and think it is just a great place to raise kids. So a lot of people do like it.

[doucement]

Prepare for good food! These are all local places.

D's Mediterranean Grill (15th & Colcord)--Awesome Mediterranean food. Have a gyro! Also great sweet tea. World Cup Cafe, catty-cornered to D's, has great food, too, and fairly traded crafts from around the world.
Baris (N. Valley Mills Drive between Sanger and Lake Air)--Local Italian dive.
Barbecue: Vitek's (16th & Speight, right on the interstate--known for the "Gut Pack"), Jasper's (Elm Street in East Waco), Tony DeMaria's (also on Elm), Uncle Dan's (Lake Air Drive near N. Valley Mills Drive)
Poppa Rollo's Pizza (N. Valley Mills between Sanger and New Road)--Characteristically quirky Waco place with incredible pizza and old-time movies.
Mexican: La Fiesta (Franklin & Valley Mills), Casa de Castillo (Sanger & Towne Oaks)
Bush's Chicken (everywhere!)--Awesome fried chicken and sides, addictive sweet tea.
Burgers: Dubl-R (18th & Herring)--My favorite burger in town. Cupp's Drive-In (15th & Speight, near Baylor). Kitok (18th & Maple)--Also serves Korean food. The Liplocker burger is soooo good. Also try the Asian fries. Health Camp (The Circle)--Fun holdover from the 50s. Great burgers and shakes.

That's just a sampling. The local dives are the greatest.