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Old 06-05-2012, 09:23 AM
 
Location: Los Angeles, CA
78 posts, read 265,653 times
Reputation: 36

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Hello everyone!
I have a few questions about a possible up coming move to Waco from Los Angeles. I was recently offered a position in Waco Texas and another in Pax River Maryland, and am trying to make a huge choice.
I have posted questions about Pax River Maryland here on City-Data (Maryland Thread).... and now I ask here about Waco. Well in Maryland I have an offer from Lockheed Martin, and in Waco I have an offer from L-3 Communications.
I am a young hispanic professional and will be coming to Waco with my fiance and son... who have lived in LA our entire lives.
I would appreciate any insight on life in Waco and in Texas. Especially if directly relatable between Southern California and Heartland Texas. Will there be a huge culture shock? Will my finace be able to find work (she's a medical biller/ coder). After work is there plenty to do? How are the people in Waco? Texas?

All information is greatly appreciated?

If anyone has info on the reolation between MD, CA and Waco I would appreciate it!

Jorge
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Old 06-05-2012, 09:45 AM
 
1,190 posts, read 2,634,934 times
Reputation: 1413
Moderator cut: orphaned Waco is about 1.5 hours from the Dallas area and (in my opinion) a very different city from Dallas.

Good luck with your decision.

Last edited by BstYet2Be; 06-05-2012 at 10:18 AM.. Reason: please report these type posts so they can be moved to the right forum sooner, thnx!
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Old 06-05-2012, 10:23 AM
 
Location: Los Angeles, CA
78 posts, read 265,653 times
Reputation: 36
Default Thank You

I appreciat eyour insight. In what respect is Dallas different than Waco?
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Old 06-05-2012, 10:32 AM
 
Location: Willowbend/Houston
13,384 posts, read 25,732,359 times
Reputation: 10592
As someone who did grow up in the LA area and having had spent significant time in Waco (my grandmother lives there and I spent summers there growing up), I will tell you that you are in for a very steep culture shock. That does not have to be a bad thing, but the areas are very different. As you know Los Angeles is a major global city and Waco is a mid-sized Texas city that offers much less in the way of ammenities, culture, food, etc. However, the people are very nice in Waco and would welcome you and your family. For a city its size in Texas, its more diverse than its peers (like Tyler, Wichita Falls, Abilene, or Amarillo) which is a plus. The Hispanic community makes up about 1/3 of the population there and there are quite a few young professionals in that number. Waco is a college town which does help some in the way of nightlife. Waco actually has a relatively lively downtown relative to its size. Its still a very quiet town overall. Dallas is only 1.5 hours away as is Austin so that is a plus as well.

Ill be honest, most people who relocate from LA to a city like Waco would have a hard time, but if you can accept Waco for what it is you will be ok.
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Old 06-05-2012, 10:36 AM
 
Location: Edmond, OK
4,030 posts, read 10,760,922 times
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To begin with, population and all that that entails. Waco is something like only 125,000 as opposed to Dallas with over a 1,000,000 and is in a metro area of over 6,000,000.
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Old 06-05-2012, 10:37 AM
 
Location: Willowbend/Houston
13,384 posts, read 25,732,359 times
Reputation: 10592
Quote:
Originally Posted by JorgeZepeda View Post
I appreciat eyour insight. In what respect is Dallas different than Waco?
That is an easy one. Dallas is the largest city in the 4th largest metro area in the US (after NYC, LA, and Chicago) and Waco is a city of about 125,000 in a metro area of about 250,000.

Dallas will have all your big city ammeities (culture, nightlife, diversity, etc.). Waco has those in much, much smaller numbers.
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Old 06-05-2012, 10:53 AM
 
Location: Texas
5,872 posts, read 8,091,967 times
Reputation: 2971
The shock will be HUGE. Waco is a growing college town, that has a very small town feel but has some good things to do. Obviously coming from LA, there will seem like there is nothing, and that you're out in the country. It's a great town, and as mentioned Dallas is 1.5 hours away, Austin is a little over 1.5 hours away and Houston is 3.5 hours for any Pro Sports or needed "west coast" feel get-a-ways. I would seriously consider visiting first and take a real hard look at what you would be in for. Taxes and COL would be a huge shock as well for you, and should be considered compared to MD.
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Old 06-05-2012, 12:03 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles, CA
78 posts, read 265,653 times
Reputation: 36
Default Suggestions?!

Well I do appreciat everyone input!

Well I lived in a town here in LA called Palmdale (Northern LA County). Its roughly the size of Waco... and is about 1.5 hours from downtown LA. So I also had to travel for that "big city" feel. However, my fiance didn't grow up in Palmdale.. she is a genuine LA big city girl. I am pretty concerned for her, more than myself... She enjoys shopping malls, movies, fancy things among other things...

We really aren't party animals, but focus more on the small things.. During the week we go to the gym, to eat sushi, to the movies... things like that... On occassion we go to museums and the races...
So I think that I would be looking to maintain that type of life mostly... And I know that its about 3.5 hours of flying from Dallas to LA. So I'm hoping to convince her to fly back to LA every so often.

The cost of living in Waco form what I have seen is 48% cheaper thanin LA and 50% cheaper than in Maryland.... which is a pretty big difference. Financially my offer in Waco makes sense... BUT if we go to Waco, we wouldn't able to come live in LA again for a LONG while...
Also, my fiance is a medical biller and coder.. would she be able to find work in Waco??

From what I have stated about our habits, do you think our family would be Ok? Happy?
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Old 06-05-2012, 12:37 PM
 
Location: WA
5,439 posts, read 7,730,554 times
Reputation: 8549
My wife and I moved to Waco from the west coast (Seattle area) 9 years ago for her job. She is Hispanic (Chilean) but I'm not. Being Hispanic and bilingual was a huge plus for her in the medical field here. I was skeptical as a west coast boy but eventually settled in. I know a number of engineers who work at L-3 and they all seem happy there with the variety and type of work that they do. Seems a decent place to work. I know that wasn't your question but I'm just throwing it out.

I've also lived in the DC area for a few years. Are you talking about the Patuxent River Naval Air Station? Down in that area? Because it will be much smaller and more isolated than Waco frankly.

As for your questions.

1. Texas will be something of a culture shock if you are coming from LA. Not just Waco but any part of Texas. It is more conservative, more religious, hotter in the summer, and MUCH MUCH cheaper. People will ask you what church you attend. They won't really care, it's just part of the conversation here in a way that it isn't on the west coast.

2. Waco is a pretty decent place to live for a young family. You would want to chose one of the more upscale school districts for your son which means living in the south end of town in the suburbs of Woodway, Hewitt, or Robinson, or in the northwest suburb of China Spring (where a lot of L-3 employees live because it is pretty close). That will put you in the Midway, China Spring or Robinson school districts. If it were me I'd chose between China Spring (smaller school, more rural) or Midway (larger school, more suburban).

3. You will easily be able to buy a nice house in a great neighborhood on an engineer's salary from L-3 (I assume that's what you are based on your job choices). Much nicer than you could ever dream of in LA.

4. Waco has enough going on if you are raising a family but probably not if you are single. Most of my co-workers who have families like it here and stay. Many of my single co-workers end up eventually moving to the DFW, Austin, or Houston areas for more single life opportunities. You'll have all the typical mall shops and big box stores you are used to in California and most of the same chain restaurants. Although you'll have to get more used to TexMex or BBQ as the sushi options are more limited here. But if you like to go to the gym, eat out every so often, go to the movies you can do that easily enough here. Waco has perhaps the best zoo in the country of any small city. It's really that good. Plus DFW and Austin are both 1.5 hours away for your museum, zoo, and restaurant hopping on weekends. We mostly go to Fort Worth over Dallas because it's a bit closer and a nicer city to move around in with better zoos and museums anyway.

5. Can't answer the question about your wife. But there are two large regional hospitals herein Waco, Providence (a Catholic hospital) and Hillcrest (a Baptist hospital). There is also a massive regional hospital in Temple which is 30 minutes south of Waco on I-35, the Scott and White Hospital (big regional HMO). Lots of people commute back and forth between Waco and Temple, it would be no big deal for someone from the LA area. A reliable 30 minute commute door to door probably if you lived in the south end of Waco. I don't know who hires medical billers, is it the hospitals or the insurance companies? But there is a pretty big healthcare industry in this area so I would expect that health care related jobs are about as easy to find here as anywhere.

In terms of demographics, the Waco area is increasingly diverse. In my own little subdivision in the southern end of Waco I have neighbors on my block that are black, Hispanic, Korean, Indian (lots of Indian engineers from L-3 and Space-X and doctors seem to be buying in my neighborhood), Chinese, and of course ordinary Anglo Texans. The city itself is about 20% black and 25% Hispanic but the suburbs are whiter so the metro area as whole is perhaps about 12% black and maybe close to 20% Hispanic...mostly of Mexican heritage.

PS, In your shoes I'd choose Waco over Pax River in a heartbeat. Many more opportunities here. In addition to L-3 and Space X which both hire lots of aerospace engineers, Baylor is dumping millions and millions of dollars into a huge new technology research center that will be a private/public partnership thing with private firms working together with the university. http://www.baylor.edu/bric/index.php?id=72126# so there is more than just L-3 happening here.

Last edited by texasdiver; 06-05-2012 at 12:51 PM..
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Old 06-05-2012, 12:56 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles, CA
78 posts, read 265,653 times
Reputation: 36
Default Very informative!

Thank you sooo much for the feedback!

Yes actually I am talking about NAS Patuxent River, next to Lexington Park in St. Mary's county. My offer is from Lockheed Martin working as an engineer. However, for this position I will be making a financial sacrifice, as the salary is far less than what L-3 is offering. Also I would have to do a 4 month TDY in Dallas before relocating to Pax River NAS. Which LMA will not be assisting with. Ultimately I will end up spending $3000 of my own money to move us. I have been speaking to others on a threat on the Maryland forum, and it appears that we will be very bored there outside of work, and that my fiance may find it hard to find work. Being that Maryland is more expensive than Texas (similar to that of CA) I would need her to work but not commute to Washington DC... as she would have to be there for our son while I am at work... However, I plan to only stay at NAS Pax River for a years or so.. then return to CA with Lockheed.. Which is one of the only pluses I can see...

Well we do like BBQ and the Tex Mex doesnt bother me too much... My fiance and I are very friendly and make friends easily... However she is an LA girl and she is concerned that she will not fit in well...

I wasn't aware that Space-X was in Waco also... My position at L-3 is a Senior engineer position and they are being VERY competative with there offer...

We are a family and pretty laid back... I'm just very torn as to where to go...
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