OT: Waco, Texas?

[C. Cash]

I am looking pretty hard at a job opportunity in Waco, TX, and just wondering if I could pick the brains of you Texas folks. Any general impressions of the area? Best places to live if one was to work there? A half hour commute wouldn't be a big deal, or slightly more. Also, just a shot in the dark but if anyone could link me in with someone who has dealt with getting their child with special needs through the school system, I would be greatful. Thanks!

[Warhawk]

I'm about 120 miles north of Waco, so I don't have any specific info about living down there. But I do travel there for work occasionally and have a good friend who lived just south of there in Troy, TX. I would have no problem at all living in or near Waco.

I don't know where you live now, so it's hard to say what you might find different about Texas. I've lived in several different places in my life and I do like Texas a lot, but it isn't perfect. The summer heat here is brutal, this year has been especially bad. There is very little public land in Texas, and hunting is pretty much a lease only proposition, and it's expensive. Or you can buy a canned hunt, and these are VERY expensive. The lakes near me have houses built up all around them with little to no bank fishing possibilities. That isn't the case everywhere in Texas, but it is where I am. There are a LOT of people in Texas, at least compared to Kansas and Utah where I've lived before coming here.Along with all those people comes a lot of traffic. I-35 goes right through Waco and is the main route between DFW and Austin & San Antonio, it gets very heavy at times. The traffic in Austin in especially bad. When we came here we noticed that most fees and things like that are more expensive here, driver's license, car tags, etc.

On the plus side, Texas has unmatched freedoms and gun rights as good as any state in the country. Texas doesn't have a state income tax. There is always something to do here, often there are several things going on that you're interested in on the same date. We usually get a little snow a couple of times per winter, but even then it's gone by noon and compared to most places we don't really have a "winter". You won't find places to go out in the country and shoot here, but there are a LOT of shooting ranges in Texas including several near Waco. Feral hog hunting is a blast and is the least expensive hunting to be found in Texas. We can hunt hogs year round, at night, with spotlights, night vision devices, whatever it takes to kill hogs.

Waco is a bigger town than you might think. If they don't have what you need in Waco it's 100 miles to either DFW or Austin. There are a couple of good gunshops in Waco, Praco Gun & Pawn and Hewlett Guns.

Waco is close to the "Hill Country", which is probably the nicest part of Texas. Lots to see and do in the Hill Country.

Waco is home of the Texas Rangers museum, which is a very cool museum.

Waco is only 20 miles or so from Crawford, TX where Pres Bush's ranch is, and Ted Nugent also has a ranch near there. I ran into him once at the ACE hardware (which sells guns) in Waco.


All this is just my impression of things after living in Texas for the last 5 years.

[rangerider7]

I live about 44 miles north of Waco. It has good and bad parts of town like any other. I go there all the time. It has a great park and ZOO. The homes out just east of Lake Waco off highway 6 are very nice and the older homes around Cameron Park are beautiful. You could also live on Lake Whitney. Many people commute from there to Waco, about 40 miles down 933. There is some COE land to hunt on with a permit on Lake Whitney & Lake Aquila. Bow hunting only for deer and shotgun for all other game animals. No predator hunting on COE land. Great shopping for the wife and very good restaurants for both. Two nice large movie theaters. Home of the Baylor Bears (they are getting better). I don't know anything about the schools. Waco has the old and the new. The rich and the poor along with everything in between. Nice golf courses if you like to play. It is a spread out town. I like it and would rather go there than Dallas but I also like Fort Worth. I agree with all that Warhawk said. I have lived in Texas all my life and wouldn't live anywhere else.

[J Miller]

[Leverdude]

Not to steal Cash's thread but...
Whats COE land? Why cant you go out to the country & shoot?
Whats the laws in Texas regarding the carrying of a sidearm in public? I'm under the impression you need a permit to conceal & that open carry was illegal except on private property.

[MrMurphy]

I was a news photographer in Waco for 3 years.

I know the good, the bad and the ugly, having been to multimillion dollar mansions and crack houses, congressional parties and shootouts, often in the same day.


Waco directions are screwed up. "NORTH" is up I-35, but inside Waco "North" is actually "west" for some reason.

Anywhere along I-35, excepting Baylor, from 25th st to the Ranger Museum (next to Baylor) avoid for at least a 9-block radius. Drive through if you have to, live there? No way.

"East" Waco (North of the river on I-35 between I-35 and Waco drive) makes Ramallah, Fallujah or Ramadi look nice. Major ghetto zone, it's the old black area (still mostly is) and from Waco drive (North inside Waco so really West) at about 11th street and northwards past the Brazos river is a heavy drug area, lots of crack houses. I went to hmm probably six murders in a year there.

The central section of Waco (25th st to say 6th st) isn't bad, there's actually some quite nice areas. Anywhere along the lake is generally high dollar and decent. Anywhere along Hwy 6 which is newly built up, is fine from what i recall.

East of I-35 pretty much anywhere, avoid.


The smaller outlying communities are fairly good. I lived in Lacy-Lakeview. McGregor is 9-10 miles out, Crawford, 16 miles, Valley Mills, about the same. Lots of people commute.

Avoid Temple.


Edit: Correct, no open carry, concealed carry is by permit, which is shall issue (the governor himself is a shooter, that never hurts, and he's a decent enough shot, having seen him shoot myself).

CHL license is $140 for 5 yrs, class runs about $75-90.

[RKrodle]

BrianSH lives in Waco, you may want to PM him with your questions, he's not on here a lot so may not see this. I can't tell much about Waco other than I drive through it going to other places on I35.

[rangerider7]

COE/US Army Corps of Engineers

The land out in the country is privately own and seldom do land owners let strangers go on their land and shoot guns. They are considered to be trespassing. If you can get permission it is okay. Most of the time you must pay to lease the land for shooting or hunting.

[MrMurphy]

Either that, or make friends.

A friend of mine lives outside Marlin (28 miles from Waco) we used to live in the same apt complex. I helped him clear the land for his first house he built there and I'm bringing some other friends (all ex or current military) out to hunt hogs and coyotes.


If you're looking for people with land needing hunting......I can probably assist.

[C. Cash]

That is wonderful info fellas....thank you for the detailed reply's. Texas has been on the very short list of states my wife and I are interested in moving too, and this job is very tempting. For a guy who has been out of the job market for a very long time, it would be like landing a dream job. We live in the North East, and basically, we're trying to get back within striking range of my family in Arizona yet be far enough away to not get bothered by certain elements that have to be kept away from my kids(long story, but you can probably guess the problem there). Texas is very appealing to us for a number of reasons, especially the people. My Dad and his family were from 20 Cow's part of East West Texas, but he left when he was young and can't tell me much about the area in question. So, very much appreciate all you guys have related. You fellas are simply the best. God Bless and many thanks again. Chris

[rimrock]

C. Cash

My SIL is in charge of special needs for Hays C.I.S.D. PM me and rely questions to her about the process for special needs.

There are several parks and wildlife management areas where you can get a permit in Texas, but I'm willing to bet they are hunted heavy.

A lot of us native Texans can be rather gruff with outsiders despite our reputation for friendliness. Too many have invaded and tried to impose the ways from another place. Move here, and easily make friends by making 5-6 Commifornicans leave and you'll have friends for life. Other that that, welcome to the Lone Star state.

rimrock

[MrMurphy]

Hey, I was a "commiefornican" (as i put it, an escapee from lifelong detention in Kalifornistan). However, i accepted Texas as it was, because I hated CA to begin with.....born and raised there, always an outsider in the land of fruits and nuts. I escaped as soon as I could (Age 22). Been here 10 yrs, married a Texas girl, though 3.5 of those years were spent overseas making sure we all had someplace to come back to.


The liberal-hippy types do get on my nerves.....I tried escaping from them once. But here, I'm in the majority.


If it takes accepting a job in Waco to escape your conditions, do so. The area "overall" isn't bad, but like anywhere, does have it's bad spots. I just wouldn't live in Waco proper, one of the smaller towns nearby is better.

[shooter]

This is definitely a biased answer, but anywhere in TX is better than most other places. IMO, TX is the best all around state to live in. Waco is a great town. I don't know if it's considered the "hill country" or not, but the terrain is very similar in the surrounding areas. Deer hunting is very good all over that part of the country. The deer aren't generally very big bodied, but they are sure plentiful.

I can't speak much for the job market or living conditions, but the people are nice, and Waco is right smack-dab in the middle of Austin and DFW, so either place is close enough for a weekend getaway or a day trip. My old deer lease was in Gatesville, about 45 min. southwest of Waco. I've driven through there quite a bit, and applied for a police officer job in Waco but didn't get it. I would live there for sure, or in one of the surrounding communities. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[20cows]

Waco is on the I35 corridor, the fastest growing part of the state, but it IS in TEXAS!

[txpete]

waco can be a rough town but like any other just stay out of the bad part of town which was talked about above.common sense will keep you clear of troubles in waco.

troy & crawford are nice small towns.

IMHO I don't see a problem with temple but every town has places to stay clear of.I go up to temple alot and never had a problem and I have friends that live out there.the VA and scott & white hospitals are some of the best in texas.

gatesville is a bit more of a drive but worth looking at.

I have been all over this planet and parked my butt here in TEXAS.

as a texas disabled vet...
drivers license free,hunting & fishing license free(will all tags).the plates for my truck $3.00 a year admin fee.I pay 0.00 property taxes.if you want to buy some land the tx vet land board will help float the note at a very low interest rate.TEXAS loves its vets .

one more thing thing have hunting at ft hood.you have to buy a ft hood hunting permit (fed) but the hunting is excellent on post and ft hood IS BIG.

http://www.hoodmwr.com/sportsmenscenter.htm

http://www.forthoodhunting.com/html/deer_hunting.html

pete

[C. Cash]

Great stuff guys! Thank you all. I'm sorry I have been very busy this weekend(still going 100mph) but will get back to the post as I can. The deadline for the job is tommorow so hustling to get all my ducks in a row. I'm going to go for it, and see if the Lord opens the door. It is a big leap, but I think I would have a pretty good chance at the job. If accepted, I will probably steer a little clear of Waco for living arrangements, especially if there are drugs and big city problems going on. I'm checking out some of the areas mentioned here as time allows, and it sure looks very nice.

Rimrock, I will get in touch with you here in a bit. Very much appreciate the offer and will probably have a question or two once I can decide on an area around Waco as a possible living spot.

Thank you one and all! Chris

[donw]

i was stationed at ft hood (twice, actually...once myself and once with my dad as a dependent)

LOTS of hunting and fishing there if you care to go after it.

[O.S.O.K.]

I live down south of Austin, but I do business in Waco and have been there many times.

Truthfully, its not my first pick for the place in Texas to live. But, I am sure you can find a nice place to live there and it is close to Dallas and Austin. Its kind a flat around there - dry too. But, you may find that rural land (if that's your cup of tea) is pretty reasonably priced compared to many other areas of the country...

Also, for some reason, very few Texans seem to know that there are large National Forest lands in East Texas that you can hunt on - with a $40 public hunting permit add-on to your license. Yes, its a drive, but what in Texas isn't?

I think this is a function of the size of Texas -basically 3 or 4 midwestern states sized and 20 million folks. So if you live in Abilene for example, then east Texas would seem and be in fact a long ways away...

[txpete]

I am in the ft hood area and the fishing is great.2 big lakes stillhouse and belton.

[MrMurphy]

Stationed in Italy it blew Italian troops' minds when i informed them (by discussing distances) that my state was bigger than their country.

[C. Cash]

Well, got the paperwork in, so please say a prayer for me fellas, that the Lord puts me and my family where we need to be. This is for a Veterans Service Representative position there(they opened up 17 new positions specifically for Vets with Disabilities...starting at a GS-7 training level and finishing at GS-11 when your ready to fly solo).

Thank you all for your help on this! As always, it means alot. Chris

[rangerider7]

Good Luck!!! I drive by there all the time.

[txpete]

I hope you get it!!!!!!!!!!.
pete

[MrMurphy]

That means you'll work off I-35 and 6th st or 5th st. I used to work down the street from there about five blocks.


The Taco Cabana right there is pretty decent.

[C. Cash]

Thank you fellas!

I miss real Mexican food back here in the North East. Probably a good thing but would be nice to indulge once in a while.

[Bis]

Good luck on the job, hope you get it.

I have been spending a lot of time at the VA center in Temple, trying to fix these old bones. The attitude of the VA has changed so much since the late 60's, it is nice to deal with them now.

PS you will love Texas, we have lived here 9 years now and it is great.

[Mac in Mo]

Good luck. I hope things work out for you. Prayers sent up. Kevin