Posted: 3/24/2011 5:30:12 AM EDT
|
What's around there? I recently got accepted to Baylor for grad school, and I'm considering moving down there. Any ranges in the near vicinity? Any good gunshops etc? What are the good parts of town, and the parts to avoid if I'm looking at apartments long distance (WNY)? Any funky gun laws? Coming from NY I can't imagine they are anything like the crap I have to deal with now...but it would be good to know. I'm going to be visiting for a few days in a couple weeks, but I thought I would check with the arfcom crowd first.
|
|
Quoted:
What's around there? I recently got accepted to Baylor for grad school, and I'm considering moving down there. Any ranges in the near vicinity? Any good gunshops etc? What are the good parts of town, and the parts to avoid if I'm looking at apartments long distance (WNY)? Any funky gun laws? Coming from NY I can't imagine they are anything like the crap I have to deal with now...but it would be good to know. I'm going to be visiting for a few days in a couple weeks, but I thought I would check with the arfcom crowd first. I wasn't a big fan of Waco until I started mountain biking on the trails in Cameron Park, now I love it for that alone. If you don't mountain bike, take it up. The two ranges are Chandlers in Valley Mills (a 30+ minute drive, only goes out to 100m) and Central TX Rifle and Pistol Club (don't know too much about but if I stay I am going to try to join, as it offers more and is about the same distance). As for gun shops I order everything online, and I use Texas Star Security Supply who offer $10 transfers and are conveniently located at 600 S Valley Mills Drive (the main street). Live near campus because apartments are going to be pretty crappy the further you go. But if you have children or a family then you may want to live in the areas of Robinson (nearest to Baylor) or Hewitt/Woodway or China Spring (furthest). All nice areas. Take up mountain biking and you'll love Waco, don't take it up and it's just another town. |
|
Make sure you stop by and get a Fat Ho Burger...
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/unusual/032311-%27fat-ho-burgers%27-opens-in-texas |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
What's around there? I recently got accepted to Baylor for grad school, and I'm considering moving down there. Any ranges in the near vicinity? Any good gunshops etc? What are the good parts of town, and the parts to avoid if I'm looking at apartments long distance (WNY)? Any funky gun laws? Coming from NY I can't imagine they are anything like the crap I have to deal with now...but it would be good to know. I'm going to be visiting for a few days in a couple weeks, but I thought I would check with the arfcom crowd first. I wasn't a big fan of Waco until I started mountain biking on the trails in Cameron Park, now I love it for that alone. If you don't mountain bike, take it up. The two ranges are Chandlers in Valley Mills (a 30+ minute drive, only goes out to 100m) and Central TX Rifle and Pistol Club (don't know too much about but if I stay I am going to try to join, as it offers more and is about the same distance). As for gun shops I order everything online, and I use Texas Star Security Supply who offer $10 transfers and are conveniently located at 600 S Valley Mills Drive (the main street). Live near campus because apartments are going to be pretty crappy the further you go. But if you have children or a family then you may want to live in the areas of Robinson (nearest to Baylor) or Hewitt/Woodway or China Spring (furthest). All nice areas. Take up mountain biking and you'll love Waco, don't take it up and it's just another town. While I don't mountain bike, I do love being outdoors, hiking etc, so I would love to live close to a park. Are there any other good places in the area to "wander in the woods" so to speak? I'm coming from a pretty rural area and I would love to find housing that isn't "downtown" and I'm not really into the party scene. I'm ok with a 15-25 min commute. I'm checking out lots of apartments around the area online. Are there any places to avoid specifically that you are aware of? I don't want to live in a place where I need to leave my car unlocked to avoid replacing windows all the time... |
|
Quoted:
While I don't mountain bike, I do love being outdoors, hiking etc, so I would love to live close to a park. Are there any other good places in the area to "wander in the woods" so to speak? I'm coming from a pretty rural area and I would love to find housing that isn't "downtown" and I'm not really into the party scene. I'm ok with a 15-25 min commute. I'm checking out lots of apartments around the area online. Are there any places to avoid specifically that you are aware of? I don't want to live in a place where I need to leave my car unlocked to avoid replacing windows all the time... The Baylor campus is on the east side of town and thus when by jogging 3-4 miles east you will be passing pastured cattle, so don't worry about finding somewhere semi-rural/rural if that's what you want. Robinson is the closest of the nicer areas of Waco (just south of campus) and it's definitely semi-rural to rural depending on where exactly you are. Some of the local snobs consider Robinson a little backward so if you need the nicest homes and the sort of people that go with it (whilst staying rural) then you want China Spring on the NW side of Lake Waco. In all honesty though, if you want rural and out of the way then just take your pick, no rural area is bad. The worst parts of Waco are downtown Waco (and pretty much all of Waco itself) and Bellmead, the former is mostly hispanic and black (and poor) and the latter is mostly white (and poor). But even in downtown Waco I have never had issues with crime or having my car broke into. Having said that, crime is high and I figure it all happens at night when I am at home with my family. I head out during daylight hours (or the occasional restaurant for dinner) and never have any trouble. Cameron Park is beautiful (except for the trash that the trash brings in and leaves there) but it's near downtown Waco and has all that that brings with it. Living next to the Baylor campus though I am a 15 minute (easy) bike ride from Cameron Park and a 5 minute or less drive. My experience of Texas (in Central Texas, West and East Texas are completely different) is that it is all built up. That isn't to say that it's not mostly pastures and cattle here, just that it's all private property and means you unfortunately cannot just wander through the woods. There is a state park within 30 minutes drive but in general Central Texas is all private property. If you are a grad student at Baylor then I just recommend you live near campus, that's where you will spend much of your time and you are very close to the best thing about Waco (Cameron Park). Tiger Valley isn't a regular range that you can go to and shoot at whenever you like, so that's why I didn't mention it. But the training is supposed to be great and I think you can shoot out to 1000 yds there once a month. |
|
From a current BU student:
Waco is the 9th poorest city in the US last time I checked...but BU is a great University and the "baylor bubble" as they call it, makes you think you're in a much nicer area than you actually are. Waco is a city...so you aren't gonna find much woods and/or empty space, although the cameron park area is a nice place to get away from downtown, walk some trails, etc Lake Waco is nasty, but Lake Whitney is a pretty cool place; little cliff diving over there is a blast. 3 Ranges Close by: Chandlers (40 mins) Webers (35 mins) Central Texas Rifle Pistol Club (25-30 mins) CenTex is by far the "best" of the three, but is a private range and getting a membership there is not "easy" Restaurants to try: Diamondbacks (best place in town: bison steaks, fresh seafood, Sushi, etc; only drawback is $$$) 1424 Washington (another higher end place) Crickets (the local restaurant/pub) Sam's on the Square (one of the local bars frequented by BU students) Bangkok Royal (Excellent Thai food) Shoguns (Hibachi Grill) Health Camp (old fashion burger joint, great shakes too) Things to know about living: Apartments on the East side of 35 (by and around campus) are much more affordable, plus you can walk to class which is nice cause parking @ BU is a b***h Don't get a place north of the river Don't get a place much further south than 14th Street What are you planning on studying? |
|
Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. The reason I have been thinking of staying in the outskirts is primarily crime related...though I really like having some space around me. I also have a dog, so I'm hoping to find a good area to walk him around, possibly find a small house to rent with a yard of some sort. Right now I live in a very rural area and we wander through the fields and woods (some are private, but nothing posted and most people around here are fine with it unless you are destructive). Regarding Baylor parking...how is the campus parking for small motorcycles/bikes/scooters? Coming from the great white north even Texas winters are going to be pretty warm, and I think I could probably ride 10 months out of the year.
I'm planning on going to law school next year, so I would be going through Baylor's JD program. |
|
Quoted:
What's around there? I recently got accepted to Baylor for grad school, and I'm considering moving down there. Any ranges in the near vicinity? Any good gunshops etc? What are the good parts of town, and the parts to avoid if I'm looking at apartments long distance (WNY)? Any funky gun laws? Coming from NY I can't imagine they are anything like the crap I have to deal with now...but it would be good to know. I'm going to be visiting for a few days in a couple weeks, but I thought I would check with the arfcom crowd first. Gun laws ? This is Texas brother - your gonna be shocked when you come down here. I am a east coast transplant as well and have been here since 1986. |
|
Quoted:
Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. The reason I have been thinking of staying in the outskirts is primarily crime related...though I really like having some space around me. I also have a dog, so I'm hoping to find a good area to walk him around, possibly find a small house to rent with a yard of some sort. Right now I live in a very rural area and we wander through the fields and woods (some are private, but nothing posted and most people around here are fine with it unless you are destructive). Regarding Baylor parking...how is the campus parking for small motorcycles/bikes/scooters? Coming from the great white north even Texas winters are going to be pretty warm, and I think I could probably ride 10 months out of the year. I'm planning on going to law school next year, so I would be going through Baylor's JD program. Although Waco has a very high crime rate, the immediate area surrounding the campus is heavily patrolled by campus police. The only issues I have heard of are a few robberies where the students were answering their doors late at night to complete strangers. So if you have any common sense it shouldn't be an issue. Parking for a motorcycle/bike/scooter shouldn't be an issue at all. All the rental homes near campus I've seen have decent sized yards and plenty of students have dogs. |
|
Quoted:
What's around there? I recently got accepted to Baylor for grad school, and I'm considering moving down there. Any ranges in the near vicinity? Any good gunshops etc? What are the good parts of town, and the parts to avoid if I'm looking at apartments long distance (WNY)? Any funky gun laws? Coming from NY I can't imagine they are anything like the crap I have to deal with now...but it would be good to know. I'm going to be visiting for a few days in a couple weeks, but I thought I would check with the arfcom crowd first. Gotta make a trip to see where the cult compound was ... |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
What's around there? I recently got accepted to Baylor for grad school, and I'm considering moving down there. Any ranges in the near vicinity? Any good gunshops etc? What are the good parts of town, and the parts to avoid if I'm looking at apartments long distance (WNY)? Any funky gun laws? Coming from NY I can't imagine they are anything like the crap I have to deal with now...but it would be good to know. I'm going to be visiting for a few days in a couple weeks, but I thought I would check with the arfcom crowd first. Gotta make a trip to see where the cult compound was ... Is that available to rent? 
|
There's an old saying that the best thing to come out of Waco is I-35 North. Stay away from anything down 84 and the Bellmead area. Actually have some fond memories of the area. Had some good times at Tom & Jerry's country hump Wednesday's with Zack and Jim from Waco 100.
Your moving to Waco from New York? Boy are you in for a culture shock! |
I believe the Central Texas Rifle and Pistol Club still has a waiting list for new members, so you might get on the list now. Or find someone to take you out as a guest. 
If you like boating and fishing, there's Lake Waco which most people on the Baylor side of town forget about. I'm a Baylor grad (came from Missouri, married a local girl) and my youngest daughter is at Baylor now. That daughter and I went through a CHL class together last weekend...almost half the class were Baylor students. If you're cool with a 20 minute commute to Baylor, you have lots of options. ––David |
|
As already stated, the crime right around campus is minimal due to the presence of the campus police. There are constant patrols 24/7 which really do keep out the garbage. Also as already stated, the only robberies in the area near campus have occurred because of people's stupidity...If you are up for a 20-30 minute drive, you can find some places outside of downtown, but I'd suggest living by campus, at least for your first year...it'll really help you get a feel for things (especially cause you are gonna be in for one hell of a culture shock). I moved down from Boston, MA and that was tough the first year.
Only gun laws to be concerned about would be bringing firearms on/near campus. You cannot have your weapons anywhere on Baylor property including just driving through campus. Austin and Dallas are both more like 1:45 - 2 hrs with traffic, but regardless, a nice escape from Waco... bike and motorcycle parking is a bit more abundant than car spots. |
|
If you are up for a 20-30 minute drive, you can find some places outside of downtown, but I'd suggest living by campus, at least for your first year...it'll really help you get a feel for things (especially cause you are gonna be in for one hell of a culture shock). I moved down from Boston, MA and that was tough the first year.
Only gun laws to be concerned about would be bringing firearms on/near campus. You cannot have your weapons anywhere on Baylor property including just driving through campus. So Texas doesn't have any kind of parking lot exemptions like Florida regarding private property? If you are driving through/past without stopping wouldn't that fall under the federal transportation laws? I know that NYC/State pretends that those laws don't apply here...but in Texas why wouldn't this fly? I keep hearing about the culture shock. What did you find most disconcerting moving from the east to Texas? Coming from the Boston area I can see some urban to rural adjustment, but what else weren't you expecting? |
|
Quoted:
I keep hearing about the culture shock. What did you find most disconcerting moving from the east to Texas? Coming from the Boston area I can see some urban to rural adjustment, but what else weren't you expecting? Coming from an urban environment it was the poverty that was the biggest shock. But the worst shock was all the dogs that are kept off leash and that wander the poorer neighborhoods (not a problem near campus), I have been almost bitten more times than I can count. Hence I have stopped walking anywhere here (no sidewalks for the most part either). Texan people are friendly, their dogs aren't. |
|
I went to Baylor and lived in a house around the Heart of Texas / Dean Highlands neighborhoods off of Bosque Blvd. Around that area would be perfect for a dog. The houses are in the 1,000-2,000 sq ft area, which is more than enough for a college student, and the yards are big enough for a dog. The commute wasn't bad at all, ~10 minutes, but make sure you stay under the speed limit on Valley Mills Dr when you're driving through Beverly Hills (a small city inside of Waco).
As for crime, I never had a single problem. The worst "incident" I can think of is some wanna-be gang bangers flashing a sign at me one time at a red light. I gave them a wtf look, flashed the sign back at them but upside down, and followed it up with some durr sign language and/or a finger. I knew it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but I didn't give a crap. They got pissed and tried to chase after me, but didn't have any luck with that. If you're used to Boston and New York, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Regarding motorcycles and bikes, there are plenty of places to park around campus. Just make sure you wear your helmet. By law, I don't think you're required to wear one in TX (unless they've changed it). However, I'd still recommend it. I had a friend that I played rugby with that never wore one while driving his Harley. He was a small Vietnamese guy, but tough as hell. He was driving about 20 MPH on the SW side of campus around a curve one morning. Unfortunately, they had just cut on the sprinklers right there, he slipped, hit his head and died. Another friend had some psycho woman driver pull out in front of him one day shortly after that, but luckily he decided to wear his helmet that day, which saved his life. Oh, and whoever said something about not being able to pick up chicks is crazy...or uglier than a blobfish. I met my wife the first day in town (even though I lived off campus), one of my roommates met his wife at Freshman Orientation the year before, and the other roommate just ran around bursting as many Baylor balloons as possible. As long as you're not gay, already taken...actually, that doesn't matter...or uglier than a blobfish, you shouldn't have any problems. |
|
Quoted: From a current BU student: Waco is the 9th poorest city in the US last time I checked...but BU is a great University and the "baylor bubble" as they call it, makes you think you're in a much nicer area than you actually are. Waco is a city...so you aren't gonna find much woods and/or empty space, although the cameron park area is a nice place to get away from downtown, walk some trails, etc Lake Waco is nasty, but Lake Whitney is a pretty cool place; little cliff diving over there is a blast. 3 Ranges Close by: Chandlers (40 mins) Webers (35 mins) Central Texas Rifle Pistol Club (25-30 mins) CenTex is by far the "best" of the three, but is a private range and getting a membership there is not "easy" Restaurants to try: Diamondbacks (best place in town: bison steaks, fresh seafood, Sushi, etc; only drawback is $$$) 1424 Washington (another higher end place) Crickets (the local restaurant/pub) Sam's on the Square (one of the local bars frequented by BU students) Bangkok Royal (Excellent Thai food) Shoguns (Hibachi Grill) Health Camp (old fashion burger joint, great shakes too) Things to know about living: Apartments on the East side of 35 (by and around campus) are much more affordable, plus you can walk to class which is nice cause parking @ BU is a b***h Don't get a place north of the river Don't get a place much further south than 14th Street What are you planning on studying? +1 for the "Baylor Bubble", sometimes I miss Baylor and Cameron Park.... and Poppa rollos pizza |
|
Quoted:
You cannot have your weapons anywhere on Baylor property including just driving through campus. By definition, driving on public roads means you're not actually on Baylor property. Buildings are obviously a no-go (not sure about the parking buildings), but public roads is a stretch. |
|
You cannot drive through campus with firearms without getting trouble from PD...whether it is actually legal, if you are stopped, then you are gonna get crap from the officers (I've specifically discussed it with them)....this is because unlike most campuses, Baylor isn't "big". It isn't like a UT where the campus is half of a damn city....the roads are specifically designated for students and not simple "pass through roads".
As for the culture shock, the poverty is really what got me....I came from the burbs of Boston so I'm no city slicker...there are only fast food chains, A LOT of homeless people, lots of highways with nothing on them.....anywhere. Kinda isolating....I miss dunkin donuts |
|
Waco is best described as an old cotton town. When cotton was king Waco was something. Now not so much. Much of the poverty people speak of is due to the collapse of much of the cotton farming in Central Texas over the last 50 years, and the mechanization of the remaining portion. People in Waco and a number of other smaller Texas cities seem to have not moved on. Waco like many of these other "old Cotton Towns is very ethnically segregated, unlike so many other Texas towns. Any way Baylor Bubble is an apt description of things. Baylor and the immediate few block radius around campus is nice outside of that it is a crap shoot.
Now back to walking/ hiking in Centex. You have a few options, but they are limited. First you need to understand that Texas is unique among states in this country in that over 90% of the land in this state is privately owned. As a result there is very little public land out there for recreational use. Nearby locations to hike near Waco are as follows, how far is based upon where you decide to live. 1 is the previously mentioned Cameron Park - 15 min 2. is a tie between Lake Waco and Lake Whitney and the Corps of engineer lands/parks - 30-45 min 3. Lake Whitney SP - 45 min 4. Mother Neff SP in Buceville / Eddy - 45- 1 hour 5. Meridian SP - 60-90 min 6. Dinosaur Valley SP - 90-120 min 7. lake belton Corps of engineer parks.90-120 min last but not least Ft Hood Army base( require access pass and vehicle pass)iggest plus is tons of land with no set trails, and $15 for a year long pass Vs daily passes at each SP. |
Any idea of the range rules for the Central Texas range? Looking at the rules for chandlers it looks like they don't allow "rapid fire". Any idea what consititutes this? I have been really lucky with my current set up. I live five minutes from a range that really is just some stands and a berm set in a valley out in the country. Not many members, so I'm usually there alone and can do what I want for the most part... Looks like moving to Texas will let me own some cool guns...but I won't have a good place to shoot them. 
Anyone live within an hour of Waco with private land they would let me use? 
|
| CenTex is perfect...you can go into your own tactical bay and blast rifle up close if you want....they have steel pistol targets in another set of bays you can shoot etc etc. All this plus a 100 and 200 yard range. Get on the waiting list now. Chandler's recently had a lawsuit filed against them (at no real fault of their own) by a neighbor who wanted to sell his house but couldn't cause of the nearby gunfire....I haven't gone out there since cause they've got a lot more strict. |