My daughter got into Baylor and we are planning a visit next month. Just curious - what is Waco like these days? From friends and some postings I have heard it is dangerous and others just a blah town. Thanks!
I think it is starting to step up with all the new things at Baylor like the new stadium and new restaurants being built. I was there last September and seemed pretty dead after dark. Definitely check out Austin south on I-35 south 90 minutes away or Dallas/Fort Worth on I-35 north 90 minutes away to have a well rounded trip.
Waco is a very ordinary Texas town, nothing special to offer. Baylor Bubble is their biggest attraction, it’s a nice and upscale campus.
This is an interesting place to stay.
After having lived in Waco as a freshman at Baylor I have to say I actually really love it. It’s a quaint, quirky Texas town that offers many of the perks of big cities and is very close to both Dallas AND Austin for weekend trips. Cameron Park (2nd largest municipal park in the country after Central Park, NY) is beautiful and there are several things to do on weekends like the farmer’s market, concerts at common grounds, open mic nights at several downtown places, hippodrome movie theatre, and others! Waco does experience heavy crime in some of its outlying areas so it’s important to ask around and be careful about where you go and when, but overall the waco stereotypes have been blown waaaaay out of proportion. Proud to call this place home and loving Baylor like crazy!! sic em bears!!
Make sure to go to “Baris”–it’s a mom and pop italian restaurant that all the baylor students love! Also check out Austin Avenue downtown–tons of quaint shops! Lake Waco is nicer than most Texas lakes and the Cameron Park Zoo offers many of the attractions you’d find in Dallas or Houston. Stay on the south side of Waco in general, though. North of the Baylor campus is where most of the town’s dangerous areas are located–particularly in the suburb of Bellmead. Do not give money to panhandlers that tend to frequent parts of downtown–there are several charities set up to offer them support and the police warn us that those who panhandle in that area are typically only trying to get drug money. This was confirmed by my friend after he was conned out of 40 dollars (which the man told him was for baby food but he ultimately spent on cigarettes according to a CVS cashier)
Thanks everyone for your replies. Thanks also to the mom from Denver that sent me a private message. (for some reason my reply to you couldn’t go through) My daughter accepted and will be heading to Baylor in August. We are excited 