I love Austin, Texas. I was born there, and I lived there for 6 years – 4 years as a student at UT and 2 years after that. If I were to ever move my family out of Waco, I would probably want to move to Austin. But I don't want to move out of Waco because Waco is home, and it has been for most of my life. So, it is with much love for the great city of Austin that I share 10 reasons why I think Waco is better than Austin.
10. Dr. Pepper was invented here, and we have a Dr. Pepper museum.
My wife may or may not have had an argument with her roommate in college about the origins of Dr. Pepper. Her roommate may or may not have foolishly believed that Dr. Pepper was invented in Dublin, TX. But as any good Wacoan knows, Dr. Pepper was invented in Waco. We even have a Dr. Pepper Museum here to celebrate that fact. So Jessica, if you're reading this, I hope that by now you know without a doubt that Dr. Pepper was invented in Waco.
9. Austin has Zilker Park. Waco has Cameron Park. Guess which one is bigger.
That's right. Zilker Park is only 350 acres, and Cameron Park is 400 acres of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails, fishing, disc golf, picnics, playgrounds, splashpads, paddling trails, and probably a whole bunch of other things I can't even think of because it's just that huge and awesome.
8. Cameron Park Zoo puts the Austin Zoo to shame.
Speaking of the Cameron Park, I can objectively say that the Cameron Park Zoo puts the Austin Zoo to shame. Seriously, I lived in Austin for 6 years and didn't even know we had a zoo. No one talks about it because it's so lame. Don't worry, though, Austinites. Waco is only a short drive up I-35, so you're not too far from a really great zoo. We welcome all visitors.
7. Two words: Oriental Fries
Austin boasts some of the best barbecue in the state. That's undeniable. Waco has some great barbecue too, as do many other cities in the state. But one thing that Waco has that Austin doesn't have is oriental fries from Kitok. Kitok's oriental fries are quintessential Waco fare that you cannot get anywhere else, and they are amazing.
6. Traffic in Waco is much more bearable than the traffic in Austin.
This is one of the main reasons my wife and I moved back to Waco 10 years ago. On a bad traffic day in Waco, people complain that it takes them 15 minutes to get somewhere instead of 10. On a good traffic day in Austin, you have to leave 30-45 minutes before you want to get somewhere to make sure you get there on time.
5. Homes are way more affordable in Waco.
The media home price in Waco is $113,200*. In Austin, it's $220,700*. You pay almost twice as much for a house in Austin, and you have to suffer through terrible traffic and a lame zoo. (*Source: BestPlaces.net)
4. Waco has the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum.
As in Walker, Texas Ranger. Also known as Chuck Norris. Yeah, all of your arguments are invalid.
3. Waco has the best wakeboarding cable park in the country.
No, really. BSR Cable Park is located just outside of Waco, and it is without question the best wakboarding park in the country. This place is a Mecca for people who are into wakeboarding and other water sports.
2. No matter where you go, you run into someone you know.
It seems like everywhere I go in Waco, I run into people that I know. Having lived in Austin, I know that there is a real desire in Austin to maintain a small town feel in the midst of the exponential growth Austin has experienced over the last 15 years. It's just not there any more, though. Waco still has that small town feel, but with many of the amenities you get from a larger city.
1. Waco is home
I realize that you could replace “Waco” with “Austin” and this statement would be true for many Austinites. That's great for them, and I hope they continue to have a sense of pride in their community like I have in Waco. But for me, Waco is home. It's where I grew up, and it's where I've spent most of my adult life. All 3 of my kids were born here, and our roots run deep in this town. We could argue back and forth all day long about which place is the best, and frankly we would all be correct. The best place for you and me is the place we can truly call “home,” wherever that may be.
Wacotown photo courtesy of Mike Trozzo (a.k.a. Wacotown)
