Neighborhoods of Waco

Waco, a Texas city of around 120,000, is unusual in that, unlike most cities its size, it has areas that are referred to much like many larger cities. These aren't official government neighborhoods, but rather common names given by the residents and city neighborhood maps and parks.

Waco is first divided into three "sides": the North Side, the South Side, and the East Side. Each side is then broken up into different sectors, or neighborhoods. Many sectors have their own history, culture, and even slang and accents.

North Side

The North Side of Waco is actually northwest when looking at a map. This area started out as pasture and farmland when Waco was founded in 1849, but it was quickly developed starting in the 1920s. It was unharmed by the 1953 Tornado, but has, like the other two sides, fallen victim to Urban Decay as higher income earners moved out. The North Side is Waco's most diverse side, with a blend of many cultures and incomes. There are fourteen sectors in the North Side. They are:

• Austin Avenue (also called Castle Heights)
• Brook Oaks
• Brookview
• Cedar Ridge
• Dean Highland
• Heart O' Texas (also called Lake Air)
• Landon Branch
• Mountainview
• North Lake Waco
• North Waco
• Parkdale
• Richland Hills
• Sanger Heights
• Viking Hills

South Side

The South Side, to the southeast in reality, is home to the heart of Waco. It is where the city was born and much of its history was created. It was a prospering area until 1953, when it was devastated by a tornado. It also suffers from Urban decay, though the area around Baylor University is being renewed. The South Side is a largely Hispanic community. It is home to many restaurants and stores of the Mexican culture.

There are six sectors in the South Side. They are:

• Alta Vista
• Baylor
• Brazos
• Kendrick
• Oakwood
• University

In addition these six sectors, the island city of Beverly Hills is in the South Side.

East Side

The East Side, to the north and on the other side of the Brazos River, is a historically African-American side. Once the center of African-American culture in Texas, it too was harmed by the 1953 Tornado. The East Side made a significant recovery, only to fall again when Paul Quinn College, a historically black college, moved to Dallas in 1990. The East Side has never recovered since. The City of Waco is taking steps at not only eliminating violence, but restoring the East Side's pride as well.

There are three sectors in the East Side. They are:

• Carver
• East Riverside
• Timbercrest

Downtown

Downtown Waco is small compared to that of cities like Dallas or Houston. Nevertheless, each day 17,000 people commute to work there. Downtown Waco was built around the Waco Suspension Bridge, which was a crucial crossing of the Brazos River. In May 1953, the worst tornado in Texas history struck downtown Waco killing 114, and injuring hundreds. It caused millions of dollars in damage, and dented Waco's economy for years to come. Downtown Waco is mainly known for the ALICO tower, which was completed in 1910, and was once the tallest structure in the Southwest. Downtown Waco is now the location of the famous Dr Pepper Museum, where Dr Pepper was first invented, and the McLennan County Courthouse.

For the past few decades, Downtown Waco has slowly been decaying as Waco grew to the West away from Downtown. But recently Waco's city leaders have been taking strides into making Downtown Waco the city center again. There are two projects currently being worked on in Heritage Square, which takes up two blocks in downtown, between 3rd and 4th streets and Washington Avenue and Franklin Avenue. The first project is the new Chamber of Commerce of Waco, which will be an environment-friendly building. The second project, which is expected to break ground in the fall of 2007, is a mixed-use development with commercial and residential buildings. There are also other projects being talked about by the public.

Other Sectors

There are other sectors in Waco that do not fit into one of the three sides. They are:

• Technology Village (North of Lacy Lakeview)
• China Spring (Northwest of Waco Regional Airport)
• Speegleville (West of Lake Waco)
• 84 Corridor (West of Woodway)
• West Waco / Hewitt (Between Woodway and Hewitt)

Surrounding Cities

Though not a part of Waco, these cities depend deeply on Waco's economy:

• Woodway (southwest of the North Side)
• Hewitt (south of the North Side)
• Robinson (south of the South Side)
• Bellmead, Elm Mott, Lacy-Lakeview, and Northcrest (Uptown) (north of the East Side)
• Beverly Hills (an island city west of I-35 near Floyd Casey Stadium, often considered a part of the South Side)

References

• "Map of Waco Neighborhoods" (pdf). City of Waco, Texas. http://www.waco-texas.com/pdf/neighborhoods/neighborhoodsmap.pdf.