Tulsa's not a super large city like Denver but it definitely has many of the amenities that you seek. There are almost a million people in the metro area, with almost 400,000 in the city proper. There are plenty of beautiful lakes in the area and as you said, the terrain is nothing like what most people expect in Tulsa. Check out the other thread that I had with Tulsa pics and you can get another glimpse of the area.
http://www.city-data.com/forum/tulsa...ulsa-pics.html
The Winter weather is milder than in Denver, but you will have a definite change of seasons (nothing like Tampa). Summers are hot, but nothing like the deep south with super-high humidity, although the humidity is definitely higher there this year because of all the rain.
In my opinion, Tulsa is a hidden jewel and once more people find out about the place, it's beauty, and potential, the secret will be out. As for places to purchase; you have a wide range of older, established neighborhoods like Midtown, or on the Southside where everything is much newer.
Lots of recreational choices, as Tulsa is near the foothills of the Ozark Mountains and there are lots and lots of large, beautiful lakes in Northeastern Oklahoma (such as
Lake Keystone, which is only 20 miles West of Tulsa),
Skiatook Lake,
Grand Lake (if you
really want a treat) as well as hiking, backpacking, and mountain biking in the many hills (even within city limits, like on
Turkey Mountain, rock-climbing in
Chandler Park), joining the
Tulsa Rowing Club, or even the
Tulsa Rugby Club.
The
Riverparks are a beautiful system of jogging, biking, and walking trails that run alongside the Arkansas River from downtown all the way to Jenks. There was recently a multi-million dollar donation by one of the local Philanthropists to revamp this area and include separate areas along these trails for bikes and pedestrians, in addition to other amenities.
Vision2025 is a whole new package voted in by the citizens of Tulsa to build a variety of attractions such as the new iconic
BOK Center downtown, infrastructure improvements to roads and trails, and a host of other amenities for Tulsa now and in the future. Oh, there's also a
floating stage and amphitheater along the Riverparks that is fun to attend on a nice, summer evening.
If you're into art, the
Philbrook and
Gilcrease museums are both fantastic, world class institutions. Spots to hang out include
Brookside, the
Blue Dome District, Cherry Street, and
Central Park (with their new urban condos near downtown). The
Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame is in downtown Tulsa as well. Then, there's
Cain's Ballroom, a legendary venue for concerts and of course, the historic
Brady Theater, affectionately called "The Old Lady on Brady." Check out the
Wikipedia article on Cain's as well.
The
2007 PGA Championship is also going to be held in Tulsa at
Southern Hills Country Club for a
record fourth time this August. If you're into Oktoberfest, Tulsa's
Oktoberfest has been consistently ranked in the
top ten Oktoberfests in the entire country (if not even the world). In fact, it was ranked
number 2.
Quote from article: "
It's a surprising spot for Oktoberfest, but there are few cities that host a better German festival than Tulsa. In fact, Bon Appetit magazine calls it one of the top German food festivals in the U.S. and USA Today included the city in its list of Top 10 places in the world to celebrate Oktoberfest."
I know I sound like a chamber of commerce recording. In fact, I've been accused of that before but Tulsa is one of my favorite places (and I don't even live there, but did at one time - want to move back soooo badly). Do your own research and visit when you can. I think you'll be surprised by what Tulsa has to offer.
Good luck!
