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I think if someone saw what OKC looks like now compared to what it was before, I'm sure they'll have a different opinion. I give credit when credit is due. The city has added so much including a massive city park and convention centre that is underway and a brand new light rail system.
I think if someone saw what OKC looks like now compared to what it was before, I'm sure they'll have a different opinion. I give credit when credit is due. The city has added so much including a massive city park and convention centre that is underway and a brand new light rail system.
I only saw a streetcar and no light rail system. The city still has a lot of surface parking lots and lack of street activity.
OKC always loses because it fights so far below its weight. It has improved many times over what it used to be but it still isn't what a city that anchors a metro of over 1 million people is expected to be and it's negative stereotypes are still very strong. And while it is growing, considering its cost of living it's underperforming compared to its peers. However, it also isn't completely boring and devoid of life like it used to be and like most people think it is, especially in 2018.
OKC always loses because it fights so far below its weight. It has improved many times over what it used to be but it still isn't what a city that anchors a metro of over 1 million people is expected to be and it's negative stereotypes are still very strong. And while it is growing, considering its cost of living it's underperforming compared to its peers. However, it also isn't completely boring and devoid of life like it used to be and like most people think it is, especially in 2018.
Under performing in growth compared to it's peers? In metros within 25% of OKC's population, OKC (+10.4%) ranks 4th out of 17 by growth rate from 2010-2017, behind Raleigh-Cary (+18.1%), Jacksonville (+11.8%), and Salt Lake City (+10.6%), and ahead of New Orleans (+7.2%), and Richmond (+7.13%).
Increase the parameters to +/- 500,000 and OKC still ranks 4th out of 27 in growth rate.
These cities have very little in common in my opinion. OKC is the Southwest or South; Des Moines is the Midwest or the "North". People may kind of group Oklahoma and Iowa together because of Iowa State's membership in the old Big 8 and now the Big 12. But these states, outside of a strong agricultural background, have almost nothing else in common.
Weather wise, they're in two completely different climate zones. OKC is a Humid Subtropical climate while Des Moines is a Continental climate. Summers in OKC would be much more brutal. Temps above 100 degrees are common and the humidity, while not on Houston or New Orleans' level, is stifling. I'm guessing Des Moines actually has pretty nice Summer weather. But OKC would easily take the cake on winter weather. A typical winter day in OKC is about 45-50 degrees with sun. Very pleasant. Sure, we get cold blasts from the north with occasional snow and ice, but they're short lived and the weather always levels back out quickly. Shoot, it's not uncommon to have 70s or even 80s in January in OKC.
These cities have very little in common in my opinion. OKC is the Southwest or South; Des Moines is the Midwest or the "North". People may kind of group Oklahoma and Iowa together because of Iowa State's membership in the old Big 8 and now the Big 12. But these states, outside of a strong agricultural background, have almost nothing else in common.
Weather wise, they're in two completely different climate zones. OKC is a Humid Subtropical climate while Des Moines is a Continental climate. Summers in OKC would be much more brutal. Temps above 100 degrees are common and the humidity, while not on Houston or New Orleans' level, is stifling. I'm guessing Des Moines actually has pretty nice Summer weather. But OKC would easily take the cake on winter weather. A typical winter day in OKC is about 45-50 degrees with sun. Very pleasant. Sure, we get cold blasts from the north with occasional snow and ice, but they're short lived and the weather always levels back out quickly. Shoot, it's not uncommon to have 70s or even 80s in January in OKC.
Just my two cents.
I lived in Des Moines for 4 years (2008-2012), and my cousin lived in Tulsa at the time. I thought the two had a ton in common when I would come visit him. I realize that isn't OKC, but the idea that Iowa and Oklahoma are worlds apart is kind of silly. Tulsa was much, much, much more similar to Des Moines than it is to Memphis or Nashville (southern cities I've visited recently).
Des Moines summers are typically in the 90's with 100's being somewhat common. Very humid. Winters in Des Moines, when I lived there, were really varied. You could see a 60 degree swing in January pretty regularly, and at least two of my winters there had very little snow or cold, while the other 2 had a lot. It definitely gets colder in Des Moines, and for longer, but probably not as long as you think. Also, OKC definitely has longer heat spells in the summer, but the extremes are pretty similar.
I think you're overrating the college sports connection in people's viewing the cities as similar. I think that only comes into play for folks who follow college sports. Then again, I've been to Stillwater for ISU/OK State games and thought it was a lot like Ames.
At the end of the day they're (OKC/DSM) both in the middle of the country, 7 hours apart on the same highway. They are both capital cities of Plains states whose economies feature a lot of ag and energy (oil in OK, wind in Iowa). The biggest differences between them lay in the Southern influence present in OKC, but from a distance these places will look more similar to many than different. Their similar longitude washes their dissimilar latitude on a lot of things.
OKC for me. I actually plan on moving there in the next year or so. I checked out both cities actually and the people of OKC won me over. Also the lack of any heavy traffic impressed /spoiled the out of me. I just find OKC to be a breath of fresh air.
I lived in Des Moines for 4 years (2008-2012), and my cousin lived in Tulsa at the time. I thought the two had a ton in common when I would come visit him. I realize that isn't OKC, but the idea that Iowa and Oklahoma are worlds apart is kind of silly. Tulsa was much, much, much more similar to Des Moines than it is to Memphis or Nashville (southern cities I've visited recently).
Des Moines summers are typically in the 90's with 100's being somewhat common. Very humid. Winters in Des Moines, when I lived there, were really varied. You could see a 60 degree swing in January pretty regularly, and at least two of my winters there had very little snow or cold, while the other 2 had a lot. It definitely gets colder in Des Moines, and for longer, but probably not as long as you think. Also, OKC definitely has longer heat spells in the summer, but the extremes are pretty similar.
I think you're overrating the college sports connection in people's viewing the cities as similar. I think that only comes into play for folks who follow college sports. Then again, I've been to Stillwater for ISU/OK State games and thought it was a lot like Ames.
At the end of the day they're (OKC/DSM) both in the middle of the country, 7 hours apart on the same highway. They are both capital cities of Plains states whose economies feature a lot of ag and energy (oil in OK, wind in Iowa). The biggest differences between them lay in the Southern influence present in OKC, but from a distance these places will look more similar to many than different. Their similar longitude washes their dissimilar latitude on a lot of things.
That's quite warm. On average Des Moines sees 22 days above 90 degrees per year. Most summer days are in the 80's.
To get into the 100's in Des Moines is rare, maybe once every two years. Usually they come a few at a time, maybe 4-5 years apart. I know I just saw an article that Des Moines hit 100 for the first time in six years (the article was a few years old).
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Very little in common IMO
