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I meant no disrespect to OKC, I apologize for how that probably came across. OKC is just a bit slow-paced for my tastes, and it's actually really cold in the winter, moreso than some might expect. Hampton Roads is also quite slow-paced (arguably moreso than OKC), but I like the weather and scenery more there, the beaches, and the fact that its closer to more places I enjoy visiting (DC, Charlotte, etc.)
I agree with this. In addition to the tornado season, I find OKC winters to be pretty awful. It isn't as cold as farther north but it's still cold enough and it's too cold to really do much outdoors during the winter. Ice storms are more common than snow. Cold, wet days with temperatures barely above freezing with a constant mist are pretty typical. OKC tends to be very windy in the winter as well, which makes it feel colder than it actually is. Afternoon highs may be in the 40s but it's not going to feel like it.
I agree with this. In addition to the tornado season, I find OKC winters to be pretty awful. It isn't as cold as farther north but it's still cold enough and it's too cold to really do much outdoors during the winter. Ice storms are more common than snow. Cold, wet days with temperatures barely above freezing with a constant mist are pretty typical. OKC tends to be very windy in the winter as well, which makes it feel colder than it actually is. Afternoon highs may be in the 40s but it's not going to feel like it.
Once again, you misrepresent the truth about OKC weather.
During the months of December, January and February of this winter OKC had 15 days where the weather did not reach at least 45 degrees for a high. There were less than 10 days where it didn't reach 40 degrees and like 4 days where the highs were below freezing.
Conversely, OKC had 17 days were the high was higher than 60 degrees. So that puts the other days in the winter between 45-60 degrees.
OKC had one moderate snow and one light snow. Effectively no ice storms this year.
Once again, you misrepresent the truth about OKC weather.
During the months of December, January and February of this winter OKC had 15 days where the weather did not reach at least 45 degrees for a high. There were less than 10 days where it didn't reach 40 degrees and like 4 days where the highs were below freezing.
Conversely, OKC had 17 days were the high was higher than 60 degrees. So that puts the other days in the winter between 45-60 degrees.
OKC had one moderate snow and one light snow. Effectively no ice storms this year.
We go through this every year. And maybe in 1-2 years out of a decade do we have a winter anywhere close to what you describe.
The winters of 13-14, 14-15, and 15-16 were all pretty close to my description. 16-17 was mild. 17-18 wasn't bad overall but that was the year where winter lingered into May. 18-19 was a cold, miserable winter. I haven't been in OKC this winter but it sounds like it was somewhat mild, despite the cold November.
I went to school in the HR area (Peninsula side) and I don't really agree with most of this. Norfolk is clearly the more urban city and the heart of HR as a whole. Norfolk has a real (and growing) downtown and even though you're correct that the city as a whole is suburban, it definitely has a much more urban feel than Virginia Beach overall. Virginia Beach is so big that it does include a few urban nodes, but is mostly suburban in its development patterns. There's nothing like the Ghent in Virginia Beach, for example.
With that said, those two cities overall have the most to offer in Hampton Roads imo. And getting back to the OP, after having been to OKC probably ten times in the last few years, I'd definitely take Hampton Roads over it (though it wouldn't be at the top of the list of places I'd want to live long term either, FWIW).
We're going to agree to disagree. I lived in Virginia Beach and worked in Norfolk and got to experience daily the crossflow of people from both sides...
On the "regular people" level, there is a healthy competition and in two years living there, I never met anybody who said Virginia Beach was "Norfolk's suburb". Not one, and I interacted with these people literally all the time. I will say it was surprising, for the fact that as an outsider coming to the area you have the perception that Norfolk is the alpha city...
Neither are alpha cities, and they are co-anchors of the SE VA/NE NC region as a whole...
Ghent isn't overly urban, bro. It has a population of 11,069 in 1.6 square miles, which is a neighborhood density of ~6919/ppsm. There are areas in VB (and Nfk) with higher residential density, and then let's talk about aesthetics. You have several blocks on Colley and 21st that are urban (and that urbanity disappears after 5pm, there is no great nightlife presence in Ghent), but most of Ghent is semi-dense suburbia, quiet and unenergetic. This is what most of Ghent looks like:
There isn't a specific neighborhood in The Beach like Ghent because most of what is now The Beach was undeveloped and didn't even exist a half century ago, it was trees and farmland, while Ghent and peripheral neighborhoods in Norfolk's core have been inhabited for centuries...
Both downtown's are growing at a healthy rate, and being they are only ~7.5 miles from each other, you get a very nice contrast in appeal. Nfk is the larger, more historically and organically urban district, while Town Center is the faster growing, more diverse and youthful downtown...
Both cities are overwhelmingly suburban. Notice how on this board when people speak of urban areas in Nfk, they only name Ghent, and maybe throw in another area. That's because only the core ~6.7 sq miles of Norfolk are even passably impressive on an urban scale; the city is 54 sq miles. Even within that ~6.7, there is nothing that really jumps out as strong urbanity, but it covers the baseline and is by far the most urban area in Hampton Roads...
The two cities complement each other well and in my experience, they are equal on most fronts. But to me that just makes them a well-rounded larger example of itself----->they are for the most part, just different sides of the same city...
Once again, you misrepresent the truth about OKC weather.
During the months of December, January and February of this winter OKC had 15 days where the weather did not reach at least 45 degrees for a high. There were less than 10 days where it didn't reach 40 degrees and like 4 days where the highs were below freezing.
Conversely, OKC had 17 days were the high was higher than 60 degrees. So that puts the other days in the winter between 45-60 degrees.
OKC had one moderate snow and one light snow. Effectively no ice storms this year.
We go through this every year. And maybe in 1-2 years out of a decade do we have a winter anywhere close to what you describe.
True, OKC winters are mild. But so is Hampton Roads. It seems like OKC would get some cold snaps that Hampton Roads wouldn't, even though on average OKC is hardly any colder.
I meant no disrespect to OKC, I apologize for how that probably came across. OKC is just a bit slow-paced for my tastes, and it's actually really cold in the winter, moreso than some might expect. Hampton Roads is also quite slow-paced (arguably moreso than OKC), but I like the weather and scenery more there, the beaches, and the fact that its closer to more places I enjoy visiting (DC, Charlotte, etc.)
Intersting--you find Hampton Roads even slower paced than OKC? I take it that Hampton Roads is worlds apart from the hustle and bustle of D.C. I take it that Hampton Roads has minimal traffic, minimal crowds, very spread out development, and cost of living is cheap--if that's what you mean by slow paced.
Intersting--you find Hampton Roads even slower paced than OKC? I take it that Hampton Roads is worlds apart from the hustle and bustle of D.C. I take it that Hampton Roads has minimal traffic, minimal crowds, very spread out development, and cost of living is cheap--if that's what you mean by slow paced.
HR has an interesting mix of cultures. I am not sure I would classify it as slow paced though.
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