Edmond vs. Moore vs. Norman (Oklahoma City, Midwest City: to rent, lofts, condos)

[FinanceBabe]

Hello!

My husband and I are moving to OKC. He is in the Air Force and will be working out of Tinker. We would like to live off base (we have lived on base at our last two duty stations, but we'd like to rent off base this time). We are PCSing from Key West, FL (I'm so sad to leave!) in late June or early July this year.

My job situation is not set in stone. I'm in talks with my current employer to work remotely, so it's possible I could work from home, making any commute for me obsolete. Or, if that doesn't pan out, I'll have to find work somewhere in OKC (I have a background in accounting and finance, so not sure where to look, I'm guessing OKC proper?).

We have no children and don't plan on having any for the foreseeable future, so school districts and child-friendly neighborhoods do not matter to us.

We have two older big dogs (55lb husky and a 75lb lab) and we need a fenced in backyard for them. For the most part, we are homebodies (we aren't interested in bars or clubs), but we do enjoy good food (vegans) and culture and would like easy access to good shopping, maybe Trader Joe's or Sprouts (I know Nichols Hill has a Whole Foods, but that area is out of our price range). I also workout 5-6 days a week, so I need access to a good gym that doesn't have a crazy commute.

My husband is also concerned about the commute to Tinker, but I've been informed that areas near the base aren't really our cup of tea (small, country, with only a Walmart and fast food in the towns). So we need some idea for neighborhoods we want to live in.

I've heard Edmond has awful traffic to the base, but that seems to be generally the area that would be the best fit for us. But I've heard good things about Moore and Norman, but I won't lie.. the tornadoes in Moore scare me.

For the record, I've already been told to avoid: Midwest City and Del City. And I think Choctaw is too rural for us.

Any recommendations? Anywhere I haven't thought of? Any areas we should flat-out avoid?

Thanks for your help!

[StillwaterTownie]

Really, for peace of mind on stormy days, it's a good idea to find a house that comes with a tornado shelter. Tornadoes have also been known to hit Norman and Edmond.

I bet the traffic congestion most anywhere in Oklahoma City area dwarfs how awful it is in the Dallas area.

It's typical for OKC suburbs big and small to have Wal-Marts and fast foods. This is Oklahoma.

[eddie gein]

I'd say for duel income no kinds type people Norman would be the best spot simply because the University provides so many things and off campus provides a more diverse set of offerings. OTOH Edmond is a really nice place and it's university provides some of those amenities as well. Edmond is more family oriented.

I'd say Moore would run a poor third in this race EXCEPT for it's location. Moore is sandwiched between OKC and Norman so you can access both rather easily. It's also the most convenient to the base of the three. They also have the Warren theatre there. Unfortunately, Moore just doesn't have much character because it was a nothing little place before it became a suburb. Both Norman and Edmond were charming little college towns prior to their metamorphosis so they don't completely lack character.

[FinanceBabe]

The other option I didn't list is living somewhere in downtown OKC proper. We have a friend (also military) who is originally from Oklahoma and she purchased a home downtown in the Paseo Arts district and she looooves it! She said it's a relatively easy commute to Tinker and she loves being downtown with lots of stuff around. We were thinking of looking in that area as well.

Any thoughts on living downtown? We don't need a huge house, but we must have a fenced in yard.

Thank you so much for your insight!

[Threestep2]

Originally Posted by FinanceBabe

The other option I didn't list is living somewhere in downtown OKC proper. We have a friend (also military) who is originally from Oklahoma and she purchased a home downtown in the Paseo Arts district and she looooves it! She said it's a relatively easy commute to Tinker and she loves being downtown with lots of stuff around. We were thinking of looking in that area as well.

Any thoughts on living downtown? We don't need a huge house, but we must have a fenced in yard.

Thank you so much for your insight!

It all comes down to your budget and his willingness and ability to commute.

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by FinanceBabe

The other option I didn't list is living somewhere in downtown OKC proper. We have a friend (also military) who is originally from Oklahoma and she purchased a home downtown in the Paseo Arts district and she looooves it! She said it's a relatively easy commute to Tinker and she loves being downtown with lots of stuff around. We were thinking of looking in that area as well.

Any thoughts on living downtown? We don't need a huge house, but we must have a fenced in yard.

Thank you so much for your insight!

No, the Paseo Arts part is not in downtown Oklahoma City. But it's not a very far drive from there. It's actually much closer to the Asian District. Very true, how that part of NW Oklahoma City has different stuff around, such as the Gold Dome at 23rd and Classen. Hopefully, the crime situation isn't too much to worry about.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by FinanceBabe

The other option I didn't list is living somewhere in downtown OKC proper. We have a friend (also military) who is originally from Oklahoma and she purchased a home downtown in the Paseo Arts district and she looooves it! She said it's a relatively easy commute to Tinker and she loves being downtown with lots of stuff around. We were thinking of looking in that area as well.

Any thoughts on living downtown? We don't need a huge house, but we must have a fenced in yard.

Thank you so much for your insight!

The actual housing in downtown. Lofts and condos apts and such are pretty pricey for Oklahoma. There are some inner core neighborhoods (like Paseo) that are pretty nice ranging from really expensive to probably average for the area. I certainly think for your situation it's worth a look.

The things I like about the core area besides access to the stuff downtown is the fact that the landscape is very mature and some areas are quite green for this part of the world. The other thing about it down there is that it is somewhat a mixed bag of people. Probably the only other place you would get this is the campus area in Norman.

Edmond, the non campus area of Norman and Moore are going to be your typical church going conservative types of folks that are most prevalent in Oklahoma.

I bring this up because the inner core of OKC and the campus area of Norman are the only places around that are even in the same stratosphere as Key West regarding the vibe.

[FinanceBabe]

Originally Posted by eddie gein

The actual housing in downtown. Lofts and condos apts and such are pretty pricey for Oklahoma. There are some inner core neighborhoods (like Paseo) that are pretty nice ranging from really expensive to probably average for the area. I certainly think for your situation it's worth a look.

The things I like about the core area besides access to the stuff downtown is the fact that the landscape is very mature and some areas are quite green for this part of the world. The other thing about it down there is that it is somewhat a mixed bag of people. Probably the only other place you would get this is the campus area in Norman.

Edmond, the non campus area of Norman and Moore are going to be your typical church going conservative types of folks that are most prevalent in Oklahoma.

I bring this up because the inner core of OKC and the campus area of Norman are the only places around that are even in the same stratosphere as Key West regarding the vibe.

Thank you! While we are Christian, we don't go to church very often and we aren't traditionally conservative people. I am originally from Portland, OR and my husband is from Boston. We were stationed in rural South Carolina (50 miles from Columbia, SC) before going to Key West and we both were miserable. We're looking to avoid being miserable again and really hoping we choose the right area for us.

So far it sounds like possibly Downtown or another inner core neighborhood (Paseo), Norman campus area, and some parts of Edmond are looking to be the best fit.

Thanks again for your help!

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by FinanceBabe

Thank you! While we are Christian, we don't go to church very often and we aren't traditionally conservative people. I am originally from Portland, OR and my husband is from Boston. We were stationed in rural South Carolina (50 miles from Columbia, SC) before going to Key West and we both were miserable. We're looking to avoid being miserable again and really hoping we choose the right area for us.

So far it sounds like possibly Downtown or another inner core neighborhood (Paseo), Norman campus area, and some parts of Edmond are looking to be the best fit.

Thanks again for your help!

Please keep us posted on your situation. Be fun to see where you land.

[KayneMo]

Hi! Have you looked into the Mesta Park and Heritage Hills neighborhoods? It's where I live and I absolutely love it.