OKC vs Memphis (Oklahoma City, Norman, Edmond: skyscraper, tornado, income)

[pds58]

I have been living in Memphis for over 5 years...and have been looking to leave for about 2. I have had some preliminary talks with a company in OKC about moving there...but am a little afraid of pulling the trigger on the deal because I want to move somewhere much nicer than Memphis. To my wife and I, Memphis is dirty, backward, boring, and unsafe. What can you tell me about Oklahoma City that would make taking this job viable? I really don't want to trade one bad situation for more of the same.

Is OKC a more progressive city? Is it growing in the right ways in terms of the city and not just adding new suburbs? Please don't reference the NBA team, because we have the Grizzlies and truthfully one of the best arenas in the NBA and it hasn't meant anything and hasn't helped revitialize the town at all. Any answers are greatly appreciated-especially anyone that can give direct comparisons between OKC an Memphis and why OKC would indeed be better. Thanks for your help.

[Lvpunk]

What place isn't safer than Memphis? You can "google" crime statistics and learn a lot about the different parts of this city. I've been here for five years and even live in a not so good part of town, and I feel safe. As far as being progressive, people here are very proud of their town, and very much want to see it grow. City planners seem to be very forward thinking and "revitalization" has been the word of the day lately, and because of it I think there will economic gains made. Assuming your income is at or above the median in the US, then you can't complain, you will get more house for your money then you would in almost any other city of it's size that I've seen, and now would be a good time to buy. Now, politically, Oklahoma as a whole is very conservative. Other than that people are very friendly here, not a bad place at all.

[pds58]

Thanks for the info! Is OKC Clean? Is there a lot to do? Where are the nicest areas to live...what type of shopping is there? What city would you say most closely is like OKC? Someone told me Sacramento...is that far off?

[okcpulse]

pds58,

Oklahoma City, to me, is a very progressive city in the way that both its residents and city leaders sport a 'can do' attitude, and are very aggressive about changing this city for the better. I miss it and can't wait to move back (I am in exile in Houston). There is so much energy in OKC right now, and so much is happening in terms of revitalization. Even local corporations are spending big money on OKC.

I peg OKC to be the next Phoenix of the U.S. I will not lie, we have our cons, as every city does. But what I love about Oklahoma City is that it wants to, and is, go somewhere. It's the energy I love and miss.

Okay, here are the cons... we are a very under-served market. Many retail giants thumb their nose at us because they think we are still a sleepy little backwater. It just gives us more hurdles to overcome. But some retail giants have been taken aback by all of the buzz in major publications lately about OKC, so I have a sneeky feeling that big change is on the horizon as far as shopping options are a concern.

The shopping we do have is concentrated around the Penn Square/Quail Springs areas. Good options, but we are still under-served. Penn Square Mall is the premier shopping mall of the state. If you want some neat and unique stores, check out Northpark and Western Avenue.

Big change is on the way, and in a few years, I will once again be apart of that change.

Now, politics. Southern regions of OKC are mostly conservative, northwest OKC and Edmond are more liberal. But honestly, when did we get hung up on this vs. that? It's really dividing our country. There has to be balance, and OKC has that balance.

You'll love Lake Hefner in northwest OKC. A few restaurants overlooking the water on the eastern shore is mesmerizing. I can't wait to get back. But please, see OKC for yourself. Until then, I'll give you the skinny on OKC's nice and not so nice areas...

northwest OKC around Lake Hefner
MidTown OKC, north of downtown
Western Avenue District
Nichols Hills
Edmond
Norman
far north OKC north of Quail Springs Mall
south OKC west of Moore

Not so cool areas (sorry, guys, but it is what it is, get on the bandwagon)
Bethany/Warr Acres
west-central OKC east of the fairgrounds
southeast OKC
north-central OKC near Britton
The Village
Del City
Midwest City

I hope this helps.

[Synopsis]

Just off the top of my head I would say OkC is cleaner than Memphis, with less crime. It's also a city on the upswing and a can-do attitude. All in all, OkC has a lot going for it.

[pds58]

Thanks. This is really helpful. If it is similar to Phoenix...that's a great comparison...because I love Phoenix.

[#1soonerfan]

I think you will find OKC to your liking. Theres a lot of new development both in the city and the suburbs. Devon Energy just announced they are building a 925 ft skyscraper for their new headquarters. Theres a good sense of civic pride here (someone in an Arkansas forum said it was an obnoxious level of pride--don't know about that) and I'm surprised how engaged everyone in in the health of their community. I will say that, depending on your definition of "progressive," from a political standpoint the people here are to the right but nothing like the rabid, charged politics of TN and MS. Also, theres definitely pockets of crime and poverty here but it will be paradise in comparison to Memphis.

Speaking of Memphis, I was there for a family reunion back in 2007 and I was blown away how the city looked. I'm sure it was a very nice city at one point but I was so upset with how shabby and unkept the city looked when I was there. I have relatives that live in the Whitehaven district who are moving across the border to Mississippi because of how bad the crime has gotten in their area. So sad. Did they ever get rid of the crazy mayor over there?

[pds58]

No...same mayor is still in place. We moved to Memphis from the Northeast for my job...and truthfully, it is perhaps the most negative place I have ever been to or seen. The city really isn't a city. It's like a big small town. It is dirty, smells bad, and seems like it's stuck in 1965 in some respects. It is very backward. It's surprising how many bad areas there are for such a small place and how even in some of the "good" areas like Midtown and East Memphis flow in and out of the bad areas. Mud Island is a really nice area in town and I know 2 women who were mugged on their front porch. People talk about living on the South Bluffs which is pretty expensive...and talk about listening to the gun shots at night. I live in a newer Suburb in Cordova...and people are just waiting for it to turn into a bad area. There is still a great bit of white flight...which is such a shame. It's really an odd place. It has potential...but it can't get out of it's own way.

[Lvpunk]

Well, I hope you enjoy OKC. I wouldn't hardly compare it to Phoenix though, made me smile a bit, nothing like Phoenix really. Oklahoma City is much like you described Memphis, it's a "big small town," which comes with certain charms and cons. It's spread out like Memphis is as well. Memphis in my opinion is culturally significant, with it's history, music, and food, it's a shame that it has become so ridden with crime. I would compare OKC to other midwestern cities while Memphis is more of a Southern city. To be honest, I think comparable cities would be places like Omaha, Wichita, Ft Worth (if you take away Dallas), Little Rock, and maybe Kansas City, though all cities have something that make them unique. If you like the weather in Memphis, then you'll like it here too, the weather is one of my favorite things about OKC with the cool electrical and thunder storms and ice storms in the winter, very pretty to see OKC covered in white from the ice and occasional snow, I have yet to see a tornado in person unfortunately, it was one of the things I was really hoping to see in my 5 years here.

[pds58]

UMM...I would hope it's better than little rock.