From the Tundra (Minneapolis) to OKC - a few questions (Oklahoma City: best city, apartment complex)

[jeid]

My girlfriend and I are looking to relocate to OKC. We are fairly young (25 and 23) and both lifelong Minnesotans who honestly cannot stand the thought of another Minnesota winter. We have done exhaustive research based on several factors (climate, crime rate, unemployment rate, proximity to big city, etc) and feel OKC is the best fit for us on paper. I know just quitting our jobs to up and relocate isn't the brightest thing to do, but we do have a nice chunk of change to live off of and my girlfriend should have no problem finding a job in the industry she's in (although she eventually wants to go to OSU-OKC in the winter or next fall). I am more educated than she is with work experience in a specific industry (market/business/financial research and analysis) so it may take me slightly longer although I have found several jobs I do qualify for when looking on the Oklahoma Job Link. I also have restaurant experience and could take a job in that industry if money becomes tight. Sometimes you just need to take a chance in life.

We will be visiting OKC next weekend from 10/3 - 10/5 to make sure the city really is for us.

I have read through several topics on the forum which have answered some of my questions but not all of them. I'm hoping some of you kind locals can help shed some insight to help make our visit more efficient and to help us understand the city better.

1) If anyone has been to Minneapolis before, we live in Uptown Minneapolis. Living where things are going on or at least near things (within 5-10 minutes by car) is important to us as we are young. The two areas I was looking at to rent (an apartment/condo/house doesn't matter, we'd like to buy after 6-12 months) are Midtown and immediately north of Bricktown, since it doesn't seem like much housing is available in Bricktown. Can anyone shed some light into these areas? Are there good places to live near Downtown/Bricktown with some things in walking distance? If not, could someone please reccommend an area? I'm having a lot of trouble here.

2) How is the bus system in OKC? Would it be reliable enough to have as a main mode of transportation in OKC? We looked online at the metro site and trolleys did not run early in the morning (anyone know why?) and buses didn't make too many stops (which can be a good/bad thing). Even though I have a car we both rely on the buses here in Minneapolis from time to time and I'm just curious if we need to get another car or not. If anyone knows of a quality location which is more residential that has lots of connecting bus/trolley routes that would be amazing.

3) Is there any major soccer pub in OKC? I am a huge soccer fan and frequent the pubs in downtown Minneapolis. I have search online with no avail except for 1 bar way out in the suburbs. Also, does anyone know if there's a Vikings bar? I know some cities have bars for specific teams.

4) If you only had 2 days in OKC, what would be some places / restaurants you feel are "must see"? I've read the top 10 lists by random websites but comparatively I've read the same lists about Minneapolis and I kind of cringe when I do because I wouldn't reccommend half the stuff on there honestly. So any reccommendations from people who live / have lived in OKC would be great.

5) I've read many things about people from Oklahoma; kind, friendly, bad drivers, etc. I'm just curious, is there something about people from Oklahoma most outsiders don't know? For example, Minnesotans are very trustworthy and loyal people, but also very passive aggressive.

Thanks for your time in advance to an kind soul who chooses to reply

tl;dr version - I'm planning to relocate to OKC... any great place very near Downtown/Bricktown to reccommend living at? Maybe Midtown or directly north of Bricktown?

[Okey Dokie]

I'll answer a couple for you. Just as background I've lived in OKC for three years now, moving from Kansas City.

1. There are plenty of apts in Bricktown area - but I'll let someone else fill you in on specifics. Or do a search of previous posts....I know they have been discussed but I paid no attention as that's of no interest to me.

2. I'll pass on the bus question too, but I'll speculate on the trolley times...I believe the trolleys are geared more towards the tourists rather than regular mass transit users, and most tourists aren't up and rolling at 8 a.m.

3. No Clue

4. Besides the usual Bricktown and Oklahoma National Memorial suggestions, I'll throw in the Oklahoma History Museum (on 23rd Street near the State Capitol)

5. The biggest surprise I had when I moved here was the very prevalent church going and religion (Christian) in general. Just about everyone I met asked me, "Have you found a new church home?" I had - and I love it, but that's another post for another day. Last week I had a doctors' appointment and at the end of the appointment he asked if he could pray for me. I was touched....others might not be so. So be prepared......

[jeid]

Originally Posted by Okey Dokie

5. The biggest surprise I had when I moved here was the very prevalent church going and religion (Christian) in general. Just about everyone I met asked me, "Have you found a new church home?" I had - and I love it, but that's another post for another day. Last week I had a doctors' appointment and at the end of the appointment he asked if he could pray for me. I was touched....others might not be so. So be prepared......

Thanks for your reply Okey Dokie. I found this point to be very interesting as both my girlfriend and I identify as Agnostic but very open and friendly towards different beliefs (including Christianity). I don't really consider Minneapolis to be a very religious city, yet when I looked up data here on city-data comparing the religious segmentation in the two cities, I found both cities had "other religions' at 36% with the rest a denomination of Christianity. Maybe what you are referring to is maybe more of a baptist population in the south whereas in Minnesota it's more Catholic and Lutheran? Very interesting nonetheless.

[Redshadowz]

1) Bricktown is an entertainment district with many hotels in it or nearby. I'm not aware any apartments in the immediate bricktown area. North of downtown, up closer to oklahoma city university you have some cheaper houses that are often broke up into duplexes and rented out to college kids.

2) The bus system in this city is terrible. Mainly because of how sprawled out the city is. According to this website, of the top 50 cities in the country. Oklahoma city is #50.

Metro Transit Ridership - 2008 US Cities Sustainability Ranking by SustainLane.com

3. I have never heard of any soccer pubs, and definitely never heard of a vikings bar, although adrian peterson(went to OU), has been making us all more of a viking fan lately.

4. It really depends on what you want to do. If you just want to be entertained, theres things like bricktown for clubs/restaurants/sports. You also have the remington park area. Great restaurants along Meridian near I-40, and along the NW expressway. But many times the lists of things to do are what you could only do/see in oklahoma city. Things like the national memorial, or the cowboy and western heritage museum, we also have several lakes in the city(or very closeby).

5. Theres really not much to say about Oklahomans that would make them much different than most other places. The pace of life here is a little slower than many areas of the country, and the people are a little more laid back and friendly. Overall this might be a religious stronghold, but religion is not a often spoke topic from my experience. Especially among the youth.

Just my opinion, I think the numbers on Oklahoma city must be misleading. The crimerate is above average. Unemployment is very low, but the average wage is also low. The weather is a lot warmer than Minnesota, but it might be a little too hot here in the summer, especially with the humidity. And unlike some areas further south, it gets very cold and windy in the winter.

For young people I would really stay away from Oklahoma city. If you want warm, I would go somewhere like Austin, Texas. Its beautiful, and has much more to do for young people. If you can afford it, I would move out to the coasts, like southern California or Florida.

[okcpulse]

Originally Posted by Redshadowz

For young people I would really stay away from Oklahoma city. If you want warm, I would go somewhere like Austin, Texas. Its beautiful, and has much more to do for young people. If you can afford it, I would move out to the coasts, like southern California or Florida.

Way to throw us under the bus there, pal. You can't transform a city when you tell people to stay away, can you?

How are we every going to become a city for young people when you keep the "Don't Come Here" sign held high?

You are right, Austin, Texas has plenty to do for young people. But we're not here to promote Texas. I personally find Austin overcrowded and poorly designed. Kind of takes away from the fun when you can't get anywhere, don't you think?

[okcpulse]

Originally Posted by jeid

Can anyone shed some light into these areas? Are there good places to live near Downtown/Bricktown with some things in walking distance? If not, could someone please reccommend an area? I'm having a lot of trouble here.

Many of the living options near Bricktown/Downtown are pricey when it comes to the new brownstones and condominiums. However, for more affordable options, take a look at Deep Deuce Apartments and see what they have available. MidTown offers mostly lofts. I would also recommend checking out what Legacy Summit at Arts Central has to offer, as well as Sycamore Square. Both are located next to the Arts District which encompasses the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Civic Center Music Hall and Performing Arts Center, and the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

There are a ton of options in northwest Oklahoma City, which might be good for the two of you since most of the younger people that choose Oklahoma City tend to mirate to that side of the city north and west of the Lake Hefner region, and more particularly near 122nd west of Lake Hefner Parkway, Memorial Road and Mercy Hospital. It's only 25 minutes to downtown from this side of the city, but the big draw for people to northwest Oklahoma City is Lake Hefner, which is the city's number one recreational spot.

Originally Posted by jeid

2) How is the bus system in OKC? Would it be reliable enough to have as a main mode of transportation in OKC? We looked online at the metro site and trolleys did not run early in the morning (anyone know why?) and buses didn't make too many stops (which can be a good/bad thing). Even though I have a car we both rely on the buses here in Minneapolis from time to time and I'm just curious if we need to get another car or not. If anyone knows of a quality location which is more residential that has lots of connecting bus/trolley routes that would be amazing.

As redshadows said, our public transportation is poor because Oklahoma City was designed around the car. There are many improvements that we all agree should be made. The good news is, we have a mayor that is very proactive about public transportation, and if MAPS3 passes, big changes are in the future.

However, Oklahoma City has always been proactive about traffic congestion, and thus our freeway/arterial system was designed to minimize congestion. City leaders have stayed two steps ahead of this for years. The freeway system was strategically designed to equalize traffic flow, and it does its job well.

Originally Posted by jeid

3) Is there any major soccer pub in OKC? I am a huge soccer fan and frequent the pubs in downtown Minneapolis. I have search online with no avail except for 1 bar way out in the suburbs. Also, does anyone know if there's a Vikings bar? I know some cities have bars for specific teams.

Sports bars are big in Oklahoma City, but not soccer pubs. With the arrival of the Thunder, the bar scene has already begun to transform, specifically with the arrival of Coyote Ugly. I personally prefer McNellies, myself.

Originally Posted by jeid

4) If you only had 2 days in OKC, what would be some places / restaurants you feel are "must see"? I've read the top 10 lists by random websites but comparatively I've read the same lists about Minneapolis and I kind of cringe when I do because I wouldn't reccommend half the stuff on there honestly. So any reccommendations from people who live / have lived in OKC would be great.

See the Oklahoma City National Memorial, Lake Hefner, the Arts District (specifically the Oklahoma City Museum of Art), Bricktown, the Oklahoma City Zoo. Any combination of those in a 2 day period are what I enjoy the most. For restaurants, my tops are Red Rock Canyon Grill at Lake Hefner, The Mantel Wine Bar & Bistro in Bricktown, grab some Asian Food at Super Cao Nguyen in the Asian District if Asian is your thing, or hit Laredo's near Penn Square Mall (they should be reopened). Another recommendation is Ted's Cafe Escondido on May & 68th if you like Mexican.

Originally Posted by jeid

5) I've read many things about people from Oklahoma; kind, friendly, bad drivers, etc. I'm just curious, is there something about people from Oklahoma most outsiders don't know? For example, Minnesotans are very trustworthy and loyal people, but also very passive aggressive.

Oklahoma Citians are generally laid back, easy going people. But remember, people are people. There are good people and bad people, no matter where you go. There are 1.3 million people in Oklahoma City's metro so its just a matter of you you run into. That's been my experience visiting many cities across the U.S.

But the local culture is very laid back, and those involved in the community want people there to thrive. It's what we want for our city.

Thanks for your time in advance to an kind soul who chooses to reply

tl;dr version - I'm planning to relocate to OKC... any great place very near Downtown/Bricktown to reccommend living at? Maybe Midtown or directly north of Bricktown?[/quote]

[Lillywhite]

I'm a 26 year old guy from the UK. I've lived in OKC on and off for about a year (I've travelled a lot so have been away for a lot of that time). I've visited a lot of the US, most of Europe and parts of Asia. I don't have the "glory, glory Oklahoma" attitude that a lot of people on this forum do. Here's my take:

1) The fact you're having a lot of trouble is not surprising. OKC is not a walking city. I live in downtown OKC in The Park Harvey. It's a nice apartment complex but I find downtown/bricktown extremely quiet. At weekends and at evenings downtown is like a ghost town and bricktown is not much better. It livens up a bit on Friday and Saturday night in bricktown but that's about it. There's a handful of coffee shops, a museum, and a library downtown, but everything else you'll have to drive to. If you want to live nearer bricktown, check out 'Deep Deuce'. It's located well, but I've heard the noise there is terrible.

2). Forget it. Of all the cities I have lived in during my life, I have never used my car more than here. The city is extremely large geographically and everything is spread out. You need to drive everywhere. The public transport system is a non-starter.

3). I too am a huge soccer (football ) fan but I haven't found anything like a soccer pub here. There are actually some decent pubs in OKC (e.g. Tapwerks, McNellies) but they only show US football, baseball, basketball etc. Hey, maybe if there's two of us we can convine them to change the channel though.

4). If you're coming for 2 days you should stay in a hotel in downtown or bricktown so you can get a feel for the place. Take a walk around and see what you think. Go to Tapwerks in Bricktown - they have over 200 types of beer and decent food. Go to Deep Deuce to have a look around and then try either 'The Wedge' for pizze or Deep Deuce Grill. It's also nice to take a drive up to Lake Hefner and see what's going on up there.

5). Of all the US states I have visited I have found Oklahoman people to be moderately friendly and by far the most religious and conservative. Religion here is massive - I have been invited to church on countless occasions, told that I should find god, told not to tell people I meet that I'm not a Christian etc. Coming from Europe, this is incredible. This is also an extremely conservative state - just look at the voter records from the last election. I have also been surprised by many people here's lack of knowledge about what is going on outside Oklahoma. I guess because the place doesn't get many visitors and people maybe don't leave often, they're not used to dealing with people for whom OU Football is not a way of life. Finally, the driving here is extremely reckless.

This post will no doubt be met by the usual "you just hate Oklahoma - why don't you just go home to London", but I just wanted to let you know what you'd be letting yourself in for.

[Lillywhite]

Originally Posted by Redshadowz

For young people I would really stay away from Oklahoma city. If you want warm, I would go somewhere like Austin, Texas. Its beautiful, and has much more to do for young people. If you can afford it, I would move out to the coasts, like southern California or Florida.

Couldn't agree more.

[irishlover]

Originally Posted by Redshadowz

For young people I would really stay away from Oklahoma city. If you want warm, I would go somewhere like Austin, Texas. Its beautiful, and has much more to do for young people. If you can afford it, I would move out to the coasts, like southern California or Florida.

I also agree wholeheartedly to this portion of the post...Austin, and many other warm southern places are superior to OKC, especially for young people.

I really like the guy from London's post...he is dead on with all observations. Wow, I used to work in London...I can't imagine going from the best city in the world to OKC...damn! My fiance is from Ireland and the religon aspect of his post really got her too...very big part of the culture in OK and can be a shock if your not used to it being in your face all the time.

Anyway, the only thing I will add if you do decide OKC is for you is to avoid Deep Deuce apartments at all cost. I lived there for 6 months on the south side of the complex. The construction is **** poor (walls cracked, bricks falling off, building faces crooked and the facility is less than 10 years old) and the management is difficult to deal with. The location is good but you will regret it. Many former frat boys and sorority girls tend to move up there after college to try out the "city" life so there are parties and noise all the time. PLUS, the biggest factor against living in downtown for me was NO real grocery store!

[okcpulse]

Originally Posted by Lillywhite

5). Of all the US states I have visited I have found Oklahoman people to be moderately friendly and by far the most religious and conservative. Religion here is massive - I have been invited to church on countless occasions, told that I should find god, told not to tell people I meet that I'm not a Christian etc. Coming from Europe, this is incredible. This is also an extremely conservative state - just look at the voter records from the last election. I have also been surprised by many people here's lack of knowledge about what is going on outside Oklahoma. I guess because the place doesn't get many visitors and people maybe don't leave often, they're not used to dealing with people for whom OU Football is not a way of life.

This post will no doubt be met by the usual "you just hate Oklahoma - why don't you just go home to London", but I just wanted to let you know what you'd be letting yourself in for.

Nope, I don't think you "just hate Oklahoma", and I agree with all of your points but the one made above. Are you calling me insular? Many people in Oklahoma travel often so you shouldn't blatantly assume we're all closed-minded. They just choose Oklahoma for many reasons you don't realize.

You shouldn't place Oklahoma on the "most conservative state" block based on the state's last voting records for the national election, especially in a country whose political parties should both go stick their heads in the butt of a rhinoceros and fester with the turds.

In the last eight years, Oklahoma has voted to legalize gambling, the lottery, tattoo parlors and gradually relaxing the liquor laws because many here are tired of outdated laws.

Perhaps you haven't traveled to neighboring states much, but if you think Oklahoma is the most religious, don't hesitate to visit the religious communes in Texas, along with the endless megachurches here in Houston. Or how about the numerous communities in Missouri that send their kids off to bible boot-camp in Colorado to become soldiers for God.

There are religious people in Oklahoma who go overboard on religion (but don't follow the principles themselves) and no one should tell you what you believe, but you shouldn't condemn people for what they hold sacred to them.

As for people who have a lack of knowledge about what goes on outside the state? Coming from London, you're in a country FULL of mis-information. It would be saddening to know that you would actually buy into to endless banquets of bull**** the media serves up, and people eat it helping after helping. I hope you don't. And don't assume some of the people you run into are indigenous to Oklahoma. As many Texans move to Oklahoma as there are Oklahomans who move to Texas. Stats don't lie.

Not saying Oklahoma is all peaches and creme, or Oklahoma City for that matter. You are right that it is indeed quiet on many days, but the city's atmosphere is one in the making. We're not London, but we're not the Oklahoma City of 1994. We hit rock bottom, and we're trying to make a come back. No one said we won't face hurdles, and Oklahoma City will always have its shortcomings.

But damn, at least give us a chance to make a better city for ourselves, and hopefully for you in the future, and don't write us off as damaged goods.

We have to start somewhere.