Okc Is Right For You Too!! (Oklahoma City, Nichols Hills: sales, apartments, condos)

[Parkerpa]

You bet its a good city!!
People are moving here daily for a reason. Its a place not only
to visit,but a place to live!We have people building whole housing additions
with million dollar homes. Those folks could live anywhere in the country. But
they chose Oklahoma City!People from all walks of life have chosen this city.
Whether its a sporting event, a night on the town, OKC has it. Do you like lakes? shopping? low cost of living? OKC has it too. The job market is good to
excellent right now. OKC is a oil city. So even though we are more diverse than 20 years ago, oil is still king. Companies like Cheasapeke and DEVON, play a huge part in moving OKC forward. And the greatest thing to happen to
OKC was the "MAPS PROJECTS" an almost completed wish list of city projects
that have moved this place beyond dreams. Library, Ford Center, Ball Park,
all new schools, 7 miles of water in our downtown river. The list was huge.
We as a city pulled this off. That says volumes about this great place to live.

[MattDen]

I thought of moving to Oklahoma City but I just could never ever bring myself to it. Not to worry many people like sprawled out metropolitan areas with the low construction labor and land costs compared to other parts of the country and since Oklahoma City has a good economy I am sure many, many people will be moving to your city and metropolitan area and luckily most of the people want to live in big 4-6 bedroom homes are ultra-conservative, anti-urban, pro-sprawl just like most Oklahomans.

Can pretty much tell what sort of a city this is when they have a metro of well over a million people and they have mass transit that stops early in the evening, they have small towns that run later then that. Not only that but their sidewalk coverage I guess isnt that good either. Just sort of shows what sort of place Oklahoma City strives to be. I assume they dont have good mass transit, good sidewalks or a vibrant downtown because Oklahoma Citians just like many ultra-conservative metropolitan areas hate interacting with their neighbors and community.

It doesnt matter how good a places economy is or how low the cost of apartments is. It just doesnt seem like a nice place.

Besides I have heard from people from smallish towns that Oklahoma City has a very dissapointing urban environment, thats pretty bad when a person from a small town goes down there and comes back and says OKC is boring. I guess its a city commited to nothing more but to ultra-conservatism and sprawl.

I guess if one wants a huge a 6 bedroom custom home on a big lot the Oklahoma City metro area is for them but for those looking for friendly open people, a dynamic urban environment OKC probubly wouldnt be for them.

Then again the upside of a good economy in OKC is that its way below average urban environment keeps many people from considering from moving there which keeps apartment rents and home values rather low

[Parkerpa]

The people of of OKC have not stopped in thier vision for a better place.
Maps 3 is on its way. The number 1 thing on this wish list is mass transit.
Yep! light rail train system through this city. We are still putting this together, but its just a couple of years away. Check out the website!
Okc has miles of walking trails downtown, along with trails completly around
lake Hefner. Brand new housing is under construction right now in the middle
of the city.Some of these places cost several thousand dollars. Some dont.
Again, people that could live anywhere are chosing OKC.
The top names on the concert curcuit come here regularly. Nobody passes OKC anymore. The Ford center holds 20,000 people. It has been sold out many times. Times for concerts, times for NBA basketball.OKC has a beautiful
canal that runs through its redone Bricktown. You can catch a ride on a boat.
Next year because of the MAPS projects, you can take a boat from downtown
all the way to hotels up river. We have redone the Skirvin hotel right downtown which dates back to statehood!! OKC is a city on the move, which
is UP!!

[MattDen]

Light rail through a low-density city. I wonder what the density of Oklahoma City is I know for a fact its one of the lowest density per square mile in the nation. It just seems like a penny sales tax to do all this just wouldnt be enough for most cities but if they can do it in Oklahoma City more power to them.

Obviously I am not a politician in OKC but I think its sort of a waste to propose a light-rail system with such low population densities unless they are going to have very, very dense mixed-use devolopment adjacent to each station that would dramatically transform the neighborhoods.

That seems like an awful lot of projects the mayor is proposing with a penny sales tax if he can get all these projects done with only a penny on the dollar sales tax for several years then he is a brilliant mayor then.

Besides I dont doubt Oklahoma City has a decent downtown but with such a huge land area and the fact the population is not that large the neighborhoods cant be very urban at all.

[Parkerpa]

The people of OKC decide what they want. You really need to go to the MAPS
Projects websites to understand. The mass transit was not my first choice either. But it will be but one item on our new wish list that the citizens must take a vote on. Personaly i wanted to see a big river boat for our redone river. Everything is on the table here. OKC is able to support a NBA team, that
should tell you something. The OKC Blazers hockey team is #1 almost every
year in attendance. Crowds of over 10,000 are common. Almost every big name concert is a sell out. 20,000 is common, as well for the NBA games.

[happytown]

Originally Posted by MattDen

Light rail through a low-density city. I wonder what the density of Oklahoma City is I know for a fact its one of the lowest density per square mile in the nation. It just seems like a penny sales tax to do all this just wouldnt be enough for most cities but if they can do it in Oklahoma City more power to them.

Obviously I am not a politician in OKC but I think its sort of a waste to propose a light-rail system with such low population densities unless they are going to have very, very dense mixed-use devolopment adjacent to each station that would dramatically transform the neighborhoods.

That seems like an awful lot of projects the mayor is proposing with a penny sales tax if he can get all these projects done with only a penny on the dollar sales tax for several years then he is a brilliant mayor then.

Besides I dont doubt Oklahoma City has a decent downtown but with such a huge land area and the fact the population is not that large the neighborhoods cant be very urban at all.

Low population densities can be determined in many ways. This type of research has become a neccesity for the 'new' age because the worlds population is growing at a rapid rate. Contemporary thinking enables analysts to determine core densities with sprawing communities to help with urban revitalization. This is used to discover the best decision a city can make for its direction. So old world thinking by dividing overall density and population is way behind the times. Jacksonville is a great example. If we were to take the 'overall' density of the city by using 'old world' methods it would be the same as OKCs 'overall' density. But we all know that it has a large core of development. It really is very simple to understand. As long as one can think 'outside' the box. From what I KNOW since I AM a resident near Downtown, I can tell you that light rail is eminant for The City because OF THE POP DENSITY DOWNTOWN. Downtown is experiencing something very few cities have experienced in a short amount of time. The Maps projects have passed everytime and has 'so far' generated over a billion in private entertainment, condos and residential community in the heart of downtown and of course education(a billion went in for many new schools and huge upgrades to current ones). I hear of a grocery store that will be developed, within a 200 mil private uppity inner suburb next to the ballpark in bricktown. Along with a new all brick hotel to tower over the ballpark akin to BIG cities. This is all private investment, so someone is smelling the coffee. So many BIG time developments to give a high density URBAN environment- look them up yourself. Many live in Downtown/Bricktown which is similar to coastal cities. The city also has historical neighborhoods in all directions with mansions and houses dating back into the early 1920s. These are very nice and the pockets of decay in between are being renovated and filled in with private money also- because of the BOOM that is happening. Everyday in OKC all you here is work being done to improve. Cranes are everywhere which is an obvious sign of great development, because of the current times with Maps and private interest to provide successful ventures.

Light Rail-
The politicians have taken some time in deciding the best direction, because of the old tracks that were established a century ago. The public was opposed to developing new tracks because the current ones would be fine. But the heaviest travelled highway section of the state will be moved way south. The Old Depot will be saved and turned into a museum. They decided to create new tracks which the Feds and state are giving funds so a sophisticated track system akin to euro design will be developed. The movement of the highway will force people in the inner downtown areas to use the railway along with developments along the river which will have hoovercraft like transportation for entertainment areas along the canal/river/bricktown. OKC already has a huge amtrack link to Dallas and is expected to go north rapidly so rail is already established- like a major city should have. OKC benefits more than any other city in the state, because 'simply put' we are the capitol of the state. All the money comes from here and then decides on where it goes. The state feels, at the present time, that improving its capitol OKC of the state is rather important as you can imagine. The city has passed so many maps projects because of the public support that have increased the quality of life dramatically. The city wide beautification is going under another project. A tremendous green Blvd that separates the south part of the city and goes from downtown to across the river is expected by 2015. The vision is also simple. Create a large park akin to a small central park to give the city a east coast-ish feel. Most major cities along the east coast have a large central park where many activities take place. These beautification efforts by the citizens of OKC has increased private investment that is soaring. See its all about the money- thats how communities REALLY thrive- Right? Along with having one of the largest medical centers in the nation and having the largest research university(OU) down the street help also. Our local city leaders have LOTS of money and coupled with the state makes a good combination for long term success and a solid economic impact to the citizens of Oklahoma City. Your friend that had nothing to say but bad words, well its not like The City hasnt heard that before.

They dont try to put the NBA in the sticks people!

[okcpulse]

MattDen, you really cannot pin Oklahoma City as a low-density city since its urban geography doesn't even match its land area. The urbanized area of Oklahoma City is actually a third of its land area, with 95 percent of the city's population living inside the urbanized area. Measuring populaiton density against land area is a joke, and is left for cities who have no room left to go but up. Indeed, Oklahoma City is building out as well as up, however, consider sustainability. Most cities wait until it is too late to implement light rail. Moreover, there has been little support for the city's bus system because of the way it has been implemented city-wide. This is the fault of COTPA, however, city leaders are working hard to correct the problem. It is easier since we have a mayor who supports mass transit. That being said, you really shouldn't rip on a city who is willing to plan ahead rather than wait until the last minute.

[Tooncy]

To be truly urban, you have to build up instead of out; this is the efficient way of providing amenities, like transit, to large numbers of people. Oklahoma City is the textbook example of how NOT to build a city...miles and miles of one or two-story buildings, crumbling (if any) sidewalks, virtually non-existant mass transit. This misappropriation of resources was only made possible by cheap, abundant energy, which is in it's twilight. Places like OKC will fall way behind other cities as energy becomes more expensive and scarce. They can't even fund a bus system adequately, much less light rail. In the city of the near future, no one should have to "depend" on a car...as if you ever could...

[OKC Chanel]

Your comments about OKC are obviously pathetic attacks. My house in Nichols Hills rose from 250,000 in 1990 to 1,000,000 in 2000. The value of homes are rising not declining. Now my home is worth around 1.5- 1.8 million. I have wanted to sell and move to NY for a long time. What keeps me here? The quality of life that is increasing fast and the charm of Oklahomans.

[Crasher]

Originally Posted by OKC Chanel

Your comments about OKC are obviously pathetic attacks. My house in Nichols Hills rose from 250,000 in 1990 to 1,000,000 in 2000. The value of homes are rising not declining. Now my home is worth around 1.5- 1.8 million. I have wanted to sell and move to NY for a long time. What keeps me here? The quality of life that is increasing fast and the charm of Oklahomans.

This guy is just another angry poster that will hang around like a gnat until the water dries up. I have seen Nichols Hills. It is exceptional and reminds me of Highland park in Dallas but the parks are huge in Nichols Hills. I have heard of a new plaza that Chesapeake is building. I have been told by friends that Sprinkles is secured as a tenant. I have to say - i am very impressed. The cities on the Sprinkles up and coming list had my Dallas and actually had OKC also. Looks like OKC is in the ranks of the big boys now. Especially considering the NBA. Im confident that many negative words will be eaten followed by soap in a few years.