[joe bob junior]

So, I'm interested in simplifying my life in order to focus on some things that are really important but have been neglected, thus far. In order to accomplish this, I'm thinking of moving to a smaller town with a slower pace. I want to be in a place where, if necessary, I can live without a car for at least, a few years.

I'm thinking it would need to be a small to medium-sized town where regular essentials like the grocery store, post office, bank, etc., are located within a relatively compact radius with residential neighborhoods included. I'm okay with walking long distances, so that "compact radius" could be a few miles, just so my ice cream doesn't have time to melt before I get home from the store.

Now it occurs to me that the place I'm looking for may not be in a small town at all but maybe just a nice walkable, well-planned neighborhood in a larger city, so any ideas are welcome. I'm open to "thinking outside the box" and if someone suggests this place doesn't exist in Oklahoma and I'm better off looking at, for example, Eureka Springs, AR, then I'll consider that to be good advice, as well.

Having lived here all my life, I know how crazy this quest sounds but humor me, there's a madness to my method.

[StillwaterTownie]

I think living without a car near the corner of W. 6th and S. Washington St. in Stillwater would be a nice place to live without a car because at that intersection you have a bank, a good sized grocery story, and a shop, once known as Mailboxes, etc., that offers most of the services as the post office. There is a bar and restaurant district a short distance north of there and surely a bustop somewhere that for 50 cents can take you to one of the two Wal-Marts.

[joe bob junior]

Thanks, StillwaterTownie. I just checked that intersection out on Google Maps. Can't tell what that really big red building is with the dark roof, though. Oh wait....it's a bank. I see a Subway, Daylight Donuts, Consumers IGA and I think the bank you're referring to and I'm seeing is Stillwater National Bank, right? Can't get the zoom thing to work on the bank sign. The traffic looks kind of busy for pedestrians to navigate comfortably. Are there any rent houses in that general area?

[tator89]

how small is too small. you say small town. i mean there is a lot of small towns. i used to live in a town with an apartment next door to walmart and you could see a dollar store and a grocery store within sight. but then again depends how much you want to spend there is all sorts of place you can find that would suit u just fine. i lived in Checotah Oklahoma small town america. i think the farthtest you would have to go depends on where you would live in town. the town has a walmart supercenter, sheltons, nichols, dollar general, post office, but there is really nothing to do there.... but everybody knows everybody and you could walk anywhere u wanted. 13 miles south of that is Eufaula they have nichols, eufaula food mart (IGA) post office, swimming pool for the summers, but other than that also has nothing to do. both town good to live in as long as u dont want a lot of excitement. well small towns all in all have nothing to do. so what is it that you look for in price range. both towns arent all that expensive. and i wish you luck on simplifing your life. i think everybody needs to do that. including me.

[joe bob junior]

Hi tator 89,

Thanks for helping me more narrow my focus. Yes, there are probably plenty of places where the basic needs are available in a relatively small area. However, finding a place with an apartment available, as you say, next door to a Wal Mart and within sight of a dollar store and a grocery store might not be possible in many places at any given moment, so there would need to be more than one rental unit to be had.

To better explain what I'm looking for, it would need to be a neighborhood, (not necessarily a small town), that is mostly quiet and peaceful, with two bedroom houses for rent at $400/mo or less, the basics available in shopping and places like a bank and post office also nearby, ideally, all within a 2 or 3 miles radius.

As for things to do, though it would be nice to have some entertainment possibilities available occassionally, that is not a priority. The purpose of all this is to concentrate on some work I need to get done, so the fewer distractions, the better.

[nightbird47]

Originally Posted by joe bob junior

Hi tator 89,

Thanks for helping me more narrow my focus. Yes, there are probably plenty of places where the basic needs are available in a relatively small area. However, finding a place with an apartment available, as you say, next door to a Wal Mart and within sight of a dollar store and a grocery store might not be possible in many places at any given moment, so there would need to be more than one rental unit to be had.

To better explain what I'm looking for, it would need to be a neighborhood, (not necessarily a small town), that is mostly quiet and peaceful, with two bedroom houses for rent at $400/mo or less, the basics available in shopping and places like a bank and post office also nearby, ideally, all within a 2 or 3 miles radius.

As for things to do, though it would be nice to have some entertainment possibilities available occassionally, that is not a priority. The purpose of all this is to concentrate on some work I need to get done, so the fewer distractions, the better.

One thing to remember. Small towns don't have bus service. Cushing has one courtesy bus for senior citizens with limited places it goes. But a town the sized of Stillwater does have bus service.

Since my car got stolen in California and my option was another about to die car I didn't have one when I moved. But I'm trying to figure out how I can afford a car, just one that gets me around town and to Stillwater. And there is nothing which gets you from town to town unless you are along a Greyhound bus route.

[joe bob junior]

Originally Posted by nightbird47

One thing to remember. Small towns don't have bus service. Cushing has one courtesy bus for senior citizens with limited places it goes. But a town the sized of Stillwater does have bus service.

Since my car got stolen in California and my option was another about to die car I didn't have one when I moved. But I'm trying to figure out how I can afford a car, just one that gets me around town and to Stillwater. And there is nothing which gets you from town to town unless you are along a Greyhound bus route.

Good point, nightbird47, and one I hadn't thought of. I guess having bus service, when needed, for occasional, longer-distance trips would be important.

Sorry about your current transportation situation. I hope you are able to get a replacement car that suits your needs soon. In the meantime, think of all the money you're saving on car payments, auto insurance, gas, oil, routine maintenance, repairs, parking, toll roads, car washes, and etc.

[robW]

I've always thought it was interesting that in order to live in a small town you really have to move to a big, complex city like New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, or the like.

Big cities like the aforementioned actually have "neighborhoods" in which there is a food market, churches within walking distance, dry cleaners, dry goods stores, drugstores, and easy access to clothing, theaters, restaurants, and the like. Because people actually walk places, they become familiar with neighbors and know and recognize them. They meet their neighbors on the bus while on their way to work, and they meet them walking to restaurants or to churches. Cars are not a necessity, in fact they become a pain because of parking and insurance hassles.

Compare that to small towns across America where the only grocery is a huge WalMart. You must drive to these monsters and shop accordingly. Big-box stores line the freeways or large boulevards/arterials and there are no sidewalks. Theaters are megaplexes like Tinseltown, restaurants are chains designed for convenient parking and no walking.

Currently I'm in a country phase myself--on acreage, but I have to travel to the big-box stores and "stock up". I compare that with when I lived in San Francisco and could call up the corner market and they would walk over a bag of groceries and deliver, or the corner laundry would starch my shirts and sheets. Yes, small towns are only found in big cities, and big cities are the norm now in small towns....

[joe bob junior]

Originally Posted by robW

I've always thought it was interesting that in order to live in a small town you really have to move to a big, complex city like New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, or the like.

Big cities like the aforementioned actually have "neighborhoods" in which there is a food market, churches within walking distance, dry cleaners, dry goods stores, drugstores, and easy access to clothing, theaters, restaurants, and the like. Because people actually walk places, they become familiar with neighbors and know and recognize them. They meet their neighbors on the bus while on their way to work, and they meet them walking to restaurants or to churches. Cars are not a necessity, in fact they become a pain because of parking and insurance hassles.

Compare that to small towns across America where the only grocery is a huge WalMart. You must drive to these monsters and shop accordingly. Big-box stores line the freeways or large boulevards/arterials and there are no sidewalks. Theaters are megaplexes like Tinseltown, restaurants are chains designed for convenient parking and no walking.

Currently I'm in a country phase myself--on acreage, but I have to travel to the big-box stores and "stock up". I compare that with when I lived in San Francisco and could call up the corner market and they would walk over a bag of groceries and deliver, or the corner laundry would starch my shirts and sheets. Yes, small towns are only found in big cities, and big cities are the norm now in small towns....

You're preaching to a rabid choirmember here, robW, and if I didn't think I'd attract a lot of rotten eggs and tomatoes on this particular forum, I'd add a few more choice verses to the song.

But what if one cannot presently afford to live in heaven, (San Francisco, New York and etc.), and in the interest of someday being able to do so, sequesters oneself as far away as possible from the foul manipulations and exploitations of the soul-killing corporate society in order to devote as much of one's time and energy as possible to writing the "Great American Novel" in the interest of both doing something enjoyable for a living and being able to afford to enter heaven? What would you say then?

[okpondlady]

Originally Posted by tator89

how small is too small. you say small town. i mean there is a lot of small towns. i used to live in a town with an apartment next door to walmart and you could see a dollar store and a grocery store within sight. but then again depends how much you want to spend there is all sorts of place you can find that would suit u just fine. i lived in Checotah Oklahoma small town america. i think the farthtest you would have to go depends on where you would live in town. the town has a walmart supercenter, sheltons, nichols, dollar general, post office, but there is really nothing to do there.... but everybody knows everybody and you could walk anywhere u wanted. 13 miles south of that is Eufaula they have nichols, eufaula food mart (IGA) post office, swimming pool for the summers, but other than that also has nothing to do. both town good to live in as long as u dont want a lot of excitement. well small towns all in all have nothing to do. so what is it that you look for in price range. both towns arent all that expensive. and i wish you luck on simplifing your life. i think everybody needs to do that. including me.

CHECOTAH ROCKS!!!! And Eufaula ain't far behind them but at least Eufaula can say "We kick your Wildcat Tails in FOOTBALL!!!"
I grew up in Eufaula but lived 13 years in Checotah before we had to move. I LOVE Checotah and Eufaula is not "quite" love....but close!