Grove, OK

[briansgi]

Nothing like living on Grand Lake!



Purple martin house:

[TheComputerGuy]

Purple Martins huh?
Are they THAT good at keeping those bloodsuckers'
populations down?

Where I live, they put up bat houses...
I suppose since mosquitoes are worse at night,
it's not a bad idea, but birds are usually cuter than bats.

[gnl714]

Wow, that sounds terrific! Thanks to all of you for the info. I can't imagine summers w/o mosquitoes and fire ants! I'm going to take a drive up there in a couple of weeks and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll leave my DEET at home!

[linicx]

I was a resient for 15 years. The population of Grove may be 5.000, but demographically the population is over 100,000 and growing. The growth spurt is due to California money. A few years ago you could buy a $300k house in a gated community and pay $800 in real estate taxes, but at the same time, it cost $1500 to put plates on a new Lincoln. Seven years ago it cost $50k for a 1/2 acre waterfront lot with no utilites. Grove is about hunting, fishing and water sports. The population is a mix of Indian, White and Mexican. Grove is the largest town on the lake, It has more than 30 motels and restaurants, more real estate agents, and more activities that any other community in the four state area. And it has a good hospital. It is 50 miles from Joplin which has a population of 50,000, three colleges, one university, three hospitals, one mall, three grocery stores, Starbucks and a very unusual Wal-Mart.. To give you an idea of the mindset of Grove, consider the name of the junior college: Higher Education Learning Center. The Grove Sun is online as is the Joplin Glove and the Tulsa World. The one thing you need to understand about Delawre County and Oklahoma in generatl is the Healh Department is understaffed and over-whelmed. If you want to know what's going on and who's doing it there are two places to freqent. Wal-mart on any early morning when weather is bsd, or the old Drake's restaurant on Main street on week-end mornings. The breakfast buffet is great for what it is - which is small. Grove people are friendly but clannish like all small towns, but not nearly as bad as some. I stopped in every small town near Grove. By and large they all have one thing in common: dirt. The towns are dirty, depressing, poor and there is nothing to do. This includes, Jay, Langley, Vinita, Wyandotte, Bernice, Afton and Fairland. The lake is 60 nautical miles long and it takes 4 hours from Grove to Grove to drive around it. On the south end at Disney is the World's Largest Multiple Arch Dam. Grand Lake is dirty because the chicken plants in Missouri "accidentlly" dump into the rivers that feed the lake. I don't eat fish from the lake or swim in it. This lake has over 200 Bass fishing tournaments every year, and more ocean going yachts than in California. In my estimation there is only one good bank in the area. It is in Southwest City, Mo;, which is about 20 minutes from Grove if you know the back roads..

I do want to say something about real estate agents. Re/max, Century 21, Caldwell-Banker and ERA are all owned by the same Dutch hodking company. It is the largest real estate group in America. Most real estate agents today, regardless of where they are located, do not have much moral turrpitude. It is a cut-throat dirty business. The only original real estate agency left in Grove is Thompson.. It was formed out of Thompson & Gray Agency. It's been in the same location for at least 20 years. They have always been pertty decent folks.
http://www.thompsonandassociates.net/ If you buy you do want a home inspection and you do want a Mold inspection because you are on the lake. The tempature in Grove today reached 75. Storms and snow to folllow. You should be able to download Weatherbug and get Grove and Jay weather. Drivers say OK has two seasons: Wet and hot. For some reason Jay attracts much worse weather than Grove. Anywhere on the south side of Grove is a good place to live. If you have the money look at Buffalo Shores. I like the oldests one the best. It is located off Lake Road 6 and it is beautiful. OK is in Tornado Alley. These storms follow 1-44 to the Missouri border where they either go North on Rangleine Road or south on US 60 into Springfield.

Now let me tell you the good stuff. Grove is historicall. Very historical.. If you like antiques you will love Harbor Village a recreated turn of the century town built outside of Grove on the shores of Grand Lake. The oldest Catholic Church in the territory is just north of Grove. Today it holds non-deminational services ever Sunday during toursit season. Lendonwood Gardens is the creation of Dr. Leonard Miller, DDS, retired. It is Japanese in style and most of the plants come from the Pacific Northwest. It's awesome. He raised his own Japanese Koi for the ponds, and developed a new varuety of Azalea at his house. There is a smaller version behind his former office on Lake Road 1. Grove has an awesome state owned park if you like to camp. The lake is a sailors paradise, One of the nicest privately owned sailing clubs in OK is in Grove. The Grand Lake Sailing Club has the only sailboat launch on the north end of the lake, Several casinos are nearby. There's are churches in Grove and nearby. If you are Jewish, you can find a temple in Joplin. Tulsa, Springfield, MO and Fayettevill, Ark - which has an awesome university.
There is also a church for working cowboys, but I forget where on the lake it is. Grove also has one of the best Cardiologists you'll ever find and a new Cath lab. The cops are good with visitors.. The grave of CSA Brig. General Stand Wattie (Wait-ee), full blood Cherokee is near Grove. He is a historical figure, too.

Knowing what I know about Grove, the area and the people, would I move back? In a heartbeat. My advice is to rent a room at the Best Western in Grove for two weeks and get the feel of the area. If you want mountains that will scare the bejesus out of you go to Fayetteville and take Ark 23 South to 1-40. Some of the curves are maked 5mph. BELIEVE IT! In the spring when the white dogwood is in bloom, the mountain side looks like it is covered with snow. It's awesome.

Grove has beautiful high bluffs and some of the most awesome wildlife you will find anywhere. And the white pelicans visit every fall for two months on the way to Mexico. If you come in April you can see one of the best Azaela displays in Americca at Muskogee, OK at what I think i's Honor Park. It is also the home of the five Civilized Tribes Museum.

There is a lot of stuff to do in and aound Grove, but if you want culture the two nearsest cities to Grove to find it are in Tulsa or Fayetteville. One of the Tulsa country clubs hosts a pro golf tourney every year. But if you want to see some great Cnristmas lights you have to go to Carthage, MO or Kansas City.

Northeast Oklahoma is a mixed bag. By far, the most elegant town in Oklahoma is Tulsa. The food is excellent, and it is possible to find a restaurant that has white table cloth and real cloth napkins there. Unlike Fayetteville, it is not a college town. They have beautiful shopping areas. The one upscale store worth visiting is Miss Jacksons' at Utica Square at 21st and Utica. This website will tell you much about Tulsa and Utica Square. http://ww3.visittulsa.com/icons.asp?...task=directory .
There is a grocery store in the same shapping center that has a lot of imported goodies. But it is still difficult to find choice or prime Angus beef in any of the grocery stores.

Grove is a fun, kicked back, little country town. As long as you don't expect more than good BBQ (Tom Cat Corner), country music and to cruise the lake you will not be disappointed. But, if you are looking for upscale you are in for a big culture shock. I didn't mention galfing. Grove gas a decebt 9-hole, so does Noel and Sarcoxie, but if you want a real challlenge, tackle the 18-hole at Carthage.

[briansgi]

Tulsa not a college town?? TU is one of the best private universities in the country! I've had a place on Grand for over 10 years and swim and eat fish from this lake that entire time and will continue to do so. There are also other golf courses you did not mention, Patricia Island being one, the other course that comes to mind is the one just below the dam in Langley called Grand Cherokee golf course. Peoria Ridge golf course in Miami, Vinita golf and tennis, and of course Shangri La's golf course. Not sure where you think the money that helped develop Grand Lake was "California" money. I've known people that have built/owned property on Grand for 15 years and nobody I know came from California. Many from Tulsa/Ok. City/Joplin/Wichita/Kansas City. Believe me, there is plenty of money in Tulsa to spur on the development of Grand over the past 20-30 years without relying on anything from people in California!

As far as all the small towns around Grand Lake being dirty and depressing, tell me what small town in America is not the same way? Rural America is drying up, including these small < 2,000 population towns, it's not just the ones around the lake!

[gnl714]

Linicx,

Your post was so helpful to me. I really appreciate the time you took to write it. From the previous posts I've read, I think some of the negatives you wrote about may be improving, such as there not being a lot to do and being dirty and depressing. I think it would be a big readjustment for me to move back to Okla. from Dallas (understatement, huh?), but I welcome moving to an environment where people aren't just running from the mall to the movies trying to 'find themselves'.
I'm originally from Tulsa and it's a wonderful city, like you said. And I'm glad you mentioned Utica Square-beautiful and quaint! But that's another thread.

[Kurt]

It is good to hear some criticism once and awhile. No place is perfect. As to "dirty" towns--I do not find either Disney or Langley to be dirty. But there are some pretty sleepy towns that look a tad rundown.

Grand Lake does get runoff from Kansas by way of the Neosho River. That can make the lake look muddy at times--although it is better the further south you go on the lake. When I was there last Summer the big floods had left a sort of ginger ale color to the south end where I live. I know there was much more sediment earlier.

But this runoff is mostly clean dirt so to speak. There is some effluent from the chicken processing--but it is minimal. Good Heavens! Do you think people would be building multi-million dollar homes and engaging in watersports all around the lake if it was hazardous to your health?

I suppose if you want a pristine and glacier fed lake you will be disappointed. And folks from Table Rock have remarked that their lake is clearer all the time. But there are so many drawbacks to living on a Corps lake when it comes to property rights.

I grew up on a cold and clear Minnesota lake. But that does not keep me from swimming off my platform on Grand. As I say, the water was somewhat tea-colored in August, but once the debris from the major flood was gone things were not bad. It is certainly not like swimming in chicken waste. I swam in lakes in the Boundary Waters Canoe area or Voyagers park that were stained with peat particles and tanic acid. The water was not a health hazzard at all. Ditto for Grand.

Sooo just stay out of the water if you are that squeamish. But don't trash it for others. Besides, most of the year the water is very clear off of my place.

As to the Californians, I have not met many. Mostly, as has been said, people from Tulsa, Witchita, and Kansas City. Believe it or not, I have also met a few pretty nice Californians

And I did not hear them grousing about the water not being as clear as Lake Tahoe!

So, chill out. But I do agree there is always room for improvement.