[Goodpasture]

Its a lot like living in the country, unless you are in the city, then its more like living in a city.

[Rubi3]

Originally Posted by eddie gein

Oklahoma is not very similar to Portland in terms of scenery or weather or just about anything IMO.

It would be a pretty big adjusment to go from the Pacific NW to anywhere in the plains or south (which basically makes up Oklahoma).

There are some parts of remote Oklahoma that might remind you some of Eastern Oregon though.

Doesn't sound to me like the OP is looking for a place to be reminiscent of Oregon. It would be really weird for someone to move to a remote area of Oklahome so as to be reminded of Oregon.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by Rubi3

Doesn't sound to me like the OP is looking for a place to be reminiscent of Oregon. It would be really weird for someone to move to a remote area of Oklahome so as to be reminded of Oregon.

He doesn't live in Eastern Oregon. I was just trying to explain that parts of Oklahoma are like Eastern Oregon. Cold, hot, windy and desolate. A place like Cheyenne, OK or Shattuck, Ok is fairly similar to Burns, OR.

And to Griffis,

Take a drive down to Corvallis. It does remind me a lot of Stillwater sans the river. It is strange seeing all that orange and black OSU stuff everywhere with a beaver on it instead of Pistol Pete.

When I think of it, the lower Willamete valley does remind me a bit of Oklahoma with the small towns and agriculture but NOTHING in Oklahoma reminds me of Portland in any way.

Just so the OP knows.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by Rubi3

Well, yeah! Them widows come outta the woodwork when they need to deliver a nice hot casserole!

Oh, I don't mind those kind of widows in the least, especially when they can cook up some fine Oklahoma cuisine and pie!

It's the jet black ones with eight legs that make their web in the corner of my door that I ain't too fond of!

[dvxhd]

You didn't list exactly what your interests are, nor what matters the most to you (aside from schools)... so I'll list some things I've noticed. I should say that I moved here about a year ago and came from a place that is much different in culture, societal setup, etc. and have no vested interest in the state, so I will try to list things in the most disinterested way I can:

-Cost of living and taxes are generally low, however I will say that (and it's not limited to Oklahoma) that people can be pretty short-sighted when it comes to this, equating it with more money in their pockets though it comes with consequences; i.e. that means less money spent on education, infrastructure, etc.

-There is a lot of local pride here, and many people in the OKC and Tulsa areas are either from those cities or somewhere else in the state. I remember seeing somewhere that both metro areas combined actually exceeded the state's growth, meaning most of their respective populations are from within the state. Also, people get incredibly defensive if you have a differing opinion of the area. Maybe it's just me, but I understand that no area on Earth suits everyone. Personally, if a place felt like home and someone else thought it was a cesspool I would disagree without resorting to hostility or attacks.

-I have not encountered many people from other states other than those bordering Oklahoma, and likewise the foreign-born population is incredibly small. It sounds like a weird point, but the way I see it that means few people are coming in who can bring an outsider's perspective, skill or knowledge which could work constructively to enrich the local culture; e.g. the local cultures in Miami, Las Vegas and Denver are drastically different from their states at large, whereas OKC is culturally similar to the rest of the state.

-The arts and culture scenes are rather small here. They exist, but not to the scale you see in other cities.

-The dining scene needs some serious improvement. There are some ethnic restaurants that either don't exist in the area, or may have only one or two restaurants representing that culture in the entire area.

-Politically and socially the state is extremely conservative.

-You will need a car here. Public transportation is in short supply and isn't even skeletal. Density is low here and increasing public transportation would require a lot of planning and cooperation, but frankly I don't think the locals would go for that. At least, they wouldn't go for it anytime soon. A related problem with the low taxes/low density is road usage vs. repairs. A lot of roads here are in terrible shape, and they will take a toll on your car.

-There is a strong church culture here, and many people attend services regularly. I've heard that being invited to someone's church is a common thing here, though truthfully I haven't experienced it. Someone recommended a church to me (not knowing I'm an atheist) but that was it.

-OKC is mildly progressive, and I say this as liberal and progressive are two different things. I've looked into OKC's recent history and can say that some of the projects have led to better things. Unfortunately, progress is inherently slow. If I had closer ties to OKC or was trying to make life work here, I would probably be more excited to see these developments occur and would more than likely get involved with the community to promote change and prosperity, like I did before I moved here. In sum, the amenities I want here and now in town either don't exist or are in short supply and would require a long drive. It isn't the city's fault, because these things just take time... but though I'm pretty young, even if OKC were to aggressively push forward with projects and development I believe that I would be a senior citizen before they came to fruition. Again, lest anyone think that's a slander, it's just reality: things of that magnitude take a lot of time to plan and develop in any city. Other cities just have a couple hundred years' worth of a head start.

-Depending on what you're used to (as with most everything else I've listed thus far) shopping is limited. I would have to say that I prefer Penn Square to other malls, but the biggest deterrent is how far it is for me. Even then, there's not enough of a reason to go there. I would probably go more frequently despite the distance if it had more of a draw than it currently has. Likewise, various grocery stores are still slowly appearing in the city. I would love to go to Whole Foods, but again, it's a distance issue (and in case you're wondering, sadly, I do live in the OKC metro and these things are still too far to want to visit.) I used to have access to different kinds of grocery stores, including high-end with exclusive and diverse products. There were some other stores I went to that aren't likely to open in Oklahoma anytime soon on account of local liquor laws, including World Market, BevMo, Total Wine, Trader Joe's and more. Some carried a lot of products, but liquor sales are so important that they need friendlier laws to operate. Furthermore, I don't think the market will support certain stores.

-I don't know what to say about the people. Everyone says they're friendly, but I'm probably the worst person to ask about that. Typically I avoid eye contact, move quickly, drum my fingers, ignore people who do say anything to me, etc., which I think signals to people that I don't want to talk. When people do talk to me and it's in an unavoidable situation (haircuts, checking out at a store, etc.) I give short answers that are simultaneously not conducive to carrying on a conversation. For example, if someone asks how I am, I just respond but don't ask how they are. That's just me though, and I'm a quiet, reserved and unfriendly person. I will say that I've noticed people strike up conversations more here than anywhere else I've been... except maybe Morocco.

-The weather is self-explanatory, and I think for the most part if you willingly move to a place known for its weather you lose the right to complain. If you were to choose to move to Phoenix, you can't complain about the hell heat, nor can you gripe about extended, cold winters in New England if you moved there by choice. That's just my philosophy. Generally speaking, the seasons are quite pronounced here, though the weather is rather unpredictable and at times dangerous.

-I am used to living in a corner of the country where there were many options for diverse weekend getaways-- from small towns to major cities, deserts to forests to mountains to quiet coasts. Everything was within an hour flight or no more than seven hours away in any direction by car. Unless you fly, you won't find as many options here.

Those are some major things that I've noticed, and I hope this helps.

[maryanne72856]

I just moved back to Oklahoma. I picked a small South West town called Mangum 3000 people. Quite, peaceful crime free. Bought a 1050 sq foot house 24,000 cash with just under half acre land put 15,000 into it.new floors, carpet, garage door. It's the corner lot no close neighbor but 5 blocks to United. 50 miles to Vernon Tx cheaper for food no tax. Weather is nice had 6 inches if snow Dec 26th 2015. Nothing this year. It does have some windy days. Gas is 214 a gallon. Altus is 23 miles OKC 150 miles.Amarillo 144 miles ,Lawton 80 miles. Lots of brick houses under 40 grand. So, my slice if Oklahoma..... MB

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by maryanne72856

I just moved back to Oklahoma. I picked a small South West town called Mangum 3000 people. Quite, peaceful crime free. Bought a 1050 sq foot house 24,000 cash with just under half acre land put 15,000 into it.new floors, carpet, garage door. It's the corner lot no close neighbor but 5 blocks to United. 50 miles to Vernon Tx cheaper for food no tax. Weather is nice had 6 inches if snow Dec 26th 2015. Nothing this year. It does have some windy days. Gas is 214 a gallon. Altus is 23 miles OKC 150 miles.Amarillo 144 miles ,Lawton 80 miles. Lots of brick houses under 40 grand. So, my slice if Oklahoma..... MB

My wife has family from that area. Great people!

Glad to have you back.

[Mattie Jo]

I think the OP hasn't been back, so I won't spend my time answering.

[Atlguy39]

Originally Posted by maryanne72856

I just moved back to Oklahoma. I picked a small South West town called Mangum 3000 people. Quite, peaceful crime free. Bought a 1050 sq foot house 24,000 cash with just under half acre land put 15,000 into it.new floors, carpet, garage door. It's the corner lot no close neighbor but 5 blocks to United. 50 miles to Vernon Tx cheaper for food no tax. Weather is nice had 6 inches if snow Dec 26th 2015. Nothing this year. It does have some windy days. Gas is 214 a gallon. Altus is 23 miles OKC 150 miles.Amarillo 144 miles ,Lawton 80 miles. Lots of brick houses under 40 grand. So, my slice if Oklahoma..... MB

You got a great deal for a reason. Nobody wants to live there. Glad you're happy though.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by Atlguy39

You got a great deal for a reason. Nobody wants to live there. Glad you're happy though.

Hey Atlguy, you haven't blown this hayseed state yet?

I thought you'd be long gone by now.

Hope your time in Oklahoma is better than it was before.

Cheers.