[debzkidz]

Originally Posted by MrsBee87

#1soonerfan- thanks for the advice I'll start looking into the greens at Moore!

Linicx-I moved all around when I was a kid and young adult, I'm actually really looking forward to this new experience as an adult! Western OK sounds right up my alley though, thanks for such a detailed post!

Debzkidz- whoa! See I didn't drive the last time I was in OK so I had no idea, when we were on the way to the zoo I was confused as to the way the roads were set up but I didn't realize that is what was going on! That is definitely some impor rant information. Thanks, that will really help me narrow the distance then.

Please understand that I'm not saying any road called a parkway is a freeway, I was speaking only of the Hefner Parkway. It's the only road I can currently think of called a parkway, but that's not to say there aren't other roads that are. I was just trying to point out that there might be some confusion for you if you were from somewhere that referred to a freeway as an expressway. When I first moved here I kept looking for a freeway, when I was looking for the Northwest Expressway, not just some street.

Most freeways here are referred to by the interstate name, such as I35, I40, I240, I44. I came from somewhere where the freeways had names, as well as highway numbers, and were usually used interchangeably. There is also I235, which is often referred to as the Broadway Extension and the Kilpatrick Turnpike which is a toll freeway that runs around the the city on the north and west side. Once is crosses I35 it becomes I44 or the Turner Turnpike.

[rockyinyourradio]

Originally Posted by linicx

I know nothing about Tinker but I do about military life. Generally speaking it is very hard to find any place off base to rent that is near the base because everyone wants the same thing. As far as housing, you have two great choices. OKC and Norman which at 100,000+ is about 1/10th the size of OKC. It is also home to a university population of 30,000. They say 80,000 attend home games. Norman and OKC are in Tornado Alley. OKC, Norman and Tinker AFB have all been visited by tornadoes. The 1995 tornado in OKC was an E-5; it was deadly and a did a lot of damage.

The problem is Oklahoma is two states. The Eastern half is very heavily treed with rolling hills. It is in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Western Oklahoma is flat, open, prairie with red earth and many small communities. OK is home to many Native American tribes. It is the Native State, and a wonder place to live with a low COL. It has tons of amenities but not what you expect. It is always a culture shock to move from one region of the US to another. If you like big cities and big city amenities you will love OKC.

Typically tornadoes move in a SW to NE path, but that does not always apply here. I lived in Ok for many years. It is my observation that if you do not live near a major highway of any type or size, and if you do not live near any body of water of any size or type, the odds of not being in the direct path of a tornado are greatly reduced. In my opinion after watching tornadoes for 50 years, and being in a couple, that "not near" means 20 miles separates me from busy highways and lakes. I believe NOAA at Norman can provide you with data and maps as to where the most tornadic activity is normally located. It is no comfort to know the OKC Metropolitan Area that includes Norman has the most tornadoes in the United States - this is according to NOAA.

First off, I think you were referring to 1999.. May 3rd was and EF-5 tornado, there hasn't been one that strong since. It should be noted that while we do live in the heart of tornado alley, there are still many folks I know that have lived here many, many years and never have been directly affected by one.. some have never even seen one. Some years go by that we don't have alot of severe weather, other years like 1999 and 2010.. some were not so lucky. Also, it doesn't really matter where you live, tornadoes form where they form, there is no rhyme or reason as far as highways or bodies of water, even topography that doesn't stop them. I will say this though, historically, they tend to be a little more frequent on the north and northwest sides of a large metropolitan area due to the heating of the "urban heat island" effect which can add a modest amount of fuel to the storms. Piedmont is a good example of this where I live which is NW of OKC. We've been very close to over a half dozen tornadoes since we moved here in 1996.

As to where to live.. I'm not sure about your prospective place in Moore, but Moore's crime rate has risen some in recent years but is much safer than parts of Midwest City and definitely way safer than parts of OKC. (Stay away from parts of SW, NW and NE OKC) This may be a longer commute, but look into Yukon and Mustang, they are really nice suburbs on the west side of OKC and they are for the most part pretty safe. Choctaw as mentioned is another viable option with more of that country feel as far as people and surroundings and is also relatively safe.

Hope your move is a successful one. I know you'll love the OKC area and most of the people who make it special.

[swcolorado1]

I would even look as far as Dale and McLoud. More rural, good school (especially Dale) and friendly people.

[ou_norman]

The Lincoln at Central Park is a big complex. It is new and has lots of amenities. 1 br units might be close to your price range. It is just north of the Capitol on 50th and Lincoln. It would be about half the commute as something way out on NW expressway

[MrsBee87]

Rockyinyourradio I looked in mustang but I couldn't find much in the way of information for renting! Thanks for all your input

Ou_norman do you know anything else about that complex? How is the neighborhood? I'll definitely check into that!

[MrsBee87]

Ou_norman. Thanks for the tip but that's out of our price range it's a beautiful complex though!

[Narya07]

Tuscany Village apartments aren't in the greatest of areas, and the commute to Tinker is about 30-40 minutes.

Also, avoid The Villas at Countryside. I lived there with my husband for three months, and the unit we moved into was infested with bedbugs. We are not dirty people, and we had to throw out most of our furniture and clothes. The tenant who lived in the unit before us, moved to a different building. Their unit was also infested with bedbugs.

The Greens at Moore are pretty good, and all utilities are included with rent, if memory serves me right.

I worked at Tinker, and I live in Southern Edmond. It's a really nice area, with around a 30 minute commute.