Possible move from Cali (Tulsa, Norman: mortgage, tornadoes, apartments)

[mrschurchill]

If it's the last place on earth don't move into Riverchase. Several women have been raped there. One chick was kidnapped from the laundry room, beaten raped and killed. One had her door kicked down and raped...the list goes on. STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPLEX. If you don't beleive me look it up on line on one of the apartment review boards they have nothing nice to say about riverchase.

[mrschurchill]

Lisa Marie,

My Fiance' just moved back here from South Gate. With the exception of last year I have lived in Tulsa all my life. It's a beautiful place. My parents are teachers and if your husband wants to work for a school district tell him to hit up Union or Jenks because they pay the best and have the best parents to deal with...honestly, I know. I'm sure that's going to **** someone off but it's the truth. Parents in those districts have more time to spend with their kids so they dont just send them to school for day care if you know what I mean. Tulsa has some great areas: Brookside, Riverside, South Tulsa (51st St south on the East Side of the river except 61st and peoria/riverside) I hope you got my other coments about riverchase...it's the worst..don't even think about it unless you want to get raped and have your car broken into...I lived in SOUTH GATE and I wont live there if that tells you anything. Good luck Tulsa is way, way more peaceful than LA. And for the cost of living, you could wait tables here and live comfortably...

[LisaMarie]

We won't be looking at Riverchase at all..with all the rapes and stuff...forget it!!

We have been looking at a few others one is Tamarack Place Apartments , and the other is Waterstone Apartments. The only thing is that they are in the Tulsa Public School Districts and I keep hearing that they are no good?? True or not?? See right now my hubby doesn't even know what kind of work he will be doing so as far as apartments go we won't be able to afford anything too expensive, but at the same time we want to be safe and sound. Any input would be great..ty.

[AnitaB]

I lived in San Diego for 53 years and then my husband moved us to Eufaula, OK. His mother lives there and he was born in Shawnee, Ok. But his family moved to San Diego when he was 10. Anyway, so he wants to get back to his "roots". So off we go to hell...I mean Oklahoma.

The humid days and nights , and humid days and nights, the tornado warnings and tornado watch's and did I mention the humid days and nights? (I'll take an earthquake any day over a tornado.) The snakes that swim past you as your fishing on the lake. There are 7 deadly snakes in Oklahoma, and some of them like to swim. Oh and the bugs...what can I say about the bugs? NEVER IN MY LIFE , have I seen bugs like they have there. You have to see them to believe it. I told my friends and family in San Diego about them and they couldn't believe it......until they came for a visit!
Did I mention the drunks and druggies? Or the church going people that will stab you in the back in a heart beat?
And yes the people are friendly in OK, but you will always be a "new comer" ,even if you live there 20 years.
The job market is awful. My husband had to drive an hour each way to work and back...and only got $8 an hour, which is not that easy to live on. Because they didn't have health care ,etc.
Well ,we bought a house with 2 and a half acres in Eufaula,OK. Which we are now renting out and we have relocated to Colorado...LOVE IT HERE!!!!! (and it helps that my husband is now making $22 an hour , doing the same type of work he did in OK, and we have full health care,dental and vision etc.)
So its up to you if you want to make that move...but I really think you should check out other places. Its a big world out there.

[LisaMarie]

Well before I've lived here in Cali, I lived in Pennsylvania for 25 years of my life and I know all about humidity and it doesn't really bother me at all, I'm used to it. As far as tornados go, well I can handle that too. I've been through an earthquake and a tornado already and I didn't like the earthquake too much at all.

As far as bugs go, well they're all over the place..never gonna get away from them. Snakes, well I hate snakes, but just have to keep my eyes peeled for them..lol.

Drunks and Druggies, well they are like bugs, all over the place, never gonna get rid of them...That's why I'm doing my searching on the city/cities we like, and so far I haven't seen any problems, schools are great and the area has low crime and so on.

And now for those church going backstabbers, well that just described my aunt...she claims she's soooo religious but she'll flip ya off in an instant...and she has no problem talking about ya behind your back and many people are like that, so it is what it is.

Job market, well my husband has a great job lined up already though the company he's with now, so that's not a problem.

We've looked all over the place and OK was the only one that really struck us as being a great place to call home, so we are going there next month to look at some apts and get a feel for the area. I've had enough of LA and I'm talking Southern LA (Compton)...where there's nothing but crime and drugs, and drunks.

[Synopsis]

Although I'm from Oklahoma, I've lived all over and have visited probably almost every state in the nation. Everywhere has its ups and downs, and there will be something for somebody to complain about anywhere. Snakes? They're all over; yes, even in California. In fact, there are probably more snakes there than in the rest of the country.

Humidity? You can rarely say there is a place without it and the humidity in Oklahoma is nowhere near as bad as in the South, or even some parts of the Northeast. The humidity in the western part of the state is almost non-existent, but there you'll have less greenery and more desert like conditions (which some people actually prefer).

Did you know that Oklahoma is one of the most ecologically diverse states in the US? From an ecoregional perspective, Oklahoma is recognized by the EPA as having 11 different ecoregions (one of only four U.S. states to have more than 10 ecoregions). These ecoregions are: Western high plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Central Great Plains,Tall Grass Prairie, Cross Timbers, Caves & Prairie, Ozark Highlands, Ozark Forest, Hardwood Forest, Ouachita Mountains, and Cypress Swamps & Forests.

The summers can get hot, but then again, they can get hot in California as well (have you ever been to Sacramento in the summer? HOT!). Sure, there are places like San Diego that has pleasant weather almost all year round, but it is EXPEN$IVE, and if you yearn for the country you're out of luck. Oklahoma is appealing to alot of people because of its central location. Yes the summers can get hot there but it's alot better than most of Texas, practically all of the South, and a large part of the Southwest. And it doesn't get as cold as it does in the Northeast or Midwest (although it can get very cold at times).

Rednecks? They're all over the U.S., and from what I've seen Oklahoma has some of the most docile, decent rednecks that you could find anywhere (think of the Redneck in the Dodge Hemi commercials and that's a typical Oklahoma redneck). Oklahoma is also very accepting in regards to race. Most of the people, especially in rural areas, are more concerned with the quality of your character rather than the color of your skin, and that's probably a direct result of so many Oklahomans growing up, living, and working around Native Americans. And friendly... I've NEVER been anywhere yet where people will wave at a complete stranger as they pass them on the highway (serious!).

If you hate bugs, never move to Arkansas. When I moved there after getting out of the Army I did it at night, and it seemed after I crossed over the border into Arkansas I was beseiged by every type of bug imaginable. It was so bad that I could hardly see through my windshield from the onslought.

I think what appeals to alot of people about Oklahoma is the low cost of living, friendly people, rural atmosphere, low crime (with the exception of Ok City and Tulsa), and moderate climate; winters aren't too bad and let me tell you, the summers could be alot worse. There have been a few hot summers there the last few years, but that's more of a result of this cycle we are in (global warming) than what the summers are typically like there. I grew up there as a kid and we didn't have air conditioning or even a fan and I don't remember having a hard time at all. Spend some July or August down here in DFW and you'll think Oklahoma is a refrigerator during those months. Go live in Houston during the summer, it's so humid and hot down there that it feels like you're breathing water. And the traffic in places like Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, etc. is unbelievable.

So, is Oklahoma perfect? No, of course not. But what place is? It's a matter of trade-offs for the various likes and dislikes of each individual. As I said, I've been around the world and Oklahoma's is a pretty decent place that I think more and more people are finding out as they seek to get out of overcrowded cities, and expensive places in the Northeast. As far as jobs go, although I live in DFW my employer is based in Oklahoma, and the benefits/pay are EXCELLENT. And here's the kicker; I found this job after years of searching high and low for a good job with benefits in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. I toiled away as a contractor in DFW for years and years with absolutely no benefits, no sicktime, no 401K, or hope of having anything decent, and of all places the only way I could seem to get a good, solid, high paying job was to look North into the great state of Oklahoma.

So, a place is what you make of it. If you hate it the moment you arrive, you must not have done your research. If you hated it before you arrived, shame on you.

It sounds to me that people like LisaMarie, Jammie, Jessaka, and others have done their research, checked the places out, and found someplace that they can live and enjoy their lives to the fullest. Everybody that wants to find that special place should do the same.

[Sooner-On-The-Move]

Originally Posted by LisaMarie

So far I have 2 apts that I'm looking at, One is on 7110 S Granite and is called Coppermill Apts and the other is on 6760 S Trenton Ave and that one is called Avondale Apts. I hope those are in decent areas, I really think they look nice and I spoke with them and it seems to be good. Please let me know and thank you very much for your insight, it helps a lot. I will let you know of any more that I look at, I will be looking at more in a little bit after I do a few things. Thanks so much.

These are decent areas, but if I were you, I'd avoid Coppermill. It's at 71st between Yale and Sheridan. While it is not a bad area for ANY REASON, being directly on 71st St means that you will NEVER be able to get out without waiting for the eight lanes of traffic that run in front of the place. Particularly between 7 and 10 in the morning and 3:30-6:00 at night.

Avondale is okay, but also very near the Riverside area, where there have been rapes. If I'm correct, it's roughly in the vicinity of the TV Guide building, Marriott, etc. 66th and Lewis area. This area lies a little to the West of I-75 and has a somewhat...industrial feel. Still, it's not a bad area, with a Super Wal-Mart and Oral Roberts University and the Mabee Center less than three miles away.

[LisaMarie]

We decided not to look at those apts after all, I read some really nasty things about them, so we have decided to steer clear. Thanks for the info though.

For weeks I've been doing so much research and between tonight and throughout next week I will know exactly which apts we will be looking at.

And I have to agree with everything Synopsis said. When it comes down to it, there is good and bad everywhere. We made the choice to look at OK. I've lived in Pennsylvania and now here in Cali, and I have relatives that live in other states, and well OK was the only one that stood out to us as being a great place to call home...we will know for sure once we visit next month and get to know the area and so forth.

[vpritner]

Hello LisaMarie,

I have live in Oklahoma all of my life, and yes, the people are very friendly here....you dont have to make near as much money to live very comfortably.

I have to disagree with one of the people who responded....you will NOT see more cows than people...unless you take a drive out to the rural areas...and we definitely do not grow much corn here...that's for the colder states...(Nebraska, for example) Wheat & peanuts are the crops here...

I have lived in Oklahoma City, and many the surrounding towns...the people are moving out of Okc to the suburbs as fast as homes can get built.

I have included some links to cities I wouldnt mind moving my family to....keep in mind the info provided isnt exactly correct...just a basic idea....

Edmond, Ok is about a 30 minute drive north of Okc and is a slightly more upscale college town; here is more info; http://www.city-data.com/city/Edmond-Oklahoma.html

Mustang, Ok is approximately 15 miles west of downtown Okc and is a rapidly growing town with a ton of kids...here is more info; http://www.city-data.com/city/Mustang-Oklahoma.html

Norman, Ok is one of our larger college towns
Tulsa, Ok has several colleges...but I dont recommend moving in to the city...try one of their suburbs....Broken Arrow is very nice...so is Jenks, Owasso...Grand Lake is also by there...but it's full of what we call "snooty" people."
It really is beautiful in that part of OK.

Do NOT move to South Okc,NE Okc, Midwest City, Del City, Britton(Britton is in Okc..not a suburb) Bethany, Warr Acres (the previous two are also in Okc city limits, not suburbs), or El Reno. The crime rates are rising...and once again, theyre moving from Okc to the suburbs for a reason! Here is a link to check OK crime stats;
http://www.newsok.com/news/crime/

Out of all of these...as a mom of 2 teens, and if I could move right now...I would pick Mustang or Broken Arrow.

For all those who get angry for the areas I advised her to NOT move to...keep in mind that I have either lived there, and am speaking from experience..or I have family members who live there now...and I am making my choices based on how I would feel about my kids running around the neighborhoods and attending the local schools...

hope some of this helps! Vicki

[Grayghost]

Do everyone here a favor and leave your cali ideas at home.We hunt and fish here.