Moving from Arizona (Tulsa, Edmond, Piedmont: highrise, property taxes, condos)

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by jessaka

I would suggest that you drive through different areas of OK and see what you like. coming from AZ any place in OK is beautiful. If I had not chose Tahlequah and area, we would have settled for other areas, even around OK City, although I knew I didn't like OC. I think we would have just gone further north.

Oh no, no! AZ is among the top few states in the nation for natural beauty and, with apologies to the fine people who live there, OK is not even close. If you drove across on I-40 you have no idea of the spectacular scenery in AZ. It's one of the things that argues for staying versus moving to my Tahlequah property. Anyone who has lived in AZ for a while needs mountains and terrain (unless they spent all their time in the city). NE OK has enough of that to be satisfying. Tahlequah has the Illinois River which is pretty but no match for Sabino Canyon. And the Boston Mountains across the border in Arkansas almost look like real mountains, but again, not the Catalinas or the Rincons.

[azbec]

When was the last time you were in Tucson? i have lived here all my life and the beautiful scenery your talking about is covered in a brown cloud and tons of trash on the ground. If you would have asked me five years ago what I thought about Arizona I would have said wonderful things, not anymore. It's full of crime (ranked 7th in the nation) massive Illegal immigration. Just on today's news the goverment had to close down on of the popular areas in the nation for bird watching due to all the illegal border crossers and the drug smugglers that are invading the bird refugee. Traffic is awful, what use to take 20 minutes to get somewhere, now can take an hour.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by azbec

When was the last time you were in Tucson? i have lived here all my life and the beautiful scenery your talking about is covered in a brown cloud and tons of trash on the ground. If you would have asked me five years ago what I thought about Arizona I would have said wonderful things, not anymore. It's full of crime (ranked 7th in the nation) massive Illegal immigration. Just on today's news the goverment had to close down on of the popular areas in the nation for bird watching due to all the illegal border crossers and the drug smugglers that are invading the bird refugee. Traffic is awful, what use to take 20 minutes to get somewhere, now can take an hour.

I went to UofA, but I don't go much anymore. That was many years ago and I'll tell you traffic was a mess then and the air was always brown coming in from the foothills. Tucson has worse inversions than Phoenix does. I have no doubt it has deteriorated since my time there just as Phoenix has. But my point is that you will not find the natural beauty of AZ in OK. There are nice towns and nice people and pretty areas (OK has a lot of geographic diversity), but the scenery is just not in the same league as AZ particularly in the OKC area. I have property in Tahlequah OK that I may build on and relocate to myself, but there are a lot of things about AZ (not the cities) that I realize I will miss if I do.

I posted in another thread that so many seem on this forum seem to be running AWAY from things they don't like rather than TOWARD those they do. I'm soul searching these days to see which category I am in. I think those trying to escape are less likely to be happy in the new environment.

PS: You're not talking about Ramsey Canyon being closed, are you? That would be a shame.

[gemini312]

Might I suggest SW of OKC in small communities like Newcastle which is right on I-44 for quick access, or Tuttle on HWY 4 that links to Mustang (another nice community though quite larger)? Raised our family in Tuttle and now live in Newcastle. Both are nice little towns with old buildings on Main Street. In Tuttle I once saw a man traveling Main St. on a lawnmower. Yes, my first thought was redneck. But one should keep in mind that the pace for generations of locals is slower than for others who were reared in Oklahoma City. Having worked on Broadway Extn (30 miles, almost to Edmond), my commute was still only 30-35 minutes.....maybe 45 minutes if there was a wreck. Housing prices for new construction run just under $100 sq. ft.(as of 10/2006, 13 homes in $200,000 - $225,000 <new and older>); older homes are running about $80-$90. For that price we are talking 3/4 acre or larger, so you won't be rubbing elbows with your neighbor unless that's your choice. Crime: the biggest right now is thieves ripping copper from new construction. I can remember only one murder in over 20 years. The schools have decent curriculums and football is indeed the biggest attraction. There are occasional problems with drugs as there would be anywhere; I feel it is minimum compared to OKC schools and larger schools in the metro. The two towns are spread out due to most families living on acreages. Keep in mind though, that some acreages are somewhat isolated which would limit children having next door neighbors. I'd suggest an addition in town limits that provides the best of both worlds - land and neighbors.

We can't deny hot summers or wind that blows across our plains. We can't deny the flat elelvations which can't compare with more beautiful Eastern portions of Oklahoma. BUT OKC does have a great food/entertainment district in Bricktown which also boasts a river canal. It has the Bricktown Ballpark and the Ford Center currently hosts NBA New Orleans Hornets if one loves sports. OKC has national boat races on the OK river as well as numerous horse shows at the fairground; not to mention the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Maybe it isn't exciting but seems to offer much of middle town America.

[AndyJ]

I feel Tucson gets a bad and (partially) unfair rap on these forums. I'm a student at UofA, and there are good things about Arizona, which I feel sometimes go overlooked. True, crime is bad here (there have been a number of police searches in the neighborhood in which I live just north of the university this semester). But still, Tucson has attractive qualities, especially in the way of the outdoors; this is highlighted by pretty areas like Sabino Canyon and Mt. Lemmon.

At any rate, for those thinking of making a move to the heartland, most of my family is from the Wichita area in Kansas, and there are a number of safe and affordable areas like Maize, Andover, and Derby. I'm told Goddard (west of Wichita) is nice too. If Oklahoma doesn't work out for you, I think it would be worth your time to look into this places.

[hobby]

Wow, you are so right! I saw your message and could not believe it...My husband and I are also moving from Tucson to the OKC area!!! Everthing you said is true about Tucson. We moved here as kids back in the late 50's and can't stand the place anymore. Crime OH YES! Traffic..out of control. We live in the Continental ranch area and it's a total ZOO! Can't stand to look at all the trash on I-10 going north out of town. I-19 same thing.... We also have been looking on the internet for homes. We go to the OKC area about 3 or 4 times a year. My husbands family lives in Mustang. We like the Edmond area and think this is where we will go. Our home is for sale, but no luck yet. The market in Tucson is terrible...10,000 homes for sale. Our children (all grown) think we are nuts.......but we are LEAVING!!!! Anyone else have thoughts on moving out of Tucson????/

Originally Posted by azbec

Yes, Tucson is bad. i wish I could say it isn't. The local news lead stories are usually about homicide, not just one , but a couple. The other night there were four. Crime is so high now in Tucson, it's a running joke now that your actually surprised to see your car stiill in the parking lot after leaving it there to go shopping (more than likely, somone will try to steal it). We used to have beautiful deserts, now there covered in garbage left behind by the illegal border crossers and our beautiful sunsets have been taken away by the brown pollution that hovers over the city. We have no major highway going through Tucson, so traffic is always bad, what use to take 20 minutes to go somewhere can actually turn into an hour. Oklahoma, from what I heard, will feel like a breath of fresh air.

[OKE]

Hi AZBEC,

I totally agree with you about Tucson Arizona, and wanting to move to Oklahoma.

I live in Tucson and have been wanting to move to Oklahoma for some time now.

I have lived from Flagstaff, to Sedona, to Phoenix to Tucson, and you are so right about the illegal alien and crime problem here.

Just a few nights ago in News 13 they had a story on how a local can go to jail for an ounce of pot, but the illegal aliens who get busted at the border trying to smuggle in tons of the stuff get their dope taken from them and set free to go back into Mexico. I don't smoke the stuff, but the laws here are not fair to the natives.

And the drug problem is terrible and getting worse. You hear gun shots helicopters flying over head and sometimes in the day you see military helicopters flying over the city with bombs attached to them.

Yea, Oklahoma is looking really nice from where I sit.

It is my goal to move there this year 2007.

Although I was born in California, my dad, his dad, and his dad were born in Oklahoma, so it would really be like going home.

I have heard that the smaller towns are better than OKC or Tulsa from those I've talked to.

Personally, I hope to move down in the southwestern part this year.

Good luck,
OKE

[redbird4848]

I hope everyone who plans to come to Oklahoma or is thinking of relocating has some room for a reality check. Its all relative, but please bear in mind, there is crime, trash and illegals in every state. I say this because I work in prison. Believe me, Oklahoma is not some "illegal-free" zone of America with pristine air and no trash.

As far as trashy interstates, we use DOT crews comprised of inmates. And hate to say it, but I doubt ~all~ the trash on AZ hwys is from illegals. Good ol' americans have been known to toss a few mickeydee cups out too you know! Sounds like the state/county/city crews in AZ are giving up the ghost.

Of course, the smog is nothing like Los Angeles, but we do have it. Gangs? South OKC is known as southside loco turf and its getting worse. For some odd reason (thats sarcasm folks) gangbangers from L.A. and AZ are relocating to OKC too! And our prison system gets a lot of business from Tulsa area. So, yeah, we have a lot more crime than meets the eye. Speaking of prison, we incarcerate at a much higher rate than most states and we parole less often. The sentencing guidelines allow for some long prison sentences. Don't get me started on that subject.

I am not trying to dissuade anyone from relocating. Just don't buy a house and then regret it. Do a little bit of research. Ask as many questions as you need to, and be safe. Like I said in other forums, I was born and raised in Los Angeles, I know what you are speaking of when you mention the negatives or Tuscon, etc.

[Synopsis]

redbird, you're a good voice of reason on these boards. Like you, I'm a big proponent of living in Oklahoma, but it ain't without problems and for someone to come to Oklahoma blindly thinking there are no such problems needs to be informed. Like you, I believe people need to do their research. The ultimate goal is to be happy wherever you end up.

[eddie gein]

Having lived in both States extensively I must say that the problem with Arizona is that it isn't Arizona anymore. At least in Phoenix and Tucson.
I grew up in Oklahoma and moved to Arizona in 1981. Even then, Arizona consisted mostly of people from other states. Phoenix then had about 1.5 million and Tucson about 600K. The whole state of Arizona was about 3 million. Now Phoenix has 3.5 million and Tucson has a million and the state of Arizona is closing in on 6 million.

In the same span of time, Oklahoma has grown from 3.1 million to 3.5 million.
OKC has gone from about 850K to 1.1 million. In essence, Oklahoma still feels like Oklahoma.

I find that comforting.