From Las Vegas to Wilson OK (Ardmore, Grove: houses, rent, jobs)

[Barbra]

My son in law has taken my daughter and grandchildren to Wilson OK - I guess I am going to have to follow- How big a life change will it be for me to move from Las Vegas NV 1M people to Wilson OK 4000 Pop. It sure would a slow down - from a 24 hour town to a what 8 hour town? Any advce on homes for sale or rent there?

[buzy mom]

oh my what a change you will have!!! i live in oklahoma city now but grew up and lived til age 28 in wilson oklahoma. i've been to vegas lots of time, so i geuss i would have to say that you are going to be shocked!! Wilson is a verrrrry small town. it actually is not a very good town either i am sorry to say. I'm not saying that it is all bad but there is a lot of crime. no work. now industry. small schools with medium scale teachers. but students do seem to do well considering. there is one post office. couple of convienence stores. lots of oil wells. lots of oil field business going on. it is pretty slummy looking! but the main thing is that there is more drugs and druggies than anything. take this from someone who has seen it and knows about it first hand. i personally do not do drugs but i have a brother that is.....let's just say everyone knows his name!!! and don't even get me started about the police!!! they are a joke!!! forget about them protecting and serving! they will do nothing to get the drugs out of that town. i hate to be so negative about this place but anyone considering moving there should know the truth up front. If it were me I would want to know. But I will say this, there are good people in the town as well. most live on the outskirts or in the country. my parents and grandmother and a few aunts and uncles are still there. they are all sad to see what has happened to their once booming oilfield town that has now just become METH CITY! So I would recommend that if you have to move this way that you consider moving a little farther East of Wilson. There is a small town called Lone Grove just East of Wilson, it is very nice and good schools, good police, nice neighborhoods business and is still small. Then a little farther east is Ardmore. This is the largest town around. Not quite a Big city but it is getting there. It is half way between okc and dallas. It has pretty much everything. good jobs and this is where most people from surrounding communities work. the michelin tire plant or the refinery is the best money. then there is several warehouses like circuit city and dollar general. But don't go east of tracks or south around the coliseum. they are not so great neighborhoods. well anyway sorry so lengthy and i hope i haven't affended you with any of my opinions. but like i said i would want to know if i was doing what you are about to!! Oh i forgot to mention....we do have lots of gaming centers all over Oklahoma now from the Indians here. They are a lot like the casinos of las vegas so maybe this will help you from getting too home sick once you are here! take care and good luck!

[kclarks]

hey buzy mom,
i just moved to Wilson back in October...we enjoy the town for the most part. I haven't seen all the drugs that you were mentioning...My wife and I are the new pastors at the Assembly of God church.

[peggydavis]

I agree with busy mom, that culture shock is definitely in your future, Barbra. But I am sure it will be worth it to be close to your children and grandchildren.

I have been to Wilson, but not for some time as I moved from the area 10 years ago. I don't think the crime or drug problem would be much different from a similar neighborhood in Las Vegas. The majority of the houses in Wilson seemed to be mainly small and older. Ardmore and Lone Grove are both nicer towns as far as houses go, but I guess it depends on your price range and how close you need to live to your family.

[SinCity]

I lived in small towns in Utah after living in 24 hour Vegas and Mesquite. I can tell you that the shock was huge but definitely much easier to adjust to when there is at least one 24 hour convenience store nearby; prferrably with gas as well. That sounds silly, but when you are used to being able to pick up that gallon of milk, fulfill an icecream craving, fill your gas tank at 3 AM before a trip out of town, and buy the emergency roll of toilet paper at any time of day, you'll not feel near as "isolated" when the town rolls up the sidealks to sleep each night. Much like Utah, small towns in OK roll up the sidewalks on Sundays also.

[EclipseofMe]

Maybe this would help you for looking at Ardmore... I live there.
Ardmore, Oklahoma - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
But, they said population is growing rapidly in Ardmore. Traffic is getting worse on the main roads.
They are also buliding a new mall to. I live there so yeah. A census showed population near 33 thousand.
Were about to relocate out by Dickson, Oklahoma out of town so we will be good and quiet.

[Jammie]

Eclipse~I understand the employment situation isn't ideal in Ardmore. Is that true?

[peggydavis]

Originally Posted by Jammie

Eclipse~I understand the employment situation isn't ideal in Ardmore. Is that true?

I just looked at the help wanted ads listed in the Daily Ardmoreite online. I think the only thing that's not ideal now in Ardmore is a lack of workers to fill all the jobs. There were 4 pages of ads, on a weekday.

When I lived in the Ardmore area we were in the oil bust. If an ad was placed in the paper for ANY job, over 100 people would apply. Thankfully those days are gone and will never return I hope. There is a little energy boom going on now in OK, nothing like the 70's and early 80's, but I see lots of ads for oil field work. I think Ardmore and surrounding areas have some distribution warehouses, capitalizing on the location near I-35 & Dallas. The economy is much more diversified now, and that is a good thing!

[KasieLayne]

The drug problem is NOT being overly dramatized. As a graduate of Wilson High, I can't think of one fellow classmate who didn't partake in drugs of some kind. I moved to Wilson my freshman year from Grand Prairie, TX (my class size was around 400), and was STILL shocked at how rampant the drug problem in there. Most of the youth "drag main" on the weekends, which is basically driving up and down Main St all night and stopping to socialize in the parking lot of a boarded up gas station. Imagine my surprise when, while dragging main for the first time in my "new" car with my best friend, a fellow classmate approaches the car, asks to hang with us, and upon settling in the back seat proceeds to pull out a piece of aluminum foil, straw, and lighter. Because I was driving, all I could see was the flame, but I could hear a bubbling type sound and smell the most putrid stench fill the car. This didn't seem to faze my friend, and she even beamed as he appeared between the seats to offer her the concoction! I have NO idea what it was, but I can guess. This is NORMAL among the youth there, and it's sad that every High Schooler can tell you where the meth houses are, yet the police can't seem to figure it out. If anyone plans on raising children in this town, keep them busy with school, sports, and employment, or keep them at home. Period.

[bob79]

I have lived in Wilson for about 3 months now..
and this is the best town i have ever lived in..
and its kinda funny how people get on here and talk crap on wilson...but yet...ardmore and lone grove have just at much drugs...if not MORE...way more..
but..you all have your own oppinions and i understand and respect that...
but be careful what you say cause...some of it is so not true..
not every teen in this town is a druggie....
and not all of them find those things normal...
so really...you have no idea what your talking about..
And..be careful..real careful what you say about the police officers in Wilson..
they are great..
the crime rate has gone way down just in the past 3 months i have lived here..
its really not that bad..
the police are always working..nonstop..
and they work hard at what they do..
and it really kinda pisses me off that you would get on here and talk **** about them..having no idea what you are talking about..
they work hard at what they do..and they do a damn good job at it...in my oppinion...and i have the same oppinion of many others in tis town..
many of them would be very dissapointed if they read this..