[ogre]

I've posted in the OK forum occasionally, as I research OU and OSU as eventual possibilities for grad school. I've never been to Oklahoma, but have found the people on this forum to be some of the friendliest at City Data. That may not tell you everything you need to know about a place, but it tells you something.

FTV98, no place is right for everyone, and maybe Oklahoma is not the right fit for you, but it's worth keeping in mind that you have lived there for only two years. Now, two years is long enough to constitute living someplace and not just visiting, but two years is not a really long time. Two years is most likely too short a time to completely shake any preconceptions you might have had before moving to OK, or to lose the sense that OK is different from what you are used to and does not feel quite like home. Maybe Oklahoma is not the place for you, but most likely you need to see more of a place--and its people--than you can in two years to know what that place is about. It's too short a time to know enough about a place to bash it too much. Best of luck finding a place that fits you, but try to keep in mind that you may have missed a thing or two about life in OK in the relatively short time you have lived there.

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by ftv98

Oklahoma is not progressive. Oklahoma is not open-minded. I almost laughed my booty off when I read that someone in here wrote, "Oklahoma has come a long way since 2000..." !!!! Since 9 years ago? Seriously? That's not something to brag about, folks!

Excuse me, but I still think Oklahoma has come a long way since 2000. I'm serious. After all, as I have repeatedly pointed out in this forum, I think it's great that visitors from the outside can now come to this state and are less likely to become bewildered over encountering some controversial issue that has come up in state news reports that was settled decades ago in their own states. And so visitors to Oklahoma now are more likely to come back home with less to bad mouth the state about. Realizing this has certainly made me less critical of Oklahoma.

To be further serious, new people wanting to move to Oklahoma should, if they can do it, take a serious look at how well they and their attitudes may fit into the town or metro area they are contemplating. However, if you regard yourself as highly conservative and don't like or appreciate differences in people, there's less need to do that.

[Fairfielder]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

Excuse me, but I still think Oklahoma has come a long way since 2000. I'm serious. After all, as I have repeatedly pointed out in this forum, I think it's great that visitors from the outside can now come to this state and are less likely to become bewildered over encountering some controversial issue that has come up in state news reports that was settled decades ago in their own states. And so visitors to Oklahoma now are more likely to come back home with less to bad mouth the state about. Realizing this has certainly made me less critical of Oklahoma.

To be further serious, new people wanting to move to Oklahoma should, if they can do it, take a serious look at how well they and their attitudes may fit into the town or metro area they are contemplating. However, if you regard yourself as highly conservative and don't like or appreciate differences in people, there's less need to do that.

The last line of your post is at the heart of an attitude that frustates me here in "progressive" CT. Why is it that those who don't consider themselves conservative tend to characterize conservatives as not liking or appreciating differences in people?!?!?!? The whole basis of bashing those with conservative beliefs is saying that "you" (maybe not you in particular, Stillwater) don't appreciate their beliefs or "differences" and constantly are trying to "change" those people and their way of life. Isn't this hypocritical?

Btw, I don't find it bewildering at all that OK might be grappling with a controversy that other States may have settled years ago. I think it is great that there is a State or two left that has its own identity and doesn't feel the need to "keep up with the Joneses". (Unless you are talking about some major human rights violation I don't know about...)

I don't like to say too much about myself here, but I'll offer this in the way of background. I am "very conservative" in my beliefs. I'm an obvious political minority here in CT (Of course, being "conservative" in CT may make me "liberal" in OK) I am very active politically and socially as are those with similar political beliefs as mine here. I even started a school to teach immigrants English at no cost to them to help them rise out of poverty and get better jobs, etc. I paid for this out of my own pocket and many people don't even know I'm the guy who payed for it. I don't say this to pat myself on the back. I just get soooooo tired of listening to how "backward" we conservatives are.

[HeatherDawn]

Amen, Fairfielder! God forbid someone has some beliefs that they stick to.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by Fairfielder

The last line of your post is at the heart of an attitude that frustates me here in "progressive" CT. Why is it that those who don't consider themselves conservative tend to characterize conservatives as not liking or appreciating differences in people?!?!?!? The whole basis of bashing those with conservative beliefs is saying that "you" (maybe not you in particular, Stillwater) don't appreciate their beliefs or "differences" and constantly are trying to "change" those people and their way of life. Isn't this hypocritical?

Btw, I don't find it bewildering at all that OK might be grappling with a controversy that other States may have settled years ago. I think it is great that there is a State or two left that has its own identity and doesn't feel the need to "keep up with the Joneses". (Unless you are talking about some major human rights violation I don't know about...)

I don't like to say too much about myself here, but I'll offer this in the way of background. I am "very conservative" in my beliefs. I'm an obvious political minority here in CT (Of course, being "conservative" in CT may make me "liberal" in OK) I am very active politically and socially as are those with similar political beliefs as mine here. I even started a school to teach immigrants English at no cost to them to help them rise out of poverty and get better jobs, etc. I paid for this out of my own pocket and many people don't even know I'm the guy who payed for it. I don't say this to pat myself on the back. I just get soooooo tired of listening to how "backward" we conservatives are.

VERY well said Fairfielder. Sounds like you are doing some great service for your community. You are the kinda transplant that Okies will gladly accept and assimilate into Oklahoma culture.

[Goodpasture]

Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008

.........You are the kinda transplant that Okies will gladly accept and assimilate into Oklahoma culture.

We are NOT the Borg.........He can keep his own identity.

But he does sound like the kind of guy we would like as a neighbor.......

[Fairfielder]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

We are NOT the Borg.........He can keep his own identity.

But he does sound like the kind of guy we would like as a neighbor.......

Thank you HeatherDawn and Bass&Catfish for your kind thoughts. I do have to say that there are some posts of StillwaterTownie's that I agree with and we probably would be good neighbors, too....as long as we don't discuss politics

As far as being "assimilated" goes, I'm probably weaker than my wife. Maybe I could use the "Borg's" help in getting her to be as anxious to move as I am. I am wearing her down though. I keep whispering "Resistance is futile. You must move" while she sleeps.

With my luck, though, she'll probably wake up one morning and move somewhere without telling me!

[405travelgirl]

I moved to Stillwater from Central California (Stockton) 3 1/2 years ago. Although financially it's been a struggle, culture wise it really hasn't been that big of a shock. Because of OSU there is a huge array of international people (not just college students but professors & their families). The local people are very welcoming to the students & their visitors, in general Stillwaterians are very friendly.

There are a lot of restaurants in Stillwater (including the best Chinese restaurant I've ever eaten at & I've been to restaurants all over SFC, Sacramento, Fresno, Stockton & Redding; seriously, I was shocked!) & plenty of little hole in the wall bars. Along with some very nice coffee shops, a piano lounge, beautiful Arts center, a cool downtown strip w/ some neat little shops, a very good hospital (unfortunately a couple of my family members have had to visit it) and of course the college campus. We are growing pretty fast and they are building a Target - Yippee There are some really nice homes here & the prices are so low (compared to CA).

We are about 10 minutes from two nice lakes. Both with hiking trails, swimming spots, camping & all of the other out door stuff. There are a couple of nice golf courses in Stillwater and a bunch of parks, including Boomer Lake that has a paved running/biking trail all the way around it. There are a couple of gyms in town (including one at the college, Seretean Wellness center that is dirt cheap!)

I also like Stillwater because we are right between Oklahoma City & Tulsa, a little more than an hour drive either way.

Now, with that said if I had my choice of where to live in Oklahoma (if I could take my job with me) I would go to Tulsa. It has a beautiful rivers edge area, with an awesome outdoor restaurant & bar, free bike rentals, and miles of walking/running/biking trails. Tulsa itself is full of all kinds of different neighborhoods, really whatever your looking for you'll find it there.

[Goodpasture]

Ok, give.......what is the name of the Chinese Restaurant in Stillwater, and where is it?



Added: BTW, welcome to the forum.........

[405travelgirl]

thank you!!
It's the Golden Dragon on Perkins Rd