[waterlilly]

My husband may take a job in Durant at the university. We are currently living in Baltimore, MD so this would be a big change for us, but we are tired of the overcrowding, traffic, constant development, etc. We own a tiny 1950's bungalow and by looking at realtor.com, it looks like we could buy a much bigger house with land around it for less than what our current home costs. I would love to hear more about this area. We have 4 kids and love camping, fishing, and hiking. How are the schools and the recreation councils? My girls love to take dance classes, play softball and soccer. They love the mall, too. Is this a very rural area? How about the weather. We prefer warmer climates. Please let me know of any insight you all could offer!

TIA

[_redbird_]

I'm surprised no one answered your post. I moved to OK in 98 and escaped from L.A. in 86. For me, OK is the best place to be. So many folks on CD forum are looking to move for various reasons. I would say any small town with a college would be a good move.

I would say you had better be prepared for some culture shock to say the least. The weather here can be brutal. The humidity in the summer and ice storms in the winter are pretty harsh.

If you are truly tired of the grind of modern civilization, moving to OK is a godsend. I would think you and your husband need to take a trip down here and check it out. Many folks from big cities become annoyed at the huge differences and loss of big city amenities.

The trade offs are worth it if you ask me. I don't get out much and don't care to. We had a prof from Harvard at KSU and he was constantly making snide remarks about small town America. Hopefully your husband won't feel the same way. Learn to say "ya'll". Just kidding, just be yourselves.

[eddie gein]

Durant used to be considered a backward redneck town but it is now one of the hotter towns in the state. Industry moving in. New medical facilities and residential development.

It has a reviving downtown that isn't bad. The campus is small but beautiful as it is lined with magnolias.

Durant is real close to lake Texoma which is devoloping rapidly and it isn't too far from the mountainous area of southeast Oklahoma (smaller versions of the Appalachians) or the Arbuckles.

I don't know what you are expecting, but Durant is moving in a positive direction and the university seems like a nice place. I wouldn't mind working there as the president (Glenn Johnson) is pretty powerful in the state of Oklahoma as he used to be a politician (I can't remember if he was head of the state senate or house) and can bring in the bacon for the University.

[OchocoWesterner]

Hi Waterlilly,

I too moved from Baltimore to Oklahoma! We didn't move to a larger city like Durant though, and culture shock is putting it mildly! My first "We're not in Kansas any more" moment was seeing young kids walking their sheep down the street of Cache, Ok. on leashes! haha I was ready to catch the first flight back to Baltimore! We later lived in southeastern OK, in a small community called Tishomingo--you don't want to live there! Tish is only about 30 miles from Durant, but a world away. They call themselves "The Pride of Little Dixie" which just about says it all. Durant, on the other hand is a really nice town. You are close enough to Dallas for the occasional day trip. As far as family values, you can't go wrong. As with most places in the south, family is first. Be prepared for everyone you meet to ask you if you have a "church home" yet, and if you don't, you'll be visited by every congregation in the city. If you've never lived in the south, and even though OK is technically in the midwest it's still southern, you may want to read up on southern culture, because it's totally different from Balimer

[happytown]

SE part of the state is the most scenic with beautiful lakes and large rolling hills. enjoy!

[texas2]

I think you would love Durant ok.... it is a great town. I am actually wanting to move there myself. The lake is wonderful and want to put my kids in a smaller area and why not have a lake near by and even better Dallas is so close. I lived there for a short time several years ago and wish I never left.

[jeffncandace]

Just pitching in...My mom grew up in southeast Oklahoma out in the sticks, the Miller area, which is west of the town of Antlers. She went to high school in Atoka. I grew up in California, but we spent every summer vacationing in Antlers, and my Grandma and Aunts and Uncles still live there. Antlers is a smaller town east of Durant.
It all depends on what you want. Although it is a beautiful area, it is WAY to countryfied for me! If you don't care about living in small town America, or the countryside, then you will probably love it. The weather is generally mild (except for hot summers). And truly, it is, in my opinion, the most beautiful part of the state, and in some ways, the country. I can't remember what's in Durant specifically, but I know it's near Lake Texoma, which is a developing area and very pretty. Plus, your within about 2.5 hours of OKC and about 1.5 from Dallas. Just close, or far, enough.
Good luck in your endeavors. I personally have lived in Tulsa, which is the northeastern corner of the state. The southeastern part you are considering is much more "southern" than where I lived, just an FYI. Not saying that's a bad thing, just prepair to be called Yankees, and for your kids to get some southern accents!

[pastorgirl]

Durant is a nice small town; I lived there for 2 1/2 years in the early 2000s. It will definitely be a culture shock for all of you. Baseball/softball are the regining school sports; there's a dance group -- girls from the church I served were a part of it and did quite well. The marching band is why you go to football games at the high school level. Lake Texoma is only about a 10-15 minute drive away and home to good fishing and ok camping. You should definitely be able to get a good amount of land for your money (Mead area). Sherman/Dennison Texas are 15 miles south of Durant for shopping (Target and the like) unless you make the 1 1/2 hour trek into Dallas.... If you and your husband (and family) haven't gone to visit yet, I suggest you do so, you'll have more of an idea about the culture and area if you do.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by redbird4848

I'm surprised no one answered your post. I moved to OK in 98 and escaped from L.A. in 86. For me, OK is the best place to be. So many folks on CD forum are looking to move for various reasons. I would say any small town with a college would be a good move.

I would say you had better be prepared for some culture shock to say the least. The weather here can be brutal. The humidity in the summer and ice storms in the winter are pretty harsh.

If you are truly tired of the grind of modern civilization, moving to OK is a godsend. I would think you and your husband need to take a trip down here and check it out. Many folks from big cities become annoyed at the huge differences and loss of big city amenities.

The trade offs are worth it if you ask me. I don't get out much and don't care to. We had a prof from Harvard at KSU and he was constantly making snide remarks about small town America. Hopefully your husband won't feel the same way. Learn to say "ya'll". Just kidding, just be yourselves.

We lived in the DC area for 7 years and then re-located to Dallas, beleive me, waterlilly won't find the weather in Southeastern OK any worse than Baltimore except for the tornado threats. One thing so many people forget, when comparing ice storms with snow; guess what happens to snow when it starts to melt and freezes up at night? It becomes ice. As for humidity, it can be just as brutal on the east coast. The only difference, the summers can often be longer in the mid west than east. Waterlilly, just to get out of the husstle bussle will be wonderful. good luck and yes, you can buy 3 times more with your money.

Nita

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by OchocoWesterner

Hi Waterlilly,

I too moved from Baltimore to Oklahoma! We didn't move to a larger city like Durant though, and culture shock is putting it mildly! My first "We're not in Kansas any more" moment was seeing young kids walking their sheep down the street of Cache, Ok. on leashes! haha I was ready to catch the first flight back to Baltimore! We later lived in southeastern OK, in a small community called Tishomingo--you don't want to live there! Tish is only about 30 miles from Durant, but a world away. They call themselves "The Pride of Little Dixie" which just about says it all. Durant, on the other hand is a really nice town. You are close enough to Dallas for the occasional day trip. As far as family values, you can't go wrong. As with most places in the south, family is first. Be prepared for everyone you meet to ask you if you have a "church home" yet, and if you don't, you'll be visited by every congregation in the city. If you've never lived in the south, and even though OK is technically in the midwest it's still southern, you may want to read up on southern culture, because it's totally different from Balimer

I thought OK was technically the south with MO being the frist state in the mid west. Guess I have my geography mixed up or it has changed since I was in school.

Nita