Transferring--is Brookside safe for little kids? (Tulsa, Sapulpa: for sale, rental market, low crime)

[Sorge]

Hi,
My very subjective opinion of Brookside/Cherry St. is that they are nice places to visit, but could be tough to live in with kids. There will be more noise, more dirt around, more crime than in South Tulsa/BA/Jenks/Bixby/Owasso/etc. on average. But it all depends on your lifestyle, of course. Elementary schools are "okay" more or less everywhere. High schools in South (Union, BA, Jenks, Bixby) and in Owasso seem to be fine. At least, kids after these schools have a reasonable chance (if they really want) to be admitted to good colleges. Culturally .... yes, it is not Boston. Interestingly, we are atheists, but this did not prevent my kid to become BFF with a kid of the family that founded a Pentecostal Megachurch here. Maybe this will change in middle school.

So, summarizing: BA, Union, maybe Jenks, maybe Bixby or Owasso.

[Bill236c]

Brookside, Cherry Street and midtown Tulsa in general is often fouled by the smell of the refinery which can't be very healthy. Also, many neighborhoods lack sidewalks.

[Okiegirlfriend]

Property taxes in Creek County are less than half of what they are in Tulsa. They raise at a slower rate too! You just need to come visit and look around for yourself. I work in Brookside, north of I-44. I feel it is a safe area to live. Like anywhere, you will find bank roberies and temporary school lock downs once in a while. Nothing on a regular basis. South of I-44 can be dangerous especially around 61st and Peoria.

Check here before you decide to look at a home in the area. You don't want to buy or rent in a flood zone.

FEMA Floodsmart

[SouthXSW]

Brookside is a great area in Tulsa, in the center of midtown and within a half mile of the river. Lots of local restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, etc. and a Whole Foods at 41st. Probably the nicest part is between Peoria, 31st, Utica and 36th. You can find more bargains south of 36th, and especially west of Peoria closer to the river. Some of the nicest neighborhoods in all of Tulsa are just north of Brookside.

[Les Pharis]

All I can say is you will be smelling the refinery, the sewer plant, and be in the middle of all that smog. Drive
out of the city on a clear, calm day and look back. You'll see what I mean by smog. Do yourself a favor and
find a burb and commute. (Sapulpa, Claremore, Inola, Sand Springs, Skiatook, etc.)

[SouthXSW]

It doesn't sound like the OP would really enjoy the suburban communities based in their desires in a neighborhood. If you can park on one of the side streets off Peoria and walk around. All the shops and restaurants are on Peoria so parking just east on 33rd or 34th would be a good place to start. Great coffee shop at 33rd (Shades of Brown), Italian (Ciao) and Jamaican restaurants (Hibiscus) next door, sushi across the street (In the Raw) at 34th, fantastic brunch place at 35th (Blue Moon) and several other local restaurants and shops and a few chains like Starbucks and Whole Foods. The neighborhood school is at 36th & Rockford, Eliot.

Keep walking east on 34th half mile to the Arkansas River where there are trails and bike rentals. Also a neat park at 33rd & Rockford (Zink) just east of Peoria. See if you smell the refineries; I lived in the area for several years and never smelled them. You had to go further south or actually near them on the west bank.

[Sorge]

Originally Posted by SouthXSW

It doesn't sound like the OP would really enjoy the suburban communities based in their desires in a neighborhood. If you can park on one of the side streets off Peoria and walk around. All the shops and restaurants are on Peoria so parking just east on 33rd or 34th would be a good place to start. Great coffee shop at 33rd (Shades of Brown), Italian (Ciao) and Jamaican restaurants (Hibiscus) next door, sushi across the street (In the Raw) at 34th, fantastic brunch place at 35th (Blue Moon) and several other local restaurants and shops and a few chains like Starbucks and Whole Foods. The neighborhood school is at 36th & Rockford, Eliot.

Keep walking east on 34th half mile to the Arkansas River where there are trails and bike rentals. Also a neat park at 33rd & Rockford (Zink) just east of Peoria. See if you smell the refineries; I lived in the area for several years and never smelled them. You had to go further south or actually near them on the west bank.

It sounds you really like living in the area, not just visiting. I could often feel strange smells near the river (in the 31-41st range). In addition to refineries, there is a water treatment facility north of Turkey mountain that probably adds insult to the injury in the E, NE direction. That said, I agree I never could feel any suspicious smell (except for flower smells) around Peoria, never in Woodward park on in Philbrook gardens.

[Bill236c]

I lived 2 blocks from Philbrook a few years ago and near Zink park for many years and frequently smelled the refineries at both. Now I live in Jenks and never get that smell or any industrial smell whatsoever. Such things may not matter to everyone.

[Bill236c]

Originally Posted by Bill236c

I lived 2 blocks from Philbrook a few years ago and near Zink park for many years and frequently smelled the refineries at both. Now I live in Jenks and never get that smell or any industrial smell whatsoever. Such things may not matter to everyone.

I got to thinking........ I have to amend my statement. The refinery smell is not really unpleasant nor is it frequent. The wind direction seems to play a role and maybe it depends on what the refinery is venting. I just know it's been going on for decades and it gives some of us some health concerns.

[tuffpirate]

After some delays, the Tulsa transfer is back on. So after reading the helpful responses above, I think the smelliness would be a deal-breaker. I have a crazy mom-nose and I'm really sensitive to bad smells.

So now I'm looking at nearby communities...Sapulpa looks like it has a little more character than Jenks. Thoughts?