O.K. it may be finally time for our return! (Tulsa: crime, houses)

[gdblauvelt]

My family and I have had enough of the Florida lifestyle. The rudeness, arrogance, greed, hypocrisy, and selfishness of the people down here. We left Tulsa when the economy started to go bad in '87. At first the area that we moved to was a nice quiet little place. It was at the end of I-95 just past where it had been built to, so far. As the tiny area grew the area has gotten expensive, while the people have gotten cheaper.

Enough with the complaints I would like to know how the economy, lifestyle, attitudes, crime, neighborhoods especially around 51-61st between Harvard and Yale, amenities, schools, in general how has the city faired these last 20 years. I have 100+ family members that live in Tulsa, and even more in other parts of the state. I love them all, but need to know from people who will be objective, not just tell me what I want to hear because they want us to come home.

I have been reading these posts for a couple of months, and have liked most of what I have read. Some of the things that I have heard are a little disturbing, but not many. I would love to move back very much but I have a son who needs some answers, as well as others. Your posts, opinions, and help is greatly appreciated... God Bless!

[Jammie]

Hi GD and welcome to the forum. Since you've been reading the posts, you probably know that we've been to Fla. several times and have family down there. We've also been to eastern OK including Tulsa. While OK doesn't have the beautiful beaches, they have the beautiful scenery all along the eastern border. And Grand Lake is beautiful.

Tulsa does seem to have many more employment opportunities. Their employers also seem to have more respect for their employees then in Fla. and I know exactly the things you're referring to. In the past, I had actually contacted employers in Fla. and was in total shock at their attitudes. It also appears to me that Tulsa's wages are above Florida's which is puzzling because Ok has a much lower cost of living.

I read both the Tulsa World and a few of the Fla. newspapers. The news stories are so different and while Tulsa does have crime, it isn't the shocking kind that horrifies you when you read it. And since I'm sure you listen to your local news, you know exactly some of the things I'm referring to. We were just there a couple of months ago and some of it is scary.

The only thing that you'll be missing out on is the year round nice weather. OK has unfortunately had a very rough start of a winter. But IMHO you would be very happy with your decision to move back to OK. We met some very nice people in Fla., but as a whole, we prefer the type of people that Okies are. They're much more like the people in our own area.

[briansgi]

I have a co-worker that lives around the 76th and Harvard area, it's a very nice neighborhood. Has very mature big trees, rolling hills, nice homes, crime is essentially non existent.

[gdblauvelt]

Jammie and Brian thank you for the warm welcome. I was born in Tulsa and grew up going to Carnegie Elementary, Nimitz Middle and have the fondest memories of that area, people, and times. I would just like to know how the place is still the same, or different. I have quite a few Law Enforcement in my family. They say that the crime has had a lot of effort put against it, and it is paying off. One of my Grandmothers says that the city is growing wisely as it pertains to the kinds of "amenities" that are being invested in. One issue I have heard a lot about is the illegal immigration law just passed. How has it affected the community, economy, and the city at large. How do most of the people stand on this issue.

I will say the various threads with pictures has helped to ease the need for seeing the city. I regret not visiting more since it has been 21 years come December 23 since visiting. My son is as tired of Florida as I am, hopefully all the info you have given him to read will help ease his mind, we all know change is hard especially at the age of 15.

If you can think of anything else I show know about please let me know. Once again thanks to all who respond... God Bless!

[Jammie]

If the feelings that people have about the new Immigration Bill is anything like they are in this forum~everyone is glad that this is being dealt with. It also seems to be the consensus in Tulsa's Daily paper chat, too. There have been articles from people who had hired the illegals and some were sad to see them go. They're more then likely people who want to pocket all their earnings and not have to share with their employees. I believe that so many from OK have felt that issuing green cards is the right way to go. For many decades now we've had the Green Card users in our country and their only goal is to work hard and have money to take back home. Of course, many of them would like to be legal citizens and they are patiently standing in line waiting. They've now been pushed to the back of the line because the people who have no respect for our laws have stormed the borders and taken the jobs from the Green Carders and Americans. There is an "Immigration" section on this forum. When you get to the opening page, you can scroll past the states and it has it's own section. We've had a few threads starting on the OK forum that we've moved over to the Immigration forum. You may want to check it out, but from what I've gathered, Tulsans would like to have legal American citizens there.

[peggydavis]

I think most people in Oklahoma support the enforcement of our immigration laws. The way things are now are not fair, and we also need to know about non-citizens living in our country. Employers need to pay at least minimum wage and withhold and pay the taxes. I really do not like that Randy Terrill, though.

I don't know if there have been that many effects yet. The job market in Oklahoma was tight already, and there were and are a lot of help wanted signs around. I haven't heard of anybody being arrested. So far, I would say there hasn't been a dramatic effect, but things may change in the warmer months when landscape work and construction work is more intense.

[StillwaterTownie]

I'm absolutely shocked that anyone from warm and sunny Florida would want to move to Oklahoma after what came after the drought--the flash floods and recently the ice storm. And Winter hasn't even begun on the calendar!

[Jammie]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

I'm absolutely shocked that anyone from warm and sunny Florida would want to move to Oklahoma after what came after the drought--the flash floods and recently the ice storm. And Winter hasn't even begun on the calendar!

Oh, I'm not surprised at all. Florida has a lot of beauty to it and is so nice and warm, but we've spent quite a bit of time down there these past three years. There are a LOT of problems there. Well, unless of course you're wealthy and can pay all the inflated prices and don't need to work. Then it would be Paradise. There are areas down there that make your crime areas look like a Sunday School class.

[peggydavis]

I would rather put up with 20 ice storms than one hurricane like Katrina or Andrew. Just about every place in FL is vulnerable to hurricanes.

[gdblauvelt]

Thank you for all the posts I hope they keep coming. First, of all the 2004 hurricane season was BBBAAAAADDDD! We got hit by all 4 of them, and lost our house. The combined 42 days without power living in the garage in 100 degree 90% humidity was just icing on the cake. Second, you are right if you have the money to pay the inflated, and I mean INFLATED, prices it is nice. The shortest commute that anyone has that I know of is 35 miles, most commute 75 miles, and that takes 2 hours. In a 30 mile radius we have 1 mall, 1 movie theater, and thats it for entertainment, except for clubs. If you want sports you have to go to Miami, and thats 2 hrs away. Third, it is green and warm but it is like one, never ending, summer. In 20 years I have never seen a leaf change color, it is hot and humid 9 months then 3 months of 70's. need the seasons again. The crime is BBBAAADD, and I live in a small village along the coast on the Palm Beach co. Martin Co. border. We have 18 million people, and 1.2 million illegal immigrants. Not to mention the legal immigrants, which are extremely nice, but even they are annoyed. And everyone lives packed into a strip 20 miles wide along the coast. If you work you get 40 hrs during the 5 months of season and 20 hrs the rest of the year.

The people are moving out of Florida in droves. we used to have 1,000 people a day moving to Florida now more people are leaving than are moving in. The prices of houses are ridiculous, my sister bought a house 2 years ago, a 2br/2ba duplex about 20 years old needing some work but nothing big, in an area like Bixby was 20 years ago, she paid $240,000. A 4br/2ba 2000sf home goes for $650,000 and thats without water views or golf course. I used to go scuba diving 15 years ago when there were coral reefs off our coast, but they are all dead now from fertilizer and sewage runoff. There are no more coral reefs anywhere along the coast anymore.

I guess I should say something nice though. On a clear day I can see the Shuttle taking off from my front yard and I'm 160 miles away. Not to mention the shear beauty of a night launch, spectacular!!! The waterways are clear again thanks to everyone switching to city sewer not septic. I see Joe Namath every other day at the grocery store, and he lives a couple roads over from me, and he is always nice and willing to give autographs to kids.

These are the reasons I wanted to know about Tulsa, I just wanted to make sure I get the truth and not fluff from my family back there who just want to see us move home. My cousin is on the Tulsa Sheriff's ICE force, and he says that things are getting better now that the law was passed, is this true. Are there still areas to go camping, or has every place got a subdivision on it now. And anything else you can think of. Most of the info is for my son but I love it too.

Thanks so much... God Bless!

As