Young Adult Considering Tulsa (Broken Arrow, Sapulpa: rental car, cheap apartments, homes)

[marsbound2024]

Hello all! My name is Derek and I am just dropping by to chat up with you Tulsans (if that is how you'd be called) as well as others considering moving here. I am from outside of Jackson, Tennessee (about 70 miles northeast of Memphis) but may relocate to the Tulsa area in the near future. I am twenty years old, but I really don't want to move to a "wild" part of town or an apartment complex known for its parties. I was considering the Jenks, Bixby and Broken Arrow areas but I was also wondering about cities outside of Tulsa such as Sapulpa. I am shooting for a commute of no longer than say twenty-five or thirty-minutes to the area around where Creek Turnpike meets the river. All of this is currently just speculation and I am more or less just trying to figure out where I'd like to live in the event I decide to relocate (better to research early I figure).

Where are some really good apartment complexes with good aesthetic appeal, safety, good insulation (don't want my electricity bill skyrocketing) and etc.? I was thinking of spending no more than say $900 a month if possible on anything from a studio to a two bedroom--though I plan for only myself at the moment. Also, perhaps there are some decent rental homes I could find for around that price?? That might be asking too much, but I am not sure.

I really like what I've read about Bixby and Broken Arrow also seems really nice (but starting to borderline a tad farther commute than I'd want). I am used to a rural life, but want something bordering on suburban and rural (outskirts of the city). So basically I want to live on the border between suburbia and the rural Midwest, but work in the city obviously.

Here is a list of things I would like to see:
1) Safety and a Good Sense of Community (you could almost leave your doors unlocked)
2) Aesthetic Appeal (I love trees, hills, cliffs, rivers, lakes and nature in general, but also contemporary/modern style architecture if possible; although I do like some older styles, as long as they aren't that crappy overly-budget feel to them like some plasticy looking apartments have)
3) Culture and Diversity are always nice and Tulsa seems to have a good demographic with Native Americans, Hispanics, African Americans and Caucasions as well as some Asian. Though this isn't by any means a requirement. I also like a diverse age group, but trending towards the mid twenties and beyond (i.e.: average in the mid-thirties) as I am a bit of an "old soul" per se.

I have had trouble finding a nice selection of apartments or even rental homes online surprisingly. Depending on my pay, I might be more or less flexible in that target range. I do not want cheap apartments (typically below $550) as they might not be in a good part of town and the apartments themselves might not be that great, but I don't need anything luxurious. I am thinking middle-of-the-road, with an edge towards more comfortable. Again, I am a bachelor, but a pretty level-headed one, and want a relaxing, attractive residence.

Studio, 1 Bedroom or 2 Bedrooms
Likes: Contemporary and modern architecture, nice use of geometries, open kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms (or not too much barriers); more "dynamic" rooms (i.e: they don't all have to be perfectly square); larger than average windows
Dislikes: Too much woodgrain, too much color--especially not odd colors at that, weird carpets, 70s-style interior design and architecture

Sorry for the long post and I realize I won't get something perfect with my limited budget; but hey, if you guys know of anything near what I am talking about or just have some general recommendations, I'd love to hear it.

[Synopsis]

$900 a month would probably get you in just about any reasonable apartment in the Tulsa area; reasonable meaning safe and in the location you desire. There are some very nice, new apartments in Central Park near downtown Tulsa but I'm not sure how much they run. I'm sure that you could easily get a one bedroom for $900.

Let me do a little research and get back with you. Hopefully some Tulsans currently living there will chime in with far better info than I could give.

[marsbound2024]

Thanks for that. I am actually in the Fort Worth/Dallas area as we speak (Arlington) on business. Last time I went to Dallas apparently was when I was two years old so obviously I don't remember it. Unfortunately I am too young for a rental car and taxis would cost me about $40 one way to downtown (not spending $80 just to go downtown). So in a way it is disappointing that I likely won't be visiting Dallas even though I am within fifteen or twenty minutes of downtown! Booo... oh well, it IS a business trip to Arlington after all.

Thanks for the help and encouragement (by telling me it should get me into any reasonable apartment that I have specified). I will look at the apartments you have specified. Look forward to more responses to this as well.

, Derek

Update: I couldn't find Central Park in Tulsa. Where is that or what is the official name? Or perhaps I am overlooking it.

[Synopsis]

I looked at Central Park highrise condos and you can live downtown in a highrise for just slightly more than the $900 you specified. I would suggest looking at Apartments for Rent and Homes for Rent. You should be able to find a great place through that site.

The South side and West side of Tulsa are hilly areas. The whole city has a lot of trees, although being from Tennesse, you might not consider the whole area full of trees.

I'm still hoping some native Tulsans can chime in here like BigOkie or TulsaArtist; those two are VERY knowledgeable about urban Tulsa.

[marsbound2024]

Ooo what about University Club? It is a highrise (though doesn't say it is a condo). For some reason a studio is the most expensive and least square footage at over $1k a month and there are one and two bedrooms for up to $815 apparently (more square footage as well). The address is 1722 South Carson Tulsa, OK 74119.

By the way, I didn't find the condos you specified on that website.

Update: Did a little research on University Club Tower and looks like a fantastic view, but windows look a bit small and apparently the inside isn't that great according to some people. It'd be nice to see some pictures of the interior, but perhaps I will just have to see it myself since pics of the inside seem hard to come by on Google.

Update 2: Rent.com seems to show the inside of some of the apartments and the windows look quite nice and big even. This might be one of the really pricey apartments or something, but looks pretty great from the two pictures I saw.

[BigOkie]

Originally Posted by marsbound2024

Ooo what about University Club? It is a highrise (though doesn't say it is a condo). For some reason a studio is the most expensive and least square footage at over $1k a month and there are one and two bedrooms for up to $815 apparently (more square footage as well). The address is 1722 South Carson Tulsa, OK 74119.

By the way, I didn't find the condos you specified on that website.

Update: Did a little research on University Club Tower and looks like a fantastic view, but windows look a bit small and apparently the inside isn't that great according to some people. It'd be nice to see some pictures of the interior, but perhaps I will just have to see it myself since pics of the inside seem hard to come by on Google.

Update 2: Rent.com seems to show the inside of some of the apartments and the windows look quite nice and big even. This might be one of the really pricey apartments or something, but looks pretty great from the two pictures I saw.

Since the building is round, the apartments tend to be narrow in the entryway and fan out towards the windows.

[marsbound2024]

Originally Posted by BigOkie

Since the building is round, the apartments tend to be narrow in the entryway and fan out towards the windows.

How narrow do you suspect? The size of the average doorway I assume? And this building is just one of my list. I'd like to have a list of four or five possibilities. Anything you suggest? Thanks for the reply, by the way.

[Synopsis]

I was going to suggest University Club but forgot the name of the place. Depending on which apartment you rent, you'll have a fantastic view of the skyline of Tulsa.

Rent there seems to be reasonable, and it's in a safe area.

[evergreen101]

Hi Marsbound2024, I think I may be able to help. I've lived in Tulsa now for about 8 years but before that I lived in Kentucky and visited TN often, so I have some idea of what kind of scenery you are looking for. With that being said - Tulsa doesn't really have anything similar (in fact, this was one of my larger disappointments on moving to the area). I would definitely suggest south Tulsa for any kind of hills and trees. Mid town and northern suburbs tend to be completely flat with very little trees (some may try to dispute this, but those will not have lived in MO, KY, TN, or anywhere north or east of here! So trust me on this - if it's natural aesthetics you want, stick to the very south of Tulsa! Have you checked out Springfield, MO? This sounds like it may fit your needs even more, and it's young adult culture is thriving). As far as active young community here in Tulsa, it does exist, and the best place you might want to look is through a church.

One more thing - I attended a college in mid-town and didn't feel particularly safe as a female for a number of factors. The more south you go the better the area.

Hope this helps - best of luck!

[marsbound2024]

Originally Posted by evergreen101

Hi Marsbound2024, I think I may be able to help. I've lived in Tulsa now for about 8 years but before that I lived in Kentucky and visited TN often, so I have some idea of what kind of scenery you are looking for. With that being said - Tulsa doesn't really have anything similar (in fact, this was one of my larger disappointments on moving to the area). I would definitely suggest south Tulsa for any kind of hills and trees. Mid town and northern suburbs tend to be completely flat with very little trees (some may try to dispute this, but those will not have lived in MO, KY, TN, or anywhere north or east of here! So trust me on this - if it's natural aesthetics you want, stick to the very south of Tulsa! Have you checked out Springfield, MO? This sounds like it may fit your needs even more, and it's young adult culture is thriving). As far as active young community here in Tulsa, it does exist, and the best place you might want to look is through a church.

One more thing - I attended a college in mid-town and didn't feel particularly safe as a female for a number of factors. The more south you go the better the area.

Hope this helps - best of luck!

Thanks for the reply, evergreen101! It is a bit unfortunate that Tulsa might end up being a bit of a bore when it comes to scenery. But at least it has a decent bit of trees (not the "forests" that I am used to, but that's fine). As far as my decision on possibly relocating to Tulsa, it is pretty much based on a possible job opportunity in that area. If I get it, I would likely accept and move. To be perfectly honest, Tulsa wouldn't usually be on my main list for cities to move to, but my research has provided me with some pleasant surprises. So while it's not Seattle, Washington or Poughkeepsie, New York or Colorado Springs, Colorado, I think it has some nice unique personality traits.

My friend lives in Bixby and he pretty much recommended me looking at southern Tulsa as well in Jenks or Bixby and east of Tulsa in Broken Arrow. He said I should probably not consider the northern portion of Tulsa. Of course wherever I move to, I don't need a whole lot of room since I would be moving for myself. A roommate would be nice to split rent and such, but I wouldn't want to just room with anyone if I went that route (it's always nice to put away a good savings--could get a better savings built up from splitting rent obviously).

Oh well, there are a lot of factors to think about and consider. Thanks for your input.

, Derek