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Why these three cities? Well frankly I feel like they're pretty universally disliked on here. They are all pretty similar in size if you compare the whole metro, although they peaked at different times. Everytime they're brought into a poll they get destroyed, and most people have negative things to say about them. I'm wondering which is the best overall based on the following criteria.
1. Downtown
2. Arhictecture
3. Economy
4. Weather
5. Food
6. Culture
7. Suburb quality
8. Scenery
9. Walk ability
10. Traffic
11. Entertainment
12. Where would you want to live
Why these three cities? Well frankly I feel like they're pretty universally disliked on here. They are all pretty similar in size if you compare the whole metro, although they peaked at different times. Everytime they're brought into a poll they get destroyed, and most people have negative things to say about them. I'm wondering which is the best overall based on the following criteria.
1. Downtown
2. Arhictecture
3. Economy
4. Weather
5. Food
6. Culture
7. Suburb quality
8. Scenery
9. Walk ability
10. Traffic
11. Where would you want to live
I'll say up front I've never spent time in Oklahoma City, only driven through on the interstate. I have visited Buffalo and Memphis, however. So my comments on Oklahoma City are based on research, which I understand is not an ideal substitute for a visit.
Memphis is undergoing some slower-paced gentrification downtown and south of downtown, and has come a long way since the 70s/80s, and has some major developments/redevelopments planned or happening. Buffalo has some good gentrification as well, and has some solid vibrant neighborhoods.
However, due to weather and cold harsh snowy winters, I could never live there. Oklahoma City's economy is stronger due to energy and oil/gas. But the tornado alley warnings each spring and summer are terrifying--so wouldn't be a solid pick for me to live there either. Memphis is where I could live--even though it feels super chill and almost sleepy but in a good way.
I'll say up front I've never spent time in Oklahoma City, only driven through on the interstate. I have visited Buffalo and Memphis, however. So my comments on Oklahoma City are based on research, which I understand is not an ideal substitute for a visit.
Memphis is undergoing some slower-paced gentrification downtown and south of downtown, and has come a long way since the 70s/80s, and has some major developments/redevelopments planned or happening. Buffalo has some good gentrification as well, and has some solid vibrant neighborhoods.
However, due to weather and cold harsh snowy winters, I could never live there. Oklahoma City's economy is stronger due to energy and oil/gas. But the tornado alley warnings each spring and summer are terrifying--so wouldn't be a solid pick for me to live there either. Memphis is where I could live--even though it feels super chill and almost sleepy but in a good way.
I have always felt like Memphis has tons of potential.
A big advantage that OKC has over the other two is that it's the state capital and the big dog in its state. Very few people in NY aspire to live in Buffalo, and very few people in TN aspire to live in Memphis. But probably 70% of Oklahomans look to OKC as their in-state city of choice.
Buffalo and Memphis have seen better days, whereas OKC is just now starting to hit its stride. Memphis, in particular, has so many things going against it: horrible, and I mean horrible public schools, a very uneducated workforce and populace, rampant crime, a metro area divided between three states, an intensely corrupt city government (see uneducated populace), and an over-all attitude of complacency. Memphis is probably the closest to a Third World city we have in the US, where a fabulously wealthy minority lives in a couple of very posh areas of town surrounded by seas of poverty and crack neighborhoods. Are things improving in Memphis? Absolutely. But just as in most Third World cities, it's the rich who are getting richer. The vast majority of Memphians living in poverty are doomed to stay in poverty.
Kinda feel bad for whatever city loses this lol. But I'd probably go with OKC. Followed by Buffalo then Memphis. I feel like OKC is more up and coming than the other two.
They are all pretty similar in size if you compare the whole metro, although they peaked at different times
Oklahoma City Metro is currently about the same size as the Buffalo and Memphis Metros, but it is far from peaking. It has been consistently growing since at least 1950's between 10% and 34% each census. I got those figures from the article titled "Oklahoma City Metro" in Wikipedia.
At 1.3 million it has passed Buffalo in population and it looks like it will officially pass Memphis in 2020 census. If Oklahoma City Metro continues to grow as I'm sure it is expected, it won't be too many more years until it's a 2 million metro.
Buffalo and Memphis might have peaked or slowed down a few decades ago, but OKC is still thriving and growing, just as most other Southern and Western metros have been thriving and growing, among the fastest in the country.
Why these three cities? Well frankly I feel like they're pretty universally disliked on here. They are all pretty similar in size if you compare the whole metro, although they peaked at different times. Everytime they're brought into a poll they get destroyed, and most people have negative things to say about them. I'm wondering which is the best overall based on the following criteria.
1. Downtown
2. Arhictecture
3. Economy
4. Weather
5. Food
6. Culture
7. Suburb quality
8. Scenery
9. Walk ability
10. Traffic
11. Entertainment
12. Where would you want to live
Buffalo and Memphis, two cities that mean a lot to my heart. I have family in both; not only that, my Buffalo family is all descendants in some form from my Memphis family...
Buffalo is more of my kind of city. The urbanity and local culturisms are more agreeable to my personality, but I've noted for years that these two cities suffer from some of the same ailments--segregation and racial discrimination, mismanagement and corruption, high rates of violent crime, extraordinarily high levels of poverty, poor public schools, shoddy investment...
1. Downtown Memphis is larger than Downtown Buffalo and Beale Street gives Downtown Memphis a pulse that Buffalo doesn't have. Neither downtowns are remarkable, but Downtown Memphis is less of a bore...
2. I've always found Buffalo's architecture to be overrated, while Memphis is quite underrated in this regard. I'll give this a tie...
3. Memphis appears to have the better economy, but truthfully both cities are in a rough spot...
4. Food is a draw. Both specialize in local dishes...
5. Weather is a draw. Ever seen a Mid-South summer? Ever seen a Buffalo winter? I've had the misfortune of seeing them both (lol)...pick'em, the lesser of two evils...
6. "Culture" is such a loaded term on this forum. My personality fits Buffalo more, but I'm not arrogant enough to believe Buffalo has a "better" culture. This is a draw. Memphis also definitely has a ton of culture...
7. Suburbs are not overly exciting in either. This is very close to a draw, or maybe slightly Memphis...
8. Both cities are gorgeous in the Spring. Any body of water looks better than the Mississippi. Slight edge Buffalo...
9. Walkability is Buffalo and not even close. Memphis has those wide ass avenues and brown ass roads...
10. Traffic is not bad in either...
11. Equal levels of entertainment...
.........
I scored 3-2 Memphis with a bunch of ties, but a couple things that would tip the scales in Buff's favor for me:
a)Buffalo is much more diverse. That diversity of populous is important to me and is a definite feather in the cap for Buffalo...b)Buffalo's location is mich more valuable. Memphis borders Arkansas and Mississippi; in the time it takes to get to Jackson or Little Rock from Memphis, you can be in Pittsburgh or Cleveland or Toronto from Buffalo. No contest...
In several ways these cities mirror each other. Both have extrdorinarily proud natives. Both cities will remain very close to my heart, forever!
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