Cultural Differences between Denver & OKC or Dallas TX (Estes Park: buy, living in) - Colorado (CO) - City-Data Forum

tonyd1979 · 09-24-2011, 01:24 PM

Hello! I'm curious if anyone now living in the Denver area had experiences living in Oklahoma City or the Dallas area in the past; I'm more interested in the hearing about cultural differences between these two distinct regions of the country.

I spent the entire summer living in Oklahoma City, perhaps it's unfair to make a judgment with this short time here but my perception of OKC is a culture deep rooted in very traditional teachings like the church and conservative upbringings, taking a while in the development and trust of outsiders. Very nice people here in OKC but the dating/social scene seems to be the non progressive types lacking avant-garde qualities I'm used to experiencing back east; I'm a Philly guy. Dallas I'm told here is very much like OKC just 3 times bigger city. Outdoor recreation is minimal here in these parts.

I could be dead wrong but had a much different experience while spending time/traveling in Colorado in the past, I never saw Denver though. Oh my, did I have a blast with social scene in Estes Park Colorado few years back.

I'm looking for work in the oil and gas industry, there now is an environmental management firm in Casper Wyoming that is interested in me. They tell me Denver is 4 hrs. away which will be great to visit for the weekends. I could be coming up that way.

I miss the mountains and the social scene back east; the winters are no problem for me.

Any thoughts along these lines from those that lived in OKC or Dallas, I would like to hear from you.

Thank you.

TonyD.

[SIZE=3] [/SIZE]

JrzDefector · 09-24-2011, 04:14 PM

Hey, I haven't lived in OKC or Dallas, but I'm from Central Jersey, and used to spend a lot of time in NYC and Philly. I was never into the whole club scene or whatever, but I feel comfortable in Denver. Yeah, there's differences (people are mostly nicer), but I don't feel out of place at all. I'm happier here than I ever have been. And from what I know about OKC and Dallas (based on friends from those cities/areas), Denver is far more left wing and less church-oriented, not nearly as traditional (though I could be stereotyping).

GuitarPlayr · 09-24-2011, 05:00 PM

Dallas kind of cracked me up. Complete Bible belt yet had more strip clubs around than any other state I have seen. You drive down a highway and see billboards all over for them. Then liquor stores were always a concern and many areas around Dallas/Ft Worth are dry. I also had married co-workers sleeping around with other employees but they were in church every Sunday. A bit hypocritical I think.

From a weather standpoint, there is no comparison. You can go to a park in Dallas in June or July and be the only one there. In Denver, everyone is out with their families, dogs etc. Who wants to be in a park when it is 98-103 degrees and humid as hell? Hell might be an upgrade though because I hear it is a dry heat.

I worked in IT for a large company and I was kind of surprised when we did team lunches, someone was always saying grace. Now in IT, you usually have people from many different countries and cultures. I always wondered how my Muslim and Hindu co-workers felt about this.

So in all honesty, I would steer clear of Dallas if at all possible. I went down there when my company left Denver. I have been so much happier being back home.

Mamasalama · 09-24-2011, 11:00 PM

I have not lived in OKC, but recently moved to Denver from KC. I think KC and OKC are probably similar in a lot of ways. I think you will find more diversity in Denver than OKC. But, I do find that the people are a bit ruder here than KC and, from what I have experienced so far, the drivers are not very polite. Everyone has a different perspective depending on where they came from. People from the east coast may find the people in Denver quite polite...I use to live in Philly and found that east coast people, in general, are very rude, self-centered, and harsh. If that was all I had to compare to, then, yes, I would say the people in Denver are quite nice.

zenkonami · 09-25-2011, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mamasalama

But, I do find that the people are a bit ruder here than KC and, from what I have experienced so far, the drivers are not very polite. Everyone has a different perspective depending on where they came from. People from the east coast may find the people in Denver quite polite...I use to live in Philly and found that east coast people, in general, are very rude, self-centered, and harsh. If that was all I had to compare to, then, yes, I would say the people in Denver are quite nice.

We're not rude...we're just direct

But well said.

vegaspilgrim · 09-25-2011, 10:35 PM

I spent a lot of time in central & northeastern Oklahoma as part of my last job. OKC is very southern. Same with Dallas. Denver is not southern at all, though there are a number of Texans who have moved here over the years. Denver is basically a midwestern culture with a touch of [some might say wannabe] west coast trendiness mixed in. The differences are very apparent. People from OK and TX have very strong southern accents. Whenever I was in OK everything is "yes sir, yes maam." You don't really hear that in Denver very often. The food is different. Everything in OK is fried, with bacon thrown in just about everything. Not much in the way of vegetables. People are noticeably fatter. People are also noticeably friendlier in OK than they are in CO.

OP, you should probably post this on the Wyoming forum. Casper is absolutely nothing like Denver at all. It's a long, boring drive and you probably won't want to be doing it very often.

Melanzana92 · 09-26-2011, 07:12 AM

Don't go to Oklahoma City, or even Dallas.

I was raised for 9 years just outside of Oklahoma City in a suburb called Mustang, and after living in another part of the area, and now Colorado - I see that it is trashy as heck down there. The place is kind of ugly, to be honest. In most of Oklahoma in general, there is litter all along the roadway, buildings off to the side are falling apart, even the occupied ones. People are so lazy down there.

People may tend to be "friendly", but I feel that it's superficial. If they learn something about you (ie. "Oh, you're an atheist..." or "Oh, you're gay...?", "Oh, you voted for...") then they will treat you differently.

And the weather, oh my gosh... I'm never setting foot in the South during summer ever again. Enough said!

Obviously, Dallas is a lot larger than Oklahoma City, and a lot more city-like. It's also a lot more progressive in areas and there are places in town that are "hip" or whatever to live in and whatnot. My only problems with Dallas are 1) the spring, summer, and fall, known to me as the 9 months of Hell, and 2) it's in Texas...

Once you step off the plane, or out of the door of your car in Denver, the mountains alone should be enough to keep you here. South to north as far as the eye can see. Where in freaking Oklahoma or Texas can you get that? Our weather is also near-perfect, and in my opinion, the people here in Colorado are nicer than in Oklahoma or most of Texas, because they'll be glad to get to know you even if you voted the other way.

Howest2008 · 09-26-2011, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonyd1979

Hello! I'm curious if anyone now living in the Denver area had experiences living in Oklahoma City or the Dallas area in the past; I'm more interested in the hearing about cultural differences between these two distinct regions of the country.

I spent the entire summer living in Oklahoma City, perhaps it's unfair to make a judgment with this short time here but my perception of OKC is a culture deep rooted in very traditional teachings like the church and conservative upbringings, taking a while in the development and trust of outsiders. Very nice people here in OKC but the dating/social scene seems to be the non progressive types lacking avant-garde qualities I'm used to experiencing back east; I'm a Philly guy. Dallas I'm told here is very much like OKC just 3 times bigger city. Outdoor recreation is minimal here in these parts.

I could be dead wrong but had a much different experience while spending time/traveling in Colorado in the past, I never saw Denver though. Oh my, did I have a blast with social scene in Estes Park Colorado few years back.

I'm looking for work in the oil and gas industry, there now is an environmental management firm in Casper Wyoming that is interested in me. They tell me Denver is 4 hrs. away which will be great to visit for the weekends. I could be coming up that way.

I miss the mountains and the social scene back east; the winters are no problem for me.

Any thoughts along these lines from those that lived in OKC or Dallas, I would like to hear from you.

Thank you.

TonyD.

[SIZE=3] [/SIZE]

The vast majority of my family are in Tulsa , Oklahoma City and DENVER (The Culture Diff Between ) Dallas and OKC are "Large" Dallas is a Lib City in a very Conservative State....OKC is a Cons City In A Cons State....Denver is pretty much like Dallas Lib City in a Cons State....however Denver has a Northern Mid Western Vibe like
Minneapolis St. Paul

denverian · 09-26-2011, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howest2008

The vast majority of my family are in Tulsa , Oklahoma City and DENVER (The Culture Diff Between ) Dallas and OKC are "Large" Dallas is a Lib City in a very Conservative State....OKC is a Cons City In A Cons State....Denver is pretty much like Dallas Lib City in a Cons State....however Denver has a Northern Mid Western Vibe like
Minneapolis St. Paul

I'd say Colorado isn't conservative, but Independent. And I'd also say that Denver is quite a lot more liberal than Dallas.

Howest2008 · 09-26-2011, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by denverian

I'd say Colorado isn't conservative, but Independent. And I'd also say that Denver is quite a lot more liberal than Dallas.

Red and Blue states map

http://bits.wikimedia.org/skins-1.17/common/images/magnify-clip.png (broken link)
Summary of results of the 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 presidential elections:[CENTER][/CENTER]States carried by the Republican in all four elections
[CENTER][/CENTER]States carried by the Republican in three of the four elections
[CENTER][/CENTER]States carried by each party twice in the four elections
[CENTER][/CENTER]States carried by the Democrat in three of the four elections
[CENTER][/CENTER]States carried by the Democrat in all

Colorado is majority red but have some Blue area's like denver & boulder , as far as Denver being more liberal than Dallas I will buy that because Dallas has pockets of conservatives in the city proper....