Culinary opportunities: NYC vs OKC (Oklahoma City, Howe: to rent, neighborhoods, income)

[rocketsurgeon]

Hi everyone. I'am debating a move to either NYC (Brooklyn) or OKC. Weird right? The NYC culinary scene is hard to beat but it's somewhat competitive and since NYC is a sanctuary city, most employers don't check immigration status. This makes competing for a job AND a livable wage difficult. I did work in NYC but the quality of life was marginal at best; with almost 50% of my income going to rent. The restaurant owner I worked for had a drug habit that kept him from committing to the financial obligations he had with the vendors and employees. A lot of unnecessary chaos. Anyways, I have read some good things about the livability and quality of life in OKC. What's the culinary scene is like in OKC? Is it an up-and-coming "foodie" city? Since I don't have a car, is the public transportation reliable? If not, which decent neighborhoods are within a 45-60 minute walk from, lets say, a restaurant in Bricktown? Thanks.

[dvxhd]

This post is way too vague. What exactly do you want to do in the culinary industry? Wait tables? Open a restaurant? Sous-chef? Short orders? What? And quality of life is very subjective. What do you want out of a city? If it's just lower costs, then OKC would be perfect for you, but know that wages are lower here than in New York too.

OKC's culinary scene leaves a lot to be desired, and take that how you will. It could mean an opportunity to open a new and daring restaurant, it could mean the market/local tastes wouldn't support such an establishment, it could mean people overlook the area, etc. Public transit is horrible here, and I wouldn't use it or walking as my sole means of transportation. If you're careful about finding a place near where you work, then of course you can get to work by foot. However, you will likely find life here uncomfortable without a car when it comes to errands, entertainment, etc.

[rocketsurgeon]

Originally Posted by dvxhd

This post is way too vague. What exactly do you want to do in the culinary industry? Wait tables? Open a restaurant? Sous-chef? Short orders? What? And quality of life is very subjective. What do you want out of a city? If it's just lower costs, then OKC would be perfect for you, but know that wages are lower here than in New York too.

OKC's culinary scene leaves a lot to be desired, and take that how you will. It could mean an opportunity to open a new and daring restaurant, it could mean the market/local tastes wouldn't support such an establishment, it could mean people overlook the area, etc. Public transit is horrible here, and I wouldn't use it or walking as my sole means of transportation. If you're careful about finding a place near where you work, then of course you can get to work by foot. However, you will likely find life here uncomfortable without a car when it comes to errands, entertainment, etc.

I'm a cook. Just a cook: Prep or line.

[dvxhd]

I found this, which might be good for getting an idea. But with this kind of pay, your finances would still be pretty tight despite the lower cost of living:

line cook Salary in Oklahoma City, OK | Indeed.com

[rocketsurgeon]

Originally Posted by dvxhd

I found this, which might be good for getting an idea. But with this kind of pay, your finances would still be pretty tight despite the lower cost of living:

line cook Salary in Oklahoma City, OK | Indeed.com

Thanks. That really put things in perspective.

[VVolfpack]

Livable wage and restaurants don't go well together here, I've been working in restaurants for many years and I don't know any places that pay cooks anything decent.
With our new look downtown there's a few nice places to eat now, so we're getting somewhere with our "culinary scene" but it's still far behind anything in NYC.

Also, It would be a bad idea moving here without some sort of vehicle. OKC is such a spread out city that the public transportation is pretty lousy.

Sorry this wasn't very encouraging

[westernkansas]

catfish and beef

[bucky1265]

Originally Posted by rocketsurgeon

Hi everyone. I'am debating a move to either NYC (Brooklyn) or OKC. Weird right? The NYC culinary scene is hard to beat but it's somewhat competitive and since NYC is a sanctuary city, most employers don't check immigration status. This makes competing for a job AND a livable wage difficult. I did work in NYC but the quality of life was marginal at best; with almost 50% of my income going to rent. The restaurant owner I worked for had a drug habit that kept him from committing to the financial obligations he had with the vendors and employees. A lot of unnecessary chaos. Anyways, I have read some good things about the livability and quality of life in OKC. What's the culinary scene is like in OKC? Is it an up-and-coming "foodie" city? Since I don't have a car, is the public transportation reliable? If not, which decent neighborhoods are within a 45-60 minute walk from, lets say, a restaurant in Bricktown? Thanks.

If you move to OKC, do it for the change of pace/lifestyle/culture. As far as culinary prospects, OKC is very minor league compared to the East Coast. If you have capital, there's lots of potential for smaller boutique, concept oriented bistros, but those are best done in the more affluent areas, where there is at least a bit more culinary literacy than the rest of the area. The state is dominated by steak-and-potatoes, corporate cookie-cutter Italian with pre-fab entrees, or faux antique decorated happy-hour joints. Few places greater than three star (if that).

In OKC you will definitely have to have a car, as public transit is almost non-existent. As far as corrupt shenanigans, my wife and I both can tell you from our years in the food business all of that is pretty universal -- you're not going to get away from it. We know many places which operate like a page right out of "restaurant confindential." The author of that book told the gospel truth. In fact, there are "families" from "the old neighborhood" who use restaurants here to "shelter" their "investments."

In terms of lifestyle, if you're wanting a break from fast paced crowded East coast living, you'll find the suburbs of OKC to be slower paced, more open, and refreshing. BUT -- the pay here is lower than either coast because the consumer price index is lower. You won't find any net gain, in that regard.

Hope this helps, and if you do come, welcome!