Why are there no quality grocery stores in OKC? (Oklahoma City: condo, purchases)

[e_cuyler]

I just got back from there...liked it overall. They actually do have some name brands for some items. The things they tend to have only store brands for are items where it probably doesn't matter too much anyway [canned items, oatmeal, etc.]

Really crowded, the store layout makes it tough too, but it was a much better value than Wal-Mart for many of the items I tend to buy. I'll still have to go to Wal-Mart for some things, but I'd say I can probably do at least three-quarters of my shopping at Aldi's. Seemed like produce quality was slightly better too.

[okcpulse]

Originally Posted by Zachj7

I mean have you ever seen a city as sprawled out before in your life?

Yes I have. Houston. The sprawl is so bad that development with no rhyme or reason is spread out over large swaths of northwest Harris County that aren't even a part of Houston. Blight is in places where you wouldn't expect to find blight and retail vacancies exist by and large in these areas.

[okcpulse]

Originally Posted by Rubi3

How logical....(Not!) Grocery shoppers in OKC and grocery shoppers in Tulsa are in huge competition.

This is said to have occurred with retail and restaurants, not necessarily with grocery chains. I really don't care if anyone believes me, but I have heard about this encounter on more than one occasion from several different people.

Whether or not it is actually true, it isn't very distant from the recent episode where information on Oklahoma City's Wikipedia page was altered by a person who was later identified as a Tulsa firefighter on his Facebook profile. He changed the height of the Devon Tower, revised the population and airport passenger traffic statistics.

The admins and a wikipedia contributor had to go back in and change the data back. Maybe it was a prank, maybe not. But it did happen, and was it really necessary? So when I heard about the Tulsa Chamber incident weeks later, you can't blame me for not being surprised.

[okie1962]

Originally Posted by okcpulse

This is said to have occurred with retail and restaurants, not necessarily with grocery chains. I really don't care if anyone believes me, but I have heard about this encounter on more than one occasion from several different people.

Whether or not it is actually true, it isn't very distant from the recent episode where information on Oklahoma City's Wikipedia page was altered by a person who was later identified as a Tulsa firefighter on his Facebook profile. He changed the height of the Devon Tower, revised the population and airport passenger traffic statistics.

The admins and a wikipedia contributor had to go back in and change the data back. Maybe it was a prank, maybe not. But it did happen, and was it really necessary? So when I heard about the Tulsa Chamber incident weeks later, you can't blame me for not bring surprised.

LOL it must be real busy in your head!

[okcpulse]

This isn't a joke, okie1962. And we wonder why Oklahoma struggles to move ahead when it stands divided. These little trivial things that you guys chuckle at add up in the grand scheme of things.

When I was younger, I had a strong desire to choose Tulsa as my preferred place to live. But its personality and superiority complex go against who I am, and it's a turn-off. A beautiful city, but poorly managed and unwilling to accept its own flaws and flaunts at the expense of others. If this is how it is done in Tulsa, I'll take mine rare.

[okie1962]

Originally Posted by okcpulse

This isn't a joke, okie1962. And we wonder why Oklahoma struggles to move ahead when it stands divided. These little trivial things that you guys chuckle at add up in the grand scheme of things.

When I was younger, I had a strong desire to choose Tulsa as my preferred place to live. But its personality and superiority complex go against who I am, and it's a turn-off. A beautiful city, but poorly managed and unwilling to accept its own flaws and flaunts at the expense of others. If this is how it is done in Tulsa, I'll take mine rare.

No one from Tulsa is trying to derail anything from coming into OKC. Maybe when a company choose Tulsa over OKC it is because that company preferred Tulsa over OKC. They feel like they can make more money in Tulsa than OKC. They look at other things beside population, they look at the track record of other companies that have moved into the state and how the properties preformed. I don't really think someone from the Tulsa Chamber of commerce is going to sway someone like Costco to go into Tulsa before OKC. These companies spend a lot of money on research finding the best bang for their buck. They could careless about any rivalry between Tulsa and OKC.

And there are a lot of other companies that have moved into OKC before Tulsa, so it really goes both ways.

My friend, I am so glad you love OKC and believe me I wish everyone in OKC shared your enthusiasm. If that was the case OKC and Oklahoma would be the next up and coming superstar. I have often said that biggest thing that is holding Oklahoma back is the lack of state pride. I know a lot of folks will get on here say were are very proud folks, but if you want to see real state pride just drive down the road to Texas.

I also love OKC, I lived there before moving to Tulsa. I was so glad to hear about the Devon Tower being built, at first it was going to be higher than anything in Dallas. I was so pumped when I heard that, and then so disappointed to find out that it was scaled back. You see, I think we should be competing with Texas, not each other.

[okcpulse]

I couldn't agree more. After spending seven years in Texas, I've encountered their state pride that is so solid you can't cut it with a knife. And much as I love Oklahoma and its humility, too many people in our beloved state practice the art of self-deprication all too often... I've seen out of state people walk away with a skewed view of Oklahoma thanks to the yammering of misinformation.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by okie1962

No one from Tulsa is trying to derail anything from coming into OKC. Maybe when a company choose Tulsa over OKC it is because that company preferred Tulsa over OKC. They feel like they can make more money in Tulsa than OKC. They look at other things beside population, they look at the track record of other companies that have moved into the state and how the properties preformed. I don't really think someone from the Tulsa Chamber of commerce is going to sway someone like Costco to go into Tulsa before OKC. These companies spend a lot of money on research finding the best bang for their buck. They could careless about any rivalry between Tulsa and OKC.

And there are a lot of other companies that have moved into OKC before Tulsa, so it really goes both ways.

My friend, I am so glad you love OKC and believe me I wish everyone in OKC shared your enthusiasm. If that was the case OKC and Oklahoma would be the next up and coming superstar. I have often said that biggest thing that is holding Oklahoma back is the lack of state pride. I know a lot of folks will get on here say were are very proud folks, but if you want to see real state pride just drive down the road to Texas.

I also love OKC, I lived there before moving to Tulsa. I was so glad to hear about the Devon Tower being built, at first it was going to be higher than anything in Dallas. I was so pumped when I heard that, and then so disappointed to find out that it was scaled back. You see, I think we should be competing with Texas, not each other.

>>>>>
but if you want to see real state pride just drive down the road to Texas.
<<<<<

On the contrary, I've found Okies to be some of the most genuinely proud folks around. We don't brag about a whole lot except our college football and the superior nature of our BBQ.....and maybe the grandiose size of our catfish!

Also, I lived in Texas for a decade and most people that I know who were non-native Texans tended to interpret the Texas Pride stuff as nothing more than a real good marketing scheme for tourism and an economy boost. (On the more negative side, non-native Texans interpreted it as some sort of narcissistic complex where the bonafied Texans had to convince themselves they were really that much better than everybody else. I don't believe this, BTW.) The "I'm not from Texas but I got here as fast as I could" mentality is just branding and a wisely planned scheme to promote a braggadocio awareness among Texas residents and, as a result, make non-native Texans feel like they've arrived in the land of milk/honey....in actuality, OKLAHOMA is the Promised Land. But shhhhhhhhhhhhhh, this is a secret we would be wise to keep a lid on.

The Texas Pride is something that Texas leadership wisely hyped up to brand the state (like "Don't Mess with Texas" = was actually an anti-litter slogan) and give it more of a national following. Clearly, the branding plan has worked very well, as most people on the East/West Coast and the Midwest/Deep South tend to think of Texas as its own entity, and not a part of a region, say with Oklahoma/Arkansas/and Louisiana (to a lesser extent). For this reason, Oklahoma/Arkansas have spent a lot of time in Tejas' shadow.

IMHO, the self-deprecating Okie mentality is more of a myth that I see perpetuated by Hollywood when Oklahoma and/or Arkansas (and the like) are described as backward hillbilly states totally devoid of civility and culture. We shouldn't underestimate the power of media/conditioning/propaganda. Personally, I say let 'em think that....keeps the transplants to a bare minimum and I'd like to keep it that way because Oklahoma is a very special place that needs no changin' in my mind.

[okie1962]

Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008

>>>>>
but if you want to see real state pride just drive down the road to Texas.
<<<<<

On the contrary, I've found Okies to be some of the most genuinely proud folks around. We don't brag about a whole lot except our college football and the superior nature of our BBQ.....and maybe the grandiose size of our catfish!

We will have to agree to disagree. I know of no other group of folks as proud as Texans. Texans are Texans before they are Americans.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by okie1962

We will have to agree to disagree. I know of no other group of folks as proud as Texans. Texans are Texans before they are Americans.

Yeh, we'll have to agree to disagree. I've always been an Okie/NDN (as is my family/friends) before anything else.....but I'm much more of a state's-rights guy anyhow, so that probably explains it as it pertains to me.