[Goodpasture]

Originally Posted by valgal123

can suggest a low crime area to live in Texas?

Oklahoma City

[Big DJ]

Originally Posted by valgal123

Is that a mistake?
I'm 21, female and want a cheap place to live that is nice. I've read threads on here about other people who have moved or want to and its nothing but positive talk about OKC. How do you like it?

I live in OKC and want to move to Seattle! Seattle is what's up! Okc is not really the greatest place to live. I mean, the cost of living is ok. But I've been to Seattle many times and its not really that much more expensive than OKC. And the sea food in Seattle is awesome! There are so many nice restaurants there!

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by valgal123

So I've been looking through the Texas forum and I have to say it doesn't sound appealing. Crime, low pay, crime, oh yeah, and more crime.
can suggest a low crime area to live in Texas?

I don't want to slight Texas because lord knows Texans spend a lot of their time slighting Oklahoma; but Texas really isn't all that great unless you want to live in one of the big metro areas.

Dallas/Ft Worth and Houston are both huge metros like Seattle and San
Antonio is large (about like Portland).

Down there, Austin would probably be the most culturally in tune with Seattle. Much more so than any place in the rest of Texas or Oklahoma (and even Austin isn't THAT similar).

Oklahoma is pretty much what you get if you mixed equal proportions of Texas and Kansas, add a few table spoons of Arkansas and a pinch of Missouri.

It is a lot different down here than the Pacific Northwest. I really wouldn't even know where to start. What I like best about it here though is that it is not overrun with people from someplace else. If you come down here you will get to see what Oklahoma is like as it has pretty much maintained it's charactor through the decades.

[valgal123]

Thank you for all the responses!

I hardly ever go into Seattle or eat at the nice restaurants (don't have the money). Apartments in Seattle are $700 for one bedroom (that is the lowest) and these apartments are usually dirty or have bad management.

I'm looking for a place where I can live comfortably on 1,500 a month, while perhaps going to school, in an area of low crime, and figure out what to do with my life.

I don't care for all the rain here in Seattle, I also would like to (need to) get away from my roots (family) and start fresh!!! And I felt that Oklahoma was a good place to do it. To me Oklahoma seems like the only place I can afford to live, I plan on sharing an apartment so my rent will only be like $400, and I will get my own bathroom (I would never be able to find that here in Seattle).

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by *******

Texas seems like a much better option than Oklahoma because it has a low cost of living like Oklahoma, but higher wages and lower unemployment, and Texas to me seems like a much more progressive, cooler, interesting, and exciting state than Oklahoma.

Texas also has a lower tornado risk.
I heard Oklahoma City metro is the most vulnerable city metro in the USA for tornadoes and one of the most vulnerable in the world. It seems to get directly hit by many tornadoes in its recorded history, at least once a year.

Texas also gets even warmer weather than Oklahoma and less vulnerable to extremes and cold weather than Oklahoma.

Oklahoma can get extreme cold spells in parts of its winter than is colder than Seattle ever gets. For example Early February Oklahoma had temperatures up to 20 degrees below zero farenheight, with heavy snow and blizzard. But just a week later, areas of Oklahoma literally got 90 degrees warmer and was in the 70s for highs.
Such extreme weather in Oklahoma to go from 20 below zero to 75 degrees in one week!

>>>>>
Texas seems like a much better option than Oklahoma because it has a low cost of living like Oklahoma, but higher wages and lower unemployment, and Texas to me seems like a much more progressive, cooler, interesting, and exciting state than Oklahoma.
<<<<<

Yeh, but the people are better looking in Oklahoma......and we're not as Texasy because we're OKIES and dang proud of it.


Also, I'm about 110% sure that all transplants would like Texas better anyhow....with the sole exception of our neighbors (Arkies!) coming back west (home to Oklahoma Rednecks) from the east (home to Arkansas Hillbillies).

[okcpulse]

Originally Posted by valgal123

Is that a mistake?
I'm 21, female and want a cheap place to live that is nice. I've read threads on here about other people who have moved or want to and its nothing but positive talk about OKC. How do you like it?

I very much enjoy OKC, and I am looking forward to living there again. It has been mentioned on here that Texas has lower cost of living like OKC, but loower unemployment and higher wages. Neither are completely true. Oklahoma has lower unemployment (some of you people need to check you stats) and there are a growing number of companies in OKC that are paying higher wages each year.

One great advantage OKC has for someone your age is the availability of reasonable apartment rental rates in Northwest OKC north of the Lake Hefner area, and many of these apartment developments are decent to very nice. Most one bedroom rates run between $550 and $700 a month depending on the development. Look at complexes located on N. MacArthur between NW 122 St. and Memorial Rd. Another plus about being near Lake Hefner is the availability of natural recreation. Lake Hefner has a 9-mile paved trail that circles the entire lake. Hefner is also OKC's recreational hotspot for running, bicycling, rollerblading, kite-boarding, golf, fishing and sailing. There is a dog park near the lake if you own a pet. You also have easy access to two shopping malls... Penn Square and Quail Springs. Classen Curve is a new upscale shopping development with a restaurant I enjoy called 105 Degrees Raw.

Moreover, OKC is definitely getting better grocery store options. Whole Foods Market is opening in August. It is located on Grand Boulevard and Classen. Sunflower Farmer's Market is going to be opening a location on NW 63rd and May, and Sprouts is scouting for a location in the area at this time.

If you choose Edmond, a suburb of OKC, there are reasonable apartments there as well, but the cost of living is a bit higher and the city of 85,000 is more congested. However, Edmond is very well kept, clean and very low crime.

South OKC is a different animal. There are very nice areas south if I-240 and west of the suburb of Moore, but shopping is sparse and the area has a different feel that leaves a poor impression on out-of-towners. However, Crest Fresh Market (a local grocer's first organic and fresh foods location) is open on May and SW 104th.

The best part of living in OKC is that if you enjoy places like Lake Hefner, the Oklahoma City Zoo (a science museum and casino are next door), Western Avenue (wine bars, eclectic dining and shopping), downtown and Bricktown, you can get anywhere in the city within 20 minutes. Take my info for what it is worth.

[ironhorseherb]

I can't believe I have lived 66 years and never been to a Whole Food store, let alone the lack of one would determine where I want to live.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by ironhorseherb

I can't believe I have lived 66 years and never been to a Whole Food store, let alone the lack of one would determine where I want to live.

Amen! We must just be old fashioned and outdated!

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by valgal123

Thank you for all the responses!

I hardly ever go into Seattle or eat at the nice restaurants (don't have the money). Apartments in Seattle are $700 for one bedroom (that is the lowest) and these apartments are usually dirty or have bad management.

I'm looking for a place where I can live comfortably on 1,500 a month, while perhaps going to school, in an area of low crime, and figure out what to do with my life.

I don't care for all the rain here in Seattle, I also would like to (need to) get away from my roots (family) and start fresh!!! And I felt that Oklahoma was a good place to do it. To me Oklahoma seems like the only place I can afford to live, I plan on sharing an apartment so my rent will only be like $400, and I will get my own bathroom (I would never be able to find that here in Seattle).

If you are looking to go to school I would look hard at Norman and Edmond. Both have 4 year schools for you to attend and have a lot of people your age around town. In OKC, there are basically three affordable options. OSU/OKC, Oklahoma City Community College, and Rose State in Midwest City. As stated earlier, the area around Lake Hefner/Memorial Road area and the Northwest Highway corridor are probably the best places for you to be. All but Rose State are pretty accessible from there, and UCO is not too far.
OU in Norman is a bit further.

Come on down. We'd love to have you.

[valgal123]

Thanks everyone! This is so helpful!
I would love to come down right now! But, I will need to get a job first, I have no idea how to do that when I live out of state.