[Annemieke Roell]

Who sent me a message saying "don't go here" and what is meant by it?

[linicx]

OK is okay! to the people who love it.

[Griffis]

This is a really cool thread.

Originally Posted by linicx

Oklahoma is the Native State. It has the second largest Native American population in America. It is also a natural state with grand lakes, beautiful streams, rolling hills, and abundant wildlife as well as red earth and miles of dust - depending where you live.

Oklahoma is a poor state as much as Alabama and Georgia are poor states. It has highs and lows, good and bad, but by-and-large there are far more worse places to live in the United States. Oklahoma is the only place I would live twice. Despite the negatives it has some wonderful positives if you know where to look.

Completely agree. The bolded parts especially.

Originally Posted by #1soonerfan

Towns that choose to ignore economic development will eventually see their tax base decline and young people move away. Schools, roads, and services will suffer, and the town will go into a slow death spiral. It is happening all over this state and its very sad because it doesn't have to be that way.

True, and sad. But for all the towns that are losing people and decaying, there are several areas that seem to be holding on fine, or even growing and healthy.

And why does a growth have to mean a complete wipeout of the local culture/lifestyle? Towns are not limited to be a slowly dying bump in the road or a hypergrowing orgy of sprawl. Their are several places both inside and outside of OK that have achieved a nice medium and are doing fine.

Yep.

Originally Posted by linicx

I don't need to be entertained. I enjoy solice and privacy. My property was in the original Cherokee tract that extended to the shores of Grand Lake. It is pleasing to see scissortail, cow bird, snake, rabbit, squirrel, turkey, eagle, wolf, deer and brother turtle in my yard, and to hear songs of woodpecker, whippoorwill, and wild turkey. Freedom is fishing and hunting and feeling the sun on my face. And I found all of it in the hills of Oklahoma many years ago.

Nice post. My wife and I hope someday soon to move to a smaller, more rural county and try to find a little land outside of a decent smallish town.

At least that's still affordable in large portions of Oklahoma.

[linicx]

Griffis, you might take a look at Grove and I will tell you the best reason. It has a very decent small hospital that can handle most emergencies. It also offers lifeflight transport to Joplin, Fayetteville and Tulsa. Tulsa has some awfully good doctors and hospitals. The other reason is Grove has never been touched by a tornado.

Health care may not be an issue now, but it might be tomorrow. Thanks to an old country doctor in Grove my spouse had emergency heart surgery on Thanksgiving. The 90 day prognosis of death did not come to pass until 13 years later. Even though there was only one artery, the heart was not the cause of death. It was Fibrosis. A lung doc in Tulsa saved mother's life. I have a high opinion of what to expect in Grove and Tulsa.

Grove is on a 60mile long lake Grand Lake of the Cherokees becuse it was an Indian from the Nation that ultimately gave NE OK electricity in the homes. Grove is a valley surround by cliffs, forests and rolling hills. It is filled with nature all year. It is a complete self-contianed place. You will find everything your need from bait to a Japanese garden, food and restaurants, shopping, boating, hunting, golf. local sports, movieplex, new library, churches and funeral home. You will have decent internet, cable and phone. You never have to leave to find what you need. Did I mention parks - there are three and also a senior center and other stuff for seniors, bowling and local radio station. I cannot stress enough that Grove and the services are very unusual for a small town of 5,000 anywhere. Grove residents are extremely lucky. As I side note. I tried to explain this to a friend who did not listen. She bought property barely outside of Grove to learn she didn't have internet. All she could get was a dialup connection. If it is important you have to think differently. By and large the best providers in NE OK are Suddenlink and AT&T. Some of it is due N and perhaps S of Grove but it is not NW, and not sure of East of town.

I spent a lot of time in the Eastern half of the state. I am well aware of the inequities.

[Griffis]

Originally Posted by linicx

Griffis, you might take a look at Grove...

Oh linicx, you are preacing to the choir. Grove, to me, is the most beautiful patch of Oklahoma. I love it there. I've spent so much time on the Lake over the years.

I would move there in a heartbeat if I could. And it may be possible someday.

I started working for the state at the beginning of this year, not long after moving back to Oklahoma. My wife just got hired on with the state, and this will put us in a much better financial situation.

After working for the state for a year, you can apply to transfer anywhere in the state, or apply for jobs in other state agencies, so if we can just hold out here in OKC (my wife will be working in Norman) for a year from now, we can seriously pursue moving to an area we love and purchasing a home and some land. At least that is the plan.

And the region in and around Grove is way up high on the list.

[linicx]

Tee, he, he.... the beautiful Honey Creek park in Grove is a STATE park. There are some STATE routes near Grove, and the STATE TAG and Title facility. It may be slim pickings. The park is a cushy job. One thing for sure, Grove will welcome you with open arms.

[Griffis]

Originally Posted by linicx

Tee, he, he.... the beautiful Honey Creek park in Grove is a STATE park. There are some STATE routes near Grove, and the STATE TAG and Title facility. It may be slim pickings. The park is a cushy job. One thing for sure, Grove will welcome you with open arms.

I appreciate the info. I've already considered this to a great degree. Most likely I'd have to work in Jay and live in Grove. That's do-able!

[linicx]

It's not the worst drive in the world and Delware County is pretty good about keeping main roads open in winter. You don't want to live deep in the woods without a 4x4 and blade. There is some nice properties between Lake Road 4 and Lake Road 6 you should like, but you don't want to go much farther south than LR 6 because you can run into some terrible storms.

Some interesting places East and behind the high school, and also on Cherokee that runs north. If you follow it around the Right at the T you will eventurall come to Ice Box ? and the bluffs that overlook the lake. It is a grand view of a grand lake. Lee's Restor it at the end of the bluffs drive. You might like this area too.

There is a ton of cozy small neighborhoods around the lake. Behine 100th street is another, and up around Red 11 Port Resort -- but you won't have much in the way of Internet or services. Just a thought as some of it is possible to buy now as a weekender.

[RobertEnox]

I grew up in Fairfax, Oklahoma. As a youngster I found that most of the people were mean spirited, self-righteous, and sanctimonious while describing themselves as Baptists. They could always find fault with a neighbor and their favorite past time was gossiping about one another. However, this is not true of the Osages that lived there. They were the most generous tribe of Indians I have ever met. Had it not been for their generosity we would have had very little to eat in the winter of 1956. They gave without expecting anything in return. In remembering some of these generous people I would have to mention Hall Goode, who would always find some work for kids to do around his house, Eva Green, Eva Starr, Marjorie Tallchief, who bought me a complete change of clothes and shoes when she saw me walking down Main Street. I have to mention Louise Red Eagle who was always good to me at Christmas time, Pearl Sawyers, Cora Foust, et al. After, a recent visit I found what mean spirited people can do to a town. It is no more than a trash dump...

[StillwaterTownie]

City-data says the population of Fairfax had dropped 11.3% since 2000, so a lot of people are getting out of there.