[Italian_Flower]

My company has locations around the country and I have the option of having a relative say in where I live out of their 46 options... one of them is Oklahoma. So... what is there to like and dislike about living in this area? I could be placed around the state, but most seem to end up in Tulsa or Oklahoma City.

I'm trying to narrow down my options--I'm fresh out of college, ready to experience the world, and really open-minded so I'm letting every place be on the table. I am single, female, am not particularly needy at this point. I have a dog and like outdoorsy stuff but what's most important to me is having stuff to do (cultural events, places to go, trails to hike, classes to take, etc) and most most important is having the community be welcoming. I'm very social and make friends easily but I've lived in places where the culture encourages being more isolated--that is not for me!

SO... how does Oklahoma do in that regard? What are summers like? Anything else you can tell me that'll help me make or break this on my list? I have lived in very very poor areas of the country and very rich areas of the country--I'm adaptable. Like I said, the community is the most important, crime rates and quality of my living space is relative to what I can do and who I can do it with. I can always move again to a better area once I get a feel for the place. Thank you so much!

[eddie gein]

It would help to know what you are used to and where you've been.

I would say that Oklahoma City area and Tulsa area would be the best places for somebody straight out of college. The only other town I might suggest for somebody that age is Bartlesville because Conoco Phillips has a lot of new grad employees.

Oklahoma people are pretty friendly and trusting however you really need to be in the metro's of B'ville if you want a lot of culture or amenities. Most of the rural part of the state is pretty blue collar and farmy/ranchy.


Weatherwise you can count on a really hot summer with a couple of breaks (like we are having now), Gets hot about mid june and doesn't cool off until mid september. Usually if it gets really hot the humidity goes down and that helps some

Winter can be cold but isn't always. Usually just a couple of snow or ice storms that may or may not melt off quickly. Last winter it never really did get cold other than a few days. Fall is nice but very short. Spring is ok but usually it is when the crazy storms and tornadoes.

There are a lot of outdoor activities in Oklahoma but sometimes you might need to drive a couple of hours to get to it. Oklahoma has more man made lakes than just about anywhere so lake activities are huge here.

Hunting, fishing are big among a lot of the residents however golfing is real big.

All in all probably the best thing about the state is that the people are nice and it's cheap to live here

[linicx]

I've lived in different states between MI and CA., but I've traveled most of the US (except the Northeast) plus Canada and Mexico. In my opinion there are only two truly unique states historically and culturally: OK and LA. OKC is the state capital and sports city where two large universities, OSU and OU, and OKC Thunder, the NBA basketball team, are anchored. Tulsa is considered by some to be the Art Capital of Oklahoma. Sometimes it is almost as if there is an East OK and West OK because physically the two are so very different.

NE OK is the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. One finds rolling hills, deciduous trees, large bodies of water and a wide variety of nature from scissor-tailed Flycatcher to the white pelican and from heron to wild turkey to coons to coyote. NE OK is the only place you'll see an authentic Japanese Botanical Garden, the largest multiple-arch dam in the world, and the largest antique museum in the world. Grand Lake is 66 miles long with 1300 miles of shoreline. It takes an average of 5 hours to drive "around the lake". Grand Lake is approx. 100 miles NE or Tulsa. If you like to camp primitive or RV, Honey Creek St. Park in Grove is a 33-acre full service state park located on the banks of Grand Lake. The park is very walkable, its clean and its friendly. Its less than 3 miles from the hospital, shopping, restaurants. If you love water and nature you'll fall in love. Grove is a peninsula. Grove and Tulsa both have pretty good medical care. I say this from practical experience with these hospitals and critical care family patients. I have not been to any other hospitals in OK.

After one leaves Tulsa and follows I-40 west the scenery gives way to flat land and red earth to the TX border. OKC weather can be frightening. The movie "Twister" was based on the F5 Tornado that struck OKC. Tulsa is in the Tornado Alley, too. The largest percentage of OK storms form in the SW and move NE. One of Tulsa's tornadoes ripped thru Auto Row that faces 1-44.

Tulsa is a very green town of IM MSA with lots of shade trees - even in the shopping centers and mall parking lots. All most all of the shopping centers have a public clock. And you can find upscale dining, aas well as upscale shopping at stores like Miss Jackson's in Utica Square. Tulsa has 9 private/public universities/colleges of various sizes located throughout the city. You will find ballet, performing arts center, zoo, visual arts, 8 museums, regional state fair and more. Tulsa has everything you would expect in area of a million people. You will find the botanical garden as well the garden the locals call the Rose Garden, aquarium and some other goodies.

OK is a politically conservative state with many Native American Tribes. The Tulsa Powwow is one of the oldest in the state. If you curious you can learn a lot and experience a lot. Please do not take pictures without asking first. Tulsa is conservative and Christian, yet one can also find a very nice Jewish Temple, and very well written newspaper:
Oklahoma Latest & Breaking News, Sports, Weather, Entertainment, Business, Jobs, Homes, Cars, and Classified Ads OK | Tulsa World

I do not believe you will be disappointed in what you find. It is good place to live and you are not so far from Dallas, OKC, KC, St. Louis, Hot Springs, Branson, that you drive for a weekend. You might not be that far from Denver. You are between 100 and 600 miles from any destination I listed.

[soanchorless]

I think my answer would really depend on where you are coming from. Tulsa and OKC both have plenty of culture and things to do unless you're coming from Chicago or Los Angeles or another huge metro area like them. You should have no problem meeting people, making friends, etc if you're outgoing.

The summer heat is the thing that is the worst for me. Depending on where you are from, it could be a non-issue.

[lauraisland]

PRO: cost of living; nice, happy people; safe (there are some shady parts of OKC, but generally very safe); great restaurants (not chains); strong economy; sports -- college games and NBA; OKC is on a growth curve and there's alot of energy in the air

CONS: Summer heat; lack of natural beauty (mountains, oceans, etc.); traffic in Edmond, OKC due to growth

[t80tank]

There's natural beauty in Oklahoma. You got the Wichita "mountains" in the southwest part of the state, and the hills and numerous lakes across the eastern part.

[StillwaterTownie]

One will get bored worse with the view in most of Kansas, especially the western half.

[nightbird47]

I came here from socal, the inland empire area. Our view was strip malls, stores, roads, houses, buildings, smog so thick you couldnt even see the mountains half the year and an endless supply of traffic. It got worse when offices started four day work weeks and traffic was impossible on both thursday and friday...

Came to visit a friend here and realized I could actually breath and the sky was this beautiful blue. I was used to wind with the constant santa anas and heat all summer but you can't buy breathable air there (they are number one on the scale of most polluted area in the country).

Our area is rolling hills and lots of trees but to me it looks just beautiful with just dirt and trees and no buildings....

It's already home to me here.

[linicx]

I came with a friend to Grove one night, took one look at the lake and fell in love. The next year we moved and stayed for nearly thirty years.