Tulsa-Will I survive? (nice areas, parks, areas)

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by Jammie

It's funny how our life experiences make us see things differently. We've always lived in the same area (small population) and to us~Tulsa is a HUGE city. We were just so impressed by the courtesy of the drivers there since we didn't know our way around at all for the first two days. There were no hand gestures or honking horns or anything. People even slow down to give you a chance to change lanes. That's also the way it is here, but we've been in other areas where the opposite is true.

How funny. It is true we all see life through our own set of lenses. Tulsa really is a nice size, but it definately isn't HUGE. After kicking around L.A. very few cities are (to me).

[Jammie]

Originally Posted by jeffncandace

How funny. It is true we all see life through our own set of lenses. Tulsa really is a nice size, but it definately isn't HUGE. After kicking around L.A. very few cities are (to me).

Oh you're gonna love this~the population of the town that I grew up NEAR was 900 people. It's now down to about 500. The town I actually live in now was always our "big town". The population is just under 15,000.

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by Jammie

Oh you're gonna love this~the population of the town that I grew up NEAR was 900 people. It's now down to about 500. The town I actually live in now was always our "big town". The population is just under 15,000.

Oh believe me, the town I grew up in was about 2000, and now around 1100. Our "big town" was 45 minutes away, and about 50k people at that time.

I never liked the small town life and moved from that town to Tulsa. It was "big city" to me at the time too, but I have since kicked around some bigger areas, so in retrospect it's not as big as it was to a 17 year old boy from the sticks.

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by jeffncandace

Oh believe me, the town I grew up in was about 2000, and now around 1100. Our "big town" was 45 minutes away, and about 50k people at that time.

I never liked the small town life and moved from that town to Tulsa. It was "big city" to me at the time too, but I have since kicked around some bigger areas, so in retrospect it's not as big as it was to a 17 year old boy from the sticks.

Ya, well I've got you both beat.. Gerty, Ok - population 85!

[Jammie]

Originally Posted by Synopsis

Ya, well I've got you both beat.. Gerty, Ok - population 85!

OMG, now that's small!!!! It'll be another 20 years before the town I grew up in is down to that. Synopsis, where was your "big town"?

Jeff, I agree~I don't like really small towns. I'd never again consider living in a town that's under 5,000. Actually, it's not the population that scares me~it's the traffic!!! It's funny, when I was young I couldn't wait to drive. Now I only drive cause I absolutely have to.

[peladac]

Originally Posted by Jammie

Sendee, now you make me want go back for another vacation. That was a very nice post and I totally agree with everyone that Tulsa has so much going for it. We found it to be absolutely beautiful. We like nature and the Gardens and the architecture are something definitely worth seeing. If we ever are lucky enough to live there, I'm afraid it'll be hard to get me out of the Gardens. It was mid-Oct. and even the rose bushes were still in full bloom and just beautiful.

It's funny how our life experiences make us see things differently. We've always lived in the same area (small population) and to us~Tulsa is a HUGE city. We were just so impressed by the courtesy of the drivers there since we didn't know our way around at all for the first two days. There were no hand gestures or honking horns or anything. People even slow down to give you a chance to change lanes. That's also the way it is here, but we've been in other areas where the opposite is true.

"There were no hand gestures or honking horns or anything. People even slow down to give you a chance to change lanes."

Wow Jammie, that was nice, I wish I had your experience. Although no matter what city I'm in big or small, you get your jerky road drivers. Our first time here no one would let us in so my husband edged his way in to get into the turning lane. Well, a man got out of his car started yelling at my husband and after I told him to just get in his car he hit our window. We had the last laugh though 'cause as he was walking back to his car, the long line of traffic made that light including us but not him. Common courtesy throughout the world has diminished and it's sad. Oh, I passed someone one day going 25 in a 45 mph zone and as I proceeded to pass the driver stuck his hand out and flipped me off. Actually I've been flipped off by two people just because I wanted to pass them when they were driving well below the speed limit. Go figure.

For the most part, Tulsa really is a nice town. I can honestly say I actually have conversations with people in stores around here and I haven't experienced that before. It's really nice.

As far as the weather, yeah, I have to laugh too when they talk about the humidity, and you're right, it does not last as long as the south, thank GOODNESS!

[Jammie]

Ped, sorry you encountered a couple of real jerks on the road. And you're right~we have a few jerks even in the town I live in. But since I know who those few are, they're easy to avoid.

I know that people often treat us the way we treat them, BUT there are just some places where people aren't friendly and are downright rude. It seems that it's in areas because others learn it's acceptable there and it's their way of survival so the whole little den is rude. Maybe the guy you encountered snuck away from his "rude corner" and was trying to assimilate elsewhere, but it didn't work.

[JM100]

Originally Posted by sallybell

Hi, we are relocating for the umpteenth time and looks like Tulsa is the next spot. I have visited, and while I think the city has some beauty, I am worried about the religious aspects and the conservative nature of the city. I am not religious at all, and definitely not conservative. We were looking at possibly moving to the midtown area in an historic home. I am late 30's and no kids and scared to death I will not fit in. Is this a "good" area to consider living or do I have it all wrong? I am worried about the seeming lack of non-chain restaurants and dealing with a redneck mentality. We lived in the midwest several years ago and I was amazed about how the religious preaching even took place in the workplace. There were prayer meetings etc. during the day! Am I going to confront this in Tulsa? What about job opps for a college degreed individual?

Sally - you are probably in Tulsa by now and making your own determinations. I read some of the replies - and though it was so true that people see what they expect to see. There is a lot to do here. There is Opera and Country music. TU and other places bring in many nationally known speakers. Steve Simon of NPR was here a week ago. Sandra Day O'Conner was here a few months ago. There are places where I've heard religion mentioned where it shouldn't be - but yes, it's more often in areas outside of Tulsa and OkCity. If you're still reading here, I would recommend you get a book called Alternative Oklahoma: Contrarian Views of the Sooner State, Edited by Davis D. Joyce, published by the University of Oklahoma Press. I think I got mine at Steve's Sundry, a non-chain bookstore that has been in mid-town Tulsa for a long, long time. You can go in the back and sit at the counter and get a good old chocolate shake, but I digress. One of the chapters is about religion in the "buckle of the Bible Belt." This writer points out that Tulsa has the largest Unitarian church in the United States. That the past editors of the Tulsa papers helped start Planned Parenthood. So, this perhaps will give you some insight into an alternative way to look at Tulsa - there are people of many types here.

I live in mid-town and love it. Everything is so handy. And you can find lots of restaurants that are not chains. I had dinner last night at Rick's Americain Cafe at 51st and Harvard - it's wonderful. The cost of living here makes it like getting a raise. I have a house that would have cost 4-5 times the cost on the East Coast where I moved from (although, I am a Tulsa native).

Good luck - I hope you find lots of friendly people in Tulsa.
JM 100

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by JM100

Sally - you are probably in Tulsa by now and making your own determinations. I read some of the replies - and though it was so true that people see what they expect to see. There is a lot to do here. There is Opera and Country music. TU and other places bring in many nationally known speakers. Steve Simon of NPR was here a week ago. Sandra Day O'Conner was here a few months ago. There are places where I've heard religion mentioned where it shouldn't be - but yes, it's more often in areas outside of Tulsa and OkCity. If you're still reading here, I would recommend you get a book called Alternative Oklahoma: Contrarian Views of the Sooner State, Edited by Davis D. Joyce, published by the University of Oklahoma Press. I think I got mine at Steve's Sundry, a non-chain bookstore that has been in mid-town Tulsa for a long, long time. You can go in the back and sit at the counter and get a good old chocolate shake, but I digress. One of the chapters is about religion in the "buckle of the Bible Belt." This writer points out that Tulsa has the largest Unitarian church in the United States. That the past editors of the Tulsa papers helped start Planned Parenthood. So, this perhaps will give you some insight into an alternative way to look at Tulsa - there are people of many types here.

I live in mid-town and love it. Everything is so handy. And you can find lots of restaurants that are not chains. I had dinner last night at Rick's Americain Cafe at 51st and Harvard - it's wonderful. The cost of living here makes it like getting a raise. I have a house that would have cost 4-5 times the cost on the East Coast where I moved from (although, I am a Tulsa native).

Good luck - I hope you find lots of friendly people in Tulsa.
JM 100

Welcome to the forums JM, and thanks for a very informative first post!

[Trkstp Tina]

I am not that familiar with Tulsa, but have spent several months living in Oklahoma City. We traveled around and saw a lot of the state while we were living there. It can feel a little small after a while--the state doesn't offer the endless cultural and recreational opportunities of the big coastal cities. However, there is still a lot to do and see in Oklahoma, and we loved the friendliness of the people and the general vibe--a cool mixture of Western, Midwestern and Southern cultures. I think either OKC or Tulsa would be a good place to live for many people, although it's certainly not for everyone

We drove up to Tulsa one day from OKC, and overall, I was impressed with the city. The downtown was pretty dead, which was a little disappointing (it was a Sunday, though), but I'm finding this is pretty typical for many cities in this part of the U.S., unfortunately. We found a restaurant open downtown, and it was excellent. (Sorry don't remember the name.) We drove around some neighborhoods with beautiful old homes and went to an open house. My husband was wearing a t-shirt that pokes fun at W (the prez), and someone said to him "like your t-shirt!" So I guess they can't all be conservative in Tulsa :-).

I imagine that culturally, OKC and Tulsa are pretty similar. I'm Catholic, and my husband is not very religious, and we always felt comfortable in OKC. (Catholics are definitely a minority in OK.) We knew people that were religious and not religious, and no one ever tried to convert us.