We're coming to Tulsa asap, but... (Broken Arrow, Owasso: crime, to live in, gangs)

[Annielee]

Our house goes on the market very soon. We want to fly to Tulsa and do some house hunting. Any suggestions on where to stay--nice motel/hotel with a kitchenette. It may take a couple of weeks to find a house since we will be looking in all the Tulsa areas. It would be nice not to be in the middle of a noisy commercial area. The cabins on Fort Gibson lake are great, but I think we will need a place with airconditioning on this trip.

[jeffncandace]

Sorry, can't help with where to stay but as a fellow Californian who lived in Tulsa for several years thought i would give my humble opinion!

I can't believe Tulsa's stats are even CLOSE to San Berns, much less over them. I just moved from Murrieta and am quite familiar with San Bern. Believe me, having lived in Tulsa for 6 years and still having lots of friends who still live there, I can tell you with complete confidence that there is NO comparison between Tulsa and SB. The north side of Tulsa does indeed inflate the crime stats. Tulsa in general is a great place to live.

I don't know what you are looking for in particular, but if you want to live "in town", I would strongly recommend the "Mid-Town" area of Tulsa, which is basically from 15th street thru 41st, and from the Riverside area over to Yale. This is the oldest area of Tulsa, and has the most personality. It ranges from affordable (to you) turn of the century mansions to cute early 1900 Cape Cods. The "vibe" of the area could be described as eclectic and upscale.

Othewise, if you want a slice of the country, or a more small town vibe, look into Bixby, Jenks, Owasso, and Sand Springs.

If your more into homogenized subdivisions, then check out South Tulsa or Broken Arrow. To me, being from California, these areas interested me the LEAST, since the majority of housing in Cali is subdivision tract homes.

Tulsa is a great area that I miss very much. I happily called it home from 1993-1999. I will say this though-I don't miss the summers! Too hot!

[Annielee]

There are a number of websites that give city to city crime comparisons which show Tulsa above San Bernardino in some crime categories. Two are:
Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed and Moving.com
I believe both cities' have areas where crime is very bad and other areas where it is safe to live.

[mxchick2007]

Annielee, I just found this great forum and read your thread. I've lived in Broken Arrow for about 15 years. I'm not sure what you are looking for but we live in a area not many people know about with lots close to an acre in size, huge tress, 2 miles from expressway access and the homes are not like the yuppie ghetto of so many new neighborhoods. If you are interested please feel free to im or email me and I'll give you more info.

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by Annielee

There are a number of websites that give city to city crime comparisons which show Tulsa above San Bernardino in some crime categories. Two are:
Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed and Moving.com
I believe both cities' have areas where crime is very bad and other areas where it is safe to live.

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I didn't believe you. I just meant that having lived in or near both areas the statistics just don't match up with the reality of living in the respective areas. Tulsa is a much nicer place to live than San Bern in general.

[happytown]

Originally Posted by jeffncandace

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I didn't believe you. I just meant that having lived in or near both areas the statistics just don't match up with the reality of living in the respective areas. Tulsa is a much nicer place to live than San Bern in general.

So now you DONT go by stats. The crime stats are still the same in my opinion because I found them on the internet and other sources that say so. It is numbers that you just simply plug in to get a result. RIGHT? Just giving my opinion. Not looking to dance! Just jokin' ya- happytown

[georgeious]

having grown up in tulsa for the most part and lived in ALL of the aforementioned areas, though i would throw in two cents here...

i went to school on the north side and had very few problems. of course, it was a magnet school (with the highest dollar amount of college scholarship money awarded in the whole state) and the neighborhood wasn't great. overall, i would steer clear of the NW part because of crime, but once you get east past about yale, it's more retired types and lower middle class. you said somethingabout retiring, right? i lived at pine/apache and sheridan for a time with my grandparents and never once had a problem.

i would NEVER live on the south side again. too much property crime (poor people go here to steal from the nouveau riche) and no sidewalks. i agree that it's very homogenized as well, and the traffic is not worth it for the shopping. the words "cookie cutter" stand out heavily to me.

the west side of the river is... interesting. it ranges from housing projects to rednecks to middle class and the whole gamut of weirdness in between. don't get me wrong, there are some nice finds over there. just not my thing.

eastside has changed a lot over the years. it has a more run-down feeling than i like in a lot of it, but they do keep trying to revitalize pockets. there is a good deal of the area within the super rich union school district, especially as you go further to the south. weather warning - tornadoes and floods!

the downtown and nearby brady heights areas are in gentrification. new condo conversions, rehabbing of older houses, public works stuff going on. oh, but when will they learn that you need a more day AND evening shop/work/live area if you want people to live downtown? i give props for many private business owners moving in to try and work on this problem.

the midtown area is (obviously) my preference. do you get out and walk? do you like things more compact and accessible but not too urban? do you prefer to shop more locally? if so, this might be the place for you. the freeway access cannot be beat, and there is a more diverse and liberal crowd through there. look for the words cherry street or brookside.

jenks - like antiques? they'v got'em. my boyfriend went to school out there and described it as "just like the breakfast club" in terms of socialization, and not in a good way.
owasso - tons of new development in the area and i hear a newer hospital forthcoming very soon
sand springs - a bit older burb, but i think it's really nice. it's very close to downtown and a lot of the houses are terrific.
bixby - i have to admit, i know the least about this part of town. it's waaaay out there to me with the most inconvenient access. maybe someone else has more info.
sapulpa - combine jenks with the more countrified west side and what do you get? i'm not really sure either. it is also a further drive.
broken arrow - my best friend grew up out there and preferred the quieter setting of the area. you can easily go more rural but still have many things nearby. it used to be considered richer, but things have evened off as people develop in other spots.

suburban areas are thankfully very easy to reach via freeway. note that the transit is hideous and you cannot live without a car. period...and they complain about transit in socal. hehehe. on the other hand, you'll be delighted at the ease of getting around. weather can actually play a factor in where you choose (ice, tornadoes, floods, etc.) so be sure to ask about that when looking. considering the market you're moving away from, you will weep with joy in realizing that you can afford just about any house you want in any area you want.

once again, this is all just personal opinion. feel free to take anything with a grain of salt and do more research as you get there. for a hotel, there are many extended stay places, and the central park condos downtown have some very temporary sublets available. it's gated and you'd have a furnished apartment with full kitchen. you might try getting on craigslist to see what is open for your trip.

i've lived in a few larger cities and still adore tulsa. don't be too surprised by the friendliness you'll encounter in the area. yes, you can talk to strangers without fearing for your life or getting flipped the bird. and no, we don't all sound like that when we speak. hehehehee.

good luck!

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by happytown

So now you DONT go by stats. The crime stats are still the same in my opinion because I found them on the internet and other sources that say so. It is numbers that you just simply plug in to get a result. RIGHT? Just giving my opinion. Not looking to dance! Just jokin' ya- happytown

Not quite sure what you mean here? I'm just saying that I have lived near San Bern and have lived in Tulsa, and Tulsa is by far the better place to live, IMHO. I think most anyone would agree. I think that Tulsa's crime stats are inflated by one part of town (the north side) and don't accurately reflect the quality of life found in the rest of the area.

[anthonyclark]

Originally Posted by Bgastelum07

Whats up, just stay out of the Northside of the city; there is a lot of crime and they can tell who is an outsider.

It's very sad to make a generalization such as this. Who is "they?" I am a white, gay male and I live in a North Tulsa neighborhood. I have the best neighbors I've ever had! I had met at least half a dozen neighbors within a week of moving in. They stopped to introduce themselves as I moved in or carried in groceries.

[chwright]

Originally Posted by Annielee

My husband and I are retiring to the Tulsa area. We hail from SoCal, from a city that is famous for crime and gangs--San Bernardino. I was purplexed to find that when I did a crime comparison for the two cities that Tulsa was higher than San Bernardino in 4 out of a total of 7 types of crime. And Tulsa was rated higher than the national average in a number of catagories. CAn someone explain what this is all about??

Annielee, I just saw your post. We are moving from SAN Bernardino next February. We have purchased a home just outside Tulsa. Are you moved there already? I thought it would be nice to communicate with you about your move and how you are liking in Tulsa. I am thinking of job hunting in Tulsa next spring of 2010.