Just curious if anyone here has a husband/wife that is not from OKC. How did they react after moving to OKC...good or bad? Would be curious on getting some feedback.

My fiance and I are discussing now where to live for the long haul. She has never been to OKC but grew up in Indianapolis. I told her Indy is very similar to OKC...which I think it is. I'm sure she'll like OKC but a friend of mine married a girl from Cali and she hates being in Oklahoma.

We're living in Tokyo at the moment....and have narrowed out choices down to a) Yokohama...b) Kobe...or c) OKC. I'd obviously prefer OKC but depends on job situation and other factors.

Anyway...thanks.

We moved to OK from California - first big move of our lives .. husband couldn't adapt to the weather, or anything for that matter, for the first few years.. hated it with a passion. He's getting more and more used to it every day but's it still doesn't feel like home for him.

We had a lot of friends there and it's harder as you get older to make good friends that enjoy the same things - a lot of our neighbors are older than us so we don't have a lot in common with them.

I was okay with it and made a few friends but we both miss our good friends and family so much. Some days it's still really hard to believe we left home.

It's a different world in a lot of ways for us.

Narrowed down to Yokohama, Kobe or OKC...Can't imagine the large amount of people trying to decide between these three cities :kicking:

If she grew up around beaches I could see where it may be a problem, but like you said OKC is somewhat similar to Indy...From Cali to OK I can see where there could be some people not able to embrace our way of life here

Comments I've heard from people around the New York area that have been offered a chance to relocate here, or have even actually moved, are that:

We don't have real trees.
No ocean.
No mountains to ski.
No way to get around without a car.

Sadly, in many ways, I see their point. I was taken on a tour of the area from Boston up to Maine, and now I know why they say we don't have "real" trees.

Good traffic. Nice downtown area. Improving schools. Recreational areas like Lake Hefner Trails. Nice shopping areas.

A city doesn't have to have trees to be a nice place to live. Phoenix doesn't have many trees, yet businesses are flocking there.

my girlfriend seems to like it here enough. shes been here for about six years. moved here from bulacan/manila.

No trees? HA! We moved here from DENVER and LOVE all the trees around here. It's wonderful!

I guess we live in a part of OKC that has dense tress whereas the southern part of OKC doesn't? (We live in NE Edmond)

There is a forest in my backyard for goodness sake. Maybe I have never been to a place with "real trees"???

That's funny

Its funny how Oklahoma's landscape changes depending on what part of the state you are in. Check out eastern oklahoma and its full of real trees.

I have lived in Seattle and Dallas, and I wouldn't trade OKC for anything. It still has a long way to go entertainment wise, but the people and quality of life are great.

I wouldn't trade OKC for anything. It still has a long way to go entertainment wise, but the people and quality of life are great.I couldn't agree with you more!

I have lived in Northern California (chico, San Jose), Norman, and Florida (Tampa, Jacksonville) and I would move back to OKC tonight if I had the oppertunity. If OKC gets a relocated NBA team I will make every effort to relocate back to OKC.

I think people have confusion between "real" trees and "different" trees. Our trees are "real" trees, our landscape is a "real" landscape... It is not mountains or a forest full of 100-ft evergreens, but it is a landscape, and it's no less valid. Personally I find beauty in flat, sparsely vegetated land as well as in mountainsides and forests.

Luckily, in Oklahoma, and even within the OKC metro, we have a variety of landscapes. Indeed, according to the EPA the most varied landscape in the country, with all but two or three of the U.S. biomes.

If you want to live in OKC you have a choice between hilly, tree-covered east side and the flat, barren east side- a choice between the sophisticated suburbs on the northwest side, industrial suburbs in the south, historic inner city neighborhoods, and now urban downtown living, soon riverside urban living. OKC has lots of lifestyle options.

We've lived many places, from Washington state to Florida, but home is always Oklahoma. Entertained the thought of relocating to DC/NOVA or Arizona for a while... but just couldn't leave home. We love it here.

Well, I'm not from here and I absolutely hated it when I first arrived back in Early April 1999. Matter of fact I pretty much hated it until about the last 2 years when I started noticing just how much better it's gotten since I've been here - coincidence? :wink

Don't get me wrong, I'm still going back to NC, the first chance I get, but I've decided that I will embrace my temporary home and promote it to others as best I can. It was actually kind of funny the first time found myself defending this place. For so long I had badmouthed it and now here I was sounding like a tourism ambassador for Oklahoma.

As was mentioned above, one of the things I missed first and most was the natural beauty. Not trying to beat up on Ok here, but the sides of our highways look better than most of the manicured acres in Ok. But Oklahoma has it's own kind of rustic beauty that you can't readily find in the southeast.

My friends and family's reactions have been mixed.

The only 5 things that really still bother me about Oklahoma (there's more but we're moving in the right direction with those) and that I feel certain will never get better, are the roads, the wind, and the slow drivers in the right lane, no place to get country ham biscuit or Eastern NC BBQ, and the lack of real trees and just overall natural beauty - bright, vivid, colors through Fall, spring and summer. Other than that, I've made some great friends, had some great food, enjoyed everchanging weather, had a lot of front end alignments err I mean have enjoyed the low cost of living.

Hi Folks, This is my first post and I have to answer. :)

I spent the first 18 years of my like in New Your City and Connecticut and the next 20 in the San Diego area with two trys at living in Tulsa which I really didn't like. I came to visit a friend in OKC and got really sick and could not go back to San Diego.

Financially OKC is a lot easier to live in that SD but it is a lot harder to earn a good living here. SD also has perfect weather. The thing I really hate about OKC is the heat of the summer. Other things I don't like are tax on groceries, how flat it is, and how backwards it feels.

When my family moved to Tulsa from NYC we all were blown away at how friendly people were here but we realized pretty fast that people are usually nicer on a casual basis but Okies are really hard to get to know well. In all the years we have been here we have not met people that become family type friends. They seem to have lots of walls up after the initial Howdy. :)

I know I am generalizing but this is how a bunch of us felt. I do suspect any place you have good friends can feel comfortable and like "home".

Russ

My wife is from Tulsa - I think that she likes OKC alright - her main complaint is how our street numbering doesn't make sense here as compared to Tulsa (and other cities I'm sure) and I have to wholeheartedly agree with her. But that is not a problem for someone who is from here.

The city is numbered in a simple grid. I'm not sure how they could do it any easier. It's certainly easier than anywhere else I've lived.


They seem to have lots of walls up after the initial Howdy.

My wife has had the same experience and I agree. There's a lot of niceness for show, but I think that, in turn, leads many to be impersonal or fake. Everyone kind of seems to hding something. :)

and the lack of real trees and just overall natural beauty - bright, vivid, colors through Fall, spring and summer.

Have you been to Beavers Bend?

There's a lot of niceness for show, but I think that, in turn, leads many to be impersonal or fake. Everyone kind of seems to hiding something.


The vodka bottles in the trash can?

Honestly, I sort of feel the same way. People are very courteous, nice & friendly, but after that, they are involved in their lives, kids, church.
I've noticed, it seems if we don't attend church, we are not part of the OK clique..and it is harder to make friends that you want to spend time with.

I've figured out as an outsider I'm not willing to agree with some of the more Conservative views that many here in OK take and that's not always embraced by those set in their ways and closed to other ways of thinking.

For instance, if someone uses a racial slur or a homophobic insult, I'll say something about it. I'm not used to people talking like that.. it is offensive to me having grown up differently. I was raised in an area where accepting diversity of others was encouraged. I didn't always embrace the diversity in some situations (ie crime in middle school - getting my lunch money stolen) .. but I don't like generalizations, stereotypes and failure to have an open mind.

One thing I realize too is that when I miss something I tend to forget the negatives and put what I miss on an elevated pedestal .. absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that. So, maybe all of my friends that I miss now are promoted to near sainthood and I'm not as open to making new friends.

Our neighbors are sweet and we all help each other if the need arises but as far as really fostering lifelong friends here in OK, I haven't really made the effort either, not yet..

being born and raised in Oklahoma except for about 8 years when I travelled alot.. There is so much beauty here..Want to see real trees in the fall take a tour of S E Oklahoma you will be surprised at the sights you see there.. Want to see some small mountains take a tour of medicine park or head toward arkansas..

Now as far as people being nice and then kinda brush you off.. I have noticed that alot of people that aint from Oklahoma feel that way.. Oklahomans are very protective over their state and their friendships.. I for one say I am very outgoing and friendly, if I say hi to you I will continue to get to know you. Just keep being friendly to those people and make yourself involved you will see it was you with the misconception ..

Here are the places I have lived that was a total change from Oklahoma : Utah, California, Nevada... The other places that reminded me of home was Virginia and Texas. They seem to be the same as okies very protective of who we call our friends.. Where I am from if you are a friend once you are a friend for life.

As far as Oklahoma being the bible belt ? well I disagree it used to be but now it's alot for show or expected.. I have seen many more religious people out and about on places I am sure their church would question.. I was raised pentecostal holiness.. yeah I totally changed paths, but I dont act like I am who I am not...
I dont judge people on the fact of their beliefs, but see that I am judged on the fact I dont attend the "right" church.

Karrie, I think it may be more Edmond culture that you must go to church to be in the in-crowd. Certainly half the churches in Edmond are more like country clubs than churches--the place to see and be seen.

Just keep being friendly to those people and make yourself involved you will see it was you with the misconception

But I think that is the conception we're talking about. People will pretend to be nice and friendly, but you really have to earn it and earning it is often based on a lot of superficial things or showing that you are "one of them". While the "in" crowd finds each other real nice and friendly, they can be scornful to people who are different. I'm not saying that it's much different anywhere else, but there is a great deal more insincere congeniality, which ultimately rings hallow.


For instance, if someone uses a racial slur or a homophobic insult, I'll say something about it. I'm not used to people talking like that.. it is offensive to me having grown up differently. I was raised in an area where accepting diversity of others was encouraged. I didn't always embrace the diversity in some situations (ie crime in middle school - getting my lunch money stolen) .. but I don't like generalizations, stereotypes and failure to have an open mind.

So true. I often say that Oklahoma's unofficial slogan should be "we're not racist, but...", as I hear that sooooo often. And again, I think that goes along with the insistence of appearing nice and friendly, when the real underlying sentiment is often different.

Again, I'm not saying that Oklahoma is any more or less friendly than anywhere else I have lived (there are a-holes everywhere and these generalizations are inaccurate more often than not), but it does seem to go more out of its way to promote itself as friendlier than it actually is. The end result is that I think we often set expectation above our actual capabilities. I think what happens is that when I go to NYC, SF, Chicago, etc. I am surprised by how nice and engaging people are and, at the same time, I am constantly floored by the number of jerks I encounter in OKC (2 today just at lunch :) ) Of course, I live here now, so the sample pool of potential jerks is much larger.

In the end it may just be different perceptions of what “friendly” means. Where you grew up tolerance was part of the friendliness equation, here it’s considered part of communism. :)

I was born and raised in Oklahoma, but lived two years in California, 5 years in New York City, and spent 4 years traveling the world in the U.S. Navy. I love the state and would not want to live elsewhere. I like the varied climate and the abundance of sunshine. I like the landscape---e.g., the magnificent rocky Wichita Mountains in the southwest, the verdant Kiamichi Mountains in the southeast, the rugged western terrain of Black Mesa in the panhandle, etc. I particularly appreciate the relaxed pace of living here; when I moved back here from New York, it was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. That said, Oklahoma is of course not faultless, and I would like to respond to some of the remarks in earlier posts. I do find the state still too much dominated by fundamentalist churches whose members tend to be intolerant of anybody who is "different." Just check the letters in the The Oklahoman! (And, oh yes, I think the Columbia Review of Journalism was right in branding The Oklahoman the worst major daily in the nation.) Thus I think there is some truth in saying that some (certainly not all) Oklahomans may put on a show of friendliness in the beginning but then may turn a little less so as time goes by (and they find you are not one of them!). But hey I'm here to stay---and I find what's going on in downtown Oklahoma City to be really exciting. As the ad says, OKC has arrived!

I grew up in Tulsa and now live in Norman as an OU student. I don't live in OKC and I didn't come up that often until about 2 years ago. I think more OU students should get out of Norman and take advantage of OKC but many don't, for whatever reason. I am very impressed by the downtown revitalization and that will have a big impact on making OKC a successful major city. However just when good things happen like the Skirvin renovation and the ballpark, there are things that happen in OKC that just wouldn't happen in other places like the lower Bricktown mess.

However OKC is getting better, and with time is becoming more of an urban city which is good. I still think the city has some very ugly parts and that is what many cite as a reason they don't like it here. However it's not any uglier than Dallas and people flock there. I just think people here need to care more about their surroundings and demand that greedy developers put more trees in their projects, build to urban standards, encourage sustainability, etc.

As a liberal person it can definitely be frustrating to live here, much easier in Norman though. I personally really like central Norman, downtown/midtown OKC, and Lake Hefner. I avoid the other parts of the city. I plan on moving away for awhile but I would definitely return to either OKC or Tulsa if I had a good job here. Contrary to what most people say I love Oklahoma weather plus my family lives here.

her main complaint is how our street numbering doesn't make sense here as compared to Tulsa (and other cities I'm sure)

Tulsa is actually the only city in the U.S. that numbers its east/west streets on the one mile grid in increments of 10. No other city numbers their streets this way, certainly not in Houston, where practically no numbering system exists.

In Oklahoma City, we are also on the one mile grid, but we number our streets according to block number. Therefor, every one mile on the east/west streets, the increments are either 14 or 15. Wilshire is actually 78th, Britton is actually 93rd, Hefner is actually 108th, then there is 122nd, and Memorial is 137th.

As far is the wind in Oklahoma... that is a geographical matter in which no improvements can be made. The windflow in the atmosphere causes air to pick up speed as it swoops downhill from the Rockies and maintains its inertia until it meets the opposing warm from from the Gulf of Mexico, which oftentimes happens in Oklahoma. The roads are certainly getting improved, and there is still room for improvement, but nonetheless, ten times better than when we moved to TX in 2005.

FYI, Texas roads aren't all they are cracked up tp be. Highways are nice, arterials in Houston are crap. The worst roads I have driven were in Missouri. Yipes. And of course Oklahoma has no ocean. Most states don't. But if New Yorks want us to have ocean-front property, we can keep up this global warming routine. Of course, NYC will have to pick up some change of address forms. NYC would be under water.

In Oklahoma City, we are also on the one mile grid, but we number our streets according to block number.

Well, ok, but I think you have this backwards. We determine our block numbers from the street numbers. There is a quirk in OKC's system however. The north-south block numbering starts at Sheridan. Going northward, the unit block is between Sheridan and Main, then the 100's between Main and Park (originally 1st street), the 200's between Park (1st) and Kerr (originally 2nd), etc. Continuing the pattern, for example, the block north of 23rd is the 2400 block, etc..
In most cities that use this kind of numbering system, 23rd would begin the 2300 block, 24th would begin the 2400 block, etc. This is because the first street north of the base street would be 1st street. However, Oklahoma City, starting at Sheridan, named the next street to the north Main Street (instead of 1st). And so 1st street was a "block late" arriving, making the block numbers lead by 1.
(Compare for example with Tulsa. Going south on Peoria, say, as you cross 15th street, you start the 1500 block, not the 1600 block, and so on.)
Had OKC used Main Street as the base street, with the unit block north of Main, the system would be like all other cities that follow this pattern.
Sorry for this long "exposition" on a trivial matter, but it's always interested me that Oklahoma City is only city I have ever found in which this particular deviation from the norm occurs.

Waaait a minute, baaaby!

Okc's grid system is wholly logical ... even a girl (just kidding!) can figure it out and navigate without asking!

The prime crosshairs are Reno (east/west) and Santa Fe (north/south). That divides the city roughly into quadrants.

Over the whole scheme, each element of a quadrant is divided into single miles as far as east/west or north/south main roads are concerned. I.e., main east/west and north/south roads are a mile apart, either direction ... that's the primary basis for the expand grid in any direction (NW, NE, SW, SE) from the intersection of Reno and Santa Fe.

NW Streets: Santa Fe & Reno to infinity from the intersection of Reno & Santa Fe toward to the northwest

NE Streets: Santa Fe & Reno to infinity from the intersection of Reno & Santa Fe toward the northeast

SW Streets: Santa Fe & Reno to infinity from the intersection of Reno & Santa Fe toward the southwest

SE Streets: Santa Fe & Reno to infinity from the intersection of Reno & Santa Fe toward the southeast

Now, as a mere guy, I ask, "How can it get any simpler than that?" Or, if you don't know east/west (e.g. New York/California) or north/south (e.g., North Dakota/Texas), do you need "left turn/right turn" directions, to boot? :dizzy:

If so, drop in to your nearest convenience store as you're trying to navigate!

Waaait a minute, baaaby!

Okc's grid system is wholly logical ... even a girl (just kidding!) can figure it out and navigate without asking!

The prime crosshairs are Reno (east/west) and Santa Fe (north/south). That divides the city roughly into quadrants.

Over the whole scheme, each element of a quadrant is divided into single miles as far as east/west or north/south main roads are concerned. I.e., main east/west and north/south roads are a mile apart, either direction ... that's the primary basis for the expand grid in any direction (NW, NE, SW, SE) from the intersection of Reno and Santa Fe.

NW Streets: Santa Fe & Reno to infinity from the intersection of Reno & Santa Fe toward to the northwest

NE Streets: Santa Fe & Reno to infinity from the intersection of Reno & Santa Fe toward the northeast

SW Streets: Santa Fe & Reno to infinity from the intersection of Reno & Santa Fe toward the southwest

SE Streets: Santa Fe & Reno to infinity from the intersection of Reno & Santa Fe toward the southeast

Now, as a mere guy, I ask, "How can it get any simpler than that?" Or, if you don't know east/west (e.g. New York/California) or north/south (e.g., North Dakota/Texas), do you need "left turn/right turn" directions, to boot? :dizzy:

If so, drop in to your nearest convenience store as you're trying to navigate!

Acutally, unit block north and south is Main.

When I moved to Tulsa in the late 70's I was amazed at how easily it was to find addresses. Not only do the street numbers correlate to the N S E W grid but the streets are alphabetized. No city in the US has a system like that. The reason it could be done in Tulsa is because it is almost totally flat. If you know Tulsa, the only place the streets get weird is at the one small hill. :) I don't know when they designed Tulsa but it seems the first roads ran along the meridian lines and surveyors designed the streets. In most cities, the roads are designed by the old wagon trails or natural paths made as you traverse hills and gullies and rivers and streems. OKC is pretty close to the ease of Tulsa but I like the OKC methods more. You see I am not a type "A" person. I always feel like I am being controlled by some very anal retentive system. :Smiley099

You should try getting around Southern California. There are so many cities that are tangled around each other and streets often change names in each town and if the names are the same, the numbers aren't. You can drive down a straight road and enter city XYZ and the names and numbers change and then you hit town ABC and minutes later you are somehow back in town XYZ with changes all along the way. No streets have numbers on them so there is NO order to them at all. Every driver in California has this thick map book that is issued for every county and looks more like a surveyors map but it is the only way to find your way around... Before GPS. :)

Long winded again. I am driving myself nuts because I can't remember the name of the map company. hahahaha

_____________________________
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The map book is the Thomas Brothers map book <feeling loony>

You got that right, our streets here in Seattle are terrible.

You'll be on a "major" street for a few miles, then it will end all of sudden without a sign indicating "thoroughfare/artery change" or much worse, the road will just end or turn residential then end. Or an artery in one part of the city will share the same name of a lesser street in another part of town but one moves n/s the other e/w sort of thing. Then the diagonal streets and the dead ends. very confusing if you dont have a navigator here.

Example, Denny Way is the north edge of Downtown Seattle and there it is a pretty major street. it runs for about 1.5 miles then moves up to Capitol Hill, where it turns into a residential area then "disappears". At no time is there an "artery turns" sign or something like that. Also there is the Avenue, Avenue N., Avenue S. business, in addition to NE XX street and so on. You really have to take some time or know someone here to get around. It took me years to get used to it, as here its about where you are.

That was the biggest issue I had when I moved here from OKC, where the major arteries run the length of the county and are spaced a mile apart - here in Seattle, the "major" street depends where you are, as there is NO thoroughfare here that runs the entire length aside from the two interstates (5 and 90).

I know OKC does have a few quirky streets in the inner city but it only impacts you if you are looking for something there. Its not like here, where you are just trying to get around without using the freeway (because it's always backed up because of poor urban planning) - it is impossible to go from S. Seattle to the North Seattle on an Artery without taking the freeway.

I say OKC's planning is some of the nation's best (and Im NOT alone in this opinion, most I know who have come to the city agree - its very easy to get around).

I think the only major artery that does anything like that here is Penn where it winds through Nichols Hills north of 63rd.

Well, I'm not from here and I absolutely hated it when I first arrived back in Early April 1999. Matter of fact I pretty much hated it until about the last 2 years when I started noticing just how much better it's gotten since I've been here - coincidence? :wink

Don't get me wrong, I'm still going back to NC, the first chance I get, but I've decided that I will embrace my temporary home and promote it to others as best I can. It was actually kind of funny the first time found myself defending this place. For so long I had badmouthed it and now here I was sounding like a tourism ambassador for Oklahoma.

As was mentioned above, one of the things I missed first and most was the natural beauty. Not trying to beat up on Ok here, but the sides of our highways look better than most of the manicured acres in Ok. But Oklahoma has it's own kind of rustic beauty that you can't readily find in the southeast.

My friends and family's reactions have been mixed.

The only 5 things that really still bother me about Oklahoma (there's more but we're moving in the right direction with those) and that I feel certain will never get better, are the roads, the wind, and the slow drivers in the right lane, no place to get country ham biscuit or Eastern NC BBQ, and the lack of real trees and just overall natural beauty - bright, vivid, colors through Fall, spring and summer. Other than that, I've made some great friends, had some great food, enjoyed everchanging weather, had a lot of front end alignments err I mean have enjoyed the low cost of living.

I've lived here the overwhelming majority of my life and I have to say these are misconceptions that can be said of anywhere. No place is perfect nor will be. It's all personal preference. I might like the beach, but you may hate the beach. No one can say the ocean is better to live by. Especially as someone said, keep this global warming thing up, the coasts will be underwater. I've seen bad roads in every state I've been to (around 40 states), bad drivers, etc. I think a person only makes the problems they seem to have a stereotype about in the first place. After all you'll get what you're looking for (or in some cases not making an effort). If I move to say California, (which I've been to and find people very rude) I'd have the same generalization that Californian's are hard to really get to know and make lifelong friends, I'd disagree and say Oklahoman's are easier to make lifelong friends as most of mine are. I have them because I tried hard at it. No matter your origin or where your from, you have to try to make friends, etc. I agree about the Edmondite comment, it may be more superficial in most areas in Edmond since it's competing with the Jones'.

As far as the above comment with the roads never getting better, that's a lie. They get better all the time and aren't any worse than many other states. I do agree they need a lot of work, but that can be said of any state given the right area. Same thing with slow drivers, stereotype of anywhere. The only reason bigger metroplex's have "better" drivers is because there are so many people so you're forced to drive fast or get run over. This doesn't bother me as I like it, but that is the main reason bigger cities have "better drivers". OKC doesn't have the sheer population yet. There are plenty of places to get a Country Ham biscuit if you take the time to look and venture out. Check out most of the breakfast places. I used to live in Georgia near the SC/NC border and spent decent amount of time in the Carolina's so I know what a Ham Biscuit is and yes you can find them here. Get real people, this is Deep South regional item, this was not a staple food here in Oklahoma. You can find gravy just about any restaurant in Oklahoma but you have to look in Georgia or the Carolina's to find it anywhere. Although I know if I look hard enough, I'll find it. If I go to the N.E. I can find some clam chowder, etc. Geez people, you can't expect every state to be your favorite state. As far as manicured right of way's on highways, I'll agree with you on that one, we need definite improvement. Main reason is OK lacks the money. We don't have enough tax dollars or population to generate the extra tax dollars yet. I sure hope and know this will change. Just watch the new I-40 as it goes up. As far as NC BBQ ( I'm assuming your talking about vinegar based sauce and pork instead of beef). Although I'm not a big fan of chains, Rib Crib makes some mean Carolina BBQ with vinegar based sauce! I wish I had some right now. I think Van's Pig Stand also has some as well and probably other places.

Lack of real trees and wind? Last time I checked, they aren't plastic Christmas trees. Sorry we're not God, we can't change or geography and that's what makes us unique. As someone said, we're constantly ranked #1 in the nation for most diverse geography. You can go down to SE Oklahoma to the Talimena (sp?) Drive and see some real trees with bright vivid colors, etc. You can also go to Little Sahara or Beaver Dunes and be in a Desert in Oklahoma. I bet NC doesn't have a desert. You can go down to Lawton and be in the oldest mountain range in the world, or go to black mesa, caverns, red rock canyon, and many other diverse regions of Oklahoma as well. Case and point, Oklahoma is is unique place in geography just like North Carolina and everywhere else. Enjoy it while your here and make the most of it. Get out and explore! Things won't come to you, you've got to go to them!

Acutally, unit block north and south is Main.

Wrong Again

I vowed to never leave Texas again and here I am living back in OKC! Why? The people. I have the most amazing friends a person could ask for. Karried-I know how you feel. I'm not church going and also am shocked at the racist comments I hear. But I have also found a lot of like-minded people here. Granted, I have to meet A LOT of people to find one I click with, but as long as you seek out like minded people you can find them here. Another thing that's nice about living in OKC is that the cost of living is low and so you can afford to travel frequently to visit the places you enjoy and miss.

I actually know someone who moved here, and automatically had to start taking antidepressants. And a friend of mine recently gave up his antidepressants, after moving away from OKC to Portland. (One would think moving from a sunny climate to a rainy climate would have the opposite effect, but not in his case.)

But I've also known people who moved here from California and other coastal or more scenic places who absolutely love Oklahoma. I think it just depends on each individual's perspective. (i.e. If a person comes here with their mind already made up about the place, then will be as sad or happy as they expected to be.)

I actually know someone who moved here, and automatically had to start taking antidepressants. And a friend of mine recently gave up his antidepressants, after moving away from OKC to Portland. (One would think moving from a sunny climate to a rainy climate would have the opposite effect, but not in his case.)


Coincidence.

I moved away last year and am back now(thank God). My husband has a short-term job in Boise and I was supposed to live there for 2 years. I absolutely hated it. I was expecting the Pacific Northwest with mountains and trees and green and instead it was the mountains were foothills and they chopped down all of the surrouding trees years ago. I did not realize I would be living in the dessert but there I was. I did not go in to the experience with a good attitude so I was miserable. I missed OKC so much and all of the excitement and new things I really wasn't willing to give Boise a chance. So, we are coming home a year earlier than expected. My kids finish school next week and we are going up tomorrow to start moving them back next week.

Sheridan's status as the line between north and south goes back to the very first days of the city, when rival townsite developers worked on opposite sides of the street (which back then was Clarke Street, later Grand Avenue). It is exactly for this reason that north-south streets through downtown used to "jog" sideways across Sheridan.

There are many irregularities in the OKC grid. (Weirdest, at least to me: south of about SW 25th, there are no 1700 to 2000 blocks on any east-west street. Just east of Pennsylvania is the 1600 block; just west is 2100.)

Tulsa, incidentally, is pretty consistent throughout: 10 blocks per mile north/south (11th, 21st, 31st and so on); 16 blocks per mile east/west (Sheridan is 6500, Memorial 8100, Mingo 9700, Garnett 11300). Although there's one quirk in Tulsa: if you're on a north-south avenue, you don't change blocks until you hit an east-west street. You go south on, say, Marion from 61st, and you stay in the 6100 block all the way to 63rd, because 62nd never intersects Marion. (This is from memory; corrections, if appropriate, will be appreciated.)

My husband is from California. He grew up in the Bay Area. He's lived here since he was 17 and he's 41 now. It was a long, hard adjustment. He still misses his native home and speaks often of his memories. He wants to give our soon-to-be-born daughter the middle name of Shasta or Lassen - which are mountains in northern California of which he has fond memories. Having said that, he loves Oklahoma now and realizes that the California he once knew is no more. He has worked hard to carve out his own niche in terms of the haunts he likes and frequents. He took a school bus through champagne vineyards as a kid, but now, says Oklahoma has much better wine than California. There are so many things he's discovered here to love and it's made me appreciate this place very much. He always talks about the night sky and how from our humble home we have a million dollar view b/c we're not polluted and noisy. Hope this helps.

Sheridan's status as the line between north and south goes back to the very first days of the city, when rival townsite developers worked on opposite sides of the street (which back then was Clarke Street, later Grand Avenue). It is exactly for this reason that north-south streets through downtown used to "jog" sideways across Sheridan.

There are many irregularities in the OKC grid. (Weirdest, at least to me: south of about SW 25th, there are no 1700 to 2000 blocks on any east-west street. Just east of Pennsylvania is the 1600 block; just west is 2100.)

Tulsa, incidentally, is pretty consistent throughout: 10 blocks per mile north/south (11th, 21st, 31st and so on); 16 blocks per mile east/west (Sheridan is 6500, Memorial 8100, Mingo 9700, Garnett 11300). Although there's one quirk in Tulsa: if you're on a north-south avenue, you don't change blocks until you hit an east-west street. You go south on, say, Marion from 61st, and you stay in the 6100 block all the way to 63rd, because 62nd never intersects Marion. (This is from memory; corrections, if appropriate, will be appreciated.)


The North-South streets in Tulsa with names are fairly easy because they are alphabetical. However, at some point they must have decided that they ran out of names because you will find yourself at the intersection of 41st and 129th. I love the alphabetical concept for the named streets, but I wish Tulsa had used the NW, NE, SW, SE quadrant system for their numbered streets.

The Tulsa grid is spreading. Two years ago I was driving home from a road trip and encountered, at the western edge of Creek County, a section-line road designated, per its sign, S. 545th W. Ave.

Applying the 16-block rule, this is 34 miles west of downtown Tulsa.

Well, ok, but I think you have this backwards. We determine our block numbers from the street numbers. There is a quirk in OKC's system however. The north-south block numbering starts at Sheridan. Going northward, the unit block is between Sheridan and Main, then the 100's between Main and Park (originally 1st street), the 200's between Park (1st) and Kerr (originally 2nd), etc. Continuing the pattern, for example, the block north of 23rd is the 2400 block, etc..

This deserves to be a thread of its own. I moved back to Oklahoma in 1994. For the most recent 16 years, I had been living in Salt Lake City. I found Oklahoma City's odd method of relating house numbers to street number to be very hard to understand at first. My property has two houses, one of them faces onto McKinley, and its number is 2110. but is is south of NW 21st, and to this day it seems to me that its number should be 2010. Now I know why its clunky. I'm sure it made sense in its time, for some obscure reason.

In Salt Lake City, everything is numbered on a grid centered on Temple Square. Four blocks east of Temple Square the street is 400 East. Four blocks south of Temple Square you are on 400 South. If you lived right on the corner of 400 East and 400 South, your address would be 400 East 400 South, SLC, Utah.

It was very easy to find addresses there.

But Oklahoma City has better chicken fried steaks and MUCH better barbecue. In fact, I can't think of a decent place to get barbecue in Salt Lake City.

, industrial suburbs in the south,


Huh?

I wouldnt see how any see how moore, westmoore, norman, or noble would be that industrial.

Maybe you should learn to drive before you start talking.