Leaving Norman, Moving to Moore in Spring!

[G.Walker]

Been in Norman 12 years, and hate to say this, but I am moving to Moore, its more progressive, and the city is not afraid to spend money on its school system and entertainment for its residents! To build a house is a lot cheaper also! Sorry Norman, but it was good while it lasted, but my family and I need a city that is one the move! I mean damn, when was the last time Norman built a new elementary school, like 20 years ago, when Moore just open 2 this Fall alone, come on Norman step your game up!

[adaniel]

I find it weird that someone moves to Moore from Norman for better education and more entertainment. And you are the first person to describe Moore as "progressive". NPS is one of the most highly regarded PSDs in the state. Where are you getting the fact that Norman doesn't spend money on education? Norman opened an elementary school last year (Truman) with plans to spend about $109 million in the next 3 years to renovate or open more. You can read it here. http://newsok.com/norman-public-scho...rticle/3495234. Will definitely agree with the home price thing. But then again you can usually keep home prices down when there are tons of available lots and plans for hundreds more around your town. Good luck trying to build home equity in that environment. Norman tends to have higher home prices because it is seen as a desirable place to live but doesn't have a ton of cheap-o tract housing coming online. Its called Supply and Demand. As for entertainment, lets see: festivals, 2 renowned museums, great restaurants, OU sports (outside of FB most are cheap or free) in exchange for a....Warren Theater? Um, okay...different strokes for different folks I guess.

Not bashing Moore or your decision to move there, sometimes a change in life is good and good luck in doing so. I just find some of your reasoning a little odd.

[G.Walker]

I find it weird that someone moves to Moore from Norman for better education and more entertainment. And you are the first person to describe Moore as "progressive". NPS is one of the most highly regarded PSDs in the state. Where are you getting the fact that Norman doesn't spend money on education? Norman opened an elementary school last year (Truman) with plans to spend about $109 million in the next 3 years to renovate or open more. You can read it here. http://newsok.com/norman-public-scho...rticle/3495234. Will definitely agree with the home price thing. But then again you can usually keep home prices down when there are tons of available lots and plans for hundreds more around your town. Good luck trying to build home equity in that environment. Norman tends to have higher home prices because it is seen as a desirable place to live but doesn't have a ton of cheap-o tract housing coming online. Its called Supply and Demand. As for entertainment, lets see: festivals, 2 renowned museums, great restaurants, OU sports (outside of FB most are cheap or free) in exchange for a....Warren Theater? Um, okay...different strokes for different folks I guess.

Not bashing Moore or your decision to move there, sometimes a change in life is good and good luck in doing so. I just find some of your reasoning a little odd.

Oh ok, I'm sorry, you are talking about Truman Primary School, the rich kid elementary school in the middle of Brookhaven, right behind another elementary school, go figure! But you have kids on the east side of Norman at Kennedy Elementary that don't even have and actual classrooms, they have bookshelfs separating classes, give me a break! Moore just built two state of the art elementary schools (Oakridge, Heritage Trails) servicing middle class people, not rich people. And not to mention an astonishing new high school (SouthMoore).

[jmarkross]

Oh ok, I'm sorry, you are talking about Truman Primary School, the rich kid elementary school in the middle of Brookhaven, right behind another elementary school, go figure! But you have kids on the east side of Norman at Kennedy Elementary that don't even have and actual classrooms, they have bookshelfs separating classes, give me a break! Moore just built two state of the art elementary schools (Oakridge, Heritage Trails) servicing middle class people, not rich people. And not to mention an astonishing new high school (SouthMoore).

The never-ending EAST-WEST Feud of Norman...was that way in the 1950's will be so in another 50 years...

[NickFiggins]

I think a major point of progress in the east/west divide will the Robinson underpass, it will have an impact on just what people think of the divide as they no longer have to physically stop at the tracks there. Another point of note the sealed corridor for the BNSF tracks through norman, that will allow trains to stop blaring their horns at all hours this slows eastside development. Nevertheless, home development East of 24th is taking off big time in East Norman. Its quality over quantity. There is nothing unique in Moore it is just suburbia and 25 years from now the homes will not hold their value, i.e. Putnam schools and its strip malls. The quality of life in Norman is what sets it apart, not just the physical condition of the schools but also the quality of the education in the schools. If it was about what the schools physically look like then why isn't everyone jumping at the chance to attend OKCPS?
Moore's a good suburb, but I wouldn't go so far to call it more progressive. In norman the older neighborhoods and the preservation surrounding them are a mark of a dynamic town. What happens when all the lots are full in Moore? Will people want up keep homes that are what many architects call disposable construction?

[Easy180]

Lived in Moore for 10 yrs and it has come a long way but can't say it has any advantages to Norman aside from being closer to jobs and the Warren

[Thunder]

I would pick Norman.

Btw, very soon, there will be a brand new state-of-the-art Crest Fresh Market in Norman.

[SOONER8693]

southmoore high looks very nice on the outside, check out the inisde. Corners were cut everywhere because of drastic cost overruns. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig.

[adaniel]

Schools are built according to where enrollment figures project a need for it. Have you thought about talking to the administration at Kennedy and addressing your concerns before taking the drastic step of moving?

I can tell you that as someone who grew up in the fast growing suburbs of Dallas and had an opportunity to go to several new schools, the best school I went to was my high school that was nearly 30 years old by the time I went to it. I think it largely was the fact that the staff there was more established and more in tune to what the students in the community needed. But hey, if shiny and new impress you go ahead. I would put stock into more things like ACT scores, average classroom size, etc. Like NickFiggins stated new school construction has seem to have a negligible effect on the performance of OKCPS.

Like I stated, sometimes a move is good for a family or person to shake them out of their rut. And Moore is really an okay town. But if you think that moving from a place like Norman to Moore where the only real difference is slightly newer facilitates and think it will lead to a dramatic change in your children's education you may be disappointed.

[easternobserver]

if you are so impressed with sprawl, and think it is "progressive" to build mega-strip-malls, why not move to plano or henderson nevada?

[z28james]

Lived in Moore and I live in Norman. Went to Moore Public Schools. I would have to say Norman is better in every way and the discrepancy between East Moore and West Moore is much wider too. Had a couple friends that went to Houchin Elementary and they didn't have walls either in that school. All of my friends neighborhoods have gone way down hill over what they used to be as well. I do like Moore though, it has the Warren, has good bang for the buck, but I would never say it's better than Norman. I would even say MWC or Yukon give Moore a run for it's money. If anything I would move to south side OKC Earlywine area before Moore.

[G.Walker]

Never said that Moore was "better" than Norman, I said that it was more progressive. And I am not just basing my move on the the school system. Moore's housing market is booming in subdivisions like Talavera, Lakewoods, and Rock Creek Estates. It also doesn't take 20 mins, to drive to the west side to sit and have a nice dinner with my family. Not as crowded, closer to Okc, and the city keeps it's promises to it's residents! Not to mention it's commercial development has left Norman in the dust...They also have residential and commercial development that supports middle class people. In Norman you are either really rich or really poor, and no in between, with exception of college students, so with that said Moore here we come!

[G.Walker]

This is really nice to www.fritts.net

[Jesseda]

moore will be happy to have you G.Walker, we just voted for a lot of great things in moore and it passed, so moore will be even better

[bluedogok]

Are those schools with "bookshelves separating classrooms" built in the mid-70"s? Because the "open classroom" concept was popular in school design in the early to mid-70's. My jr. high (Mayfield) was only open a couple of years before I started 7th grade and it had a few of those open classroom plans, but the time my sister went there (12 years later) they had already took down the operable partitions and bookcases and replaced it with glass storefront. There is nothing wrong with older schools, they can be much nicer than new ones if the maintenance is done properly, the problem is most districts that is where the cuts first start to happen because shiny new schools attracts more bond voters that redoing an older school.

[BG918]

I think a major point of progress in the east/west divide will the Robinson underpass, it will have an impact on just what people think of the divide as they no longer have to physically stop at the tracks there. Another point of note the sealed corridor for the BNSF tracks through norman, that will allow trains to stop blaring their horns at all hours this slows eastside development. Nevertheless, home development East of 24th is taking off big time in East Norman. Its quality over quantity. There is nothing unique in Moore it is just suburbia and 25 years from now the homes will not hold their value, i.e. Putnam schools and its strip malls. The quality of life in Norman is what sets it apart, not just the physical condition of the schools but also the quality of the education in the schools. If it was about what the schools physically look like then why isn't everyone jumping at the chance to attend OKCPS?
Moore's a good suburb, but I wouldn't go so far to call it more progressive. In norman the older neighborhoods and the preservation surrounding them are a mark of a dynamic town. What happens when all the lots are full in Moore? Will people want up keep homes that are what many architects call disposable construction?

I agree. I could easily see Moore looking like northwest OKC in 20 years. Sure it's nice and new now but so was northwest OKC, and the Putnam school districts were the best in the metro at one time. Norman will always hold its value due to OU and its continued investment in the areas around the campus.

[dismayed]

I would pick Norman.

Btw, very soon, there will be a brand new state-of-the-art Crest Fresh Market in Norman.

Hey that's really great news. Norman is the third-largest city in the state and it is really under-served in the supermarket arena... the city really needs a Whole Foods or a Fresh Market. Glad to hear it's a Fresh Market, Normanites like to keep things local.

Any more details Thunder?

[rcjunkie]

Construction will start soon on a new (EAST SIDE) elemenatry school in Norman at SE 24th and Highway 9, and within the next 3--4 years, a new middle school will be built in East Norman and Irving Middle School will become Norman's third High School.

[BG918]

Construction will start soon on a new (EAST SIDE) elemenatry school in Norman at SE 24th and Highway 9, and within the next 3--4 years, a new middle school will be built in East Norman and Irving Middle School will become Norman's third High School.

Norman East High School?

[kevinpate]

In light of the city's growth, there is definitely a need for more classrooms and physical plants at all three levels. Way too many modular classroom, aged and not so aged alike, exist in our school system. My youngest is in his final year, but the kiddos of my friends are not. It if doe them I truly wish we were further ahead of the growth than we are at present.

[earlywinegareth]

I grew up in Norman and live in SW OKC (Westmoore) now. 20 years ago, Norman was better than Moore. Now they're about equal.

I'm a Cleveland county guy regardless...Moore/Norman whatever, it's still better than the rest of the metro IMO.

[triumphrider74]

Good riddance! If you don't like Norman, leave. I think Moore is a craphole compared to Norman in every category. This isn't even worth arguing.

[Easy180]

Good riddance! If you don't like Norman, leave. I think Moore is a craphole compared to Norman in every category. This isn't even worth arguing.

Don't let us catch you at our Harley Davidson store then

[blangtang]

I also got tired of Norman and moved. Not to Moore, but to inner north side OKC. Sold a house this summer I'd been in since 1999 down by the campus. The campus neighborhood was going thru the usual gentrification steps and the city was getting on my case about the condition of my property. It was actually the nosy neighbors notifying the city code officers of others' property they didnt approve of. I actually ended up having a failure to appear warrant out for my arrest due to a health and safety code violation-the city claimed some peeling external paint on the house was a health violation. I even painted the portion of the exterior where the paint was peeling, but the code people still issued a code violation.

Long story short, to me it wasn't worth living in Norman any longer. Gentrification is interesting. I like some people in Norman and the area around the campus is worth visiting when i return.

[MikeLucky]

I also got tired of Norman and moved. Not to Moore, but to inner north side OKC. Sold a house this summer I'd been in since 1999 down by the campus. The campus neighborhood was going thru the usual gentrification steps and the city was getting on my case about the condition of my property. It was actually the nosy neighbors notifying the city code officers of others' property they didnt approve of. I actually ended up having a failure to appear warrant out for my arrest due to a health and safety code violation-the city claimed some peeling external paint on the house was a health violation. I even painted the portion of the exterior where the paint was peeling, but the code people still issued a code violation.

Long story short, to me it wasn't worth living in Norman any longer. Gentrification is interesting. I like some people in Norman and the area around the campus is worth visiting when i return.

So you are saying that the people that are trying to make the neighborhood a nicer and better place to live, and thusly increase your property value... drove you to move?????

Sounds like the gentrification is working. lol