Thoughts on a Sister City of OKC?

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

I would say these, in order, are our closest matches for a sister city.

Fort Worth
Omaha
Nashville
Phoenix
Memphis
San Antonio
Denver




Thoughts on Omaha, Nashville, and Phoenix? I am curious how those will fly...

[Nuclear_2525]

Omaha? I would say hopefully not...I don't think Omaha is up to OKC's level just yet.

I think the closest matches would be San Antonio, Fort Worth, and Memphis.

[windowphobe]

Phoenix is similarly sprawling, and Nashville's about the right size, but I think Omaha; it's got the same sort of near-Western twang, it's got the same sort of balance between rebuilding the old and spreading out with the new, and its educational rep is based on a collection of smaller schools rather than on one big one.

Besides, if we took Fort Worth, we'd be looking for a Dallas.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

Omaha? I would say hopefully not...I don't think Omaha is up to OKC's level just yet.

Been there once or twice, not lately or in the last 5 months though.

They aren't quite up to our level of cityness yet, but they are very advanced for only 3/4 million people! Probably a Midwestern version of Little Rock.

Omaha has more of a Western twang, like we do, which is why I would bring them up rather than Little Rock.

[Midtowner]

Aren't "sister cities" usually international? To answer my own question, yes they are.

Here are a list of pairings in the state of Oklahoma according to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce:

Oklahoma's Sister City Pairings
The interesting thing is after a sister program pairing is put into play, it often develops a history and lifeline all its own. In several instances, it is almost as if the paired cities truly are “blood relatives” because of the coincidences and situations that connect the two communities.

Following are the Oklahoma cities and their international counterparts that enjoy a sister city relationship:

Broken Arrow
La Ceba, Honduras

Claremore
Murvlenko, Russia

Grove
Pursuing Miyama, Japan

Lawton
Guillesheim, Germany

Norman
Clermont-Ferrand, France
Colima, Mexico
Seika, Japan (Friendship City)

Oklahoma City
Haikou City, China
Puebla, Mexico
Tainan, Taiwan
Taipei, Taiwan
Yehud, Israel
Ulyanovsk, Russia
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Pawhuska
Montauban, France

Ponca City
Baiyin, Gansu Province, China

Shawnee
Nikaho, Japan

Stillwater
Kameoka, Japan

Stroud
Stroud, Australia
Stroud, Canada
Stroud, England

Tahlequah
Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles

Tulsa
Beihai, China
Celle, Germany
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Tiberias, Israel
Utsunomiya, Japan
Zelenograd, Russia

Yukon
Krnov, Czech Republic

For more information:
http://www.okcommerce.gov/index.php?...=353&Itemid=97

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

Well, the next time we want someone to tell us that OKC and Taipei, or OKC and Rio de Janeiro are very simillar, we'll give Midtowner a call at 405-640-CRAP!

[HOT ROD]

Actually, my fiance is from Taiwan (Tainan) and I can say that OKC is very similar to Tainan, just not quite as old. Not too similar to congested, dense Taipei tho but usually sister cities are more of gesture to spur ideals more than finding similar cities.

OKC should look to bigger international cities, thats where the dollars are, thats where the commerce is, they are also cities we would like to use as gateways for OKC goods and services and vice versa. And on that note, Taipei and Rio are fine sister cities for OKC.

Tulsa looks to Kaohsiung for the obvious reason, it is the third largest port in the world! Otherwise, not much in common. Seattle has Kobe Japan and Seoul Korea, similar in some ways but not too similar, esp heavily congested Seoul.

Vancouver BC has Kaohsiung as a sister, a more obvious comparison there as both are very very similar and big trading partners! Also Guangzhou China and Hong Kong and Los Angeles.

Lots of cities have similar sisters, it helps the world go round.

As for sister American cities, I vote for DENVER and PORTLAND and Richmond for OKCs sister cities.

[Midtowner]

Well, the next time we want someone to tell us that OKC and Taipei, or OKC and Rio de Janeiro are very simillar, we'll give Midtowner a call at 405-640-CRAP!

Oh your wit and cleverness know no bounds! Just kidding.

But please refer your remarks to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. It's their list, not mine. Had you bothered to check that link, you would have seen that along with how we come to call them "sister cities".

[renffahcs]

Sooner, I think this is a good list to compare OKC. Since I am in FTW and have been to OKC many times I like that comparison. Nashville is good too. I did not like the San Antonio comparison. Sanan's pop is twice OKC's. Both DT's have river/canal areas but Sanan has a huge tourist economy DT. I have never been to Omaha or Phoenix so no opinion there. What about Kansas City??

[metro]

But please refer your remarks to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. It's their list, not mine. Had you bothered to check that link, you would have seen that along with how we come to call them "sister cities".

Indeed. Its your government that made the list. Midtowner was just educating all of us.

[Midtowner]

Indeed. Its your government that made the list. Midtowner was just educating all of us.

Exactly. I can make no apologies for people with medical degrees that can't read.

[metro]

Midtowner, your a genius. Your humor is delightful

[Omaha Cowboy]

FYI..Omaha's metro population is now over 800K. 200,000 larger than Little Rock and really of the same size and scope as Tulsa (without the anti-OKC bias). I am interested in reading more OKC opinion on Omaha in this thread..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

[Patrick]

FYI..Omaha's metro population is now over 800K. 200,000 larger than Little Rock and really of the same size and scope as Tulsa (without the anti-OKC bias). I am interested in reading more OKC opinion on Omaha in this thread..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

I'm also interested in reading more about Omaha. To be real honest with you Omaha Cowboy, some of us here just aren't that familiar with Omaha, myself included.

[Karried]

Never been to Omaha, so I really can't compare the two - I'm sure it's a nice place. People usually are fond of the place they call home.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

Sooner, I think this is a good list to compare OKC. Since I am in FTW and have been to OKC many times I like that comparison. Nashville is good too. I did not like the San Antonio comparison. Sanan's pop is twice OKC's. Both DT's have river/canal areas but Sanan has a huge tourist economy DT. I have never been to Omaha or Phoenix so no opinion there. What about Kansas City??

KC is typically Tulsa's Sister City.

Sanan's metro population is about the same as OKC's.

Oh, and Taipei has the world's tallest tower for goodness' sakes! Grow a brain...


Also, Richmond makes sense. But Portland? Come on!!!

[Pete]

A few other cities that are similar in MSA size:

Charlotte
Louisville
Jacksonville
Salt Lake City
Birmingham


I like the Charlotte comparison, at least as a target for our aspirations.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

Salt Lake? Hell yes!

Jaxville? Eh... they're more like Atlanta and Charlotte, which is also a no.

Louisville for sure.

B'ham? Are you sure--I mean, the Ham is an awfully slummy city!

[swake]

Omaha and Tulsa are a lot alike, both have done well with maintaining the midtown areas. Tulsa has a larger and more modern downtown (for office space) and Omaha doesn’t have anything like Tulsa’s art deco but then Tulsa doesn’t have a developed downtown district like Omaha’s. The cities of Omaha and Tulsa look a lot alike too, but Tulsa’s suburbs are more sprawling and not as evenly developed as Omaha’s ‘burbs, that’s a plus for Omaha, Tulsa seems a little wealthier, both in the city and in the suburbs. The biggest appearance difference is that most homes, especially newer homes, in Tulsa are brick and most in Omaha are siding, that may be a lot reason for more of a feeling of wealth in Tulsa. Omaha overall feels more compact, but not smaller, it’s a very nice town. Tulsa doesn’t have snow lanes, that’s going to be a plus for Tulsa. I don’t know that Omaha has much of a western flair like has been posted here, maybe some? The one big difference is that Omaha is not very diverse at all, it’s kinda weird being there, almost every single person you see is white.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

To be honest, Tulsa seems wealthier than 99.9% of the city's I have been in.

Now, even though Charlotte is not THAT wealthy, it is VERY simillar to Tulsa.

[Omaha Cowboy]

Omaha's African-American metro population is over 60,000..Hispanic is now nearly 50,000. Omaha also has perhaps the largest Sudanese population of any US city at nearly 10,000..

Omahan is every bit as diverse as OKC or Tulsa and has maintained a significant African-American popultion since the early 1900's..

Like most any city like Omaha/Tulsa/OKC, if you stayed mainly in the wealthy 'Burbs, you see mainly white people..But if you were to travel to South Omaha/North Omaha/Downtown Omaha/or the near south side..You would mainly see people of color..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

[windowphobe]

Well, my first look at Omaha was on the north side, up by Malcolm X's birthplace, and it disabused me of any notion that it was some sort of white-bread burg. (Oklahoma City has a similar, and similarly undeserved, reputation.)

[Omaha Cowboy]

Exactly windowphobe!..Omaha is not only the birthplace of Malcom X, but is also hometown to many famous African-American athletes including NFL Hall of Famer Gayle Sayers, MLB Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, 1972 Heisman Trophy winner and former NU great Johnny Rodgers, NFL RB Ahman Green, 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist and basketball great Bob Boozer, NBA statdout Ron Boone and so on..

In fact, Johnny Rodgers, Bob Gibson and Ahman Green still live in Omaha and can be seen doing frequent local TV commercial spots..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

So let me get this right Omaha Cowboy, you are bragging about being the birthplace of Malcom X?

That's like Lawton bragging about being the birthplace of the Sooner&RiceGrad! Just kiddin!

But serously.

[Omaha Cowboy]

Not braggin, just informing..

And Malcom X is internationally known..And I was born in Omaha too..Greatness abounds lol..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace