New to OKC looking for a nice area in metro for middle class black family?

[kevinpate]

You might also consider coming south and spending a day or three in Norman, and then decide for yourself if you like it as much as we do.

[Patrick]

It is a college town with an educated population that is pretty progressive.

Well, it does have a major university in it, one that is my alma mater, but I wouldn't go as far as saying that Edmond is a "college town." Not even close to the experience in Stillwater, for example. I would agree with it being educated and progressive, mostly due to the makeup of higher end demographics. And I don't know if I'd says Edmond is firmly middle class. Quite the contrary, Edmond is pretty well known for it's mansions especially on the east side of town.

Moreover, some people don't realize just how much time has passed and how attitudes have changed since the days of busing and "white flight."

Somewhat. I think times have changed.....but, as a member of my Edmond addition home owner's association, I will assure you, at least in our addition, any time a black person moves in the neighborhood, it becomes part of the discussion about how to handle the situation and how to make life as miserable as possible for the black family. Sad but true. I hear the same from several other neighborhood associations in Edmond. And segregation still exists. Just go to any church on Sunday and you'll see the most segregated population in the entire country.

As a graduate of OKC Public Schools, Northeast High School specifically, in 1998, I find it interesting how many of my white friends "moved to Edmond" during my 13 years of schooling "to get away from Blacks." So, to say white flight doesn't still exist...well, I think you have blinders on if you believe segregation doesn't still occur.

As has been mentioned, OKC is a racially tolerant city with very little tension to speak of in that regard. It isn't perfect but I honestly believe you will feel welcome, here.

I concur.

Wildwood is a very nice neighborhood (I grew up near there) but there is absolutely no reason why you should feel you need to live in a predominately African American neighborhood unless that is your personal preference. If you have school aged kids, before buying there, I would absolutely check out the schools or consider private schools. Wildwood is lovely but there are a lot of deprived areas nearby resulting in rough schools.

Why bash OKC Public schools? There are many great magnet schools in the OKc Public School district. In fact, I think Classen SAS was the top ranked middle and high school in the state last year.

I don't know much about Yukon but those comments sound suspect absent something significant to back it up.

Having a younger brother attending high school there and being on their varsity football roster was enough for my family to experience. Of note, my half brother lives with his mother in Yukon. I live in west Edmond.

[Patrick]

Is your younger brother African Amercan? What sort of racism are you talking about? Are you claiming the school administration acting in a racist manner or the students or both?

Mostly students. But we saw blacks not get positions on the football team because they were black. Regarding students, let's just say that many of the white students didn't make it easy on the few black students that went to Yukon HS and were frequently the center of bullying, for which the district refused to act on.

Are you saying that because Edmond schools are 95% white it is racist? Is it your position that racism exists in all schools that aren't "pretty well mixed" or do you have something specific to base that on? Any instances of racial bullying going on in Edmond?

Never said Edmond schools were racist. And no, just because they're mostly white doesn't make them racist. I'd recommend Edmond schools to him long before I'd recommend Yukon.

[leprechaun]

Welcome to OKC Braunstation. If you have kids but want to live where there is something to do, i suggest Norman. It is a college town with good public schools. Edmond seems to be the most popular place to raise a family and has good public schools,but I must warn you that it is pretty boring. If you don't have kids, you might consider the inner north side, which has some great older neighborhoods and some new condo development. Good luck!

[Doug Loudenback]

braunstation, you should have by now a representative sampling of information, particularly given the fact that you have not thus far given further information as to your needs and children/no children circumstance. Unless you provide some data, things seem to me to having begun to be redundant and it has come to feel that we are just talking with ourselves. Conversation is a two-way street, don' you think?

[Spartan]

Edmond being a college town is kind of funny. It's about as much of a college town as north Calgary, which happens to have a large university, but is hardly a college town. Coming from Norman it's hard to not laugh at that. Someone from Lawrence or Stillwater would down-right scoff at that (or hee-haw).

MWC has Rose State College. College town there, I'd say. SW OKC has O-Triple-C and a very lively college town environment there around May and SW 74th. I think there's a Platt College in Moore, so there ya go..

Yukon and Edmond have some very nice neighborhoods, as does just about every area of the metro area. If you're moving from Baltimore you're probably moving here because of work. I'd recommend that you select a nice area that is relatively close to work. Maybe rent for a while, so you can learn about the different areas before you commit to buying?

I'm not familiar with the racial-friction quotient in any of the areas; I hope to think that most are color blind. Welcome to OKC, and good luck with your move!

Did Dennis Wells just endorse the Hobbit houses in Bagend? Lol, just giving you grief. I think someone moving here from the east coast should give Dennis Wells a call and discuss building a new mod home in SoSA.

[bradzilla]

Just recently made the move here to okc metro from Baltimore area, and we are looking for a nice area to move into in the okc metro area. Like one of our old neighbors in baltimore cliams he heard theres ku klux klan all over Oklahoma!!!!

First thing to remember is that this is not Baltimore and your neighbor is an idiot.

The biggest problem with people from other states is that they make narrow minded observations which they hold their entire lives based on no personal experience or logic. I've always found it entertaining that you can mention where you are from to a person from one of the coast and they actually believe that any place in the middle of the country is just a big mobile home park and everyone is walking around in a wife-beater and dipping tobacco.

With that said, live where you want to live and do what you want to do. If you've visited before you know that in most of the city there isn't a huge black population like there is in some east coast / southern cities but that you will have no problem making new friends. I've lived in Moore, Edmond, and Midwest City/Choctaw and Ive have neighbors of every color, shape, and size.

[bradzilla]

Sbut, as a member of my Edmond addition home owner's association, I will assure you, at least in our addition, any time a black person moves in the neighborhood, it becomes part of the discussion about how to handle the situation and how to make life as miserable as possible for the black family. .

Patrick is a great example as someone who takes a topic like this and completely runs away with it to gain attention for himself on the internet. If you look at his post history he's done this with other topics as well. With him if you ask a question or two like - Patrick what plans did you make to get rid of the black families?

Not only will he be stumped but will come up with something even more outrageous just so his story doesn't fall apart on the internet.

Patrick - so what do you do , do you hide their trashcans, egg their cars? toilet paper their house?, do you not wave to them as you drive by? Give me the name of your subdivision (or i could just track your IP ) and i'll drive by to check out your story for this nice lady who is moving to OKC.

[Easy180]

Exactly...Wonder what the plan was?

[flintysooner]

Edmond might be a consideration, but I will warn you that it is a a white flight community itself, and Edmond has historic roots of bragging about it being a "town with no negroes." Seriously, they used to put that in their chamber of commerce brochures in the day. It's getting better, but you'll still feel pretty isolated there as it is probably over 95% white.
[/I]

From City-Data (http://www.city-data.com/city/Edmond-Oklahoma.html):
Edmond: White alone - 68,652 (79.7%), Black alone - 5,673 (6.6%)

Others:
Yukon: White alone - 19,039 (85.2%), Black alone - 205 (0.9%)
Mustang: White alone - 11,824 (89.9%), Black alone - 71 (0.5%)
Oklahoma City: White alone - 326,381 (59.7%), Black alone - 76,759 (14.0%)
Norman: White alone - 82,956 (80.3%), Black alone - 4,261 (4.1%)
Moore: White alone - 35,597 (76.3%), Black alone - 2,383 (5.1%)
Midwest City: White alone - 34,625 (64.5%), Black alone - 10,192 (19.0%)
Del City: White alone - 15,084 (67.2%), Black alone - 4,212 (18.8%)
The Village: White alone - 7,934 (78.1%), Black alone - 1,044 (10.3%)
Nichols Hills: White alone - 3,764 (92.8%), Black alone - 17 (0.4%)
Bethany: White alone - 16,822 (82.8%), Black alone - 872 (4.3%)
Choctaw: White alone - 8,174 (87.2%), Black alone - 154 (1.6%)
Nicoma Park: White alone - 2,024 (83.8%), Black alone - 81 (3.4%)
Jones: White alone - 2,165 (86.0%), Black alone - 111 (4.4%)
Tuttle: White alone - 3,863 (90.0%)
Newcastle: White alone - 4,813 (88.6%), Black alone - 10 (0.2%)

Never did find a 95% but Nichols Hills was closest.

[PennyQuilts]

Mostly students. But we saw blacks not get positions on the football team because they were black.

Nothing written after that is credible. This is football country. Schools will beg, borrow, bribe and kidnap good atheletes with a good work ethic and passable grades to compete and race has absolutely no bearing.

[okcpulse]

Mostly students. But we saw blacks not get positions on the football team because they were black. Regarding students, let's just say that many of the white students didn't make it easy on the few black students that went to Yukon HS and were frequently the center of bullying, for which the district refused to act on.



Never said Edmond schools were racist. And no, just because they're mostly white doesn't make them racist. I'd recommend Edmond schools to him long before I'd recommend Yukon.

I second that. As an Edmond Memorial grad, anyone was embraced regardless of skin color. Racial attitudes were very frowned upon, and bullying mostly occurred from one or two students who had major emotional issues. My high school counselor there was very efficient at putting a stopping that sort of behavior.

My wife and I decided on Edmond over Yukon mostly because I grew up in Edmond and there is much more housing inventory. That and we like the style of one of the builders.

[mkjeeves]

Did Dennis Wells just endorse the Hobbit houses in Bagend? Lol, just giving you grief. I think someone moving here from the east coast should give Dennis Wells a call and discuss building a new mod home in SoSA.

I believe he formerly lived in a hobbit house in Yukon. Perhaps he learned both appreciation for the community and his disdain for that architectural sentiment from the experience. Yes, build in Sosa, or make yourself a home anywhere in the metro.

[Double Edge]

Nothing written after that is credible. This is football country. Schools will beg, borrow, bribe and kidnap good atheletes with a good work ethic and passable grades to compete and race has absolutely no bearing.

Benefit of the doubt that bad things sometimes happen, I have to imagine the next runner up to experiencing the sting of racism directly is the attempts of people who were not involved to deny it or sweep it under the rug.

Racism exists. But I think most of the residents in all the neighborhoods will welcome you.

[MustangGT]

Nothing written after that is credible. This is football country. Schools will beg, borrow, bribe and kidnap good atheletes with a good work ethic and passable grades to compete and race has absolutely no bearing.

I would call dubious on all his statments in that post. If his neighborhood association actually behaves that way they need to be sued and held to answer for what they are alleged to have done.

[Steve]

Younger brother recently graduated from Yukon HS. I'd say the amount of racism present in that school is unbelievable.

No source needed for evidence of white flight. That's a phenomon that's well known to us that grew up in this city and experienced it. I think the racial mix of your public schools is a good source though. You look at the racial make up of OKC Public Schools and it's pretty well mixed. In contrast, Edmond North is 96% white per review of No Child Left Behind data.

That's pretty poor sourcing, forgive me, for the conclusions you're making.
Here's some equally anecdotal information of my own. In my nw OKC/Edmond schools neighborhood, we have at least 4 black families, two Asian families and one Hispanic family - ON MY BLOCK. It's a great safe neighborhood. I don't know about Yukon.
White flight is a sad incident from the 1970s that is now ancient history ... my suggestion, Braunstation, is take all of these comments with a grain of salt, and follow the one bit of advice given by one person - get a nice apartment to start off with if you can, get to know the city, and spend a few months getting to know the city.

[SkyWestOKC]

Agree very much with Steve.

What one person likes and recommends might be completely opposite of what you like or prefer for you and your family. I'd definitely recommend renting a decent living space for a few months and finding a place that's perfect for your lifestyle and budget.

[bucktalk]

I live in a very nice Edmond residental development. There 3 or 4 black families within 12 houses of ours. Our neighborhood is very much diverse. Not sure you can take much credibility from Patricks commments. I'm thinking he's trying to add some drama this this thread....

[bradzilla]

Nothing written after that is credible. This is football country. Schools will beg, borrow, bribe and kidnap good athletes with a good work ethic and passable grades to compete and race has absolutely no bearing.

Ditto - I graduated from a large Oklahoman high school back in 2000 and at the time there were several controversies over recruiting practices at trying to get great football and basketball players out of the inner cities schools and into the suburban school system. As far as the black kids being treated differently in highschool that would've been a joke, i never saw/heard about/witnessed anyone ganging up on a black kid at school.

[Double Edge]

So braunstation, I'm curious about how you know so much about OKC and Tulsa high school sports, used to go to games here a lot but don't know the neighborhoods? You looking for a place to live or just to stir up controversy?

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.ph...604#post379604

[Easy180]

Busted

[Doug Loudenback]

Yep. Looks like we've been had.

[krisb]

I'd recommend Jefferson Park, Deep Deuce, Lincoln Terrace, or Paseo neighborhoods. They seem like the most eclectic and diverse of the historic neighborhoods, all having a strong African-American history and presence.

[Spartan]

Wow. 17 people! lol

Oklahoma City: White alone - 326,381 (59.7%), Black alone - 76,759 (14.0%)
Nichols Hills: White alone - 3,764 (92.8%), Black alone - 17 (0.4%)

So braunstation, I'm curious about how you know so much about OKC and Tulsa high school sports, used to go to games here a lot but don't know the neighborhoods? You looking for a place to live or just to stir up controversy?

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.ph...604#post379604

Ha! Probably forgot which i.d. he was logged in as.

[Steve]

Thread is dead.