In this thread, we say bad things about the city...

[Kedwamo]

Welcome to the site anyway... maybe we'll help you see some more of the positives of OK.

Well, the topic of this thread is called "...We say bad things about the city..."

You wanted it, you got it!! ...hehehe

(Not everything I said was bad!)

[Karried]

That's true! I'm not sure how much we really wanted it!

Anyway, we're all interested in making it better and that's what I prefer to focus on... who started this thread anyway??

[Redneck Cabbie]

who started this thread anyway??

I don't know, but for digging it out of obscurity.

[Karried]

LOL, Redneck Cabbie,

Just what you wanted to see before your big move!

[sweetdaisy]

Hmmm, where to start? First, the city is too spread out, which is why I think some of our roads and bridges are in such poor shape. We can't afford to maintain what we've got, because we've got so much! And that same sprawl makes this an inconvenient place to live. It seems like you have to drive great distances to get anywhere. For a period of time last year, I easily put 60-70 miles a day on my car and I never left city limits! This was just going to work and back.

Another thing: OKC is a really tacky looking city. In fact, I'd say this has got to be one of the ugliest cities in the country. For example, there is a huge landfill behind Crossroads Mall greeting people as they drive in from the south. There's another one out west near I-40. (It's sad to live in city where the highest points are landfills.) There are tacky billboards everywhere. Driving around, one sees lots of run-down homes and businesses, especially on the south side. There are too many cookie-cutter subdivisions and uninteresting strip malls. The downtown skyline isn't very pretty.

What I really can't stand is the overbearing political and religious climate. This place is Conservative with a capital C. Some people may love it that way, but I hate it. So many people here live their lives with such closed minds. Now, I'm all for people having their own beliefs, but it really seems that if you don't share the Conservative/George W. Bush/Evangelical Christian/Toby Keith/Gun-toting/Gay-hating mentality that seems to prevail here, then you are on outcast.

What else: Bricktown -- It really isn't as cool as people make it out to be. A bunch of boring, sub-par restaurants, a stupid canal that goes nowhere, a movie theatre and a Bass Pro. wow.

Oh, and it's really boring here. If you like sports, then I guess it's okay. But I don't. This city just lacks something -- I don't really know what it is -- but I've lived in similar sized cities and I don't know -- this place just has kind of a funk to it (not the good kind either.) Maybe it's the flatness of the terrain or the dust-bowl mentality -- I don't know.

There's just not a whole lot of character in the neighborhoods. And there are hardly any areas where you can just get out of the car, walk around and experience a truly cool, interesting, pedestrian- friendly neighborhood.

Terrible radio stations. Not-so-good local newspaper. The Ogles.

The jobs here suck -- too many call centers.

Okay, so now that I've made a bunch of people mad...

These are only my opinions. And despite what I've said, this city has a place in my heart, because I'm from here. I may have come and gone a few times and I'll probably leave here again. But to me, this city is like a relative: You love your relative because he/she is family, but it doesn't mean you actually have to like that relative all that much. I have ties here. I have memories. And it's not all that bad. You can get great sushi here. The NW Skyline, Lake Hefner and Penn Square are nice. The cost of living can't be beat. People are generally pretty nice. We have Starbucks now. And I'd say the city has gotten better and I think that in a few years I'll have more good things to say about it...

I actually agree with most of what you said. Although, I do like our downtown skyline. Otherwise, you're pretty much on the nose. The key is focusing on those really great parts and ignoring the rest. The biggie for me: the cost of living can't be beat. I can afford a house here by Henfer Lake and I only see the parts I want to see. If I lived on the south side, I'd probably stick my head in the oven.

[ETL]

Hmmm, where to start? First, the city is too spread out, which is why I think some of our roads and bridges are in such poor shape. We can't afford to maintain what we've got, because we've got so much! And that same sprawl makes this an inconvenient place to live. It seems like you have to drive great distances to get anywhere. For a period of time last year, I easily put 60-70 miles a day on my car and I never left city limits! This was just going to work and back.

Another thing: OKC is a really tacky looking city. In fact, I'd say this has got to be one of the ugliest cities in the country. For example, there is a huge landfill behind Crossroads Mall greeting people as they drive in from the south. There's another one out west near I-40. (It's sad to live in city where the highest points are landfills.) There are tacky billboards everywhere. Driving around, one sees lots of run-down homes and businesses, especially on the south side. There are too many cookie-cutter subdivisions and uninteresting strip malls. The downtown skyline isn't very pretty.

What I really can't stand is the overbearing political and religious climate. This place is Conservative with a capital C. Some people may love it that way, but I hate it. So many people here live their lives with such closed minds. Now, I'm all for people having their own beliefs, but it really seems that if you don't share the Conservative/George W. Bush/Evangelical Christian/Toby Keith/Gun-toting/Gay-hating mentality that seems to prevail here, then you are on outcast.

What else: Bricktown -- It really isn't as cool as people make it out to be. A bunch of boring, sub-par restaurants, a stupid canal that goes nowhere, a movie theatre and a Bass Pro. wow.

Oh, and it's really boring here. If you like sports, then I guess it's okay. But I don't. This city just lacks something -- I don't really know what it is -- but I've lived in similar sized cities and I don't know -- this place just has kind of a funk to it (not the good kind either.) Maybe it's the flatness of the terrain or the dust-bowl mentality -- I don't know.

There's just not a whole lot of character in the neighborhoods. And there are hardly any areas where you can just get out of the car, walk around and experience a truly cool, interesting, pedestrian- friendly neighborhood.

Terrible radio stations. Not-so-good local newspaper. The Ogles.

The jobs here suck -- too many call centers.

Okay, so now that I've made a bunch of people mad...

These are only my opinions. And despite what I've said, this city has a place in my heart, because I'm from here. I may have come and gone a few times and I'll probably leave here again. But to me, this city is like a relative: You love your relative because he/she is family, but it doesn't mean you actually have to like that relative all that much. I have ties here. I have memories. And it's not all that bad. You can get great sushi here. The NW Skyline, Lake Hefner and Penn Square are nice. The cost of living can't be beat. People are generally pretty nice. We have Starbucks now. And I'd say the city has gotten better and I think that in a few years I'll have more good things to say about it...

So how do you plan to help fix these problems, and I am glad you brought them to light.

[ETL]

I actually agree with most of what you said. Although, I do like our downtown skyline. Otherwise, you're pretty much on the nose. The key is focusing on those really great parts and ignoring the rest. The biggie for me: the cost of living can't be beat. I can afford a house here by Henfer Lake and I only see the parts I want to see. If I lived on the south side, I'd probably stick my head in the oven.

What areas on south side (i.e. OKC, Moore, Norman)? Also, what do you propose to do about all this?

[soonerliberal]

I don't like that there are very few boulevards in the city compared to other places and the ones there are seem to be fairly trashy, with the exception of Lincoln of course.

[okcpulse]

Another thing: OKC is a really tacky looking city. In fact, I'd say this has got to be one of the ugliest cities in the country.

You just described Oklahoma City ten years ago. I know this thread is about constructive criticism but I have to say, after seven months of living in Houston, Oklahoma City is NO WHERE NEAR AS BAD as what we whine about.

[Oki_Man5]

I can only imagine the positive effects that The City of Oklahoma City's sucking in its borders to the point where it could focus on its inner-city area could bring---I can imagine it only because I know it will never happen: Instead of sucking in the borders, the city will expand further, and the resources will be further stretched.

As far as the radio stations go, I really do not care; my radio/cd player is dedicated to Shania where she transports my mind to a place I love being. I won't expand on that. LOL OK! I am a dirty ole man.