Know your city

[catch22]

This is more of a rant...

Was flying in last night from Chicago. There were a lot of foreigners coming to OKC for the first time. (Asian and Middle East) I couldn't help hear the lady behind me...

"Yeah, OKC is a small city. Mostly agricultural. Like cows, not goat or sheep. It's not a real pretty town, very rural. Including what we call the suburbs, there are around 450,000 people that live here. Downtown doesn't have people, it's not like Chicago. Most of the better restaurants are on the north side in Edmond or in Norman. Downtown is mostly just business. There are a few tall buildings, but not many. A few energy companies are here, but most of our economy is agriculture. As far as sports go we really only have football, like American football, kind of like rugby, and we also have a basketball team."

This went on for 20 or 30 minutes and I could not believe my ears. I had to hold every grain in my body back from turning around and saying something.

I sincerely hope the average OKC resident knows more about this city than this lady. If not we have a local perception problem, not a national one.

[kevinpate]

... If not we have a local perception problem, not a national one.

No more calls, this one's a winner.
Truth is, there are far more gents and ladies like your lady on the plane than there are up to date folks like Sid, betts, and <insert any one of numerous OKCTalkers here>

[bchris02]

This is the kind of thing I would expect somebody from the coast to say about OKC who has never been here and just going off a stereotype. I can't believe anyone who lives here would misrepresent it like that.

[kevinpate]

This is the kind of thing I would expect somebody from the coast to say about OKC who has never been here and just going off a stereotype. I can't believe anyone who lives here would misrepresent it like that.

In her mind she may well believe she was spot on in her points. Plop yourself down in some never been trendy and won't ever be trendy spot in town. Get a soda or a simple black coffee and then sit back and listen. There are many throughout the metro that would think she was one smart cookie.

[catch22]

The man asked her how long she had lived here, she said 10 years. 10 years is plenty time to get up to speed...especially since the last ten have been the most exciting since the 1890s

[Roger S]

The man asked her how long she had lived here, she said 10 years. 10 years is plenty time to get up to speed...especially since the last ten have been the most exciting since the 1890s

I don't know... I have friends who have lived their entire lives here and can't find their way across town.

[bchris02]

I don't know... I have friends who have lived their entire lives here and can't find their way across town.

A lot of people in OKC live in their own bubbles. I know a lot of people in Edmond who never, ever go to downtown OKC.

[mcca7596]

I will say... one good aspect of a suburban viewpoint is that from a car you have a larger sense of surroundings as opposed to being on foot, albeit not as intimate.

[Rover]

This is just one more thread to try to say how stupid and backward suburbanites are. But even if these gross caricatures are even close to reality, it reminds me of all the urban experts on this site who profess to know all about cities and have virtually no experience outside of OKC or Oklahoma, or at most, the US. LOL. What is the point of this thread?

If your friends are so stupid and myopic, you either need to change friends or you are part of their club. Most of the people I know in OKC are cultured, not only know about OKC but invest in it, run businesses in it, and finance a lot of this progress, all the while living in those awful suburbs. This incessant suburbanite bashing is just stupid. Those that think living in downtown automatically makes them worldly probably have no clue what worldly is.

[CuatrodeMayo]

Did you even read the OP?

[OKCisOK4me]

I'd be on a no-fly list after hearing her say that, had I been you.

[bluedogok]

This is the kind of thing I would expect somebody from the coast to say about OKC who has never been here and just going off a stereotype. I can't believe anyone who lives here would misrepresent it like that.

I haven't lived in OKC for 10 years and know more about what is going on there through this site, reading news, family and friends than a lot of people who have lived there their whole life. Some people just choose to be ignorant of their surroundings.

A lot of people in OKC live in their own bubbles. I know a lot of people in Edmond who never, ever go to downtown OKC.

It isn't just OKC, there are a whole bunch of people that I know in Austin who never seem to get out of their bubble in Austin. They seem to think anything that requires "crossing the river" (Colorado River/Town Lake/Lady Bird Lake) requires planning a trip and these weren't "old people", these were 20-30 somethings. If it doesn't happen in their bubble or in a food/entertainment district they don't know anything about it. They might venture down to New Braunfels to go tubing (mainly to drink) but not much more than that. They were shocked that I rode all over the Hill Country and told them about places they had no idea existed. Seemed to me the "transplants" got out of town and explored more than the locals.

[catch22]

This is just one more thread to try to say how stupid and backward suburbanites are. But even if these gross caricatures are even close to reality, it reminds me of all the urban experts on this site who profess to know all about cities and have virtually no experience outside of OKC or Oklahoma, or at most, the US. LOL. What is the point of this thread?

If your friends are so stupid and myopic, you either need to change friends or you are part of their club. Most of the people I know in OKC are cultured, not only know about OKC but invest in it, run businesses in it, and finance a lot of this progress, all the while living in those awful suburbs. This incessant suburbanite bashing is just stupid. Those that think living in downtown automatically makes them worldly probably have no clue what worldly is.

Where did anyone even mention suburbs? She got the entire city wrong, not just downtown.....

[flintysooner]

Where did anyone even mention suburbs? She got the entire city wrong, not just downtown.....

Post #8.

[okcpulse]

She tanked hard core by the second sentence. Look, not everyone has to like Oklahoma City. That is okay. It is their opinion, their right. But it is not acceptable for any reason whatsoever to spread misinformation. She needs to be put under a gag order. Not only did she get the employment base wrong, she threw the most lively core of Oklahoma City - all of its central city districts - under the bus.

Wow. I will not ever allow my children to undertake such a disservice.

[Bellaboo]

Ha, same thing happened to me a few years back. A woman and her son, probably 9 or 10 years old were 1 row in front of me on the taxi way getting ready to take off at WRWA. The boy asked his mom, 'are those oil wells ?' Her reply was, 'Oh no, those can't be oil wells'. I leaned forward kind of between the seats and told them, no, he's right, those are producing wells and the moving part is called a pump jack, and these wells were drilled in the neighborhood of 5 to 6 thousand feet down.....she said, well we're from Virginia and I didn't think they would put them on an airport...I said well, this just happens to be where the oil is.

[ErnestA]

Coming down on people who don’t know better, especially the suburbanites, isn’t the way to go. Residents have their own lives to lead, and folks being parochial in their cityview isn’t unique to OKC. Most people only go to where they need to go, and their interests may not require travelling to other parts of town. Lambasting the non- and ill-informed only heightens the perception of urbanists as elitists.

Not everybody in any city will be a civic booster. Most people experience places only as a consumer, not as something to cultivate. Instead, it’s up to the city government, local media, image makers (chamber and PR folks), businesses, and concerned citizens to introduce people to the city they live in. Through personal intelligence, this forum and other sites on the internet, this group on OKCTalk is much more informed than the average citizen. Not everybody has the time to keep up the way we do.

[ErnestA]

Another thing: many people who live here are from other cities, especially from the largest ones like Dallas, New York, or LA. Their version of “the city” is based only on those places whose urbanity is much more mature than OKC’s. These people who expect every place to be like those cities are just as parochial as folks here who’ve never left Edmond.

[Pete]

Haha... Revenge of the well-informed!!

I experienced something very similar on a flight into OKC where a blow-hard was trying to impress the flight attendants by running down the City.

He was right across the aisle from me and said something like, "Yeah, there is only like a million people in the whole state. Not much to do here... Yadda, yadda."

I could barely control myself as I thought, "Bud, you just spouted off on the wrong subject in the presence of the wrong guy." And of course, I proceeded to set the record straight with the latest populations stats, growth trends, some of the many Top 10 lists, info. about downtown development and what was coming, some of the better new restaurants, etc.

Shut him completely up and seemed to impress everyone else (the info., not me).


Testify, OKCTalk!!!

Spread the word across the land to those local and elsewhere... I assure you that everyone that knows me here in California knows all about OKC.

[bradh]

Instead, it’s up to the city government, local media, image makers (chamber and PR folks), businesses, and concerned citizens to introduce people to the city they live in. Through personal intelligence, this forum and other sites on the internet, this group on OKCTalk is much more informed than the average citizen. Not everybody has the time to keep up the way we do.

They do that, trust me. Without the efforts of many in those groups you mentioned, especially the "evil" chamber as many of you on here discuss, the image would be worse.

[ErnestA]

They do that, trust me. Without the efforts of many in those groups you mentioned, especially the "evil" chamber as many of you on here discuss, the image would be worse.

I know they do, thankfully. My point is that we can't expect all residents to keep up with city developments. I love what the chamber's done with their e-magazines and videos, but as others have said here, they almost do it too well -- giving some locals the impression that OKC is building at an exceptional rate for the country, when as most of us know, other downtowns are flourishing and busier than ours. That's why I'm glad we have that "OKC Not Alone in Downtown Investments" thread. I also cringe when I see almost all of the "high points" of the city shown in those videos. It's the equivalent of a movie trailer showing all the funny moments or dramatic developments. You have to leave room for pleasant discovery.

[bradh]

It's cool Ernest, I was mostly just reiterating your post for anyone who didn't think so.

[HOT ROD]

Another thing: many people who live here are from other cities, especially from the largest ones like Dallas, New York, or LA. Their version of “the city” is based only on those places whose urbanity is much more mature than OKC’s. These people who expect every place to be like those cities are just as parochial as folks here who’ve never left Edmond.

I agree with this, and this is why people in the know need to speak up. It doesn't hurt to jump in and correct the misinformation; something ala - I couldn't help but hearing your conversation about OKC; I've lived there for X years and know that OKC has 1.4+ million people in its metro area (and currently under a rapid growth spurt), has an economy based on OIL/Energy, Healthcare, Aerospace, Services, and Government (very little agri actually by comparison not that theres anything wrong with being an agri city), and that OKC has a growing downtown with more skyscrapers on the way (including at least one that will be announced any day now). I would also say that "you can't totally judge a city by these superficial things or by comparison to a world city like Chicago, but instead you should come to OKC with an open mind and you'll probably be shocked that the city is actually quite different than your friend first described it."

[HOT ROD]

Ernest, in all honesty - what city doesn't highlight its positives in their chamber/moving here films? I don't think you need to be embarrassed that OKC has showpoints now and choses to highlight them in a film. It's not cheesy and believe me there ARE people moving to OKC from other cities who are interested in the WOW factor of OKC. Seattle CONSTANTLY uses the space needle to death and grunge music so why can't OKC use the Oklahoma River and Flaming Lips? Think Seattle didn't highlight the Sonics when they were here? Why is it lame if OKC does? Many, MANY Seattleites are moving to OKC (I personally know of 6 families that moved within the past few months). ...

Again, I think sometimes locals to OKC are the most critical of the city when in fact what the Chamber and other 'boosters' are doing IS what OKC needs to dispel the misinformation and ignorant who for some reason have a strong negative opinion about the city.

[dcsooner]

(I personally know of 6 families that moved within the past few months). ...1.4+ million people in its metro area
Really. A little skeptical Hot Rod