Quote Originally Posted by bombermwc View Post
So you managed to pick what most people think is the worst commercial strip in MWC and base your opinion of the city on that huh?
No, I didn't. I'd personally feel no less safe in Midwest City as I would in Yukon. I've not spent any much time in those places, and both are in my home metro area. I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about why the perception persists.

But . . . How many stretches in other parts of OKC have so many old big box stores that have managed to repurpose and NOT be vacant for decades all while being a few miles OFF the interstate. I'd say that's a good picture of how MWC economic development is doing its job.

I can go anywhere in any suburb in OKC and in the city itself and find the same crap you've described. Even in precious Moore and Edmond, there is crap. Oodles and oodles of crap.
I agree you can find oodles and oodles of crap in any suburb. That might be the best definition of "Suburban America": Oodles and Oodles of crap (This is hyperbole for anyone who just read this and finds themselves having a visceral reaction). Also, not sure anybody is looking to Moore as an example of the most desirable suburb to live in. I hear more people talk @%*^ on Moore than I do Midwest City by a long shot.

MWC problem is that there is a complete lack of density, even of the suburban nature, and that's alone probably worth 3 strikes. There's no road that even closely resembles NW Expressway, Memorial, Broadway Extension, etc. over a 3 mile distance. These are the OKC Metro area's middle class havens. These are the types of places where the middle class is going to spend their money.

But the perception of those towns is different. And most people don't realize how much money is in MWC. Yes, it's mostly on the eastern sides of MWC, but those million dollar mansions do exist in MWC, and they aren't low in their numbers.

And if you're going to talk MWC, you need to include some of the SE sector nearby because those people spend all of their money in MWC. Again, there's some crap out there, but there's also quite a bit of large expensive areas too..even as close as 44th/Douglas.
This ultimately aids my argument that MWC, especially the part most likely to be encountered by the average OKC metro citizen, looks old and not well taken care of. Every person could be a millionaire in Midwest City, but if the Western portion of Midwest City still looked like it did, the perception of crime would still be there.

I have nothing against Midwest City, and I hope it can find a way to flourish the same way Edmond and Norman do, because that only helps OKC (which is really all I care about). But if you want to know the answer to "Why do people think x about MWC", the answers are 100% obvious.

Land Costco, and all of the sudden perception changes real quick.