Relocating to OKC..Good and Bad !

[6foot3]

Hey everyone...i'm going to be relocating to OKC in about a month or so. Can anyone compare to where i live now in Albuquerque good or bad. Middle class (not rich or poor) areas to live and good gyms to lift weights. Best mall(s). Nite life. Any water recreation/state parks close by to jet ski/ water ski , camping etc..etc...i think you see where im going on this and i'd really appreciate any and all advice and answers. Take Care !! 6foot3...

[RealtorJoe]

I would go with Norman or Moore. Close to a couple good lakes, pretty good night life in Norman. Oklahoma City has quite few really nice areas. Do you like newer homes or older homes?

[Spartan]

Norman has a very nice stock of both old and new.

[6foot3]

Thanks R-joe and Sparten...On another city forum alot of people rave about Edmond?? As far as Normon goes ....since OU is there is it purely a college town. I'm 40 and although i think i'm still hip and all and love my 80's/90's rock music and am highly active in all sports and can fit in easy with all crowds is Normon more than just a twenty something place .......

Thanks! 6/3

[metro]

Welcome to OKC! It really all depends on many personal preferences and factors. Budget, type of residence (single family, multi, condo, townhouse, loft, etc.) as well as if you want to live in suburbs, downtown, etc. Would depend on how close you want to be to your work, etc. Give us more info and we can assist you better. Also there has been numerous posts like this by others who have moved to OKC asking the same questions. You may want to do a search and see what people have advised them as well. Again, welcome!!!

[6foot3]

Thanks for the welcome Metro....I work in the apartment industry so i can live where i work if i choose to do so. Always more of a suburbia type. What is Bricktown. Is that where the AAA baseball team plays (stadium) or is that the entertainment district. I was also reading on here about the Underground? And i see you have a nice arena where the Hornets played at. And where's the largest Mall in the metro?

I know that Oklahoma doesn't have mountainns like the rockies but i see on the vacation magazine the Arbuckle? mountains with a large water fall and swimming. Also is there biking, hiking and camping on these. I think another is the wichita mountains not to far from OKC....

I know lots of questios but i really want to be somewhat prepared when i get here and i'm really excited about it....6/3

[CMSturgeon]

At 40 I would say Edmond is the ideal place.... mainly upper middle & above class people and it is growing quite quickly. There are a lot of restaurants and businesses and easy access to the city due to being near the big interstates and a turnpike.

[metro]

Yeah, if you're a suburbanite wanting malls, lakes, and suburbia, then Edmond seems your best fit. Quail Springs Mall is the area's largest mall and close to Edmond, although I prefer Penn Square Mall its smaller but the most upscale mall in the metro. It's more in the center city area. Bricktown is one (and the most popular entertainment districts that is on the east southeast side of downtown. The AAA ballpark is also in Bricktown as well as our canal, restaurants, clubs, concerts, movie theater, etc. The arts district, film row, Midtown, Automobile Alley, Deep Deuce, Flat Iron, and the Triangle are also up and coming downtown districts. Paseo is also a nearby arts district and Uptown/23rd street area is pretty cool. The Underground is a newly renovated (formerly called ConnCourse) series of underground tunnels downtown that connect most downtown buildings. It also has art galleries, etc. under there.

The arbuckle mountains are a little over an hour's drive south of the city and a good weekend getaway. If you're thinking more of real mountains (although not the rockies, I'd head to the Wichita Mountains in Lawton, these will be closer to what you are used to and are good for camping, biking, fishing, rock climbing, rappelling, etc.

Feel free to keep asking us questions. I highly recommend you pick up a copy of the Gazette when you get a chance. It's the free independent weekly paper and will keep you in the know for starters.

[brianinok]

Here are my thoughts:

Norman: South of OKC. At over 100,000 people, there is quite a bit more than just a college town. People who live there generally love it, but it can be an long commute to OKC (for OK standards-- still better than larger cities) sometimes because of the I-35 traffic and never ending construction. It would be an easy drive down I-35 to the Arbuckles for camping, etc. Close to Lake Thunderbird ("Dirtybird"). A lot of middle and upper class areas. Nice mall is Sooner Mall, although it is fairly small. They are building a "lifestyle center" in Norman as well, but it remains to be seen exactly how nice it will be when completed.

Moore: Between Norman & OKC on I-35. Generally middle class. Easy to get south on I-35 to the Arbuckles. Closest nice shopping and mall is in Norman (Crossroads Mall in south OKC at I-35 & I-240 is not good at all).

Yukon: West of OKC on I-40. Mostly middle class, but more upper class is appearing. Easy to get to I-44 heading southwest toward Lawton for the Wichita Mountains (which are also a great camping area-- google it and you can find more info easily). Closest mall is probably Penn Square Mall in "inner northwest" OKC near Nichols Hills, which is a very ritzy suburb. Penn Square is the nicest mall in the city.

Northwest OKC: Middle class and upper class. Loads of shopping areas. Penn Square Mall and Quail Springs Mall will be close by. Lake Hefner is here, which is popular for sailing, and has a nice trail all the way around it.

Edmond: North of OKC. Edmond is mainly upper class and upper middle class, but has some middle class parts. There are lots of nice shopping areas, but no mall currently. It is close to Quail Springs, though. Quail Springs is a good mall, but does not have the expensive store selection that Penn Square does. They are building a lifestyle center in north Edmond on I-35 that is supposed to bring in retailers that are exclusive and not currently in the Oklahoma market. Lake Arcadia is in east Edmond.

Midwest City: East of OKC on I-40. Mainly working class and middle class. No close mall (unless you count Crossroads). But is getting better from what I hear.

It is easy to get around OKC because we have so many freeways and turnpikes, and very little traffic compared to other cities our size. A lot of people don't realize how much outdoor stuff there is to do in Oklahoma. We have more shoreline on our lakes than the east and gulf coasts combined. You should visit travelok.com for more info on all the outdoor activities you can do here.

Hope that helps!

[Karried]

Edmond has Arcadia Lake where we jet ski. It could use some work.. but it's close.

We have many, many gyms here as well. (Transformation is nice.. I belong to that one and go not nearly as often as I should.)

There are plenty of eating establishments here. Tons actually. We have the usual, theaters, bowling, golf, shopping, music, plays... Edmond is only 20 min to OKC/Bricktown.. I like it here.. great place to raise a family with lots of professional, educated people.

Do you have kids? Schools are great.. we love the schools.

I love Norman too.. If I didn't live in Edmond, I'd be in Norman.. beautiful city.

Anyway, check out different websites... Reply.com is good to compare cities, crime rates, schools, etc etc..

I think you should plan a trip and check it out for a week.. .drive around, get a feel for different areas.

Welcome to OK!

[6foot3]

The arbuckle mountains are a little over an hour's drive south of the city and a good weekend getaway. If you're thinking more of real mountains (although not the rockies, I'd head to the Wichita Mountains in Lawton, these will be closer to what you are used to and are good for camping, biking, fishing, rock climbing, rappelling, etc.

Right on Metro....great info on the downtown district and on edmond. I'll research the Wichita's as the outdoor events you listed are what i like to do including the Rappeling.....

The tallest building is the Bank One?? How many stories...

And whats your thoughts on Tinker AFB?? Is it a major employer and how do the people of Oklahoma think of the military. Is the Defense dept upgrading the base housing and modernizing the base or is it already nice. And the area around the base is it good or higher in crime??? Thanks...6/3

[6foot3]

Brianinok...thanks for all the info on all the surrounding areas as you guys are giving great advice and all. O.k. i've heard about the upper areas and middle class areas but how about the bad areas. Every city has them as i would recommend anybody moving to albuquerque to not live below Interstate-40 as an example.

And what about OKC proper as i've heard about the suburbs but the city itself is quite large so any thoughts on this....thanks again...6/3

[SoonerDave]

Okay, here's my pitch for southwest Oklahoma City....

If you check out a map of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City is smack-dab in the middle of the state in Oklahoma County. Oklahoma City is a huge city in land area, and extends south out of Oklahoma County into Cleveland County, where you'll find Moore, and farther south, Norman.

Nestled in that southwest region west of Moore and northwest of Norman is southwest Oklahoma City - some might consider it "far" southwest OKC, based on how long you've lived in the area.

Southwest OKC features some of the nicest, newest housing in all of Oklahoma City ranging from upper-middle income to executive-caliber homes in areas known as (but not limited to) The Fountains, Lakeridge Run, Legacy, Cascata, Vinehaven, and Rivendell. Most people coming to Oklahoma find housing to be astonishingly affordable - even at the high end.

One beauty of this area is that it lies within one of the top school districts in the state - Moore Schools - and in a region that will be served, at least in part, by a new high school facility for the coming school year - the third in the district, supplanting Westmoore and the original Moore High School farther southeast (in Moore proper). Additionally, if you're interested in a health facility, one of the best and newest YMCA facilities in the region opened at Earlywine Park, just at the west end of most of those additions.

Despite Oklahoma City's great land expanse, our inter- and intrastate highways and general grid-based layout make cross-city navigation quicker than you might imagine. The additions I mentioned above are just minutes away from a network of interstate highways (I-240, I-35, I-44) that put you perhaps 12 minutes away from the home of the Sooners in Norman, or a shade over 20 minutes away from the extreme north side of Oklahoma City and Quail Springs Mall, and maybe 15 minutes from downtown and the Bricktown entertainment district.

This region of OKC is an underappreciated gem. A former neighbor of mine who had opted to move to Oklahoma from California to be close to his grandchildren - but had never been here - was stunned at the size and quality of home he was able to buy. His daughter had faxed him some MLS entries of some prospective houses, and when he saw the size and price, he called her and told her the fax machine must have cut off part of the price. When his daughter told him it was no mistake, he bought one of the houses sight unseen, and after living here only a few months told me Oklahoma was one of the most marvelous places he'd ever lived.

Welcome to our state, wherever you choose to live!

-soonerDave

[6foot3]

Edmond has Arcadia Lake where we jet ski. It could use some work.. but it's close.

We have many, many gyms here as well. (Transformation is nice.. I belong to that one and go not nearly as often as I should.)

There are plenty of eating establishments here. Tons actually. We have the usual, theaters, bowling, golf, shopping, music, plays... Edmond is only 20 min to OKC/Bricktown.. I like it here.. great place to raise a family with lots of professional, educated people.

Do you have kids? Schools are great.. we love the schools.

I love Norman too.. If I didn't live in Edmond, I'd be in Norman.. beautiful city.

Anyway, check out different websites... Reply.com is good to compare cities, crime rates, schools, etc etc..

I think you should plan a trip and check it out for a week.. .drive around, get a feel for different areas.

Welcome to OK!

I thought about checking it out but i'm set on the move and i also want to be closer to family in Kansa but not live there. I was hooked when i seen all the water in Oklahoma as that really caught my eye. Also the economy is strong by what i see in the paper and the cost of living is lower than most cities in the USA. You even have a Six Flags amusement park...how cool...

Anyway i've saved my earnings so can take time off to explore the city and state for a while and being in the apartment community for 12 years now i know i'll have no problem for employment....Thanks Karried....

P.S. Didn't forget about you either ''CmSturgeon''....thanks for your response...

[okcpulse]

6foot3, Bank One Tower is now known as Chase Tower, and is 36 stories tall, or 500 feet in height. I remember when I was in Albuquerque, the highrises downton were very short in comparison.

If you want some interesting info. about the Wichitas, Arbuckles and Kiamichi Mts, I'm sure you will find this interesting-

These three mountain ranges are among the oldest in the world. They formed 800-600 million years ago during the pre-cambrian era, and are the result of a failed continental break-up. If you have Google Earth on your computer, you can see the strange formation from space over southeastern Oklahoma's Kiamichi Mt. range, with its strange gentle curves, as well as the Arbuckle Mts. ancient fold line on the south side of the ridge, a small mimick of how the Himalayas were formed. The Wichita range is believed to at one time be a part of the foothills of the Rocky Mts. before the Ice Age.

[BG918]

If I were moving to suburban OKC I would go for Norman, mainly because it's a suburb but also a unique college town all in one. Lots of older homes and walkable areas around the campus, good nightlife scene in Campus Corner, and newer areas all around. And then only a 20 min. commute to downtown OKC. Edmond is very suburban but is probably the nicest suburban community, lots of really nice neighborhoods there. I'd stay away from Midwest City, Del City, Yukon, Mustang, Moore, etc. unless you have to.

For OKC, there's lots of nice newer homes on the north and westsides and if you want an older home (and good buy) there are plenty of those too. Penn Square is the nicest mall at Penn and NW Expressway in OKC and is huge and fairly upscale. Nichols Hills is the nicest area in the city, similar to Dallas' Highland Park on the northside along Western Ave. The Lake Hefner area on the NW side of OKC is great with lots of jogging/biking trails, sailing, and several restaurants overlooking the lake.

Some great urban neighborhoods exist just to the north of downtown in Midtown around Heritage Hills (very nice old homes), the Paseo (cool arts district), Putnam Heights, and Crown Heights. The Midtown area has Western Ave. running through it and a good mix of local shops, restaurants, and bars, also the Asian District (tons of Chinese/Vietnamese shops and restaurants) along Classen and the gentrifying 23rd Street corridor from Oklahoma City University to the domed state capitol.

Downtown is pretty active with Bricktown offering lots of places to eat, some overlooking the canal, and the most places in the city to go out i.e. bars and clubs. There's also a large movie theater and the ballpark where the AAA RedHawks play. The Ford Center arena and its events are right by Bricktown, and there's an outstanding art museum, music hall, and central library next to each other in the Arts District on the west end of downtown. The Oklahoma River south of downtown has miles of jogging/biking trails along its banks and is the main future growth area for urban OKC (you'll hear Core to Shore mentioned a lot, it's the plan for developing the rundown area from downtown to the river as an urban mixed-use district with a giant park in the center). The huge Oklahoma Health Center is just to the east of downtown and Bricktown and is rapidly developing its own skyline with lots of new buildings going up. A large and interesting Hispanic neighborhood, Capitol Hill, is to the south of downtown; go here for some comida autentica.

[CMSturgeon]

P.S. Didn't forget about you either ''CmSturgeon''....thanks for your response...

Oh and if our theme parks are one the things luring you here, take them off your list.

[BG918]

You'll miss the NM mountains but the Wichita Mountains are pretty scenic by Lawton about an hour and a half away down I-44. There are lots of trails and the mountains are full of big boulders for climbing and rappelling. The Arbuckles are interesting as well just south of OKC on I-35 by Davis. Turner Falls is a neat place to go in the summer, but it gets really crowded. Also the Ouachita Mountains are more of a drive but bigger and cover more area across SE Oklahoma. The local lake are okay, Thunderbird by Norman being the biggest (but very RED because of the red clay). Much better to drive to Lake Eufaula to the east (biggest lake in Oklahoma), Lake Texoma to the south (huge lake, lots of Dallas money/boats), or to the lakes up by Tulsa like Grand and Tenkiller that are surrounded by Ozark hills.

Wichita Mountains


Turner Falls/Arbuckle Mountains


Lake Texoma

[chuckdiesel]

My favorite is the Kiamichi's in SE OK. None of the "mts" in Ok are "real" mountains but pretty close.

As for lakes I would recomend Texoma like someone already mentioned.

Tenkiller is nice too.

[AFCM]

Welcome 6/3! It seems nearly everything has been covered so far, and like metro mentioned, you can probably find some really good threads with a fair amount of information. I seem to remember one thread taking up several pages of great material...stuff I didn't even know about.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the little gem just south of Bricktown called OKC Rocks. Some people may not dig it, but it's a great place to practice and stay in shape if you're in to mountain climbing. A lot of people tend to forget OKC Rocks when talking about Bricktown, but it's one of the better things to do in B-town besides dining and dancing. I guess that's about it. If I can think of anything else, I'll come back and let you know.

Now, should we warn him about the roads?

[HOT ROD]

I'd have to say, OKC has lots to offer - you just need to look for it sometimes. But really, no matter what you might be into - this amazing city has something for ya.

That is pretty rare considering the location of OKC and the fact that it is an outwardly appearing conservative city - but once you come in, there's LOTS to tickle your fancy. Like was said, OKC has some nice but gritty urban districts as well as some suburban expanses with both extremes growing and becoming more connected actually. OKC was on a suburban expanse for the longest time (perhaps since the 1970's) but now attention is returning to the inner city gems.

OKC also has a pretty nice diversity and that is reflected in the food. You can find just about anything, although sometimes it may not be exactly where you'd expect. We mostly complain about the zoning in OKC that has created a concrete jungle of sorts - but this is "slowly" changing as the city recognizes it can expect better / greener developments - this is one compliment of Edmond by the way, they ALWAYS mandate green "fixtures" of sorts in their development.

Also, it seems that people in OKC are more willing to live together now than ever before. OKC used to be quite segregated especially with the so-called "white flight" to the suburbs. That is changing with lots of gentrification taking place in the inner city - and these projects are almost all upscale at the moment, in an effort to bring-up the market no doubt.

Another thing that is changing is OKC's mindset in general. It used to be that OKC was content on being a Tier III city but that has definitely changed really since around 2000 and certainly getting the Hornets and the probable relocation of the NBA Sonics has allowed OKC to develop a swagger of sorts - and this is noticed by the pride in MOST residents of the city. Not an arrogant swagger, but people nonetheless defend OKC now, which even 15 years ago was NOT THE CASE.

OKC is a fantastic city and I among others welcome you and hope that you help to make the city even better. (I sound like the mayor or something, but that is really how people feel about OKC now).

Good luck on your search for housing, there's TONS to chose from - it really depends upon what it is you are looking for and where you'd like to be. Oh, if you get the chance - please use our non-stop flights from ABQ on ExpressJet, now is a great time to come visit OKC in that our largest festival is taking place downtown!!

[6foot3]

You guys really ROCK !! Thanks to the other posters also OKCpulse, Soonerdave, BG918, AFCM, Chuckdiesel and Hotrod. You guys ought to work for the Chamber of Commerce or the State Tourism office. I'm making copies of everyone's posts and will keep them in a folder so i can refer to them and be ahead of the game when i get out there. Cool pictures too.......


So its the Chase tower at 36 stories tall.....and i'll check out OKC Rocks. Wow didn't even know that the Sonics are thinking of relocating to OKC. So i take it that Six Flags isn't to great? They are crying here in ABQ to get a Six Flags...

Yeah i like the mountains in NM but there's hardly any water...I can't beleive all the water recreation all over the state in Oklahoma and the number of shore miles as water is my favorate fun whether its jet sking, intertubing, swimming, camping out next to lakes and/or rivers. Here in ABQ its a 2 hour drive min to just one lake in any direction as NM, Arizona and West Texas areas i've lived in is very sparce when it comes to water recreation.

Any thoughts on Tinker AFB.....Is it a major employer and hows the area around it ...good or bad. The AFB here ''Kirtland'' is in the bad part of town and is mainly a R&D base meaning they test on Nuclear and Laser type weapons but rare to see any planes (fighters, bombers etc.) so it doesn't feel like an AFB....

I also read the newspaper on line so i'm aware of the current events and even listen to an OKC radio station on line 107.7 Classic Rock (radiostationworld.com) Later on everyone !!

[soonerguru]

Quail Springs is not the largest mall. Penn Square is larger -- with better tenants, also. It is the second largest mall in the state behind Woodland Hills in Tulsa, but it is by far the nicest.

Edmond is a bore; move to OKC.

[soonerguru]

None of the "mts" in Ok are "real" mountains

That is not correct. "Real" mountains have more than 2,000 feet of vertical lift. There are dozens of "real" mountains in Oklahoma. Have you been to Southeast Oklahoma?

[metro]

soonerguru, I seriously don't think Penn is bigger than Quail but I could be wrong, unless you're counting the Belle Isle as part of Penn. He is right though, Edmond is the nicest but it is a bore with a fairly dead nightlife, even with a major university there. But it is the furthest north so it would be a quick trip to your family in Kansas.

6/3 as far as Tinker AFB goes, yes it is a major employer. At one time it was one of the main staples of our economy. Granted it still is, but since the early 1990's our economy has diversified dramatically so Tinker wouldn't be as of a devastating blow if it were to ever be apart of BRAC and shut down. In fact, the last BRAC expanded our military bases here in Oklahoma. You will see a lot of planes flying in and out of here. It is also a base for maintenance and is the only one in the U.S for the AWACS planes. This is their headquarters. The area around the base used to be seedy but is rapidly changing. Just across I-40 from the base is an entirely new mixed use development and new houses are being built in the area like never before. While it still has a ways to come, MWC is on a comeback.