Some negative observations on OKC (warning: negative)

[Spartan]

Well, today is my last full day in OKC for a long time. The weather was ridiculously awesome. My car said it was 75. So naturally I thought, you know what, I'm going to go out and enjoy this day (thinking how bitter cold it was in Canada and how it will be where I'm going).

So I grabbed my camera and tennis racket and headed downtown to first take a few pics.. I took the long way through the inner south side instead of the highway, and took lots of pics that I will share with you guys later. Some of them were shots I've been meaning to take for a long time. There are a lot more shots I've been meaning to take for a long time and couldn't today because I realized something about our city: it is absolutely, down-right dangerous to try and take pictures on some streets. It's not the lack of sidewalks alone. It's that, combined with big smokey old cars, combined with very heavy traffic volumes in some parts of town. The denser areas that have more people trying to cross the street (or take pictures in my case) usually tend to be the exact same areas of town with very high traffic counts. There were several that I just decided to give up on, which disappointed me.

Then I headed over to Jefferson Park, which has my favorite tennis courts in the entire city. Because they're actually play-able, and they have a backboard that is concrete and will actually bounce the ball back to you. No other city park has this to my knowledge (not even the city's pay-to-play tennis courts). Some city parks are lucky enough to have a wooden backboard with many holes in it that can be fun to try and keep the ball out of the holes...not so fun when you lose your ball in the holes however. So when I got to the park, I saw that every single court was already taken, including the court with backboards. So I was disappointed, even though the very nice people on the court with backboards offered to let me play with them, although I could tell the lady's husband was less thrilled, so I went away. I thought well maybe I could just find a park and sit and watch nature or people or something, but that's weird unless you're in central park. Didn't feel like being a bench weirdo..

Then I was thinking how much I'd love something fresh and healthy. I sat in my car wondering for a long time, going over different places in my head..and absolutely gave up. I didn't really want a frap from Beatnix. Coffee Slingers doesn't serve anything cold that's decent in my experience. And on and on, with all the other places. I thought how much I'd love a farmer's market. They have these during the off-seasons in bigger cities because there are still winter crops. And also most farmer's markets in Oklahoma are NOT authentic and sell the exact same stuff as the grocery store's produce section. So I realized there was no way I'd find a farmer's market. Another disappointment.

So here it is. 75 degrees outside. I spent the entire day inside my god damn SUV, which is a big pet peeve of mine, did absolutely nothing healthy or productive, and my dreams of spending a beautiful day outside was totally thwarted about the reality of what kind of place OKC really is. Nice people, crappy built environment, unsafe streets, decent weather, but absolutely pathetic green spaces, and virtually zero healthy eating options. That pretty much sums up my day.

And one thing nobody can say is that, "Spartan, you just don't know what's around, and what's available." I know this city better than practically anyone. I was thinking about how much time and effort I devote to promoting a healthy city, and I was wondering if I really am wasting my time. These are the thoughts I am leaving OKC with, so it will be fresh whenever I think back to OKC. I also often think about whether I will realistically settle down here in a place that I presently care so much about. If you could live anywhere in the world, would that place be OKC? How many of you could reasonably say that? I certainly suspect I will have the opportunity to live anywhere in the world once I wrap up my degree in environmental design, which is very near finished now. I even suspect that getting a job that supports myself in OKC will require more effort than it would in Portland or Seattle, which is certainly not the case for most professions. So will I realistically end up living here? After a day like today, I am certainly not compelled to go so far out of my way just to live here and keep paying taxes here.

I sense that I am drifting farther from this place, and while I can never predict what the future holds for me, or what the future holds for Oklahoma, I just don't realistically see me immediately coming back for good. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

[leprechaun]

I agree with all of your points but remember to keep in mind that OKC could use your help the most. If I could live anywhere it would be Seattle, but they are already on the right track. I would much rather stay here and make a difference. Sure, you would have to work much harder in OKC, but I think you would get much more satisfaction if you stuck around because OKC could use your help the most. In another year or so you will be able to sit outside at the Whole Foods cafe when you are looking for something healthy on a nice sunny day off.

[cedbled]

Well, today is my last full day in OKC for a long time. The weather was ridiculously awesome. My car said it was 75. So naturally I thought, you know what, I'm going to go out and enjoy this day (thinking how bitter cold it was in Canada and how it will be where I'm going).

So I grabbed my camera and tennis racket and headed downtown to first take a few pics.. I took the long way through the inner south side instead of the highway, and took lots of pics that I will share with you guys later. Some of them were shots I've been meaning to take for a long time. There are a lot more shots I've been meaning to take for a long time and couldn't today because I realized something about our city: it is absolutely, down-right dangerous to try and take pictures on some streets. It's not the lack of sidewalks alone. It's that, combined with big smokey old cars, combined with very heavy traffic volumes in some parts of town. The denser areas that have more people trying to cross the street (or take pictures in my case) usually tend to be the exact same areas of town with very high traffic counts. There were several that I just decided to give up on, which disappointed me.

Then I headed over to Jefferson Park, which has my favorite tennis courts in the entire city. Because they're actually play-able, and they have a backboard that is concrete and will actually bounce the ball back to you. No other city park has this to my knowledge (not even the city's pay-to-play tennis courts). Some city parks are lucky enough to have a wooden backboard with many holes in it that can be fun to try and keep the ball out of the holes...not so fun when you lose your ball in the holes however. So when I got to the park, I saw that every single court was already taken, including the court with backboards. So I was disappointed, even though the very nice people on the court with backboards offered to let me play with them, although I could tell the lady's husband was less thrilled, so I went away. I thought well maybe I could just find a park and sit and watch nature or people or something, but that's weird unless you're in central park. Didn't feel like being a bench weirdo..

Then I was thinking how much I'd love something fresh and healthy. I sat in my car wondering for a long time, going over different places in my head..and absolutely gave up. I didn't really want a frap from Beatnix. Coffee Slingers doesn't serve anything cold that's decent in my experience. And on and on, with all the other places. I thought how much I'd love a farmer's market. They have these during the off-seasons in bigger cities because there are still winter crops. And also most farmer's markets in Oklahoma are NOT authentic and sell the exact same stuff as the grocery store's produce section. So I realized there was no way I'd find a farmer's market. Another disappointment.

So here it is. 75 degrees outside. I spent the entire day inside my god damn SUV, which is a big pet peeve of mine, did absolutely nothing healthy or productive, and my dreams of spending a beautiful day outside was totally thwarted about the reality of what kind of place OKC really is. Nice people, crappy built environment, unsafe streets, decent weather, but absolutely pathetic green spaces, and virtually zero healthy eating options. That pretty much sums up my day.

And one thing nobody can say is that, "Spartan, you just don't know what's around, and what's available." I know this city better than practically anyone. I was thinking about how much time and effort I devote to promoting a healthy city, and I was wondering if I really am wasting my time. These are the thoughts I am leaving OKC with, so it will be fresh whenever I think back to OKC. I also often think about whether I will realistically settle down here in a place that I presently care so much about. If you could live anywhere in the world, would that place be OKC? How many of you could reasonably say that? I certainly suspect I will have the opportunity to live anywhere in the world once I wrap up my degree in environmental design, which is very near finished now. I even suspect that getting a job that supports myself in OKC will require more effort than it would in Portland or Seattle, which is certainly not the case for most professions. So will I realistically end up living here? After a day like today, I am certainly not compelled to go so far out of my way just to live here and keep paying taxes here.

I sense that I am drifting farther from this place, and while I can never predict what the future holds for me, or what the future holds for Oklahoma, I just don't realistically see me immediately coming back for good. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

http://i40.tinypic.com/vxnbcp.jpg

I know I sure was.....this is lulz.....just be glad you're blessed to come and go as you please, and obviously have somewhere better to be, when OKC isn't doin it for ya

[Pete]

OKC certainly has a way to go but...

When I was in town this fall, I did a run around Lake Hefner and it was fantastic. For those not up for that, strolling along the path is a great people-watching opportunity and there are plenty of places to stop and sit on a bench, many with a nice view of the water. Or, rent a bike and cruise around. There are nice things to look at the whole circumference.

For the last two visits I've planned to rent a bike at the CHK boathouse (it's only $10 / day with helmet!) and ride the length of the OKC River Trail on one side, then come back on the other. Or perhaps head east to Grand Blvd. and take that all the way around until I reconnect up with the river trails. Haven't been able to fit it into my schedule but hope to next time. I'd also just love to ride a bike through Midtown, J-Park, etc.

Also on my last visit, I parked my car (free, on-street) near Maywood Park and took a long stroll through downtown, over to and around Bricktown, then over the bridge back into the Deep Deuce area, where I treated myself to a cold beer on the DD Grill patio. They had healthier options (virtually every restaurant has salads and lite fare) but I wanted a beer! The next day I came back and had lunch on the patio at The Wedge.

I also usually swim at least once while in town, and even in the winter months there are plenty of pools at inexpensive rates. (This is actually a plus to the relative disinterest in swimming around town, because I can always find an open lane.)

On one particularly warm winter visit, I spent hours walking around the zoo. I hadn't been in years and had forgotten about how fantastic it is.

Other trips I've played frisbee-golf at both Dolese Park and Will Rogers.

One of my favorite things to do is park north of Campus Corner in Norman and walk through the neighborhoods and campus all the way down to Loyd Noble then back up again. There are dozens and dozens of little gardens and fountains and new and newly-remodeled buildings to check out.


And I'd like to point out, most these things were not available when I moved away in 1990 and at the very least are vastly improved.

I'm an active person that strongly prefers to be outdoors but on every trip to OKC I manage to spend a lot of time outside doing something other than going to Sonic.

[SOONER8693]

..[

[SOONER8693]

well, today is my last full day in okc for a long time. The weather was ridiculously awesome. My car said it was 75. So naturally i thought, you know what, i'm going to go out and enjoy this day (thinking how bitter cold it was in canada and how it will be where i'm going).

So i grabbed my camera and tennis racket and headed downtown to first take a few pics.. I took the long way through the inner south side instead of the highway, and took lots of pics that i will share with you guys later. Some of them were shots i've been meaning to take for a long time. There are a lot more shots i've been meaning to take for a long time and couldn't today because i realized something about our city: It is absolutely, down-right dangerous to try and take pictures on some streets. It's not the lack of sidewalks alone. It's that, combined with big smokey old cars, combined with very heavy traffic volumes in some parts of town. The denser areas that have more people trying to cross the street (or take pictures in my case) usually tend to be the exact same areas of town with very high traffic counts. There were several that i just decided to give up on, which disappointed me.

Then i headed over to jefferson park, which has my favorite tennis courts in the entire city. Because they're actually play-able, and they have a backboard that is concrete and will actually bounce the ball back to you. No other city park has this to my knowledge (not even the city's pay-to-play tennis courts). Some city parks are lucky enough to have a wooden backboard with many holes in it that can be fun to try and keep the ball out of the holes...not so fun when you lose your ball in the holes however. So when i got to the park, i saw that every single court was already taken, including the court with backboards. So i was disappointed, even though the very nice people on the court with backboards offered to let me play with them, although i could tell the lady's husband was less thrilled, so i went away. I thought well maybe i could just find a park and sit and watch nature or people or something, but that's weird unless you're in central park. Didn't feel like being a bench weirdo..

Then i was thinking how much i'd love something fresh and healthy. I sat in my car wondering for a long time, going over different places in my head..and absolutely gave up. I didn't really want a frap from beatnix. Coffee slingers doesn't serve anything cold that's decent in my experience. And on and on, with all the other places. I thought how much i'd love a farmer's market. They have these during the off-seasons in bigger cities because there are still winter crops. And also most farmer's markets in oklahoma are not authentic and sell the exact same stuff as the grocery store's produce section. So i realized there was no way i'd find a farmer's market. Another disappointment.

So here it is. 75 degrees outside. I spent the entire day inside my god damn suv, which is a big pet peeve of mine, did absolutely nothing healthy or productive, and my dreams of spending a beautiful day outside was totally thwarted about the reality of what kind of place okc really is. Nice people, crappy built environment, unsafe streets, decent weather, but absolutely pathetic green spaces, and virtually zero healthy eating options. That pretty much sums up my day.

And one thing nobody can say is that, "spartan, you just don't know what's around, and what's available." i know this city better than practically anyone. I was thinking about how much time and effort i devote to promoting a healthy city, and i was wondering if i really am wasting my time. These are the thoughts i am leaving okc with, so it will be fresh whenever i think back to okc. I also often think about whether i will realistically settle down here in a place that i presently care so much about. If you could live anywhere in the world, would that place be okc? How many of you could reasonably say that? I certainly suspect i will have the opportunity to live anywhere in the world once i wrap up my degree in environmental design, which is very near finished now. I even suspect that getting a job that supports myself in okc will require more effort than it would in portland or seattle, which is certainly not the case for most professions. So will i realistically end up living here? After a day like today, i am certainly not compelled to go so far out of my way just to live here and keep paying taxes here.

I sense that i am drifting farther from this place, and while i can never predict what the future holds for me, or what the future holds for oklahoma, i just don't realistically see me immediately coming back for good. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

good riddance!

[Snowman]

Then I headed over to Jefferson Park, which has my favorite tennis courts in the entire city. Because they're actually play-able, and they have a backboard that is concrete and will actually bounce the ball back to you. No other city park has this to my knowledge (not even the city's pay-to-play tennis courts)....

The nicest tennis court complex over here in yukon has a couple concrete backboards. Your right compared to that the wooden ones are barely above a backstop to collect balls.

[poe]

I'm with Pete.

[BG918]

Will you still keep up with your DowntownontheRange blog? I really enjoy reading it. There are a lot of comparisons between Calgary and OKC and I hope you can continue to explore those similarities and differences, and what we can learn from more urban cities like Calgary.

[Pete]

BTW, I'm not trying to pick on Spartan. As much as I love OKC, there are times that I go back and feel a bit depressed because there is still so much to do.

I pointed this out after my trip last October: I do feel like OKC is starting to turn a corner in some ways. I used to be struck by all the empty/dead space surrounding downtown (and even in it) but with places like Plaza Court and Deep Deuce, it was the first time I felt like there were real urban neighborhoods starting to take shape.


Spartan, I think part of what you are experiencing is that living away for long period of times makes you feel much less connected to a place. And when that place was somewhere mainly associated with your youth, there is a natural tendency to want to "move on". That you've outgrown it somehow. Or at the very least, there is a big world out there and you already know this particular place almost too well.

It must be said that for anyone that really loves urban environments, OKC is going to rank very low on your list. Things are changing and I'm really starting to see signs of acceleration, but it's simply going to take some time.

Also, you can be an advocate and effect change for a community without living there. Sometimes I feel I do more for Oklahoma by spreading the good word about it here in California. And for the first time in a long time, I'd openly consider moving back. That option will always be open.

[BG918]

I'll add it is good for anyone to move away from their hometown for awhile and experience new places. The most close-minded people I know either have never moved away from their hometown and/or haven't traveled extensively. Enjoy Calgary and don't hesitate moving to Portland or Seattle, they are great places and there is much to learn living in the urban environments there. OKC will be very lucky if you continue advocate for the city while away, and especially if you finally return for good and are able to incorporate what you have learned.

[shane453]

I'm sort of in the same position since we're around the same age, so I definitely get what you're saying. To me it's a choice between picking up and moving somewhere where the amenities and neighborhoods I want already exist, or staying here in a place that is really an amazing environment for new ideas and positive change. So I sort of lean toward the romantic "frontier" idea of helping improve OKC. I think it will continue to be a dynamic time to live in this city.

[okcpulse]

Well, today is my last full day in OKC for a long time. The weather was ridiculously awesome. My car said it was 75. So naturally I thought, you know what, I'm going to go out and enjoy this day (thinking how bitter cold it was in Canada and how it will be where I'm going).

So I grabbed my camera and tennis racket and headed downtown to first take a few pics.. I took the long way through the inner south side instead of the highway, and took lots of pics that I will share with you guys later. Some of them were shots I've been meaning to take for a long time. There are a lot more shots I've been meaning to take for a long time and couldn't today because I realized something about our city: it is absolutely, down-right dangerous to try and take pictures on some streets. It's not the lack of sidewalks alone. It's that, combined with big smokey old cars, combined with very heavy traffic volumes in some parts of town. The denser areas that have more people trying to cross the street (or take pictures in my case) usually tend to be the exact same areas of town with very high traffic counts. There were several that I just decided to give up on, which disappointed me.

Then I headed over to Jefferson Park, which has my favorite tennis courts in the entire city. Because they're actually play-able, and they have a backboard that is concrete and will actually bounce the ball back to you. No other city park has this to my knowledge (not even the city's pay-to-play tennis courts). Some city parks are lucky enough to have a wooden backboard with many holes in it that can be fun to try and keep the ball out of the holes...not so fun when you lose your ball in the holes however. So when I got to the park, I saw that every single court was already taken, including the court with backboards. So I was disappointed, even though the very nice people on the court with backboards offered to let me play with them, although I could tell the lady's husband was less thrilled, so I went away. I thought well maybe I could just find a park and sit and watch nature or people or something, but that's weird unless you're in central park. Didn't feel like being a bench weirdo..

Then I was thinking how much I'd love something fresh and healthy. I sat in my car wondering for a long time, going over different places in my head..and absolutely gave up. I didn't really want a frap from Beatnix. Coffee Slingers doesn't serve anything cold that's decent in my experience. And on and on, with all the other places. I thought how much I'd love a farmer's market. They have these during the off-seasons in bigger cities because there are still winter crops. And also most farmer's markets in Oklahoma are NOT authentic and sell the exact same stuff as the grocery store's produce section. So I realized there was no way I'd find a farmer's market. Another disappointment.

So here it is. 75 degrees outside. I spent the entire day inside my god damn SUV, which is a big pet peeve of mine, did absolutely nothing healthy or productive, and my dreams of spending a beautiful day outside was totally thwarted about the reality of what kind of place OKC really is. Nice people, crappy built environment, unsafe streets, decent weather, but absolutely pathetic green spaces, and virtually zero healthy eating options. That pretty much sums up my day.

And one thing nobody can say is that, "Spartan, you just don't know what's around, and what's available." I know this city better than practically anyone. I was thinking about how much time and effort I devote to promoting a healthy city, and I was wondering if I really am wasting my time. These are the thoughts I am leaving OKC with, so it will be fresh whenever I think back to OKC. I also often think about whether I will realistically settle down here in a place that I presently care so much about. If you could live anywhere in the world, would that place be OKC? How many of you could reasonably say that? I certainly suspect I will have the opportunity to live anywhere in the world once I wrap up my degree in environmental design, which is very near finished now. I even suspect that getting a job that supports myself in OKC will require more effort than it would in Portland or Seattle, which is certainly not the case for most professions. So will I realistically end up living here? After a day like today, I am certainly not compelled to go so far out of my way just to live here and keep paying taxes here.

I sense that I am drifting farther from this place, and while I can never predict what the future holds for me, or what the future holds for Oklahoma, I just don't realistically see me immediately coming back for good. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

Spartan, OKC is not for everyone. I haven't had a chance to respond to you PM, but I will say this. You care about OKC, and with you college background, coupled with the changing tides of our city, you have a chance to make a name for yourself here... Make history and leave behind a legacy. You could be an environmental leader in our community.

At the same time, you may not want to follow that path and know where you want to be. This is one of the few places in the world where you can live where you desire. I know we disagree on things, but one common place we all have on this board is that we want to see okc continue it's momentum forward.

[Pete]

You care about OKC, and with you college background, coupled with the changing tides of our city, you have a chance to make a name for yourself here... Make history and leave behind a legacy.

Agree 100%.

And what's more, you can do it in YOUR hometown. And there is far more opportunity to make a difference in OKC because it simply isn't where Portland or similar cities are.

I said this in another recent post but one of the best things OKC has going for it is local leadership (both private and government) that is passionate about the community, and also passionate about seeing it improve dramatically.

[Meaculpa]

Sounds like you are down in the dump right now.

I like to go DT and run the parking garages. There are plenty of 'em and it's a great run. Then I go by the Skirvin or Harvey Sushi and have a drink.

I like to walk the alleys and meet people hanging out.

I work for The City, so I'm not moving anytime soon. But if I could......Chicago

[adaniel]

I probably don't have much to add as what has already been said is spot on. I will say as someone who is probably about your age (mid 20's) I am kind of in a somewhat similar position. As I think about how my career is progressing and and what some of my future goals will be, I'm faced with the possibility that my next step will not be here in OKC. Its disappointing considering I work in the oil and gas industry and I should be a kid in the proverbial candy store here as far as opportunities are concerned. And there are a lot. But not necessarily want I want. And at the end of the day you will have to to figure out what you want out of life and make your life decisions based on that. If you've gone so far as leaving the country to study something you are passionate about you need to make that your goal, not staying in place XYZ. Now, I do like living in OKC, a lot more than I thought I would. But I recognize that it has shortcomings like most places. Like me you are young and there is a lot of the world to see. If anything, moving around will probably make you appreciate OKC and what it has to offer even more. Like they say absence makes the heart grow fonder.

I will say that this place in a lot of aspects is a really good place for young people because its small enough to get involved with the growth and development and has the right combination of a good economy and low cost of living (because living like a college kid after college is no fun!). Personally, if OKC were just a little bit "ahead" in its maturity as a vibrant urban city I would have no problem sacrificing a little piece of my career to make a life here permanently. And if maybe I was a little older or more settled down I wouldn't mind waiting around for it to reach its full potential. But youth is a valuable thing and something that you can't just fritter away waiting for something, so I will have to make plans independent of the assumption I will be staying here and let the chips fall where they may. I would suggest you consider doing the same. You will probably be pleasantly surprised at the results . And who knows those results might have you staying right here!

[UnFrSaKn]

Not sure this is relevant, but I just ran across this. This is actually from 1990.

http://www.visualizingeconomics.com/...1990-and-2000/

[kevinpate]

Stay warm where you're going and once you return, when the day-um, what to do today hits you, remember three little words ... Lake Stanley Draper.
Whether you wanna photog it, boat it, kayak it, 3 wheel it, horsey it, corpse hunt it, hike it, bike it, picnic it, or some combination of the above, you can make a day of it.

[PennyQuilts]

Good luck to you, Spartan, in your next phase of life. With any luck, you'll find a place that better suits what you want and what you believe is most important. OKC is not for everyone and there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting something different.

About all I can say is that it wasn't until I left OKC that I realized that there were a number of very significant things about it that I was so accustomed to that I didn't even think of them until I went to other places that didn't offer them. That may not be your experience but it was mine. No question, OKC lacks good sidewalks and a lot of things that are very important to you, right now. And I know you aren't just being negative to be negative - you've spent time thinking about the kind of city you'd like to live in. My personal experience, for what it is worth, which might not be much, is that there are a lot of things that are so taken for granted that we DON'T consider or think about until they are gone or we are gone. For your happiness, I hope the sorts of things you've overlooked in OKC turn out to be insignificant so that you find happiness when you go to a different kind of city.

I'm older than you and know that makes a difference in how I look at things. However, as I read your post, it struck me at how hard you work to entertain yourself. I mean, that all sounded like so much work, to me. I also enjoyed the day - it was gorgeous, wasn't it? But for me, I got up early, went to the market then took a walk in the neighborhood (no sidewalks but quiet streets). I saw bluebirds light in a tree we just planted and got some good pictures. I was thrilled that they were bluebirds. Took my husband to the doctor and we had the windows down, no trouble getting a parking space, parked further away than we needed to because the weather was so nice and we wanted to walk. Everything went so smoothly. The doctor saw us on time, the lab people AND the radiology folks were happy, laughing and got us out in record time. Same with the pharmacy. I called the pharmacy ahead of time and they checked to see if they had what we needed while I waited on the phone so I wouldn't waste a trip. Turns out I needed to check with the doctor to see if something could be changed and she walked me through it. So did the doctor's office.

We'd left the Baptist hospital area in less than 2 hours and managed to get prescriptions filled, catch a late lunch/early dinner and be home before 4:30 -still with time left to sit on the patio and have a drink without needing to wear a coat. Played with the dogs, checked my e-mail, enjoyed the sunset. It was a peaceful, happy, productive, wonderful day that was just incredible for January.

To me, that's the sort of thing OKC offers that you can't get in so many other places. And it may not be important to some, but the climate, the lack of traffic, the friendly, helpful people - all those things ease the stress in my life so that I have the time and patience to get excited about bluebirds lighting in a new tree we just planted. Of course, what I am comparing OKC to is life near Washington DC and, to an extent, NYC. Most urban places aren't that congested, crowded or have such wretched weather so the wonderful things OKC has to offer that they don't are more blatant. I think going to a midsized city would be a lot of fun and expect they have many ideas OKC could adopt and probably even be able to compete with OKC for friendliness, low traffic and maybe even weather. But after a day like today, better weather is hard to imagine.

All the best. It sounds like a very exciting time coming up in your life and I hope you enjoy it to the hilt. We all look forward to you keeping in touch.

[Steve]

Spartan, go and discover what's possible. Then come back and kick butt.

[Spartan]

I agree with all of your points but remember to keep in mind that OKC could use your help the most.

Thank you very much lep, but I doubt it. It would be a bad blow for OKC if Steve Lackmeyer got a job with a better newspaper, or if Jeff Bezdek decided on one of his research trips to Portland to not come back. It would be a blow if Pete decided to stop caring about his distant hometown. It would be a blow if Marva or Steve Mason decided OKC is not where it's at. These are people making a difference x 100 to what I could hope to achieve.

Great Thunder game tonight, that was a lot of fun. I'm not saying I take back my comments, because those are comments I've been thinking about for a while..especially when people ask me what I'm going to do after college. The polite response has always been to tell people that it's going to be OKC for me, but it's kind of like declaring for the architectural draft, or staying in your hometown.

At the game tonight it hit me that in spite of Oklahoma's incredible and varied outdoors climate, OKC is an indoors city. It's much more of an indoors city than Calgary, where it's normally below freezing but people get out anyway because that's where humans belong! I believe so firmly that humans do not believe indoors, and that's just a philosophical difference between me and..OKC.

I know this can kind of be a sound tunnel at times, but there are two thoughts I kind of want to provoke and stir some thought on:

1. Quality of life. What does it mean, how does it relate to OKC? QoL is my huge issue. To me, OKC is just not a good human-oriented city. Humans were meant to walk around, not meant to sit in steel boxes in front of color-coded lights, to me that is a bleak vision of the future that we are currently living in. Steve L goes on the attack pretty often, with the utility crate on 2nd St., or the illegal signs, or the overzealous local weathermen, etc.My pet peeve is obviously tennis courts, and personally if I had the influence, I would do a Steve-type attack on OKC Parks & Rec and wage a full war on the current piss poor state of tennis in this city. I'd form a Jeff Bezdek-like committee that goes to other cities and details the state of tennis courts in other cities, just to prove beyond a doubt to everyone else that OKC has by far the worst parks in the entire nation. I have been to a number of very small cities that have much better parks than OKC. Including Lawton..seriously. Lawton has better parks than OKC. Don't even get me started on how much better Tulsa's parks are, and I know that would really annoy some people, as it should.

2. Making a difference. Here in OKC we are blessed with various crazy local agitators who don't understand how to make the most of their say. Such as Steve Hunt, or the woman who went on a City Hall rant about people with English accents. So does someone in OKC really make a difference by being vocal, talking to people, showing up at meetings, etc.? Or do they contribute to the Steve Hunt & Co. spectacle? I would honestly say someone who lives in Portland and works for a consulting firm can make more of a difference in OKC than one of our own, and that's just the way this city is being ran. It's going to be interesting to see how the streetcar project goes, whether AA or the subcommittee consultants (who have demonstrated their unfamiliarity with OKC) get their way. Consultants are respected by the city council, the mayor, and the chamber. Then the closer ties you have to the power structure, the more ignored you are. It's something very interesting I've noticed.

So to summarize, are we serious about QoL in OKC, and do OKC residents or consultants have more of a say here?

[Spartan]

Will you still keep up with your DowntownontheRange blog? I really enjoy reading it. There are a lot of comparisons between Calgary and OKC and I hope you can continue to explore those similarities and differences, and what we can learn from more urban cities like Calgary.

Yeah, of course..got a few PMs and emails, and that's definitely going to keep going. It'll probably start to have more of a Euro focus, than a Canadien [sic] focus. I actually still have about 3 posts I still need to finish up..

BG (and other fellow arch students), here's something you can think of: What is a European city with similarities to OKC that we can learn from? If people can think of it, I'll do some coverage.

___________

And my recent disappointment has nothing to do with downtown or urban improvements. I'm not concerned about that. I know with absolute certainty that OKC will be an impressive urban city, at least as good as Denver or Austin, soon enough. What I'm concerned with about Oklahoma is the focus on sustainability and the ability to enjoy a beautiful day. If I can't make the world my oyster on a beautiful day like today then all hope is lost. I'd rather have usable tennis courts than an Urban Outfitters at this point, not that UO wouldn't be cool.

[betts]

Spartan, I'm going to take a rather pollyanna-ish approach and say quality of life is far more an internal than external thing and that participating in change can be as much fun, or more rewarding, than experiencing improved circumstances someone else worked for in the past. If you can find a job that's satisfying to you, you can be happy here. If you can't, then maybe another city will be better for you. Every city has its Steve Hunts and accent lady. However, if you're not one of the people sitting in on a city council meeting, you don't know they're there. This is a little-er pond and so perhaps it's easier to be a big fish, if that is ultimately important to you. Once you're married and have kids, if that's in your future, you may find like we did that Oklahoma City has more to do than you have time in which to do it. Anyway, best of luck to you regardless.

[Steve]

Thank you very much lep, but I doubt it. It would be a bad blow for OKC if Steve Lackmeyer got a job with a better newspaper

You're quite kind. And since you said this, let me share a story of another young man, in college, torn over his future. He too looked around at Oklahoma City and saw a city that he loved, and yet, at the same time, saw nothing but disappointment around him. Indeed, many of his high school friends had already left the state. Imagine his excitement at being offered a summer job in New York, doing what he had always dreamed of.
I was that kid. I had a shot at being a reporter in the greatest news market in the country (Washington, D.C. only rules in political journalism - New York has EVERYTHING). It's not as if New York were a foreign land - I lived there until my family moved here in 1977. But my heart was in OKC. In 1989 the town seemed doomed. But I couldn't give up on it. I can't explain why. In New York I realized that the world can be cruel, that rules are at best a concept, and that you've got to BREAK A LOT OF RULES to get ahead. I didn't want that life for myself. And if I were ever to have a family, would I really want my kids to be raised in that sort of murky ethical haze? I came back after one miserable summer, graduated from college and stuck it out.
I'm not telling you to come back. But if you think I matter, consider just how close I came to making the same call.
Now excuse me please ... it's almost midnight and I need to go out and plant one thousand 5320 yard signs on Tim Berney's lawn.
(JUST KIDDING!)

[stlokc]

Spartan, you don't know me and I don't know you, but I have always read your posts with great interest and have visited your blog often. (you and I actually had an anonymous exchange about St. Louis once). I'm not going to spend time reiterating what others have said, but just know this: you have, in my opinion, always had among the most thoughtful and accurate things to say about OKC. If you distance yourself from these sites, I will miss reading what you have to say. But it's your time to go into the world and do whatever makes you happy. I would plead for you to come back to OKC, but that would be hypocritical because I am an ex-pat myself. Just know that people you have never met have still followed your musings, and you have contributed to the advancement of our town. If you ever find yourself in St. Louis, let's grab a beer and pontificate. Be well.