need some feedback/Tulsa vs. Austin

would appreciate some feedback as to the general quality of life in Tulsa versus Austin,Tx. I%26#39;m a 49 yo single male, business owner, love cities, golf, sports, all the usual stuff, contemplating a move, both of these cities look good on my radar screen -does anybody have any info they%26#39;d care to share? %26#39;ppreciate it.Bobby.

need some feedback/Tulsa vs. Austin

Depends on what you%26#39;re after, Bobby. Austin is more liberal, probably younger, more into live music venues and night life, etc. And of course it%26#39;s the capital and has the huge university driving its economy. Austin%26#39;s an up-and-coming boom town with all the upside of that, and all the down.

Tulsa%26#39;s not exactly conservative but not liberal like Austin; I guess I%26#39;d call it ';traditional.'; Lots of old money. A couple of fine museums. The economy%26#39;s healthy and diverse, but it%26#39;s not a boom town like Austin is. Some great architecture and a few wonderful neighborhoods from 60-70 years ago. Tulsa Univ, a division one school, contributes a lot to the life style, but it%26#39;s tiny compared to UT.

If you were younger, I%26#39;d definitely say Austin. But when you%26#39;re our age (I%26#39;m a couple years older than you), the boom-town and night-life scenes aren%26#39;t as much fun as they used to be. I like Tulsa a lot; it%26#39;s got a nice feel to it.

need some feedback/Tulsa vs. Austin

I definitely agree with the other writer. Austin is very liberal, tons of great music, hip, very outdoorsy, very cultural. Supposedly has the highest percentage of college grads in one city. Tons of great (organic, healthy) restaurants and just REALLY GOOD food. Also, very expensive, much more so than Tulsa. Tulsa, I think (and disagree with the other writer) is VERY CONSERVATIVE, being home to Oral Roberts University, Rhema Bible College, etc. But also a very giving, loving, friendly place to live. Not as crowded as Austin. (Has a mor small town feeling than Austin.) Some great bike and running trails. It gets quite a bit colder than Austin of course. But Tulsa summers can be brutally hot. Tulsa is becoming more hip I believe, with more fun coffee shops, gourmet ice cream places, a growing downtown, and some active young, single professional groups. I lived in Austin as a college student and afterwards for a few years. I loved it there. I%26#39;m now a stay at home mom to two young kids in Tulsa, and feel like Tulsa is a great place to raise a family and be a homemaker. Good luck.

Yeah, Yoga, when you compare it to Austin, Tulsa does look pretty conservative. But when you live in the rest of Oklahoma (especially the rural part, like I do), then Tulsa and Norman appear to be the liberal spots; everything is relative, I guess.

And while Tulsa winters are cold compared to Austin, Oklahoma winters are very temperate compared with Waterbury where Rob is coming from. Personally, I%26#39;d rather have Tulsa%26#39;s shorter summer and cooler winter than Austin%26#39;s long summer and warmer winter.

One other thing, Rob. Coming from the east, you are likely to find the Tulsa geography more familiar. Northeast Oklahoma/Northwest Arkansas are hilly and treed, similar to New England (though not nearly as green). Texas makes a big deal of the Hill Country, but having moved here from West Virginia, I was extremely disappointed; give me the area north and east of Tulsa any time.

I think Tulsa is a good place to raise a family. Though the public school system has it%26#39;s down falls, it%26#39;s an all around good place for kids. As far as night life goes, you have several great places on Brookside, and in downtown Tulsa, there%26#39;s plenty of variety - the dance bars, the karaoke bars, the biker bars and yeah, the ';other'; bars as well. For sports, there is the Drillers baseball, the Talons arena football, the Oilers Hockey - the Performing arts center always has shows playing, a lot of big names come through there. Downtown Tulsa is beautiful and old, and very art deco. Chandler and Woodward and Oxley are good nature parks, LaFortune is good for Golfing at a public facility - then there are Bailey Ranch, Forrest Ridge, Cedar Ridge, Page Belcher... lots of golf place, though I don%26#39;t know how they compare.

We were considering moving to Dallas for a job, but we like the houses and the overall feel of things here in Tulsa. Wish I could be of more help, good luck with your decision.

Rob, definitely Austin. The best thing about Tulsa is the cost of living is very good and Northwest Arkansas is close by for outdoor sports. Austin has San Antonio to the south and Dallas is a couple of hours to the north. Austin has much more going for a single man and the golfing season is mostly year round.

Bobby,

I couldn%26#39;t figure out for the life of me why everyone was talking about liberal vs. conservative and it just hit me you are in Connecticut which is known for being liberal! It%26#39;s late and I%26#39;m a little slow at this hour! So, yes Tulsa would feel quite conservative in comparison. Nothing wrong with that though! Anyway! I moved to Tulsa from Erie, PA 16 years ago and love the mild winters. The downside to that is in the spring and fall, allergy season is a big fat drag! I didn%26#39;t have allergies until I moved here! Missouri and NW Arkansas are both a couple of hours away and are beautiful. Tulsa and it%26#39;s suburbs are constantly growing and my parents can%26#39;t get over it everytime they come to visit. Great developments going up all around the river area which brings in a lot of new shops and restaurants. Real estate is very diverse meaning anyone could find a house here I think or build one which seems to be the thing to do around here. Big new arena was approved for building downtown which is intended to draw in some of the major events that we have gotten passed up for in the past and have gone to Oklahoma City. Tulsa is a well kept city with several different growing communities around it which account for about 1/2 a million people. I don%26#39;t know enough about Austin to comment on it other than it seems like a great place to visit since a lot of people I know like to go to Austin for long weekends here and there but I don%26#39;t know anyone who lives there. Now Dallas and it%26#39;s suburbs are like a Tulsa on steroids and would be my choice of city if I were looking for a move... but that%26#39;s just me! Anyway! I hope you get the information you need to make your decision!

Good Luck!

I agree totally with yogamamma. Tulsa is VERY conservative, strongly Republican-influenced. Welcome to the ';buckle'; of the belt. Huge churches here--predominately Baptist and non-denominational. Tons and tons of ministries here. A number of bible schools here as well. People come from all over the world to train for ministry and some businesses even cater to the strong Christian influence. What was unusual to me when I moved here, was hearing Christian songs being played in the background as I shopped. Great place to raise kids.

Hello people, sorry for my tardiness, but I want to thank all of you for your opinions.....it is great to have this type of feedback. I guess that I want to take a broad look at all the major components of day to day life and then go from there. In late January I took a road trip and went to Charlottesville,VA, Louisville,KY, Nashville,TN. Memphis,TN, Tulsa, back to Louisville and then back to CT. (A lot of driving in a week!). The cities I liked the most were Louisville and Tulsa, but it was mostly Tulsa that I kept thinking about upon my return, can%26#39;t explain why. Of course, Austin and other Texas cities are still in my mix, but having lived in Texas 15 years ago, I feel like I know those cities fairly well. I just want a nice, clean, hip city with a diverse population, I%26#39;m a man of pretty basic tastes. Connecticut actually has a pretty good climate, we get nasty cold from late December until late Feb., but thats only two months,and we get nice ,long, moderate springs and falls, summers are a little bit short. That may be one reason I like Tulsa, it seems a little warmer and humid than Connecticut, but managable. Politically, I lean more towards the Republican/Libertarian side of things, even though Connecticut is a very old school Democratic state, that is what is choking it, public money is handed out like it grows on trees, most of it is mispent, of course this is all tax money; property taxes just keep getting higher and higher, electric rates just went up 23% - where does it end? I%26#39;m just trying to earn a living....%26#39;nuff said, thanks for all your feedback, I won%26#39;t be so tardy the next time! Later, Bobby.

Rob - I lived in Dallas for 11 years and started my family life there. We moved back to Tulsa in 1998 and have enjoyed it very much here. Summers are filled with water skiing on area lakes and going to college football games either in Stillwater or Norman depending on your preference. Tulsa also has a local team at TU. College sports are big here. Also big here is gardening and being out of doors in general. You will find that Tulsa is a good place for clean air and water. In comparison to Dallas, where I used to live, we have much less crime, poverty, and traffic. We also have less shopping and nightlife. Were a bit smaller and a bit behind, but we really have fine bones for a GREAT city, we just need to develop it and make it better. IMHO, between Austin and us is a HUGE difference. Austin is a good bit bigger, more crowed, has more traffic and is a MUCH more expensive place to live. All the Dallas folks that we lived around in the downtown area wanted to live in Austin. Mostly because of the lakes and outdoors, thing is so many people shared that idea that now its priced out of the market and the lakes/outdoors are crowed to use anyway. Yeah Austin has better weather, shopping, and a huge University but I prefer the size of a Tulsa. Job wise, Tulsa is slower paced and our labor market is smaller than in Texas Cities (less Hispanics) so it’s sometime harder to find good help from the labor pool. Good luck in your choice, both are nice cities and if I were a single and younger (I%26#39;m 40) I might choose Austin, just depends.

erack, yea theres a bunch of different factors to consider - but I want to look at the overall quality of life, relative to the things I like to do.I do like the general vibe in Austin, but the past couple times I was there I noticed a lot of traffic, plus I can see that Tulsa has a more moderate climate, usually 5-15 degrees cooler than Austin. I know that Austin is considered a great place for singles, but some of these surveys are little more than ';how many bars per capita';. I don%26#39;t want my life to revolve around how many bars are close by. It looks like there are plenty of bars and nightclubs in Tulsa, I%26#39;m not a big bar guy anyways. I%26#39;m much more into how close are golf courses, YMCA, local sports, basic shopping, how little traffic is there. I%26#39;m actually looking at a few other Southern cities, but Tulsa is looking pretty good at this point. Anyways, I can always move again if need be (ugh!). I think Tulsa has a tremendous upside and future. Thanks for the post.Bobby.

Hotel suggestions

I am curious if anyone could suggest a nice hotel in the area? I am less concerned with location and more concerned with hotel ammenities (bar, restaurant, etc.) I do not have a budget. I prefer hotels along the lines of the W, Starwood properties, Fairmount if that helps. Thanks so much for the help!!!

Hotel suggestions

If you want to stick to Starwood properties, we have a nice Sheraton downtown:

http://www.sheratonokc.com/

Hotel suggestions

You might look into the Renaissance in downtown OKC. It%26#39;s new and upscale. The Waterford in NOKC has great amenities. A little older hotel but very nice.

Put me down for the Renaissance as well...It%26#39;s definitely the newest and nicest in OKC...Hotel is very nice, but we did not try the restaurant or the bar when we stayed

family relocating to oKC

Dear Readers,

My husband and I are relocating to OKC in late June, and also expecting our first child about that same time. I am a little anxious as we are a muslim family from detroit, michigan. I know this is quite forward, but I would appreciate some honest answers. Should we anticipate prejudism or any hate from the OKC community? I am born and raised American, but I do wear the head convering. Should I feel safe going out alone for groceries and the such, especially with a newborn? Please help.

Thanks

Suzan

family relocating to oKC

Suzan why are you moving to OKC? I am hispanic and just to okc about 4 months ago. However most of the people are ok execpt in a city called Edmond they seem to look at people a little rud. I moved from California and I don%26#39;t like it here. Have you ever been to OKC.

family relocating to oKC

I think you should be fine. Edmond, of all places to mention, seemed to accept Muslims enough to elect one mayor a few years ago(Randel Shadid). One of CNN%26#39;s most important reporters in the Middle East, Anthony Shadid (not sure if there is a relation) grew up in OKC where his family still lives.

Edmond, OKC, and Norman have universities with decent numbers of international students who seem to like their life enough for some to stay. Frankly, I would stay in these cities or anywhere in the metro area. Outside, I%26#39;m not sure of the attitudes.

But as with anywhere else, if you try to fit in (as in socializing with the locals), you will no doubt be accepted. Being born and raised here will definitely facilitate your acceptance. I am a second generation American myself, and not having an accent (as my father does) does seem to make understanding easier.

We have nowhere near the number of Muslims as Dearborn has, but I believe we do some places of worship in area. I%26#39;ll have to check that out.

Anyway, I recommend you all socialize with your coworkers here to find out where you can find various resources to help with your move. In the meantime, do you have any more questions about the city?

thanks, i dont have anymore questions now, but i really appreciate the advice.

We relocated to OKC from the northern US about a year ago, and I was surprised about the level of blatant racism and biggotry. I call it the ';bubba'; syndrome. I can%26#39;t wait to get out of this place at the end of this year.

I, too, had a small child when we moved here, and the crime rate is much higher here than where I was from. The Northwest part of the city, between 122nd and 150th, bounded by Lake Hefner Parkway on the East and Council Rd. on the West is generally the best area.

You can find crime stats (crime tracker) and other general news on www.newsok.com - it was quite helpful for us.

I joined a liberal mom%26#39;s group who are very accepting of all cultures; please look up mom%26#39;s groups in OKC on Yahoo Groups when you arrive, as it was very helpful for me.

Best of luck,

ANJ

I find it funny how the two people who say they have a problem have written only these two posts. I%26#39;ve lived in Oklahoma City since 1980 as a child, and I have never had a problem. As I said earlier, I am the son of Asian immigrants, and we%26#39;ve lived a very good life in OKC.

Suzan, why don%26#39;t you come here and see for yourself? OKC%26#39;s not a perfect community (and we all have different ideas of what that is), but basically, I think you will find Oklahoma Citians friendly and OKC a nice place to live.

Please, if you have any questions, let me or other helpful contributors know.

Hi, we%26#39;re relocating to OKC in July too (we%26#39;re canadian military) Try this trick: I looked up the schools online as our son will be in Kindergarten while we%26#39;re posted there (he%26#39;s only one) and most websites I found showed the cultural diversity at each school (i.e. 80% caucasion, 11% hispanic, etc.) This will give you a good idea where the more culturally diversified areas are. We%26#39;re looking to live in Edmond but I found that while some schools are almost all predominantly caucasion, others are pretty diversified. We also spoke with local police in areas such as Edmond, Moore, Norman and Oklahoma City itself to find out the crime rate (although you can find these stats online). Find yourself a good balance between cultural diversificiation and a lower crime rate and you%26#39;ll be alright. I%26#39;m really nervous coming to OKC but not because of ethnic issues. I%26#39;m from central/norther Ontario Canada where gun%26#39;s are only used for hunting, during a short hunting season and, far away from where people actually live. I%26#39;m nervous about the slack school systems and the safety of our home (all the houses must have security systems for a reason! We leave our doors onlocked here!) good luck!

The perceived need of guns here mystifies me as well. But really, nothing to fear. Nobody notices it, which is most likely a function of people not carrying weapons at all, and if they do, they are concealed well.

As far as locking the door, well, I think we%26#39;ve come at an age where in most cities (American, at least) you can%26#39;t do that. But the locals don%26#39;t consider crime a pressing issue, and in some neighborhoods and suburbs, you can leave you door unlooked.

Here is the school the above poster is probably referring to -- quite handy:

http://www.greatschools.net/

On this site you can see the ethnic diversity of students.

Another great site is the Oklahoma Department of Education. For a comphehensive look at academic performance, look at the API. Edmond and Putnam City schools will be in Oklahoma County; Moore and Norman schools will be in Cleveland County:

www.sde.state.ok.us/home/defaultie.html

In Edmond, I think you will find your neighbors to be professionals who feel comfortable with all peoples. The Moore schools are becoming more diverse as newcomers like the newer housing at lower rates than in the northside. Norman is diverse enough (again, the university) to have its own international grocery store.

I%26#39;m floored by your comment regarding ';slack school systems'; and guns. This is not the old west. We don%26#39;t live in teepees running in and out dodging arrows. Or bullets as the case may be. As in any area of the world, there are places you should be more careful than others. I think no matter where you live or travel, it%26#39;s important to be aware of your surroundings and take reasonable care with your property. That%26#39;s a pretty simple life rule. We have some of the best schools in the nation. I don%26#39;t see a category in any of the websites with a ';slack'; rating. With that said, sure some are better than others. But I%26#39;m sure that%26#39;s something you experience in Canada as well. There is no reason to be paranoid about our community. I%26#39;m sure if you compare our statistics to most other places this size you%26#39;ll find nothing out of the ordinary. I sincerely hope you grow to love my hometown and will open your arms and mind to the people here as I%26#39;m certain they will do for you.

Cindy...sounds like the canadian mommy is real excited about their transfer to Tinker!!...sure she has a realistic expectation of the city from researching crime rates and googling news stories involving guns....but I guess I would be just as pessimistic about moving to Canada as well...Predicting within two months of living here her perception will change for the good...FYI the alarm systems are built into every new home just as a sales tool...most do not even have them hooked up to a monitor company...Traveled to many different cities in the US and none of them have made me want to live anywhere else!!...The biggest adjustment you will find is the 100 degree temps when you transfer in July!!...Welcome to Oklahoma

I live in Edmond, my kids are in Edmond Schools, and I actually go to church with Randall Shadid (it%26#39;s news to me that he is a muslim!).

I%26#39;ll throw my two cents in on this. Edmond has many highly educated professionals who work in OKC and commute from Edmond. Their children go to school with mine and we love getting to know them! There is a mosque just down the street from the college, University of Central Oklahoma. The college offers graduate level courses, I have an MBA from UCO, and enjoyed attending classes with many people from all over the world. In one class, I was the ONLY white female!

So, I guess with the college, mosque and medical research attracting so many people from all over the world into our small community, I think we are quite accustomed to welcoming new neighbors.

I am sorry that others haven%26#39;t felt that way, but I think/hope the diversity from the college really helps expand our horizons a little!

acne treatment

low cost web hosting

Thunderbird Lodge and Casino

Can anyone give me any information about the Thunderbird? Planning a trip to Norman in April 2006 and wanted some input on whether to stay/play there or if we would be better off in one of the chain hotels in town. Thank you in advance.

Thunderbird Lodge and Casino

The Lodge and the Casino are not one and the same. The hotel is about 20 mins from the casino. The Residence Inn is a good bet and has been recently remodeled.

Thunderbird Lodge and Casino

Demi, Thank you for the information

I hope you%26#39;re still planning on coming to Norman, OK. I%26#39;m a little late in posting, but I agree about the Residence Inn. Yes, it%26#39;s a chain, but all of their rooms have kitchens, which makes life easier.

In addition to the Thunderbird Lodge and Casino there is also a place called Goldsby Gaming Center, just south of Highway 9 on I-35. And there are plenty of Bingo halls all over Moore and Oklahoma City, which are minutes away from Norman.

Depending on the weather there are a lot of places to walk and shop. In Norman, I%26#39;d recommend Brookhaven village and Campus Corner (on the north side of the University of Oklahoma). In Oklahoma City definately the Bricktown area. Also in Oklahoma City a visit to the Bombing Memorial may also be worthwhile. It%26#39;s sobering, but being so close to the anniversary and all, it%26#39;s worth seeing at least once. A word of advice though, it%26#39;s pretty heart wrenching.

I hope you enjoy!

D

Oklahoma City in April

We are visiting OKC for 2 days only on a road trip in mid April. Hoping some of you can recommend relatively inexpensive, nice places to stay. Also...What are the best restaraunts and fun bars?

Thank you.

Oklahoma City in April

Try the Courtyard by Marriott in Bricktown. Opened about a year ago, in the heart of the city%26#39;s primary entertainment district; walking distance to a new movie multiplex, numerous restaurants and bars, the ball park, etc. Easy access to the Ford Center (concerts and sports), the Civic Center (symphony and other concerts), the art museum, Bass Pro, etc.

Oklahoma City in April

Radio63,

Thank you very much. We will check it out. Any particular restaraunts you prefer?

Food, of course, is a very personal subject. But if you want a very nice dinner in an intimate place, try The Mantel in Bricktown. You can see all that the area has to offer here http://www.bricktownokc.com

The places to go to are in downtown or the northside.

Try Trattoria Il Centro downtown (a couple of blocks west on Main and Walker, in the Montgomery building) which serves fun yet excellent Italian. The most reliable restaurant in Bricktown is The Mantel (fusion cuisine). The newest restaurant rage is Cafe Nova in the Western Avenue district, whose specialty is contemporary American cuisine.

In terms of fun bars, try you can%26#39;t go wrong with the CityWalk complex in Bricktown if you%26#39;ll be here Thursday - Saturday nights (the crowd doesn%26#39;t truly get going until around 10PM).

If you went to Cafe Nova, I would recommend walking down the street a couple of blocks down to VZD%26#39;s, which is known for its live music. Flip%26#39;s Wine Bar up the street is popular with city yuppies. You%26#39;ll get all locals with these joints.

If you want to stay downtown, stick with Bricktown. If you like a good stogie, try Maker%26#39;s. For the beautiful lounge crowd, try Purely Sinful (formerly Pure) or the new club Halo (formerly Rane). For beers, try the Bricktown Brewery. Again, between 10 and 11PM is when people start filling these places up.

For weekday action with the afterwork crowd, try Baker Street Pub %26amp; Grill on Memorial (far northside). Also, crowd is loud at the Red Rock Canyon Grill at Lake Hefner. Its lakeside sunset view is nice.

My personal favorite space downtown for drinks and dinner is the bar at Mickey Mantle%26#39;s Steakhouse in Bricktown.

You can check some of these out at Downtown OKC%26#39;s or Western Avenue%26#39;s websites. Bricktown, a section of downtown, also has its own website, but is infrequently updated.

http://www.downtownokc.com/

http://www.bricktownokc.com/

http://www.visitwesternavenue.com/

http://www.cafenovaokc.com/

http://www.citybrickwalk.com/intro.htm

http://www.redrockcanyongrill.com/

http://www.bakerstreetpub.com/oklahoma.shtm

http://www.mickeymantlesteakhouse.com/

If you want truly THE BEST, it%26#39;s widely-acknowledged that The Coach House is it. It%26#39;s also in the Western Avenue district:

http://www.restaurant-row.org/coach/index.htm

Another good restaurant in Bricktown is The Mantel (not to be confused with Mickey Mantel%26#39;s). A little pricey for this town, but no more than Mickey Mantle%26#39;s. But the food is VERY good.

http://www.themantelokc.com/

I want to thank everyone for all your responses. I think I have gotten some great advice! I have checked into a lot of your advice, but we still have not totally made up our minds...I%26#39;ll let you know though!!

SHZTRBL, I didn%26#39;t know this website was available, but if Trattoria Il Centro is one of your candidates, here%26#39;s their website:

http://www.trattoriailcentro.com/

Hahahaha! I guess I%26#39;m one of the ';Urban Yuppies'; referenced. I would reccomend the Western Corridor. :)

It%26#39;s all good :)

Housing Questions/ Weather

Thank you to those that responded to my earlier question. We are looking for the suburbs. What suburb is ideal for families with 3 children under 11?

Key question: Why do your homes only have a slab and no basement? I know tornados touch down, as they do here in Michigan, how do you protect yourselves during the warnings? It does not seem many houses have ';hidy holes'; We have a very large walkout basement currrently, where do you store all your holiday stuff etc etc?

Does the subs have good work out facilities with child care?

Housing Questions/ Weather

The most popular suburbs are Edmond and Norman; both seem to have good schools, as do some of the suburbs of those places (Deer Creek, for example). The western suburbs (Yukon and Mustang, for example) have started to grow recently. Far northwest OKC has a separate school district from the rest of the City, Putnam City schools; those seem to be good schools as well. Since I don%26#39;t live in any of those places, I don%26#39;t have first-hand information, but my daughter-in-law teaches first grade in the Putnam City district and reports good things about the schools and the administration of them. As a college professor, I see students from many different school districts and have come to the conclusion that a child%26#39;s success and education depends more on the quality of the parents than on the quality of the schools.

Because of Oklahoma%26#39;s dirt, bedrock, and streaky weather (tons of rain one month and then none for 60 days), the ground is subject to unusual shifting. Apparently you can build basements here (you will find them in some older homes) but it%26#39;s expensive and tricky to build them well. Lots of folks install prefabricated, underground storm rooms in their backyard or under their garage floors for tornados, though after you live here a while you will find that most people pretty much ignore tornado warnings; they%26#39;re just part of life.

For storage, you%26#39;ll find lots of backyard storage buildings, lots of storage rental facilities, and lots of garages which owners can no longer fit a car into.

Suburbs are suburbs whever you go, I think. You%26#39;ll find all the usual amenities, including gyms with day care, miles and miles of chain stores, tract homes with big yards, and parent-chauffeurs who live in their cars. Like any life, suburban life has its trade offs.

Housing Questions/ Weather

By the way, the slab houses can shift too. You%26#39;ll see lots of foundation damage when house shopping in Oklahoma. Be sure to be aware of sloping floors and large vertical cracks in the bricks or along side windows and doors. This can be repaired, but it is pricey to do; you%26#39;ll want to include repairs in any contracts you offer on houses like this. And if you%26#39;re looking at a new house, you might ask to see older homes by the same builder to see if they were put up right.

For scientific reasons I can%26#39;t ably explain, tornadoes have a way of dying out as they reach the urban areas. Something about building structures has an impact on air accumulation that lowers their propensity to spin off twisters and gain speed. My point is, most Oklahoma Citians have yet to incur any damage from a tornado.

To feel more comfortable, some build safe rooms their houses that can withstand wind forces. Otherwise, we are always advised to choose the inner most room to take shelter in, usually a closet.

Anyway, I concur what radio said above about PC, Norman and Edmond. Moore schools are good too. If I was starting a family with no inclination to a specific place, I%26#39;d probably live in Norman, because of the University of Oklahoma. Edmond does have the University of Central Oklahoma, but I prefer living near OU for a number of reasons. Its campus is very walkable and beautiful, one of the best-looking in the country. Its museums are first rate. The academics seem to be more intellectually eclectic. Because the president is a former senator, world-impacting speakers regularly visit. And of course, the sports are tough to beat.

Edmond is known in the region for its excellence, but Norman is much more a collegetown. Its people bear a psychological separation from the rest of the metro the way Austin is its own character in Texas. This independence is why I%26#39;d like my kids growing up in Norman. It seems to value independent thought much more. To be honest with you, I don%26#39;t know if it is reflected in the schools, but it seems to be that way to me. Hope some Edmondites don%26#39;t get angry with me -- but I can add that Edmond has more and better shopping options than Norman has!

But because I am a city loyalist, I%26#39;ll say this for the Putnam City school district: if your family intends to be a part of the city community, live somewhere in the PC district. Your neighbors will be among those who are shaping the city (and know it better than most). Especially if you come from the north, I think you will appreciate the architecture in the PC district than the cookie cutter subdivisions being developed in the %26#39;burbs.

Let me say these are my values, and yours may be different. Besides good schools, what else do you value?

I apologize I do not know an answer to that last question.

Since your children are young check out the Oklahoma Department of Education Website and click on Report Cards. You can look at all the schools, individually, and by District to see where each school ranks. Edmond and Deer Creek are the highest I think. Almost all the school districts in the area are good but some individual schools are better than others. I think this is because of the family involvement. Family Values are big around here. You can even ask the Principals of each school what percentage of parents show up for paretn/teacher conferences and that will tell you alot. I know at our school it is around 98%. Also, during tornado warnings we go to a safe public place or my Mom and Dad%26#39;s, they have a basement room. Almost all the work-out facilities have child care and indoor pools with swimming lessons available. I hope your move goes well.

OKC has a high water table and is the dried site of an ancient lake. We are on clay, which causes shifting. There are several areas around OKC where some homes can have basements/cellars without any issues, Edmond has some spots like that, but overall you won%26#39;t find one.

As for tornadoes, safe rooms (I have one) and pre-fab storm cellars (both under the garage and in the yard) are available. But in the 30 years I%26#39;ve lived in OKC I%26#39;ve only seen 7 or 8 touch down.

The rest of the posters did a good job with the places you can live.

I live in one of the historical districts and do in fact have a basement with a clubroom. They are here, just few and far between. As a Realtor, I have had lots of clients interested in Oakdale schools as well. They are k-8th grade, then Memorial high in Edmond for high school.

Can%26#39;t help with the suburb question (I really prefer the city), but my historical home also has a basement game room. You can always have a safe room installed.

I relocated to Norman, OK from California and asked myself the same questions. Mostly I was worried about the severe weather. Severe weather could be anything from hail to tornados. It wasn%26#39;t until I realized that I was surrounded by some serious weather professionals that I began to relax. Just off the top of my head, Norman has

The National Severe Storms Laboratory, National Weather Service, NOAA, and Weathernews. On top of that there are plenty of storm chasers at the University of Oklahoma. Tornado sirens are tested every Friday at noon. Also there are plenty of advance warning systems that let you know what is going on. If you want to read up on some recent weather events check out www.kfor.com and www.9online.com.

On everyone%26#39;s mind this year has been the extreme drought. We have been under a burn ban for quite some time; it was actually just lifted a couple of days ago.

Edmond and Norman are about equal in amenities if you will. Both subs are about equal distance to Oklahoma City. I prefer Norman though. The Norman Convention and Visitors Bureau has all the information you could ask for about this town.

Hope this helps

D

My children went to Oakdale and are now in Edmond schools including Memorial High School. Oakdale school is pretty small but may be just what you are looking for. It was too small for us and did not offer some classes my son needed because he has learning disabilities. I do know most of the kids are pretty ready to get out of there by 8th grade but the parents seem happy with the school. It is a fairly tight bunch of parents and kids. Comparing Oakdale to Edmond: We love Edmond because it provides a little more economic and social diversity than Oakdale does. Oakdale tends to lean to the Upper Social Class demographically more than Edmond schools. This demographic skew attributes to the high test scores Oakdale tends to have even though I think for the most part the teachers are excellent. I feel the Edmond schools are better in the sense that I find the teachers use all of the learning styles children need to reach their full potential. Oakdale is a little behind in this area. However, Oakdale provides a more controlled and protected environment. Oakdale is the next best thing to homeschooling if you are a homeschool advocate. I hope this helps with your school choices.

Cherokee casino

Has anyone stayed at the Cherokee Casino Resort outside of Tulsa? Feeback?

Thanks!

Cherokee casino

Hi jeepgirl:

Ive spent a few weekends at cherokee resort. they have nice clean room for 89 dollars a night. the only drawback was the smoke smell that permiates the entire casino and hotel. If that doesn%26#39;t bother you and you like slots or poker its a great deal.