SperlingViews - Lawton, Oklahoma

I went to Lawton once while I was attending OU in Norman in the early 1990's and regret ever going there. I'm in an unfamiliar town driving in the rain at night. I am on a road going around the deserted mall, and I went through a red light. It did not seem to be a logical place for a light. Well, herw comes "50" blaring their sirens. Two cops come up, and one was like "Oh my god! Did you see what he did?" It was overly embellished. You would have thought I robbed a bank. When I went to court, I was early. I said something jokingly to the clerk. He looked at me very hatefully and said "Excuse me?" In court, I explained to the judge why I ran the light, that I was a college student with inadequate income, I had been between jobs for a few weeks, and that I couldn't afford the ticket. He said "Well, this is just another one of your bills." Then, he cut me some slack and told me that he didn't have authority to arrest me outside the city limits (hint, hint - leave the city without paying the ticket, and nothing would happen to me aside from it being on my driving record) As I leave the court room to deal with the same clerk as before, he starts harassing me and giving me grief. The judge had already given me permission to leave and get money from an ATM to pay the ticket (or leave town if I chose), and this guy with no authority starts ego tripping saying "How do I know you're going to come back if I let you leave?" The decision wasn't his to begin with. Keep your crappy little town, Lawton! I've never been back.[read more...]

We will return to the USA next year. So I am comparing the house prices. It says here that the house prices are around 86.000 dollars and the house prices in Colorado Springs are way higher. I can't see that when I look up the home offers. You have to pay about the same amount for a house in Lawton. [read more...]

lawton crime capital of oklahoma. crime rate = 0.4 and a scale 0-5 . you will be a victim. buy a gun and get a carry license. dont travel alone ever at night. dont rent here, transients tear up everything. city doesnt have the incite to realize prisons bring in criminals familys. cameron and goodyear are the best thing. google gangs in the ft. sill military. there are no women here, the soldiers move away with them. dirty dusty hot or very cold. wind ! move to norman ok as soon as possible.[read more...]

I lost my my job in California so I could no longer afford to live there any longer. I moved in with my daughter to wonderful lawton. I shouwould have been better of living under a bridge in california. It would have been cleaner and safe and have sidewalks, green lawn and by god grocery stores. I didn't know i could miss Albertsons or Ralphs grocery stores so much. Its so sad that my grandchildren are growing up here its a damn shame and a crime. This town is like a THIRD WOULD COUNTRY and should be blown up by the military and rebuilt up, we do this all the time for other countries, we should remember that charity begins at home. I am trying to get my daughter to move from this HELL HOLE. [read more...]

We were stationed in Ft Sill, Oklahoma. We lived on the west side of Lawton in an apartment complex called Willowpark Apartments. Great area and even better staff. It was about 15 minute drive to Ft Sill but well worth it. Recommend it to all military and civilian alike. It is recommended by housing office.[read more...]

Terrible town. Not enough public events to keep population in town for entertainment unless you go to sleezy run down bars. Biggest attraction for teenagers is going to a movie which isn't bad but kids do get bored. The race tracks are substandard. Dirt track is in need of upgrades and the talent driving there isn't worth paying the price to watch. Streets are terrible and there are hardly any sidewalks for exercise or family bike rides. Crime is out of control because there isn't enough jobs and people are robbing each other just to get by or feed their drug habits. Cost of housing is very high compared to other major cities. Compare the "per foot" prices between OKC, Tulsa, Newcastle or Norman to Lawton and you'll see a big difference. There are a lot of shady businesses in Lawton who take avantage of the town being about 50 miles away from any other larger city. I had one bike shop tell me that they charge a "convience fee" so people don't have to drive to Altus...about a 60% markup...Sure they have the a few public places that hold events but they are poorly organized and lacks quality plus there are only a few events each year. You have to go to OKC or Dallas if you want to do any decent shopping and get good deals. Thanks to the internet, you can shop from home. The only pro is traffic isn't as bad as larger cities. Not very good, but not as congested as rush hour traffic in OKC or Tulsa. There are some great people living here and we've made some terrific friends during our time in Lawton but there is good and bad in any town. Lawton just needs to address their problems because the total package just needs a lot of help. If you have a nice sports car, don't drive it on Lawton streets. Very bumpy...better off with a 4 wheel drive or large SUV...[read more...]

I have lived all over the world during the last 40 years and I have never seen a place that consistently has the worst of everything. Lawton is it. No decent grocery stores or restaurants, good luck finding a place where you can get a decent lunch that's not dripping with grease. Organic food is almost non existent. In Lawton you get walmarted to death, no Target or other stores. 45 miles south, Wichita Falls, roughly the same size, has everything. They even have a Bed and Bath, James Avery and TJMaxx. BRAC has brought gridlock, more fast food joints, deterioration of air quality and more crime. Instead of improving this town is going further downhill. Buffalo statues placed throughout the town are supposed to improve the appearance. What a joke. It's going to take a lot more than Buffalo statues to make this place a liveable town. Then there is the murderous climate, icestorms in the winter, killer heat and humidity for at least 6 months in the summer. No efforts to do anything for the environment. I could go on for hours. Although there are some very nice surroundings and a wildlife refuge, little is being done to protect those places. To the contrary, the view to a beautiful lake is being blocked by new home contruction with no height or any othe restrictions. Toxins are freely dumped into the lake that provides our drinking water. Oklahoma has quite strict environmental laws but nobody enforces them. As a matter of fact I am sure the local Sheriff's Department is not even familiar with these laws. If they are they close both eyes when they see all these private waste dumps and meth labs in the surrounding lake areas with their run off going straight into the lake. All in all if this place doesn't improve it's not a good place to lead a healthy life. Lawton and surrounding areas also have some of the highest cancer rates in the nation.[read more...]

This town is a sad place. Everybody seems to accept the lack of side walks, good streets, clean restaurants, etc. etc. As a teacher, I have to admit with a heavy heart that LPS, with very very few exceptions, is not a stellar school system, au contraire. I've lived here since 2006 and many locals blame the military for the trashy look, the high crime rate, and all the other negative aspects of this town. I object. Without the military presence, Lawton would have turned into a ghost town many years ago. The sole industry, besides Fort Sill, is a medium sized Goodyear plant and that alone would have not been sufficient to maintain the economy and keep this place alive. Change of scenery and consolation are to be found in the Wild Life Refuge and Medicine Park. If you are looking for a safe and nice place to run and exercise, I recommend the trails on Fort Sill. Summa summarum, this town has tested my patience and I ran out of "making the best" out of it. Hope your stay won't be too long! Veni vidi and not so much vici. [read more...]

I moved to Lawton in 2006 and in spite of numerous tries to like it, I just can't. The town is still "alive" because of the military population who is responsible for 85-90% of its economy. I've taught for LPS and with a heavy heart I must admit that the school system, with very very few exceptions, is horrible. The town does offer limited cultural events. They are easy to find, however, the variety is lacking substantially. The cost of living is very low. Nevertheless, something to consider, horrible streets, no sidewalks, no sense of quality, no sense of healthy living, nothing applealing and all in all a torture to the eye. The winters are short, but cold and very very windy, the summers super hot and dry. The seasons in between are gone in the glimpse of an eye and therefore not worth mentioning. It's a place with very many extremes, high obesity, big pick up trucks, extreme weather, e.g. tornadoes, ice storms, droughts, wild fires! Moving here with the military, I would recommend living on post. Whenever I am looking for some peace and quiet, I drive to post to exercise on one of the numerous outside tracks, go for walks in the nicely set up parks there, or hang out at LETRA. The Refuge and Medicine Park nearby are the only consolation for living here... [read more...]

Lawton has several things to do: Great Plains Coloseum, Mcmahon auditorium, Cameron Stadium, Elmerthomas park, Lawton Speedway, Native Sun, park with tennis court, frisby golf, and track, 2 bowling alleys, 3 movie theaters, Central Mall, 2 Superwalmarts, Putt-putt, YMCA, and several recreation centers.[read more...]

Lawton has lots of things to do. Examples: Great Plains Coloseum, Mcmahon auditorium, Elmerthomas park, Cameron Stadium, 3 movie theaters, 2 duck ponds, park with tennis court,disc golf, and track, Lawton Speedway, Native Sun, minature golf, 2 bowling alleys, skating rink, go cart track, Central Mall, 2 Superwally worlds, Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, medicine park recreation area, a casino if you know your limit, and not to mention every residential area has a park.[read more...]

Lawton is considered by many people to be a small town. Small city is a more appropriat term. It covers more than 75 square miles of land with a population of more 90000, but people make it out like it's a real life modern day Mayberry. Don't get me wrong there are better and bigger places. I have to disagree that there is nothing to do there. I can give a list of places. Mcmahon auditorium, Great Plains coloseum, 2 parks with a duck pond, Cameron University stadium, 3 movie theaters, minature golf and regular golf, park with tennis court, disc golf, and track, Central mall, Native sun water park, several recreation centers, lots of restaurants, 2 Super Wall Marts, an exceptional amount of clubs, 2 bowling alleys, skating rink, YMCA, Lawton speedway, and to say the least a park for every single residential area. If you're military your probably familiar with a place called Hinesville, Ga. 16 square mi. hole of 30000 with nothing to do but go to bars, has only one park, and every thing else is drinking.[read more...]

CRIME, CRIME, CRIME!!! Which is why I left Lawton. Check out the crime rate and see if I'm wrong. I felt safer when I lived in East Los Angeles, CA. Speaking on politics, they ARE small-town good-ole boys. The ones who care battle with the ones more interested in their bank accounts. The battle ensues daily as the common citizens wrestle to live normal lives. It's the good citizens who are the backbone of this city. There's just enough who do care and will give their all to help a neighbor. However, when that willing neighbor is five doors down from the rash of gang members between, politics plays its part to defy the rights of enemies from being violated. It's sad because in the 70's Lawton was the perfect place to raise a family. Schools were safe. Now, where teachers once greeted students at the entrance, students are detained in long lines passing through metal detectors. Violence is not uncommon. Drive-bys are unheard of because gangs prefer battling eachother in parking lots with an audience of unarmed, innocent victims. I guess that ads to their machismo. Big, bad, burly dudes vs. little old ladies buying loaves of bread. Like they say in Los Angeles, "watch out for wannabes, they do the most harm to prove themselves tough." Yeah, real tough. Unfortunately, the biggest cans of Raid aren't big enough to combat these cowardess roaches infesting neighborhoods and schools. Evenso, I guess that's becoming the standard for most of America's big cities. It's also sad because Lawton has a lot to offer in recreation. Hiking, camping, fishing, and revving up the Harley from its winter's nap are perfect in the Wichita Mountins. A short trip north will get you to Oklahoma City's Museums, Zoos, and Festivals. A shorter trip south will find Wichita Falls waiting with great bargains. Spring is loaded with beautiful flowers planted by survivors of parking lot incidents, and summer is perfect for tanning at area lakes....flip often or burn. Fall is ideal followed by mild winters. Lawton is a testimony of the Lord's mercy and grace. He shines on the just and the unjust. Only man's free will gets in the way of His beautiful intentions.[read more...]

I tried to start out with something positive to say about this place and couldn't think of anything. The hottest and coldest place on this planet. Do not move here if you have allergies or Asthma. It will kill you in the spring. To make the problem worse, as soon as it gets "down" to 75 degrees the fireplaces start up. This makes the nicest time of the year, early spring and late fall, impossible to tolerate. It's finally cool enough to open the windows, but due to the inverted weather system during this time you choke to death from all the smoke from the fireplaces. Most people are rude and uneducated. Environmental protection is a dirty word and there is no global warming. Believe it or not there is no vehicle inspection in Oklahoma. Some of the oldest, raw gas spewing cars are on the raod. Totally bald tires are O.K. No need to protect the drinking water which comes from a lake that allows motor boats and unlimited pesticide and fertilizer dumping. Most Restaurants are filthy and serve horrible, grease laden food. Recreation consists mainly of getting drunk and doing drugs despite the fact that one of the most beautiful Wildlife Refuges is right outside city limits. Would you believe there are actually people in this town who never heard of that?! Why am I still here? Nearing retirment and it can't come soon enough and then I am out of here![read more...]

went to lawton to check it out and i thought tulsa was bland and bad. lawton is a smaller city and has a huge problem with crime and gangs as well. i have never seen a place like lawton before. dirty , wore out stores, nothing to do , no big box stores, resturants were dirty and limited on selection, most of the stuff in lawton is what you would find in a town of 20,000 to 30,000 people. not in a place with 90,000 people. this place is going to need a major influx in the economy to keep people from leaving, which it looks like 5% of them already left. can't say i blame them.. lawton oklahoma future ghost town.......[read more...]

Pros: 1. Low cost of living and housing 2. Affordable place to live 3. Good school system 4. Home to Fort Sill Military Reservation Cons: 1. High crime rate 2. Huge problem with gangs and drugs 3. Gang problem is becoming so bad that gangs have become common in the suburbs!!! 4. Not much to do[read more...]

Wow, that explains it, Gary must be the blind Health Inspector. That's why so many of the restaurants and shops are so filthy.[read more...]

I do not understand what these other people are talking about. The city of Lawton is perfect if you like a larger city with a small town feel. The population although is a bit wrong. For one due to the military personnel being deployed and that a lot of the outer lying rural areas( i'm talking 5 miles from town) are not included in the population. This would probably bring it up close to 200,000. I know some people with the police and sheriffs dept. and they say that is probably the biggest problem. The city tries to run like it's population is 100,000 and that does hurt somewhat. You don't have 2 6A high schools and 1 5A high school with just 90 some thousand people. The city is very clean so it just sounds like some of these other people are bitter about having to move from where they were comfortable.[read more...]

Had to chuckle about the rental houses - how true! Never seen anything like it. Everything here is substandard and what amazes me most - they seem to think it's O.K. Clean is not in Lawton's vocabulary. Neither is environmental protection. Lawton just killed thousands of Prairie Dogs in a city park not considering that burrowing owls and all sorts of waterfowl live in the park. Car inspections and emission control don't exist. Also, shopping is limited. A city this size should have a Target, Petsmart, etc. Lawton is filled with ignorant, narrow minded people. Lawton is also one of the noisiest cities; boom boxes; artillery and jets make life miserable. Can't wait to get out of here![read more...]

Every rental in this town is ugly, dirty,and outdated. Apparently when people move out of their rental they do not know there is something called cleaning. This is my last time renting in ugly Lawton and got to tell you that when I moved in, I had to paint, clean and of course desinfect, because the smell of dogs and the pee stains where just terrible. I am finally moving. Lawtonians have no common sense, no pride, and don't even care to do what all normal human beings consider a must! And that reflects in their town!.[read more...]