Reviews & Comments
Muskogee, OK
active midage couple seeking best of both worlds.. -
7/22/2008We are a mixed couple (i am from Chicago and white, my wife from Texas is black), that seeks somewhat of a quiet living but likes parks, eating out, museums and such attractions, with friendliness and happiness abounding. Where we are now is sorely negative, and we miss smiling. I like the low cost of living a lot, and would need to probably work out of tulsa to give us the living we enjoy. How might the daily commute be?
I need to ask about our family makeup and how it is viewed, as honestly as possible, BEFORE we move further. Also, I think it is fair to ask about whether people behave themselves and self govern, or if there is a (possibly over)active police force. Kind of tired of speeding tickets...LOL.
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Denver, CO
An overgrown small town -
7/22/2008My wife and I moved to Colorado nearly five years ago in search of opportunity, a quiet community, room for an active lifestyle and open mindedness (since we are a mixed couple, me being white).
We have found a good job market, but it is severely been hampered by the nations state, a little too much at this point. There are a lot of jobs, but I find many people are working beneath their careers. Additionally, we have found this to be a place catering to women, possibly due to a lot of mid level management, admin and sales (real estate and such) jobs. Somehow, not knowing what was first (the chicken or the egg), the result is a lot of stay at home dads, or "gold digging", lazy men, and commanding zealous women. If this is ok, then this is the place for you. I am from a bit more traditional 1 income old school family, so my aggressive career ventures are a little unwelcome.
I am a motorcyclist, and without a doubt this is THE best place in the US for it, but the police here are very biased against the sport, so I believe you will hear and see a lot of discriminatory practices with regards to law enforcement..note: if you are from a large city, slow down. Traffic cops are like Georgia flies...all over.
The scenery is beautiful, and i would challenge Louisianans as saying where is God's country, LOL. Weather is nice, but summers and winters have become a bit more extreme...this summer has been in upper 90's consistently, and there even seems to be humidity now?!
As far as being quiet...not bad. There seems to be a lot of people into drinking and recreational drug usage, and neither of us are interested, so we miss the melee of excitement on weekends downtown. But, there are nice and plenty places to walk, enjoy or participate in sports, go to museums and other attractions.
I am from Chicago, and tend to be polite, but outspoken and blunt. That is not a good trait here. I find there to be a lot of mousy men, standing BEHIND their "real quick to call police" women. So, conservative, intellects may like this town. Lastly, their needs to be said their is a lot of separatist views, and undertones of racism. Remember, people aren't to good at voicing how they really feel. There is eventually how I get to the "small town" part...lots of quiet opinions and such.
Cost of living is high, and without a mountain view, not a great value. I think crime is actually pretty low, maybe aside from theft. There are a lot of wannabees in the gang scene, but if you are considering or are from a large coastal city or Chicago/STL, you will know the difference. All in all, not an intimidating place, which is good for families with teens and such.
There is my .02. Denver is nice, but definitely not for everybody. Californians seem to like it though. We are looking elsewhere at this point...best of luck!