Bartlesville, OK Reviews

Don't believe all the negative reviews - 8/29/2022
We moved here in August 2020. We were renting a 2100 sf home in bay area Ca for 2600 when the rent was going to market rate of 5,000. We ended up buying a home here for 156k that was nicer than the one we were renting which ended up selling after we moved out for 1,635,000 with a 6k foot lot. Taxes and insurance are about 10 % of the California house. When we left gas was 4 per gallon and 1.59 here. Groceries were about 60% of groceries there. My wife was born in SF and never lived more than 45 miles from where she was born. She is going through treatment for cancer here and found the hospitals here and in Tulsa to be a big step up from what we had in the bay. Our church doesn't allow political discussions and encourages that everyone get along and accept one another. We serve on teams handing out food to the poor and in the shelter that is in town. The weather is pretty extreme for about 3 months a year, 2 in the summer and 1 in the winter and the rest of the time is nice. Read More

Not so cheap - 1/23/2012
When we moved here from the Minneapolis area, we looked forward to warmer weather and a lower cost of living. Yes, we got warmer weather (110 degrees plus for much of the summer this year), but, while statistics say that utilities are lower, we did not find that to be true for gas, electric or water. We are paying more for all of those. Your air conditioner runs almost constantly in the summer, and watering your lawn sort of seems like a waste of money. Housing is cheaper, but then so is the quality of homes. Groceries are not cheaper, and some of the more "exotic" items (when you can find them)are much more expensive. Good fish is hard to find, except, of course, for catfish, which is sold under any variety of names. The people are friendly, though, and Tulsa (a very nice city) is only an hour Read More

Bartlesville is a first class city! - 3/1/2011
I grew up in Bartlesville until I graduated in 1974. I had an outstanding,
high-quality driven education. In fact, Bartlesville ranks #1 as the best school system in Oklahoma! Furthermore, there are more National Merit Schol-
orship finalists from Bartlesville per capita, then anywhere else! I have lived in the Northeast, especially Philadelphia, for many years now. I am so proud to be from Bartlesville! When visitors come here for the first time, they are usually amazed and so impressed with all that Bartlesville of-
ers! The Price Tower, a 19-story skyscraper, is the only skyscraper ever designed by the famous Frank Lloyd Wright. Its now an art gallery and has a intimate, upscale bar and bistro on the top floor. You have an impressive skyline, thanks to Phillips that used to be headquarted there until it merged with Conoco and top management relocated to Houston. The city has been highly successful in diversifying its economy in last 5 years. You have one of Read More

very nice setting - 8/17/2008
bartlesville is nestled in the osage hills and foothills of the ozarks, with lots of outdoor recreation. it has two good sized lakes to the north [hulah] and [copan]. osage hills state park, wah-sha-she state park and the tall grass prairie preserve. hi-way 10 is a beautiful scenic drive. nice place to take the kids, or to get a quiet Read More

Update: Bartlesville, Oklahoma - 8/1/2007
There's been a revolution of sorts. An election brought us a turnover in city politics, and it seems like some good changes are coming. Medical care still needs improvement; ditto entertainment options. But I guess enough of us had "had enough" of some problems--and we fixed 'em.  Read More

Too many conservative republican's for me! - 9/13/2006
This town is nothing more than a ton of churches and close minded conservative republicans. Because of this it has a clique feel to it. Not a place I'd want my family to spend any more of our time Read More

Life in Bartlesville, OK - 9/3/2006
I live in the historic district in Bartlesville. Yes, housing costs are low. Yes, cost of living is low in some categories (other than state income tax), but you also pay for that in other ways. The summers are hell on earth. The local "newspaper" can't even write grammatical sentences, let alone report honestly. Government is a joke, on the whole. Sure, there are friendly people here--but there are friendly people everywhere. However, you'd best be prepared to be a flag-waving, neo-conservative, Bible-thumpin' Republican. In many ways I have a great life--lots of friends, community groups, and an incredible house, which I love dearly, at comparative low cost. However, living in the land of "group think," where say, a member of the Libertarian Party (which I'm not) would be close to being run out of town on a rail, with a government that makes the Three Stooges look like intelligentsia, think twice. Example: after running through city employees, they now want to hire someone to be Read More

I grew up in Bartlesville in the 1960's.......... - 7/12/2006
....and now at 49 years old, am planning to return to live in Bartlesville. The main reason is that the people are so warm and friendly. Good manners have not gone out of style in Bartlesville! On my last visit about 6 months ago, I could almost not bear to leave again. I no longer have family or roots in B'ville, but I always feel welcomed and completely at home by the town and its people. Real estate costs are low, magnificent stately homes are available in abundance and you can walk from the older neighborhoods into the town's center. You can be in Tulsa in no time at all by car, if you should need a little more than is available in Bartlesville. I currently live in surburban Washington, D.C. and it takes me longer to get to my local mall than it would take to drive to Tulsa from Bartlesville, due to our horid traffic and overcrowding issues here. When my daughter grduates from HS in 2008, I will be on my way back to the best little place in the Read More