Tulsa is ok
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2/6/2010
As someone else said, in a city the size of Tulsa, there will be much to like and also much to dislike. I would ignore those who go on and on forever with their rants - this reflect their own personal unhappiness as much as their dislike of a community.
Anyway, Tulsa. I moved here a couple of years ago from a progressive college town and live in the Midtown area. Your Tulsa experience will greatly depend on your values and where you live. I consider myself to be a moderately liberal person politically, well educated, and I value opportunities for outdoor and cultural activities. Also, I am vegetarian and consider myself to be thin and athletic. In other words, not the stereotypical "fat redneck" that some have complained about. Though if you are looking for that type, you will probably run into them too.
Living in the Midtown area and working downtown, I have had the opportunity to meet many very nice, generous, educated people - and many rude, hateful people too. It's a mixed bag. But you can easily seek out those people with similar values to your own. If you are an evangelical Christian, or a cyclist, or someone who wants to lobby for sustainable urban growth, or an avid fan of farmers markets, or if the idea of a 20 - 40 somethings book club meeting at an Irish Pub appeals to you, you can find these niches in Tulsa. If you come from a coastal city you will probably be appalled by the awful public transportation and the cruddy public schools and the fact that you have to drive everywhere. If you are from a huge city, you may be gratified that you can get most anywhere in Tulsa in 20 minutes or less. (My commute time is exactly 3 minutes and I live in a lovely neighborhood.)
Tulsa has some excellent parks and an amazing Riverparks system of trails that run along the Arkansas River. It is usually quite busy with bikers and joggers, especially on weekends. However, apart from the wonderful trails system, it is not a pedestrian friendly city and you'd better choose a neighborhood with sidewalks if you value your daily walk.
I was able to find a doctor to facilitate a low-intervention natural childbirth at a hospital without much trouble. Just ask around. I was also able to take a lovely prenatal yoga class - such amentities are available in Tulsa.
University of Tulsa is not a huge presence, I would say, coming from a college town previously - but it and the other universities and libraries do provide opportunities to see some free lectures and musical performances (if you're into that kind of thing) as well as university sports events (if you're into that kind of thing).
The library system is excellent and brings major authors to town once or twice a year.
There are a few farmers markets in Midtown each week during the growing season and a few natural foods markets including the biggie, Whole Foods.
Most of the restaurants are just ok in my opinion, though you can find a gem here and there.
My overall advice would be, if you want to find something or someone in Tulsa - just ask around. Tulsans are, overall, very friendly and not imposing. They will not try to force their way of life upon you and they like to be helpful, generally speaking. Just ask.
Cara | Tulsa, OK