Why I love Tulsa
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7/27/2017
I have lived on both coasts, north and south, as well as Iowa and Texas.
Economy: the economy here used to be tied to oil & gas, but there are so many industries here producing parts that are sold around the world. Aerospace is huge here, so are heat exchange companies. Check out "Vision 2017" and "Vision 2025" to see how the economy and city amenities are growing; I personally love the Riverwalk and downtown revitalization. In NY it took me 6 months of solid looking to find a job, in MA, 9 months. In TX it took 2 weeks, and in Tulsa, it was instant - the first place I walked into. Chances are good a few things in your house or that you consume throughout the day came from Tulsa.
Housing: prices are so affordable here both renting and buying - it was one of the reasons I left Texas, because TX is rapidly becoming the new California - hours of commute time, the price of my apartment spiked from 850 to 1400 in one year, and nothing can be done without waiting at least 45 minutes in a line, and buying even a run-down house was unaffordable or 2 hours from the metroplex. None of that happens in Tulsa, although Tulsa is in a boom cycle and growing rapidly due to the job market and focus on developing the economy.
Weather: When I lived in Maine, we had a tornado a few miles from our house. When I lived in NY, we had a tornado took out the dumpster at work. When I lived in MA, we had a tornado go by 9 miles from us. We also dealt with Hurricanes, and awful blizzards up and down the east coast. At one point, every check in my checkbook several winters in a row was to a plow guy. If it snows here, it is only a few inches and doesn't last more than a day or two. Ice can be a problem but again, it doesn't last long. Tornadoes have become a way of life in every state, and this one is no different, but the advanced forecasting and modeling by local weather stations give people plenty of time to act accordingly. And no blizzards or hurricanes. And the inside of my nose will never freeze when I walk outside. The worse earthquakes I experienced were in Spokane, WA and Portland, ME; I have never felt one here, though people say they happen.
People: when I first moved here, I pulled into a gas station and someone pulled in right next to me. We both saw a homeless person standing back from the building. In the time it took me to walk around inside to see what was available to eat so I could offer some choices to that person, the woman who had pulled in next to me had already brought out a bag of food. That has never happened - anywhere. That is how people are here, they care about others, and they care about the community. People will hold the door open for you here and greet you with kindness, which is not something I have been used to in many other states. (Arkansas next door was the kindest state I've ever been to - it actually felt weird how nice people are there)
Politics: while Oklahoma is a red state, most of the people I know are Democrats who say the Tulsa metro is very democratic, and several other communities outside of Greater Tulsa are also Democratic. I know Republicans who liked Obama. I know Republicans who are not Trump supporters, and those who are respectfully give their reasons about it. It just displays that there are a good mix of people here who again are community minded and care about others. I have a mixed race relationship and have only had one mild encounter where we just weren't served and simply moved on to another restaurant, but racism is not the culture I see here day in and day out. What I do see day in and day out is random acts of kindness, and I love that I'm surrounded by like minded people.
Activities: Tulsa is hugely bicycle-friendly with hundreds of miles of trails, some going along the riverside and other creeks. There is a "mountain" (glorified hill) in Tulsa with paved & dirt hiking/bike trails. There are so many hobbyists here, and more hobby shops than I have ever seen anywhere. They have their own (small) Comicon. Major venues and big casinos get big names for concerts. But the best thing to me is, no matter what night of the week I may want to go to dinner or a movie, I can plan to wait less than 10 minutes, but usually not at all, for a seat, ticket, or entrance. Traffic is practically nonexistent compared to living outside of Boston and Dallas. Tulsa convinced BMX Racing to move its headquarters here, so soon this will be a hotspot for BMX enthusiasts and there are already tracks and clubs here.
Cons: the price of food seems a little higher here for some reason, but utilities are low. I have seen a few snakes, but after doing some research, I found that most of the ones people come across are harmless, and so many people hunt and fish without incident and they have taught me that it's a matter of education over fear. There are some bad crime statistics, but those are confined to some very specific areas of the city, and I don't go there. I feel safe wherever else I go.
I've seen a lot of negative posts here, but one fact no matter where you go is that life is what you choose to make of it. Overall, I am so happy to be here, impressed with all of the infrastructure improvements by the government, surrounded by great people in a beautiful place. I feel like I finally found a home!
Heather | Tulsa, OK