My comp of Okc vs SM differs from stars shown here
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4/8/2021
I moved here to Santa Monica over 10 years ago from Oklahoma City. I was surprised to see that Oklahoma City was ranked higher than Santa Monica on best places.
I guess it all depends on what you’re comparing it to.
I will agree our beach gets trashed by all the tourists but maybe if they got the number of tourists Okc gets it wouldn’t be as bad.
There is a lot of homelessness in Santa Monica but after seeing one with an Oklahoma H.S. T-shirt I started keeping my ears open and the majority are not from CA! They move there (I’ve heard a few homeless say) because the weather is conducive to tent living. So it appears the more in-climate US states, such as Oklahoma, benefit greatly from this migration as CA foots the tab in trying to deal with this huge issue.
As far as one place being more friendly than another I would say that there are kind people in both places as well as ill mannered. If you are politically right don’t live in Santa Monica and if you politically left don’t live in Okc. I was told I was a lefty while living in Okc and was told when I moved to Santa Monica that I am not. If you’re in the middle like me you can find like minded people in both places but unfortunately the majority are polarized in both states.
When it comes to crime, I’ve experienced it in both states. We had a vehicle stolen in Oklahoma as well as a scarecrow I made for a holiday decoration and have had several instances of petty theft in CA (dog harness on my front porch, solar lights along a busy side walk for people headed to the beach, and a bike) As far a value of stolen property obviously for us Oklahoma was much worse.
I much prefer the walk ability of Santa Monica to the drive culture in Okc.
While there are some great restaurants in Okc there is more variety in Santa Monica.
I’m back in Okc taking care of my 89 yr old mom who I tried to get to come live with me in CA but she thinks 72 is freezing and loves the 90+ degree weather in Oklahoma. I did get her to come visit during the ice storms when she lost power for 5 days once and only lost power a couple days the second storm of this season and she love 72 then haha
Obviously housing in Oklahoma is much more affordable than Santa Monica but my moms water bill is equal to mine which surprised me and of course her gas and electric are substantially more due to Oklahoma’s wild temperature ranges. Restaurants are cheaper in Okc but part of that is due to the type of dining as farm to table in Okc can be expensive too. Gas is cheaper in Okc but then I don’t have a car in Santa Monic so I save on all that encompasses.
I would end by saying that everyplace has it’s pro’s and con’s and somethings matter more to one person than another. My mom who lives inside her large climate controlled home doesn’t care as much about the humid weather outside as I do because I prefer to be outside.
For me, even with all the issues Santa Monica has, and I have some concerns regarding the laze-fair attitude towards rules/laws, the good far out weighs the bad in my comparison of these two state so I don’t agree with this site having rated Santa Monica lower than Oklahoma City. They both have earthquakes but only one has ice storms and tornados...but here I am back at weather so you know what matters most to me haha
Renee | Santa Monica, CA