COMMENT BY
anolis from Marietta, OK
COMMENT ABOUT PLACE
Marietta, OK
COMMENT
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
1. In general the people are very friendly - (Strangers will wave to
passers by, courteous drivers. Etc.)
2. Safe. (Low crime, one of the few places where you can leave your
door unlocked.)
3. Wide open views. (you can see for miles over the flat terrain.)
4. Location. (about a 20 min. drive to Denton, Tx. 1 hr. Dallas.)
5. Lots of Sun and Wind. (Alternative energy opportunities.)
6. Fossils. (The shallow ocean that covered the area during the
Cretaceous Period left a treasure trove of marine fossils: sea
urchins, bi-valves etc...One with a paleontology bent can simply
scour creek banks and find decent fossils/stone arrowheads right on
the surface.)
7. Short allergy season: (Most plants are toast by mid June/July due to
heat and drought. Expect about 3-4 months of peak pollen.)
Cons:
1. You're located in the heart of the Barnett shale. (There is a gas or
oil well about every quarter mile, as a result you are left in a
small town with some of the worst air quality in the county. Many
days the Ozone level is rated as “Orange: unhealthy for sensitive
groups/ and a few Red: unhealthy for everyone...stay indoors.”)
2. Difficult gardening. (Due to biblical plagues of grasshoppers, lack
of water, and soil best moved by a Paul Bunyan type pickaxe wielder.)
3. Drought. (Water use restrictions during summer months...no more
guiltless slip&slide fun.)
4. Weather. (It's called tornado alley for a reason...have access to a
storm shelter. Summer temps can soar well over 100F for weeks/months
at a time, and plunge into the teens during winter. Windy!
5. Entertainment. (Create your own, or drive to Dallas.)
6. Water pollution. (Research which areas are safe for
swimming/fishing.)
7. Learn Spanish. (Bi-lingual workers are very much in demand, and will
be an employers first choice.)
8. Mineral rights. (Do not buy land without buying the mineral
rights!!! - I've seen gas wells drilled less than 150 ft. from
homes. If you're going to put your health at risk you might as well
be paid to do so.)
Notes:
The area is flat, dry, and hot. Plants consist of over grazed mixed prairie, prickly pear cactus, and stunted hackberry trees. Wildlife consists mainly of coyotes, roadrunners, tarantulas, and rattlesnakes.
There are a lot of privately owned airplanes in the area...a personal air show over your house, again, and again, and again is a possibility.
The Population is largely conservative, religious (christian), and easy going. The town itself offers very little...expect to travel to Denton for shopping, restaurants, and employment.