Reviews & Comments
Oneonta, NY
The good and bad. -
12/31/2006I was raised in Oneonta, NY. The good is that it's a diverse and relatively open-minded town, there is some very unique shopping downtown, the people are very friendly (will carry on a conversation with a stranger), and it's not far from Cooperstown, Fly Creek (with the Cider Mill :D), and other really beautiful places. However, the bad is the economic structure. There is very little opportunity and prices are kind of high for everything, overall. However, if you have a good job, and have enough money to make a monthly trip or so to Binghamton, then it's a wonderful place to live. Much of the population is quite poor, however, you do not see very many homeless people (if any), as everyone has a tendency to get by due to some decent programs. The schools are quite good, and Riverside, the lesser of all of the schools, has really turned around and become a great school to go to. The people take a lot of pride in this town and are very much involved.
There is a local farmer's market downtown during part of the summer, and there are plenty of health food stores and grocery stores so that you can get away from just shopping at the local Wal-Mart. There are a lot of different kinds of restaurants and some of the best pizza in the country is right there at Gino and Joe's and Sal's (among other great pizzerias.) An other great aspect is the landscape, it's a beautiful area and since it's mostly a sugar maple region, the hills turn to stunning yellow, orange and red splotches in the autumn, and it's like you're living in a painting. :)
I really enjoyed growing up there, for the atmosphere; but, the economy can very much spoil your time there.
Also, I plan to move back to this area when I'm finished with college, to raise my own [future] children there. :)
Tulsa, OK
Is the crime or racism more dangerous? -
12/31/2006I live in eastern Tulsa (31st and 169), many of the lovely people here in Tulsa call this "Little Mexico" (not affectionately, either) due to the population being highly Mexican. I've had no problems here, however, like James, there are many very racist people in Tulsa that abhor eastern (largely Latino) and northern (largely black) Tulsa. Some won't even leave their cars in this area. I have lived in northern, eastern (now) and southwestern Tulsa and can tell you that although the crime rate is very high all over the city, the southwest is PACKED with drugs, specifically crystal meth and there have been fires and so forth due to this.
If you move to Tulsa, here's the breakdown: there are minor drug problems in the north, heavy drug problems in the south (very wealthy and very largely white - many of the teenagers in the Union and Jenks districts do speed) and other crime problems spread out everywhere.
However, trying to find a non-racist friend around here is a toughy, I've meet, befriended and then been astonished by dozens of people here over their racism, and friendships have fallen apart over this many times (and I thought Little Rock was bad!) The city is quite segregated with each race generally sticking within the same neighborhoods, which obviously leaves no room for diversity. There is extreme racial tension here.
The police are not terribly helpful with the crime problems as well and the transportation system is a joke. If you come through Tulsa, avoid 71st Street, they apparently thought it smart to put a Wal-Mart right in the middle of an already congested mall and shopping center full area.