Best places to live 2008 - Norman, OK - from MONEY Magazine (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/snapshots/PL4052500.html)

The highest ranking of any city in this part of the country. It even earned a mention on the TODAY show this morning
msnbc.com Video Player (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25442670#25674483)

For what its worth, Edmond ranked in the top 100. Several states had no cities mentioned at all.


EDIT: Oops I did;t realize there was a thread in the Norman forum. Mods, feel free to delete this.

Norman is a great town! I miss it a lot :(

Curious why there is so much difference in ranking between Edmond and Norman when there is very little difference in measured items.???

we are very fortunate to have them in our MSA... way to go norman and edmond I love both cities just another compliment to our great ''capital'' city and state

Curious why there is so much difference in ranking between Edmond and Norman when there is very little difference in measured items.???

i'm thinking because OU is there and that is the 1st or 2nd thing that people from outside of our state think of when they hear Oklahoma.

i'm thinking because OU is there and that is the 1st or 2nd thing that people from outside of our state think of when they hear Oklahoma.

Maybe correct but I didn't see a measurable using OU name recognition. Oh well...just a thought.:dizzy:

maybe the people in norman dont have a big ego and they treat others they way they would like to be treated unlike Edmond.. Maybe thats why they are ranked 6th instead of 50th something.. TEAM Norman..... by the way just kidding no need to get all crazy I know how some edmonites are..

^lol, the official reasons Norman made #6 were the affordable housing, good schools, relatively low crime rate and of course, OU. The article also mentioned how professors from around the world come here to teach and then stay and raise a family.

Norman has more to offer as well, good eleclectic mix of shops, retail, restaurants and entrepreneurism. Edmond, well is cookie cutter and boring. Not much college life either. Look how many college entrepreneurs in Norman compared to Edmond. Edmond pretty much doesn't have a night life or entertainment options unlike Norman.

Norman has more to offer as well, good eleclectic mix of shops, retail, restaurants and entrepreneurism. Edmond, well is cookie cutter and boring. Not much college life either. Look how many college entrepreneurs in Norman compared to Edmond. Edmond pretty much doesn't have a night life or entertainment options unlike Norman.
Not to get into an Edmond vs Norman because both are great. But I would point out that when the Hornets were here that most of the players chose Edmond to buy homes to live in. I believe that Chris Paul still has a home in Edmond. Not sure why they picked Edmond but I thought it interesting.

I have lived in both and think they both have good and bad things to offer. But are very different from one another. Norman has OU - which can be a good or bad thing depending upon what you need to accomplish on a gameday. It also has more community involvement and socialization. People go to campus corner just to hang out and socialize. There really isn't a centralized location like this in Edmond. There are more arts and entertainment activities in Norman I think - Norman Music Festival, Groovefest, Midsummer's Night, Medieval Fair, etc. Yes, Edmond has some festivals downtown and in the park, but they aren't on this large of a scale. Not to say they aren't great - I enjoy several events in Edmond and they are making efforts to do more in this area. I think Edmond is still developing as a city and I would look for it to keep moving up. It's a great city that I swore I would never live in. I am glad I proved myself wrong.

I think the big difference is...Norman could very well be what it is, without Oklahoma City 20 miles away. The population may be down a bit...20K give or take...but roughly have everything it does now. Edmond, by all accounts, is a true suburb...it just happens to be the higher priced/more expensive place to live.

I sent them an email today their income/buying power stats were wrong. They said they were aware of the problem and were working to fix it on the website, but that it did not affect the ratings FYI.

Venture, while I think you are mostly correct - you simply can NOT downplay the attractiveness of Norman or Edmond in that they are suburbs of a major city like OKC.

That IS one sticking point they made for Edmond (but also applies to Norman), the city itself is alive and has it's own thing going but if that isn't enough or you need something in much larger scale, Oklahoma City is right there.

I do agree that Norman is a true small city that happens to be a suburb whereas Edmond is a suburb that happens to be big enough to be a city.

I'd like to see both develop their downtowns better and get more hotels in, not to challenge OKC but to add to it. We need more things to do in these suburbs to compliment downtown OKC - that way we have a thriving region.

I know we have this but really there really is no major downtown in the OKC metro aside from the 2 in OKC. Im not saying we should quit on downtown OKC or NW business district - not at all. But I'd like to see downtown Edmond and downtown Norman be the major downtowns outside of Oklahoma City, for jobs, entertainment, and hotels/restaurants.

Look at Midwest City, it's a TRUE suburb that now is developing an urban vibe - due to it's population and vision (and a little 'luck' from the Tornados). Whether it be a town center or a downtown district - I'd like to see the major suburbs around OKC have a central point, not in competition with OKC but to compliment the METROPOLITAN feel of the area.

Sure, downtown Oklahoma City IS the downtown of the state - but I'd like to see OKC's suburbs be more than just beadroom communities of it. I know Norman is there (they just need to move it to the next level) but I hope Edmond (and MWC, Yukon, Shawnee) can get it together as well. Guthrie has a cpre dpwntown, they now need population/jobs and need to embrace being an OKC suburb.

maybe also why edmond is ranked less than norman is because of the people again, I work at the airport and when someone from edmond gets upset they say ( well I'm from edmond ) and the stretch edmond out and have a british flair to it, why is this, is this to say I am better than you so dont argue with me? At the airport it happens often with people saying (well I'm from Edmond) when they argue, is this a power trip? At the airport we laugh at those people when they walk off...We say ina british accent WELL I'M FROM EEEDMOOOOND DARLING)

maybe also why edmond is ranked less than norman is because of the people again, I work at the airport and when someone from edmond gets upset they say ( well I'm from edmond ) and the stretch edmond out and have a british flair to it, why is this, is this to say I am better than you so dont argue with me? At the airport it happens often with people saying (well I'm from Edmond) when they argue, is this a power trip? At the airport we laugh at those people when they walk off...We say ina british accent WELL I'M FROM EEEDMOOOOND DARLING)

That is so sterotypical. Everytime I see someone working in the airport they barely speak English and smell funky. Should I assume this fits your profile?
I would never be snobbish about living in Edmond nor would I speak that way.

The food in Norman is different from Edmond also - you know I drive to Norman just for Victoria's, The Mont, Pizza Shuttle, and the classic 50's drive in. But Edmond has a steak & shake and falcone's, which I can't live without either.

Norman also has a Guestroom Records which I am in love with.

that is such what a edmond person would say (doesnt speak english and smelly). Edmond people only listen to what they want to here lol, you are funny though not thinking outside the box and making a comeback remark of a snob.. p.s about the 70 people in my division only one is foriegn or has broken english, but wait are you talking about english english, or edmond english (like totally, oh my gawd,this is so hot, charge it) and most of us i guess you call regular hard working people smelly well we shower daily, well most everyone out at the airport that I know, but hey I guess you proved my point about how people act up in EEEDMOOOND

Norman also has a Guestroom Records which I am in love with.

Do you not like the one in Oklahoma City?

As for the comparison, I think Norman has a lot more character. Well, some of it does. West Norman is more or less just like Edmond, imo, but around the school is really nice and rivals a lot of the nice neighborhoods in the city. Then again, I don't go to Edmond much. Does it have some historic neighborhoods, too?



Several states had no cities mentioned at all.

I think that's because it's because it's the best small cities to live in. That shrinks the pool a bit.

that is such what a edmond person would say (doesnt speak english and smelly). Edmond people only listen to what they want to here lol, you are funny though not thinking outside the box and making a comeback remark of a snob.. p.s about the 70 people in my division only one is foriegn or has broken english, but wait are you talking about english english, or edmond english (like totally, oh my gawd,this is so hot, charge it) and most of us i guess you call regular hard working people smelly well we shower daily, well most everyone out at the airport that I know, but hey I guess you proved my point about how people act up in EEEDMOOOND

I'm glad you caught that, because it was intentional. I do live in Edmond, and I think they are snobbish. I only have a handful of friends who live in Edmond and they think it is snobbish also. The only reason I am still there is because I promised my son he could finish school with the friends he has. It's important to him at his age. So I'll tolerate it for a few more years. Now, I live on the very edge of Edmond which I still call OKC - and I like that I'm right off the turnpike which makes everything a breeze to get to in okc.


Do you not like the one in Oklahoma City?



I really do not like the one in Okc, it has a different feel and vibe.

that is such what a edmond person would say (doesnt speak english and smelly). Edmond people only listen to what they want to here lol, you are funny though not thinking outside the box and making a comeback remark of a snob.. p.s about the 70 people in my division only one is foriegn or has broken english, but wait are you talking about english english, or edmond english (like totally, oh my gawd,this is so hot, charge it) and most of us i guess you call regular hard working people smelly well we shower daily, well most everyone out at the airport that I know, but hey I guess you proved my point about how people act up in EEEDMOOOND


I'm glad you caught that, because it was intentional. I do live in Edmond, and I think they are snobbish. I only have a handful of friends who live in Edmond and they think it is snobbish also. The only reason I am still there is because I promised my son he could finish school with the friends he has. It's important to him at his age. So I'll tolerate it for a few more years. Now, I live on the very edge of Edmond which I still call OKC - and I like that I'm right off the turnpike which makes everything a breeze to get to in okc.



I really do not like the one in Okc, it has a different feel and vibe.

I live in Edmond and find there are very nice people here. Some maybe more then one can take but on the whole very nice. I think if you check Edmond gives more to charity per capita then any other community in Oklahoma. This maybe directly related to per capita income but still they don't have to give. We have a breakfast program for the needy that is served everyday. No one should go hungry in our community. Just walk in and we serve you a breakfast and pack a lunch for you to take and if you have family that can't come we provide food for them. I have often wondered if other communities do the same?

Now I know I have opened up the dam for those that dislike Edmond...lol

Now I know I have opened up the dam for those that dislike Edmond...lol

Nah, the folks who dislike Edmond have plenty enough dam for Edmond even if you kept the lid screwed down tight
:)

Nah, the folks who dislike Edmond have plenty enough dam for Edmond even if you kept the lid screwed down tight
:)

Probably right...lol Let the "damners" begin...lol

Anyway....I'm off to serve the needy.

edmond smells like dog food..(in a child's voice)

oh brother, here we go again..... jesseda, please don't assume that everyone who lives in Edmond would demand special treatment at the airport..

I fly out of there all the time, and I've never, ever said, 'but dahling, I live in Edmond'... that is so ridiculous that it really almost doesn't even warrant a response.

Here is an interesting article about the best small towns for small business. This is truly about small towns. This may have been discussed somewhere before, but it's new to me.

bizjournals: Dreamtowns that offer refuge from big cities and congested suburbs -- bizjournals (http://www.bizjournals.com/edit_special/68.html)

Their top ten is:

1 Bozeman, Mont.
2 Jackson, Wyo.-Idaho
3 Durango, Colo.
4 Easton, Md.
5 Laramie, Wyo.
6 Edwards, Colo.
7 Kill Devil Hills, N.C.
8 Pierre, S.D.
9 Silverthorne, Colo.
10 Los Alamos, N.M.

Oklahoma small towns ranked as follows:

Stillwater (20)
Bartlesville (34)
Elk City (65)
Ada (67)
Woodward (73)
Enid (79)
Altus (87)
Ponca City (109)
Duncan (146)
Tahlequah (158)
Durant (160)
McAlester (164)
Ardmore (197)
Shawnee (261)
Muskogee (305)
Guymon (373)
Miami (409)

They ranked a total of 577 small towns.

17 towns out of a list of 577, not to shabby all in all.
I've been around each of the 17 from OK. All are very interesting places. The air in Guymon takes a bit of getting used to, but the good folk there more than offset it.