View Full Version : Ex-pats: Tell us about your current city



Pete
09-19-2012, 08:57 AM
The Spartan / Cleveland thread reminded me that we have lots of posters here that currently live elsewhere. Thought it would be interesting to have a discussion about the current cities and how they contrast to OKC.

Here's a suggested outline:


What city?
How long did you live in OKC?
How long have you been away?
How long have you lived in your current city?
What caused you to leave?
Would you consider moving back and under what circumstances?
Do you still have family in Oklahoma?
Things you like most about your current area.
Things you like least about your current area.
What do you miss most about OK/OKC?
What impresses you most about the recent changes in OKC?
What do you see are OKC's biggest needs / obstacles?
Any other relevant comments.

Pete
09-19-2012, 09:13 AM
I'll lead off...



What city?
Los Angeles
How long did you live in OKC?
From age 3 to 29.
How long have you been away?
I left in 1989.
How long have you lived in your current city?
22 years (!).
What caused you to leave?
The economy had a lot to do with it but there were lots of personal reasons as well, primarily I lost both my parents in the 80's and I wanted a fresh start in many ways. I had always wanted to live in California, so I moved out here to go to graduate school and start a new career and life.
Would you consider moving back and under what circumstances?
Yes, I have been considering for quite a while, as my passion for OKC should be obvious. However, I absolutely love where I currently live and frankly, I think the summers in OK would kill me. I always hated them but it would be very, very hard to face them after living in a nearly perfect climate. Ideally, I'd like to split time between OKC & Cali.
Do you still have family in Oklahoma?
Yes, but as mentioned, my parents are long gone and so are my grandparents. And my remaining family is increasingly scattered.
Things you like most about your current area.
Let's just say that I like and take advantage of all the great things SoCal has to offer. I LOVE the weather... I can't express that enough. It's fantastic all the time and I'm very active and want to be outside as much as possible, so it's the single biggest influence on my quality of life. I love the beach, the mountains, the diversity, the restaurants, the abundant cultural amenities and the general sophistication of the people. L.A. is truly a world class city and attracts the best and brightest from around the world, and I love that. There is sooo much to do here that 20 years on I am still discovering new places and interesting things to do. You absolutely will never get bored here, that's for sure.
Things you like least about your current area.
Even though I own a home in a stable neighborhood, the nature of California is very transient and people in your life can come and go quite quickly. It's also crazy expensive and the economy has been really down, which is a terrible combination. Crime has never been an issue for me and I work around the traffic, but there are times when the latter is an absolute nightmare. I've found lots of great people but still, they just aren't as kind and carrying as Oklahomans. Also, I'm single and without kids and life is much, much harder for those trying to raise a family in this often crazy place.
What do you miss most about OK/OKC?
I miss my family and friends, the ease of life. I miss being involved with my schools and with the community in general. I will always feel like OKC is my hometown and I miss being a physical part of it.
What impresses you most about the recent changes in OKC?
The attitude of the people. It's so great to hear everyone all excited about OKC; every time I come to town, people are very anxious to tell me all about the new stuff happening (even though I generally know more than them :) ) and there is a genuine civic pride. I'm also impressed by the increasing number of people with a progressive mindset.
What do you see are OKC's biggest needs / obstacles?
The fact too many people with the old mindset are still in positions of power and influence.
Any other relevant comments.
I'm torn between two places and I hope in the near future to be able to split my time between them.

dcsooner
09-19-2012, 09:30 AM
Pete,
Since I started a bit of a rant about Oklahoma City on Spartans thread I will start off this discussion.

What city?

Springfield,VA (18 mi outside Washington, DC)

How long did you live in OKC?

Originally from Lawton, lived in Norman while attending OU 2.5 years

How long have you been away?

35 + years due to military and government service

How long have you lived in your current city?

since 1996

What caused you to leave?

Military Service committment after graduation from OU

Would you consider moving back and under what circumstances?

I am not really sure about me but likely not. My wife an Indiana native unequivically would not

Do you still have family in Oklahoma?

Yes in Lawton, Tulsa and OKC

Things you like most about your current area.

Vibrant City
Walkable City
Vast entertainment options
Vast food options
close to other major cities
several airports (easy to get anywhere)
too many cultures to mention

Things you like least about your current area.

Traffic
Cost of Living
Crime in certain areas
Weather (too hot/humid in summer); can get cold in winter
people are not overly friendly
drive by alot of persons to grab the money at all costs

What do you miss most about OK/OKC?

Just that it is home, really where my heart is if it were a more vibrant/progressive place


What impresses you most about the recent changes in OKC?

Deisre by all key constituents to make improvements in infrastructure, schools, jobs and other QofL issues


What do you see are OKC's biggest needs / obstacles?

Needs:

quicken the pace of development/improvement (seems to take forever to get anything built in OKC)
improve the cities apprearance in general
outside of Devon, new construction for the most part lacks imagination
a fresh influx of new residents (driven by jobs outside of energy) to offer new and differing perspectives on just about everything. the Red State badge is (in my opinion a hinderance)

Obstacles

Inability to overcome long held stereotyopes held by those not familiar with OKC
Inability to keep its best and brightest away from Dallas, Houston or anyplace else for that matter
Lack of cultural diversity
Lack of sufficient entertainment, shopping and social outlets for relatively affluent adults (25-45)

Any other relevant comments.

As a native Oklahoman, I continue to hope for continued propsperity for my home state

Pete
09-19-2012, 09:36 AM
Would you consider moving back and under what circumstances?

I am not really sure about me but likely not. My wife an Indiana native unequivically would not

Interesting point because for those of us with significant others met outside of Oklahoma, getting them on board with the idea of moving to OKC is no easy task.

I've broached this subject in three separate serious relationships -- even dangling the low cost of living and ease of raising a family carrots -- and never got very far.

Dubya61
09-19-2012, 09:54 AM
Things you like most about your current area.

Vast food options

What a coincidence. Very soon we'll have a "Vast" food option here, too!

jmpokc1957
09-19-2012, 10:25 AM
What city?

Western fringe of the Portland, Oregon metro area in a rural area south of the town of Forest Grove.

How long did you live in OKC?

13 years, from 1963 to 1976. In other words, first grade through first year of college.

How long have you been away?

Gulp... 36 years!

How long have you lived in your current city?

16 years in my current location.

What caused you to leave?

My father used to work for General Electric/ Honeywell in OKC until they started getting out of the computer business. He then came to work for Tektronix in Portland and , of course, the family came with him.

Would you consider moving back and under what circumstances?

My family is here and my wife's family is in Washington so it would be unlikely. I would not be adverse to long visits, although my real preference would to be bi-coastal with coastal South Carolina in the fall and spring. I'm not sure I could take the long, hot summers in OKC.

Do you still have family in Oklahoma?

No.

Things you like most about your current area.

The Portland area is a tremendously diverse international area with a very progressive attitude toward livability issues such as urban transportation, housing density, protection of farmland, etc. The climate is very mild with little winter weather but lots of clouds and rain. The scenery is beautiful with the coast and Cascade mountains just an hours drive away. The recreational opportunities are unmatched.

Things you like least about your current area.

I have a mindset that was formed in the extremely conservative culture of OKC in the 60's and early 70's. Although my views have shifted somewhat, I am still at odds with a very socially liberal culture here in Oregon. I've spoken before about the culture shock we experienced after moving to Portland.

What do you miss most about OK/OKC?

Well, remember my image of OKC is almost 40 years old and there has been tremendous cultural change occurring everywhere in this country since then. However, I must say the thing I miss the most is the big sky; horizon to horizon sunshine. Being surrounded by mountains I had forgotten how flat Oklahoma is. It seemed like I was out on the ocean!

What impresses you most about the recent changes in OKC?

The downtown area. It was a place to be avoided during my time in OKC.

What do you see are OKC's biggest needs / obstacles?

I don't feel I'm close enough to what's going on in OKC to really have an opinion on that.

Any other relevant comments.

I think about OKC every day, especially when it's raining here in Oregon! In all fairness we're having a fantastic end to summer; warm and dry. The only problem with that is forest fires!

soonerliberal
09-19-2012, 10:25 AM
What city?
Arlington, VA (less than 1 mile from the Pentagon)

How long did you live in OKC?
23 years (including 4 years in Norman)

How long have you been away?
4 years

How long have you lived in your current city?
2 years

What caused you to leave?
Quality of life issues and a high-paying entry level position in my career that was unavailable in Oklahoma. This is the biggest thing I constantly go back to when looking at OKC: the need for a huge influx of young professionals. In order for young professionals to stay and to immigrate to OKC, there needs to be more medium to high-paying jobs that require higher-education. I'm talking about not just energy jobs, but finance and other industries as well. Oklahoma City has two great advantages in my mind: cost of living and the kindness of the citizenry. However, with the cost of living being so low, there is still a limited young professional lifestyle as compared to other cities (despite vast improvements in the areas of Midtown, Deep Deuce, etc.) and the state itself seems to be ideologically shifting backward on many issues, where the rest of the country is becoming more progressive.

Would you consider moving back and under what circumstances?
Yes, if it became more cosmopolitan and had the amenities I have grown accustomed to having in the DC metro.

Do you still have family in Oklahoma?
My entire family still resides in the OKC metro area.

Things you like most about your current area.
The amenities available including public transportation, high-density living, store selection (including high end and moderate level shops). One of the biggest things I love is the fact that I can choose walk to my neighborhood supermarket rather than having to drive and deal with the parking lot foolishness. I also can drive wherever I want to if needed.

There is a vibrant young professional class of people here. There are hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country who share a similar mindset despite many differences. It is culturally diverse. It is very active and pedestrian friendly. I can even go watch an OU game with 250 fans. I have any entertainment I want at my disposal at pretty much anytime.

There are 3 airports, 3 bus lines, and Amtrak to get me anywhere I want to go.

Things you like least about your current area.
Rush hour traffic in the DC metro is horrible. Rush hour is from 6:30 - 9am and 3:30 to 7pm and Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings. While METRO (subway) helps a lot with traffic in and out of DC proper, there is still a LOT of traffic for those of us who drive to work.

What do you miss most about OK/OKC?
The simplicity of things and a laid back lifestyle.

What impresses you most about the recent changes in OKC?
The citizens actually voluntarily taxing themselves to make changes to improve its downtown and inner city environment.

What do you see are OKC's biggest needs / obstacles?
Continue to work on the perception gap. People perceive Oklahoma as being something completely different as it is. I still get the eye roll or the "you are from THERE?" from young people. People perceive Oklahoma as land of Sarah Palin loving rednecks. Even though it has improved from being perceived as the horse and buggy state, I continually have to remind people that my life growing up in the suburbs was pretty much the same as anyone else. BUT, we are working on it. It is constantly improving, but still needs to continue. Oh yeah... and MORE TREES!