Recently, an Oklahoman transplant to California made some disparaging remarks about Oklahoma in general. Having lived in several different states, I have a different perspective than many life-long Oklahomans. Having lived her nearly 20 years now, though, I've grown to love and appreciate Oklahoma and the unique things it has to offer.

The topic for dicussion for this thread: Name the things you like most about Oklahoma and then name the things you like least about Oklahoma.

(Note: If you have a long list of the worst things about Oklahoma, you must come up with at least one good thing about Oklahoma; we're not interested in long rants from malcontents.)

I've lived in Oklahoma for over 20 years and my dad grew up here. For the first 10 years, I constantly heard how horrible it was from my mom. Now, I don't think you could get her to move if you tried. She'd claim she would, but I doubt it.

Good things about Oklahoma:
- For the most part, the people are very friendly and try to go out of their way to help when needed (many times only during a crisis, but I think that's just human nature)
- Low cost of living
- Only two seasons to deal with - Hot and Cold (Just kidding - this could also be on my bad list)
- We get to keep all our clothes out all year instead of packing them away - cause you never know what the weather will be in Oklahoma.
- We have a unique history and when you say Oklahoma - people know where it's at because of the unique shape and the history we have.
- Our construction, road and traffic headaches are nothing compared to cities like Houston, Dallas, etc.
- We have "exciting" weather in spring that keeps us alert.
- We recover from Tornados like it's no big deal
- We don't have to claim being the resident state of any bad president.
- Oklahoma has a variety of geographical areas - "mountains", sand dunes, bat caves, beautiful lakes, mesas, etc. etc.
- My family lives here

Bad things:
- Only two seasons to deal with - Hot and Cold
- We are near the top in too many bad things - like health, uninsured, etc.
- Most schools in Oklahoma are not as good as they need to be - or could be
- Road construction projects take FOREVER here
- There aren't many trees to look at in central and western Oklahoma - can be boring to drive through
- Many areas of Oklahoma have never recovered from the Oil Bust - over 20 years ago
- For a state that has such a high number of poor - the system of care should be better (nationwide really)
- People think we live in teepees
- There is no beach here and no ocean - help! I'm locked in land and can't get out! (this could also be a good thing since we also don't get hurricanes)


I could come up with a lot more - but am drawing a blank on others right now. May post more later.

My list of worst includes the following:

Hicks
Backward mentality
Lack ot true growth
Lack of high end entertainment such as REAL theme parks
Lack of major league sports
OU
Major airports are too small for a major city
Cowtown reputation
False claims that Oklahoma is in the south (we are Midwest, people)
Too hot (Heat is heat, so do not say "oh, but it's a dry heat")
To religious of a reputation
Failure to allow adult entertainment
Lack of true quality education
Roads that are patetic (even Arkansas has high quality freeways)
Backward expressions
Not enough jobs that pay a living wage
Apathy
No high end higher education facility (as in the reputation of Harvard)
Mobile homes in the middle of acreges
Lack of media talent (we use to have a great deal of talent)
Lack of high end shopping
Too many ethnic restaurants

I could go on, however, that is enough for now. By the way... I jus t do not want to do a "best" list.

I could go on, however, that is enough for now. By the way... I jus t do not want to do a "best" list.
Why does that not surprise me?

Perhaps if you can't think of at least one good thing to say, then Oklahoma City may not be the place for you.

It's sad to me that you Mr. Anderson say backward mentality in one breath, then in just the next one say we have too many ethnic restaurants. You are a walking contradiction.

Why does that not surprise me?

Perhaps if you can't think of at least one good thing to say, then Oklahoma City may not be the place for you.

Or maybe there are things in my future that will change this place. Did you ever think of that?... I did not think so.:poke:

Or maybe there are things in my future that will change this place. Did you ever think of that?... I did not think so.:poke:
Actually, you are mistaken — again. I did think of that, especially since you describe yourself as a future Ward Five City Councilman.

It would be hard for me (and many other voters) to get excited about electing someone who has such a negative view about this state. Yes, someone can run for office with the hope of making the community and this state a better place; but not being able to name ONE good thing about the state would raise eyebrows (and cackles) of most of its citizens. Few politicians have ever won office by trashing the place they intend to serve.

I certainly wouldn't want anyone representing me in a government body that thought so poorly of the place I called home.

It's sad to me that you Mr. Anderson say backward mentality in one breath, then in just the next one say we have too many ethnic restaurants. You are a walking contradiction.

Not really. There is not enough variety. Plus, just count the Mexican and Chinese places. IT seems like they are on every corner... Just like 7-11's.

By the way. How does the fact most Oklahoman's use obsolete, backward expressions and the fact we have too many ethnic restaurants make those statements contradictory? They are unrelated.

Actually,

I was referring to your statement of backward mentality. It's backward mentality that says there are too many ethnic restaurants. Thank goodness not everyone agrees with you - or we'd be eating McDonald's all the time.

Actually,

I was referring to your statement of backward mentality. It's backward mentality that says there are too many ethnic restaurants. Thank goodness not everyone agrees with you - or we'd be eating McDonald's all the time.

That is ok. If everyone agreed with everyone on everything, then imagine how nerve wracking this planet would be. Think about that, please.

I would have to say the best thing about Oklahoma would have to be Tulsa the big T-Town. :bow:

I would have to say the best thing about Oklahoma would have to be Tulsa the big T-Town. :bow:

Which is why the big companies are leaving in droves? http://www.okctalk.com/images/Smailies%2001-28-08/poke.gif

Seriously, though, it's a nice town (having lived there and having family that lives there). But I'll take Oklahoma City and all the great things that are going on here anyday.

I glad you like it there. I feel the same way about Tulsa that you do about OKC.

Tulsa would be a much better place if community leaders could just get along.

I moved back to OKC last year and had great expectations of the place! However, I was disappointed at first. Since then, I have realized there is so much here that I really enjoy.

Pros of Oklahoma:

Low cost of living
My family is here
I LOVE the weather! (Long, hot summers are the best!)
Not crowded
Low-cost housing
No traffic
Accessibility to most anything
The revival of OKC - how exciting!!!!!
Cultural diversity

Oh, there's so much more that I can't even think of right now!

Cons of Oklahoma:

(These don't all directly impact me, but they still disturb me)
Low quality education
Low teacher pay
Crummy roads, though they're just as bad in Michigan!
Job market
State regulations on personal/moral issues (tattooing, body piercing, alcohol content of beer, lottery - though I know that FINALLY passed)
Hokey news reporting - TV & newspaper
Homes that are delivered by a truck, rather than built. (Hee hee! Just saw one at lunch today!)

Oklahoma has a LONG way to go, but I sure am proud of how it's doing so far!

I was about to type my response but it is pretty much everything that has been posted already.

I just don't like the hot weather. Allergies can be a drag too.

I would like more snow during Christmas time, but I don't want the icy roads.

I love OK, but I didn't see my biggest CON... WIND!!!! It gets so old.

Admittedly, if that is the worst thing about a place, then it is doing pretty well. I really like it here. I am in my late 20's and a professional, and opportunities seem to be growing. I have friends moving back from Dallas, KC, Detriot, etc... We are moving the ball forward.

I have to say I love most everything about Oklahoma. Construction sucks, schools are good it just depends where you go, and how much you pay attention to your child. Seriously, I love the weather. Keeps me on my toes and I never have to go through my closet to "change seasons."

On to the councilperson...I took your statement somewhat personally. I'm sure your voters would love the idea of their council person thinking they were "hicks," honestly I dont care. If you can fix everything you outlined that have at it haus.

Pros: family, economic, easy to build wealth here than other locations, love my house, yard, my friends, and increasingly more things to do on the art/cultural front.

Cons: landlocked, far from friends who have moved elsewhere, not a huge fan of the right leaning politics (but it doesn't really affect me on the day to day).

Overall: Oklahoma gets a solid "A" in my book.

My list of worst includes the following:

False claims that Oklahoma is in the south (we are Midwest, people)


Are you freaking kidding me? Yeah, we sure SOOO much in common with Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, etc.

There is NO way Oklahoma is midwestern--considering the staples of our economy (oil, natural gas, wheat, etc.); the quality of our people; the lack of industrial centered cities, and most importantly the great and UNIQUE history of Oklahoma.

With our Native American influence, the character of our people, and dominant industries I have always said that Oklahoma is southern--but almost a mix of southern and southwestern (akin to New Mexico)--at least more so than any Midwest qualities!!!!!!!!!!

okay here are my best and worst about oklahoma

best
Friendlier people (most are)
More people to give a helping hand when needed.
You can get anywhere in the city in less than a hour.
Every town even when they are side by side, has a different theme and fell to it.
The every changing weather.. i would be bored if i new it was going to be the same old thing every day.
Different areas of okc has a theme which i like, its kinda like a disneyland map. the asian district the hispanic district, the entertainment district, the rich district, cowtown district..to bad there isnt a rail transportation that goes around the metro
the zoo to me is top notch espically wih that cheap ticket price for what you get to see inside.

the bad thing about okc
We need a Large theme park frontier city needs to get there act together they have the extra land.
Shopping we need more choices.. we have a lot of stores but we need the ones that are not in this state yet.
Even though it is easy to drive around the city most of the time. we need a light rail system or something to help out.
The omniplex or should i say science museum of oklahoma blablahblahblahblah why change the name, and the price is getting to high, they havent added anything new that is part of the museum without adding a different price i mean there is like a, See the 4 thing package, instead of the museum price what gives..

OH AND TO ADD THIS IN I am putting this on my bad list THE GIRL SCOUT COOKIES I DIDNT SEE THEM ANYWHERE THIS YEAR. I wan my thin mints..

Jesseda, if you want Girl Scout Cookies, just go to WalMart on the next nice weekend day. I'm sure that they'll be out there selling them.

I know that there are stacks of them around my office. I think I work with the biggest Girl Scout Cookie hogs on the planet. Half of my coworkers buy at least 8 boxes each.

A young lady taking cookie orders came to my door. I hadn't seen that in a while.

A good entry and bad entry specific to Oklahoma (and not just cities/states in general:

Good:
Oklahoma supports Oklahoma. Its people care and act based upon that care.

Bad:
Not enough AGGRESSIVE forward thinking(or action as a result of that thinking).

PS: I throw in my lot with the people stating we're not a southern state. Geographically I suppose, but our mentality seems to be more a subrural (suburban rural) attitude. "I want a big house on tons of land, built MY way, but only 5 minutes away from the nearest shopping area".

I didn't think we were Southern either until I moved to Idaho and couldn't find pecans in any grocery store (Albertsons even) and they told me that was a Southern thing. It was the worst Christmas ever without pecans.

I grew up in VA right outside of DC.....Oklahoma is not in the South...Mason Dixon line..and down the coast..that is the true south...


I tell friends in DC about Oklahoma..


And it is simple

Pros...

Cost of living is cheap..


Cons...

Cost of entertainment high...


VS Washington DC area...

Pros....

Cost of entertainment low

Cons...

Cost of living high..

When people from other states look at OK...there isn't much of a WOW factor to the state..

Same goes for TX but they hype it up in the press and people believe it...

Pro
Slow drivers = fewer accidents
*Slightly* cheaper car insurance
Wind in the summer (it really makes it feel cooler, I promise)
Ogles
David Payne in the morning
Tornado coverage by helicopter
Insane weather in the spring
Cheap living so everyone can afford a Hummer

Con
Slow drivers = more road rage (it really is okay to go at least the speed limit, just don't overdo it, Dallas-style)
Sales tax on food
State income tax
Can't find the savings in my property taxes like I was promised
Wind the rest of the year
Insane weather in the spring

most Oklahoman's use obsolete, backward expressions

*facepalm Seriously?

Oklahoma is geographically a South, South Central State. If we can grow magnolias, drink sweet tea and grow cotton then by god we are the South. Even by our grammar, "Yall" lol that is most distinctive of the Southern States.

I am appauled by the comments about trailer house comments. If you don't live in a trailer house that why is that offensive to you? A lot of classy people choose to live in a double wide rather that building a huge house with a lot of wasted space in the roof. I guess what I am saying is that I am proud to be the "trailer trash" that is so disgusting to people in Oklahoma!

Southern plains is how I usually describe Oklahoma. It might not be accurate but south and midwest just doesn't quite do it. I tell people it is on the prairie and no one ever asks where the prairie is so sometimes that works. I don't think Oklahoma is anything like New Mexico.

There is no way I'd live in a mobile home in Oklahoma for obvious reasons. My mother insisted that there was some sort of magnetic field around "trailers" that attracted tornadoes. I didn't put much effort into trying to educate her on that score.

Oklahoma is a wonderful place. At my age, I am not affected by any of the cons.

I am appauled by the comments about trailer house comments. If you don't live in a trailer house that why is that offensive to you?


I don't see many comments regarding mobile homes on this thread. What did I miss that you found so appalling?

Please...I spent a good portion of my childhood in a trailer and I owned one for a while.

I still make of fun of trailers and the people who live there.

I'm afraid to live in a trailer in Oklahoma.

Those are just scare tactics. Current regulations make trailer living much safer than "you're gonna die" TV meteorologists would have you think. They're required to be tied down well enough they can withstand fairly high winds, probably EF1-strength tornado. That doesn't mean I'm going to hang out in my trailer house with any tornado headed my way, but the media makes it sound lots worse than it really is. That's how they get ratings. I'm fortunate enough to have an underground shelter nearby.

All I know is that when they count the dead, they tend to have been living (before their unfortunate demise) in trailers.

Here is an article I just read about mortality rates of tornadoes when you are in mobil homes:
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/tornadoes/2008-02-07-tornado-cleanup_N.htm

Part of what it says is that: During tornadoes, the fatality rate for people who live in mobile or manufactured homes is 10 times higher than for those who don't, ... such structures "are prone to catastrophic failure at a lower wind speed."

I always loved OKC, but didn't realize how much I loved it until I left for Houston, the arm-pit of America.

I always loved OKC, but didn't realize how much I loved it until I left for Houston, the arm-pit of America.

hahaha, will the 'real arm-pit of america' please stand up?

In regard to Houston, I can think of worse places, but Houston's highways are really f*ed up. I don't know what it is, they just suck....badly. I grew up in Dallas, so I always called Arlington, TX the arm-pit of America.

Why did you move?

I can't believe no one has mentioned the crappy 3.2 piss water oklahoma calls beer as a con

I can't believe no one has mentioned the crappy 3.2 piss water oklahoma calls beer as a con

Well, it's not REALLY half as strong as Texas beer. It's only 3.2% by WEIGHT. It's 4% by volume. Texas beer is 5% by volume. That's 1% if you didn't want to do the math :D. Or to put it in beer drinker's terms...You'll have to drink just over 7 Oklahoma Bud Lights to equal 6 Texas Bud Lights. That's not a whole lot when you're knockin' them back. Not that I condone drinking Bud Light either. BARF.

Besides, I buy bottles of 11-12 "point" beer here all the time. Liquor stores carry the good stuff. You just have to plan ahead.

I also always thought Dallas was the armpit of the world - at least that is just how I described it. I'd still rather live there than Houston. Too steamy. Too crowded. Too far away from home.

I have always heard New Orleans is the arm-pit.

nah, Orleans is too far south and a bit too central to be an armpit.

Butthole?

My list of worst includes the following:

Hicks
Backward mentality
Lack ot true growth
Lack of high end entertainment such as REAL theme parks
Lack of major league sports
OU
Major airports are too small for a major city
Cowtown reputation
False claims that Oklahoma is in the south (we are Midwest, people)
Too hot (Heat is heat, so do not say "oh, but it's a dry heat")
To religious of a reputation
Failure to allow adult entertainment
Lack of true quality education
Roads that are patetic (even Arkansas has high quality freeways)
Backward expressions
Not enough jobs that pay a living wage
Apathy
No high end higher education facility (as in the reputation of Harvard)
Mobile homes in the middle of acreges
Lack of media talent (we use to have a great deal of talent)
Lack of high end shopping
Too many ethnic restaurants

I could go on, however, that is enough for now. By the way... I jus t do not want to do a "best" list.

Here is the first one!!! Why is that a con???

BTW...during the May 3rd tornadoes it didn't matter if you lived in a mobile home or not, the mortaility rate was high.

I moved back to OKC last year and had great expectations of the place! However, I was disappointed at first. Since then, I have realized there is so much here that I really enjoy.

Pros of Oklahoma:

Low cost of living
My family is here
I LOVE the weather! (Long, hot summers are the best!)
Not crowded
Low-cost housing
No traffic
Accessibility to most anything
The revival of OKC - how exciting!!!!!
Cultural diversity

Oh, there's so much more that I can't even think of right now!

Cons of Oklahoma:

(These don't all directly impact me, but they still disturb me)
Low quality education
Low teacher pay
Crummy roads, though they're just as bad in Michigan!
Job market
State regulations on personal/moral issues (tattooing, body piercing, alcohol content of beer, lottery - though I know that FINALLY passed)
Hokey news reporting - TV & newspaper
Homes that are delivered by a truck, rather than built. (Hee hee! Just saw one at lunch today!)

Oklahoma has a LONG way to go, but I sure am proud of how it's doing so far!

Here it is AGAIN!!!

There are a lot more eyesore properties around this state than mobile homes. Maybe there is a stereo-type or something, I don't know. But whatever...Judgements prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.

A stereotype? Trailers are stereotyped? I couldn't imagine.

All I know is that when they count the dead, they tend to have been living (before their unfortunate demise) in trailers.

Well naturally they're not as safe as a brick house would be, but I can assure you that they're not as unsafe as they used to be. It depends on the railer you're in, when it was built and when it was tied down. And it helps to be close to a shelter.

Best

OU
Summers
Low cost of living
Friendly citizens

Worst

OSU.....lol im jk...its north enough to forget about
Not enough entertainment
No high end retail or hotels
Redneck image/ Indian image

As far as trailer houses, I have had friends live in them. Most people expect grass
growing a foot high and a couple of broke down cars in the yard. Which in my experience has been pretty accurate.

Pros:

Nice, relatively inexpensive homes
Diverse landscape
Slightly cheaper gas
Some great local restaurants

Cons:

The hot, humid, long summers
Ice in the winter instead of snow
Not enough high-paying jobs (I'd like to know where all the rich people work!)
You have to drive everywhere and everything's so spread out

I've lived here since 2002 and the OKC area has grown on me. I moved from the mountains of TN, so the transition was a bit difficult at first; too much sky, not enough trees! I've lived up and down the east coast and south and in the midwest and overseas quite a bit. OK is unique in that it has the qualities of many places - it is very difficult to classify OK as southern, midwestern, or western and this is a good thing as far as I am concerned. We just need to get rid of the less desirable influences from those places!!

PROS:
Ridiculously low cost of living!!!
Many very nice people
OKC - an up & coming city that has made remarkable progress just since I moved here
OKC is a well kept secret (so far) - not too crowded, but plenty to do.
If I can't do _____ here, I can afford to go wherever to do it.
City and business leaders who truly care about improving OKC (while still making a profit - the business leaders, not the city leaders I hope....)
The renaissance of downtown OKC - I hope most of the Core to Shore plan is implemented along with continued rebirth in other places in OKC.
Varied landscape of OK - plains, forests, large hills (sorry, those things are not mountains!), etc
OK's unique history
Pretty decent universities with reasonable tuition
The wind if we are smart enough to use it for power generation - the windmills are quite common in Germany. We must avoid the NIMBY complex though.

CONS:
Redneck simpleton image unfortunately perpetuated by a small minority of vocal simpleton rednecks
Seems like many people here have an inferiority complex about OK and try too hard to be like TX or some other place. OK is a pretty neat place, be proud of what it is. The "Bust" and bombing are in the past and OK has done a great job recovering.
Some of the most corrupt politicians anywhere (I present Gene Stipe and Associates as exhibit 1) - Chicago has nothing on these clowns
ODOT refusing to plan for the future transportation needs of OKC - too beholding to a small group of highway centric influences
HORRIBLE ROADS - pathetic situation for the "Crossroads of America". Here's a hint ODOT - you have to maintain them after you build them and it helps to build them properly in the first place!!
OU vs OSU everywhere all the time - who bloody cares?? It is just a silly game!!!
Ridiculous tax and labor laws - unions are killing the higher paying working class jobs......
Too many Bible thumpers - if they would spend more time reading and less thumping.......
The wind - I hate riding my bicycle or running into that never ceasing 15 mph wind!!!!


Like anywhere, OK is a series of tradeoffs. On balance though it is a pretty good place to live and raise kids if you get them in decent schools.

I think if I see anyones name being Anderson, just to be safe I'll vote against them.

The best thing about Oklahoma is our people. The worst thing is 100+ degree days in the summer.

Been in Oklahoma my entire life, would say the following:

best:
the people--friendly, helpful, caring, & very chatty
diversity of land--sand dunes to mountains
state history--totally unique


worst:
politics, politicians, judges, & reluctance of folks to throw out the bums!
unwillingness of officials to go after those who own boarded up buildings or derelict structures of any kind and make them tear down...or pay full tax on the property
the roads, highways, & bridges!
trashy roadsides
absolutely pitiful rest stops on the Interstate highways! OK has the WORST of any state I've visited!

I've lived here since 2002 and the OKC area has grown on me. I moved from the mountains of TN, so the transition was a bit difficult at first; too much sky, not enough trees! I've lived up and down the east coast and south and in the midwest and overseas quite a bit. OK is unique in that it has the qualities of many places - it is very difficult to classify OK as southern, midwestern, or western and this is a good thing as far as I am concerned. We just need to get rid of the less desirable influences from those places!!

PROS:
Ridiculously low cost of living!!!
Many very nice people
OKC - an up & coming city that has made remarkable progress just since I moved here
OKC is a well kept secret (so far) - not too crowded, but plenty to do.
If I can't do _____ here, I can afford to go wherever to do it.
City and business leaders who truly care about improving OKC (while still making a profit - the business leaders, not the city leaders I hope....)
The renaissance of downtown OKC - I hope most of the Core to Shore plan is implemented along with continued rebirth in other places in OKC.
Varied landscape of OK - plains, forests, large hills (sorry, those things are not mountains!), etc
OK's unique history
Pretty decent universities with reasonable tuition
The wind if we are smart enough to use it for power generation - the windmills are quite common in Germany. We must avoid the NIMBY complex though.

CONS:
Redneck simpleton image unfortunately perpetuated by a small minority of vocal simpleton rednecks
Seems like many people here have an inferiority complex about OK and try too hard to be like TX or some other place. OK is a pretty neat place, be proud of what it is. The "Bust" and bombing are in the past and OK has done a great job recovering.
Some of the most corrupt politicians anywhere (I present Gene Stipe and Associates as exhibit 1) - Chicago has nothing on these clowns
ODOT refusing to plan for the future transportation needs of OKC - too beholding to a small group of highway centric influences
HORRIBLE ROADS - pathetic situation for the "Crossroads of America". Here's a hint ODOT - you have to maintain them after you build them and it helps to build them properly in the first place!!
OU vs OSU everywhere all the time - who bloody cares?? It is just a silly game!!!
Ridiculous tax and labor laws - unions are killing the higher paying working class jobs......
Too many Bible thumpers - if they would spend more time reading and less thumping.......
The wind - I hate riding my bicycle or running into that never ceasing 15 mph wind!!!!


Like anywhere, OK is a series of tradeoffs. On balance though it is a pretty good place to live and raise kids if you get them in decent schools.

Wow, I couldn't have put it any better. As an out-of-stater myself living here since 2005 I totally agree!