Relocating from Austin, TX

[azbadpuppy]

quote:Originally posted by sunsurfos


Often some of the schools in the the nicest areas have problems I would rather not have my kids become involved in..so I can see the highest ranking in test score schools aren't necessarily what I am looking for in a school.
 

Stay away from Jenks then.

[PonderInc]

The great thing about moving from Austin to Tulsa is that you will be amazed at what a bargain Tulsa is.  Housing, cost of living, you name it...it's more affordable here.

Another great thing you'll find close to the Whole Foods on Brookside is that you're just blocks away from our River Parks system.  It's a beautiful greenbelt that stretches for miles along the Arkansas River.  Not as massive as what you're used to in Austin (and sadly, no Barton Springs to swim in) but you can get on a bike (or just walk) for miles without having to think about traffic.   Stop for a beer and some live music at the River's Edge at 21st and Riverside; watch the sun set over the water in the evenings; take a late-night stroll across the Pedestrian Bridge for great views of downtown at night.  The river is one of my favorite things about Tulsa.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by sunsurfos

Moving to Tulsa, have never been there and know nothing of the area.  I could scour the internet and research every zipcode, every school etc. but I am hoping that some kind person will take pity on me and point me in the right directions.
I like historical neighborhoods, funky neighborhoods or the burbs as long as there isn't alot of crime and a sense of community.

If you are a fan of great mid-twentieth century modern architecture, look for a house in the Lortondale or Lortondale Second subdivisions, between Yale and Hudson Avenues, 26th St. to 27th Place South.  Groovy homes, and the prices are dirt cheap by today's standards, the only sane reason being the limited appeal of the architecture design.  The Lortondale additions are also located in the Hoover Elementary school district, the top-rated elementary school in the City.  And it is a public school and won't cost you anything above the property taxes.  There are also 2 neighborhood swimming pools in Lortondale for young children and adults alike, as well as our Darlington park, with tennis courts and large picnic areas.

[southerngirl]

We have just been through the school search and I wanted to mention the University School at TU (www.uschool.utulsa.edu) and Undercroft Montessori (www.undercroft.org) for a couple more non-religious affiliation, private schools.  I know it doesn't help you much right now, but what was most helpful to me was visiting the schools and seeing what I felt like was the best fit for my child- all of them sound good on their websites, but it is what your intuition tells you when you're there that ends up being most important.

If you aren't working with anyone already to find a home, I am a Realtor and would be happy to assist- I live in midtown, in the Riverview neighborhood, right by downtown.  Just send me a pm or email.

Welcome to Tulsa- you and your family will love it!

[RecycleMichael]

quote:Originally posted by Steve
The Lortondale additions are also located in the Hoover Elementary school district, the top-rated elementary school in the City.  

Not 100% correct.

Here are the elementary school ratings for the last year published on the Tulsa Public Schools website...

http://www.tulsaschools.org/schools1/testing/core07elem.pdf

Hoover is very, very good. I have friends with their children there who are very happy. If you look at the list, you will see many high performing schools in the Tulsa Public School system. Other good performing elementaries include Alcott, Carnegie, Eisenhower, Key, Wright and Zarrow.

[OurTulsa]

Brookside Neighborhood...Wild Oats/ Whole Foods is in the Brookside Neighborhood.  The neighborhood boundaries are Crow Creek to the north, I say 41st St. to the south although many will tell you it extends all the way to I-44, even City plans (not my version of Brookside), the River to the west, and Utica Av. to the east.  Eliot Elementary is in the heart of the neighborhood and easily one of the top performing elementary schools in the region.  It feeds right into Edison which has a highly rated magnet prepatory element (if Edison didn't mix general population it would rate up there with Booker T; as it is it rates well above all other high schools in the region according to US News).  Edison is 1 - 1.5 miles from Brookside.  Lots of restaurants and services in the Brookside neighborhood and good neighborhood parks.  Lots of investment going into the hood as well.  Variety of housing types (expensive townhomes, high end single family, cheap fixer uppers, apartments, high end apartments right behind Whole Foods are coming soon).  Brookside's got somewhat of a funky element but not quite like you might expect coming from Austin.  I would compare it most to Hyde Park with a little less funk.  

Anyway...my $.02  

I don't live far from Brookside and we (I have multiple children) find ourselves walking down there for something a couple times a week.

[sunsurfos]

[]
Thank for all the great information.  I am very excited for the move to Tulsa.  Everyone on the board has been so helpful.  I will let you know where we end up.

Your information is great since I will not get a chance to go there before the actual move to check things out for myself.  Now I can point my DH in the right direction and things to check out until we (son and I) get to join him.

Let you know how things turn out.

Sunsurfos    []

[guido911]

quote:Originally posted by sunsurfos

[]
Thank for all the great information.  I am very excited for the move to Tulsa.  Everyone on the board has been so helpful.  I will let you know where we end up.

Your information is great since I will not get a chance to go there before the actual move to check things out for myself.  Now I can point my DH in the right direction and things to check out until we (son and I) get to join him.

Let you know how things turn out.

Sunsurfos    []

I am a bit late to this thread. I would hope you consider South Tulsa and, for the highest quality education the city can offer, Holland Hall. I would avoid the 101st and Memorial area though. []

[sauerkraut]

quote:Originally posted by sunsurfos

[]
Thank for all the great information.  I am very excited for the move to Tulsa.  Everyone on the board has been so helpful.  I will let you know where we end up.

Your information is great since I will not get a chance to go there before the actual move to check things out for myself.  Now I can point my DH in the right direction and things to check out until we (son and I) get to join him.

Let you know how things turn out.

Sunsurfos    []

I think you'll like Tulsa. It will take some time to get use-to a 4-season climate that Tulsa has. Tulsa gets snow and alot of cold weather. Tulsa has nice summers, but the warm summer season ends and then the cold moves in.. Austin, Texas has a milder two season climate and will be a big change. Oklahoma has alot of toll roads and that will take time to get use-to. Oklahoma has a low cost of living.[]

[nofearfactor]

Have fun with the move...I moved here 5 years ago.Born and raised in San Diego,moved to Bay area/Monterrey/northern Sierra Nevada foothills areas after highschool.Moved to Des Moines in 2001 with ex so she could start a tattoo shop and me play in a band.Winter there was baaaad.Moved down here after meeting and marrying someone from Tulsa.

Been here 5 years now and was able to buy a lot more house than I ever could back in Cali.The winters are mild here,to me.We had way more snow and cold wet weather up in the Sierras than they ever get here.Summers are hot and humid.Perfect for my collection of guitars and reptiles.Relatively cheap place to live-I'm comparing to the bay area and northern Cali.Central to a lot of cool stuff to go and do that is driveable or cheap to fly to.This area here is getting a lot less conservative and alot more liberal than it was when I visited as a kid.Cherry Street is cool and not far from Brookside and has a lot of cool stuff to go and do.The area your hubs store is in,Brookside, is a nice area with cool shops,restaurants,nightlife,etc.There are alot of more than decent houses in that area you'll find.Not far from the RiverParks area.Not as cool a park as Zilker,but its nicer than alot of parks Ive been to in other cities this size.

When I lived in Des Moines we would drive to KansasCity or when on our way home from visiting Tulsa on weekends here and there and we would always stop at the Whole Foods store in KC and stock up on our fave stuff...anyways...welcome...good luck.