OKC makes #5 on "worst place to live" list

[sgrizzle]

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/08/05/10-worst-places-to-live/


(I'm sure this site is conceived solely by Tulsans wanting to feel superior.. or something)

[Hoss]

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/08/05/10-worst-places-to-live/


(I'm sure this site is conceived solely by Tulsans wanting to feel superior.. or something)

Cue the OKCTalk brigade in 3....2.....1.....

[Conan71]

Oh Laramie?!?!?!?

[cannon_fodder]

The ranking seems to be baSed entirely on the fact that oklahoma city is fat and inactive (per the staTs).  While not good, we probably aren't too much better. 

[Breadburner]

Should be higher.....

[SXSW]

Why the hate for OKC?  How many of you have actually lived there?  I lived there for a year and worked there for three years commuting from Norman.  It's a nice city that is moving forward much faster than Tulsa.

[Hoss]

Why the hate for OKC?  How many of you have actually lived there?  I lived there for a year and worked there for three years commuting from Norman.  It's a nice city that is moving forward much faster than Tulsa.

why?  No character and most of the residents that live there have this holier-than-thou attitude.

I was there enough for the better part of three years to know how it is.  You obviously are not a lifetime Tulsan if you don't understand the deep-seeded (not seated people...please) dislike.  My apologies in advance if I'm incorrect.

Oh, and the politics.  Just search around the forum for some of the reasons our dislike of the capital runs so deep.

Just because a city appears to be progressing doesn't mean we have to be enamored of her.  Or because they have a professional sports team.  Detroit has all four pro sports and it's still a hole.

[Cats Cats Cats]

why?  No character and most of the residents that live there have this holier-than-thou attitude.

I was there enough for the better part of three years to know how it is.  You obviously are not a lifetime Tulsan if you don't understand the deep-seeded (not seated people...please) dislike.  My apologies in advance if I'm incorrect.

Oh, and the politics.  Just search around the forum for some of the reasons our dislike of the capital runs so deep.

Just because a city appears to be progressing doesn't mean we have to be enamored of her.  Or because they have a professional sports team.  Detroit has all four pro sports and it's still a hole.

I had a girlfriend that lived there and visited here and there.  I just got tired of having to get on a highway to get gas, groceries, well anything really. 

[Conan71]

About 1/2 my work and leisure time is spent there these days.  The main thing I hate is the sprawl, the second thing is their traffic lights may actually be engineered worse than Tulsa's, the third is all the empty and open land between the various towns which composes the metro area.  I also can't think of another Urban area which has managed to have major land fills more or less right in the middle of the MSA.  There are parts of OKC I like aesthetically, but overall, Tulsa is simply a much more beautiful place and feels like it's got more character to me.

FMC thinks the people in OKC are more down-to-earth than Tulsa.  She grew up down there, lived in Tulsa 15 years then moved back there last year.  I don't know that there is really a difference in the people being friendlier or having more attitude one place or the other.

[TheArtist]

Why the hate for OKC?  How many of you have actually lived there?  I lived there for a year and worked there for three years commuting from Norman.  It's a nice city that is moving forward much faster than Tulsa.

Yea, glad to hear they are moving forward much faster than Tulsa... They should be thanks to our tax dollars.

 I remember just a while back when OKC and Tulsa were getting some funds for some museum projects in each city.  We had essentially agreed that we should both get a little for our projects,,, though Tulsa was going to get significantly less, but at least it was something.  Dont remember the exact specifics, but in a nutshell the requests went in, but then an OKC judge said you couldnt have 2 at the same time on the same bill or whatever.  But, OKC, as it ever so conveniently happened, had negotiated things so that they were to get their funding first, and did so before the judge put the "stop" in place, leaving Tulsa high and dry hmmm....

 But as so often happens we felt, well it could have been our fault, perhaps OKC wasnt trying to get theirs and not let Tulsa have any so it was agreed to have another vote to pass through Tulsas part.   Guess what.  Every single OKC representative voted against Tulsa getting their part.

Right there, it was plain as day, the representatives of the people in OKC wanted to screw Tulsa. OKC always seems to "get theirs first" then down the road, whether it be a week or 10 years later when its our turn to get our part..... OOOPS! sorry, times are tough, etc.  


Nother little recent example.  OU was getting some funding for its medical programs, a new building.  The campus in OKC got over 100 million, Tulsas fair share?! wanna guess?...... bout 10 mill.  Got to read in the paper about how many jobs OKC was going to get, how much potential federal grant money they would be getting, spin off companies, the positive multiplier effect on the economy, etc. etc. etc.  WE SO HAPPY FOR YOU! yes we is.

Oooh, and ya know what, guess where the highest rates of diabeties is in the state?  In the Tulsa area, lot of that is the Indians and such.  But guess where the fancy new diabetes research center went?  Why, conveniently its in OKC of course.  Adding once again to their wonderful medical campus and such.

 But you know, we are ok here.  We can support the state colleges that arent in our city, because we add some additional taxes to ourselves to build our colleges here. We passed vision 2025 to help our campuses and have extra taxes to support TCC (the largest community college in the region... has to be, we didnt have much of anything else) and such. We can help OKC with their stuff, and then dip once again into our pockets to build things for ourselves. Don't worry bout us, we will manage.  Glad to hear you all are doing so well and cant figure out what the heck is wrong with Tulsa and why they are so tight with their money and cant pass things like MAPS 1,2,3...

How them highways in OKC these days.  Our turnpikes are, well, driveable.  

Hear that Oklahoma History Museum is quite nice.  Helps add to the quality of life in the city, brings in a few extra dollars, helps with tourism a bit.  Hear some generous Tulsans donated quite a sum to help build it.  Also remember seeing a few Tulsans names on some of the buildings on the OU campuses.  Don't hear about many generous OKCers coming up here to help out our museums, build buildings and programs at OU Tulsa or OSU Tulsa?    

Glad you have all those Federal (which agin, we help pay into) and State jobs to help smooth out some of the bumps in your local economy. It can be a wild ride here, makes us a little more skittish tax spending wise perhaps.

 I could go on, but you get the picture.  I am sure most OKC people don't have a clue as to the "thousand little cuts" inflicted on us, often from their duly elected representatives. They probably also don't realize the the extent of the extra benefits they get from all the thousand  extra things they get and we don't. They effect your real, every day lives for the better, and ours for the worse.  Though large or small, they keep building and building, and adding up over time.  I of course, over my 45 years of living here remember every cut, but if I were to go to OKC and have this discussion, they will give you this puzzled look, unable to list a one.   And be completely unaware of the things that Tulsans have helped them achieve or the benefits they get that we don't.

People in OKC don't really care,  wouldn't lift a finger to change anything to help us, and refuse to even empathise with us.... and.... we hate your guts.   And that, as they say, is that.  

[dbacks fan]

OKC worse than Phoenix?   Never saw that one coming.

[jiminy]

Ways in which OKC has attempted to stifle Tulsa development...

Tried to kill our Bass Pro Shop
Tried to steal the Native American, pulled out investment when failed
Tried to steal Tulsa Ballet
Did they have something to do with Dfest?  Time will tell...
Stole Rocklahoma, called it RocknAmerica

I know I'm missing a lot

Having gotten that off my chest, it's silly to name OKC as a bad place to live just because the people are fat, as if living in OKC is what made them fat.

[sgrizzle]

They did announce and build a native american museum, stalling ours.

And they did try to get dfest in the past


Not faulting them, but it still sucks.

[waterboy]

Artist, my psych book calls that fundamental attribution error. The reality is that the geographic location of OKC makes it more important to the rest of the state than Tulsa. Its not that they feel superior or endeavor to steal from us out of spite. They simply have advantages that make it more logical for investment in museums, roadways etc. More population is served by that investment. The lower 2/3 of the state often refers to going to "the city" for goods and services not available in rural areas. They aren't talking about Tulsa when they say "the city". That, along with the seat of government and the military significance of the topography in that area, garners OKC more influence and power than our better looking, more comfortable city.

The farther south you travel in the state, the less importance OKC has and the more importance Dallas has for the same reasons. Unfortunately for us we simply don't have much draw as a regional base. We not only have to compete with OKC to the south, but also Kansas City, Wichita and NW Arkansas. That used to be balanced off by our dominance in the oil industry, but Texas took most of those folks, so we're now just a bridesmaid, never a bride.

[jiminy]

Artist, my psych book calls that fundamental attribution error. The reality is that the geographic location of OKC makes it more important to the rest of the state than Tulsa. Its not that they feel superior or endeavor to steal from us out of spite. They simply have advantages that make it more logical for investment in museums, roadways etc. More population is served by that investment. The lower 2/3 of the state often refers to going to "the city" for goods and services not available in rural areas. They aren't talking about Tulsa when they say "the city". That, along with the seat of government and the military significance of the topography in that area, garners OKC more influence and power than our better looking, more comfortable city.

The farther south you travel in the state, the less importance OKC has and the more importance Dallas has for the same reasons. Unfortunately for us we simply don't have much draw as a regional base. We not only have to compete with OKC to the south, but also Kansas City, Wichita and NW Arkansas. That used to be balanced off by our dominance in the oil industry, but Texas took most of those folks, so we're now just a bridesmaid, never a bride.

Oh I almost forgot about "No nontoll roads to Tulsa".  Thanks for reminding me.