Living in a neighborhood or out in the country?

[71buickfreak]

I live about 5 miles outside of Stillwater's city limits. No city codes, no lawn requirements (that is a HUGE one for me, I mow about 6 times a summer...), no limits on how many cars I can have, etc. Plus, I am close enough to have all the conveniences of city livin', just a few minutes further away. Best of both worlds. I just don't like people telling me what to do. I would prefer to have a 5-acre buffer between my closest neighbors, but I don't have that luxury yet. Maybe if I cut my mow cycles by a factor of 5.....


BTW, I hope I wasn't the neighbor that made that one guy move....

 

[dennishoddy]

BTW, I hope I wasn't the neighbor that made that one guy move....

Don't get me wrong. We spent over a year looking before finding the perfect place for us.

Perfect meaning we didn't have to look at trashed out homes, trailers, junk equipment farms, etc. There are a couple of those within a few miles of us, but not right here.

 

[CODE_3]

let me know if you need any help finding a place.

 

[aestus]

I'm a downtowner/midtowner/uptowner. Most here would disagree with me, but the quality of life can be much better in the right parts of the inner city that I never had access to when I was living in a small town or country.

In downtown and midtown, I have access to a community that dedicated to supporting local businesses. The farmers markets brings local produce that most suburbs and rural areas don't even have access to (atleast not in the variety.) On top of that, you have access to specialty stores where you can have access to fresh organic produce that are unavailable in most small towns and suburbs. There local craft shops and clothing stores that sell locally produced, locally crafted goods and items that I know are high quality and the money is going into the pockets of people I know in the community and not to some corporation that made the product using slave labor in China. Quality of work and craft is top priority in everything from poaching eggs for a brunch menu item to using the top materials and select flamed maple for an end table.

I know the owners and chefs of some of the restaurants here and I know that the food they serve is fresh and most go out of their way to serve food sourced locally or from sources that are known for quality. Even the wait staff are passionate about the craft of food and service. The entree's are actually prepared and not come prepackaged or frozen that is heated up. There's absolutely no reason to ever eat fast food (or chain restaurants) in OKC, especially in midtown/downtown. I can't remember the last time I've eaten fast food and it was probably in a small town where that was the only option.

I know in the midtown community, making the city more walkable with bike lanes and sidewalks is a priority in initiative to get people out from cars and to enjoy the city more on foot. Every weekend there's a different festival going on in one of the arts districts or downtown. Neighborhoods like Edgemere park will have holiday parties together where we all gather in someones house or in the Summer, the whole neighborhood gathers in the park for a BBQ and to meet and greet with each other with games and activities for kids. Neighborhood communities actually care for one another and are active in improving the community as a whole.

It's an exciting time for Oklahoma City right now, especially in the downtown / midtown / uptown areas. For the longest time, Oklahoma lacked what cities like Austin or Seattle had in terms of an active inner city community. A lot of the things mentioned above just aren't accessible anymore out in the country and especially the suburbs. I think suburbs have it the worst, to be honest.

Most suburban neighborhood communities typically are nonexistent. You might have 1 or 2 mom and pop shops and restaurants, but for the most part your choices are the big chain stores and restaurants. Even then, the choices are pretty "vanilla" as you only really get mainstream choices. Chances are, your groceries are bought from either a regional chain store barely trying to stay afloat or from a Super Target / Walmart. Most suburbanites can't be bothered with bettering their communities because they're either too busy or just pass it off as something that churches do and handle.


In a perfect world, I'd have it both ways and would have a ranch out in the country but would also keep my historic house in uptown or even a downtown condo.

 

[Peace_Maker]

I had the option of choosing where I lived this summer and I choose to live on 134th just west of Moore. I love the short commute to work, the fact that everything I need is two miles away on 19th st, and I like that Moore has decent schools. I might move eventually but probably not until my kids grow up.

 

[trickydick]

You all heard Aestus don't drive to the farmers market or his local restaurant you don't have "access".
Step 1 Move to the country.
Step 2 Eat allot of peaches!!!

 

[Gabriel42]

I'm a downtowner/midtowner/uptowner. Most here would disagree with me, but the quality of life can be much better in the right parts of the inner city that I never had access to when I was living in a small town or country.... [snip]

This is one of those trendy little areas in/around downtown that you speak of, no?

Home invader shot across from my apartment

 

[SMS]

Neighborhood or out in the country? I'd pick neither probably, if I'm going to be honest.

Somewhere on the outer edges of a small metro on a plot of land that isn't in a typical suburban neighborhood, but isn't so far out in the sticks I have to drive an hour to get groceries or stuff.

If I was single and young I could actually see the allure of living in a urban setting like downtown OKC (or the exact opposite and live like a Neanderthal in the mountains). Nightclubs, restaurants, entertainment etc...but as an aging family man I want the best of both worlds...some peace and quiet AND convenience.

 

[SoonerBorn]

I live on an acre plus in Logan County in a smaller subdivision. No HOA and live in a nice quite cul-de-sac. We like it just fine. We can blow **** up whenever we want and there are two volunteer fire departments within two mikes of us.

 

[BReeves]

We have 7 1/2 acres 4 miles out of Catoosa and 20 minutes from Tulsa. I couldn't imagine living in town ever again. Too many "can't do this or thats", even need to get approval or a permit if you want to put a storage shed in your back yard. No thanks, we have the best of both. I can shoot in my back yard and have as many carports or sheds as I fell like I need without having to ask anybody.