[4EvCurious]

Hello Everyone,
I am considering moving to Oklahoma from the Washington DC metro area and I desperately need some input.The plan is to move to the cheapest livable town I can find for a few years and go back to school/save up money to buy a home. And by veapest I mean my rent can go to 600 but would prefer under 450-500 if this is possible for a 3 bedroom.

After which I would probably either move to a larger city in Oklahoma or somewhere in the southwest. At the current time I am not too concerned about where the town is located (city/rural) since I most likely won't be in the job market (may start a small business however).

I guess to give you some background, I'm in my late twenties,single (divorced), and have one school aged child who's almost 8. We are multi racial (me black and white,kid is black,white,asian), would be considered liberal socially (not bothered by anyone's believes,lifestyle, etc) but we are also christian (catholic) and have pretty conservative values within our own home. I've lived all over the states and world so have no problem adjusting to other people within reason.

Things To Consider:
Good/decent school(s)
Decent dating scene
Reasonable (under 40 minutes preferable) access to shopping,schools/colleges, some entertainment/nightlife
Would be a town where a mixed family would feel safe/welcome

Things I Prefer in a house:
more of a craftsman,victorian cottage vs ranch style (not a dealbreaker)
no mobile homes,though I don't mind older homes
Single family,duplexes, townhouse only no apartments

Things I would like to avoid:
Mosquitos (and bugs in general but especially mosquitos)
Crazy humidity
All black,white,etc neighborhoods
the ghetto/trailerpark/gang type of areas (would take a nice home in the countryside vs being close to everything but in a bad area )

Any idea's,input, am I being realistic about pricing etc..Anyway, thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

[StillwaterTownie]

Avoid the smaller, decaying towns in Oklahoma, for sure. Consider the bigger small towns not far from Oklahoma City or Tulsa, such as Bartlesvile, Stillwater, and Shawnee. You can probably find cheaper housing in towns that are smaller than them, but they probably won't be as nice to live in.

[stillkit]

Try Durant. It's a university town, so it should have everything you need.

[4EvCurious]

Thanks for the reply you two..anyone else have any ideas??

[debzkidz]

I don't know about rents, but you might consider Guthrie. It's about 30 miles or so to Stillwater, where you could attend Oklahoma State, or its about 15-20 miles to Edmond and the University of Central Oklahoma. Guthrie is a very cool old town, with lots of old Victorian style homes. It was the original state capital. There are lots of cool shops in the downtown area, they have a Walmart Supercenter for the the necessities, and it's an easy drive down to Edmond on I-35, or even on back roads, where there is all the shopping you might want. I would suggest living in Edmond, but it's probably going to be a bit more than you want to spend.

You could also check in and around Norman. Again, I don't know about the rents, but you would be right there with the University of Oklahoma, and every type of shopping you could want. The schools there are great, and I would think it would be a better place for the dating/night life scene.

As for the multi-racial issue, I really don't think you will have a problem here. It is not uncommon here at all. I see bi/multi racial families here all the time. I don't know anyone who even gives it a second thought.

[Caleb0]

Edmond, OK. Good schools, lots of new businesses (good place to start one I assume as well), best mall in Oklahoma (Quail Springs), safe, ect.

[Lawman_Kyle]

Shawnee, McAlester, or Eufaula would be great matches for you.

[flintysooner]

Two other towns that occur to me are Chickasha and Weatherford. You didn't mention what you're interested in studying and that could certainly bear on the choice.

You'll have to establish residency in order to benefit from in state tuition and fees. I think that takes one year but not sure. School is pretty expensive.

I think the rent requirement for 3 bedroom house may be pretty difficult.

You also might check in the Moore and south Oklahoma City area and look at the OCCC for school.

[Bjen614]

I live in Chickasha and if small town/country views don't bother you then you would be okay. Humidity is awful here (and through the entire state).

What do you plan on studying? Chickasha has a USAO (Universty of Science and Arts) and we also have a vocational school. THe school system is pretty good. Not the best but it is pretty strong. It also has good mixture of kids from different cultural backgrounds. I'd feel confident sending my mixed child there and wouldn't worry about him/her fitting in.

Housing is pretty affordable. We rented a 2 bedroom apartment that was brand new for $515/mo (which was income based). Rent houses are touch and go. When we first moved here, we asked a realtor to help us out. She wouldn't even show us the rent houses available b/c she would never place her own kids there (they were run down, roach infested, no CH/A). There is a white "ghetto" and a black "ghetto." The rest of town's neighborhoods are pretty integrated and safe.

The dating scene is non existent here unless you are into nasty smokey bars filled with hicks and white trash.

My husband and I consider this town to be pretty racist. THe people here would never say anything to your face though.

As a single mom, this town is a pretty safe community. I feel comfortable being by myself when hubby is out of town. The worst crime I've seen would be drug busts and theft. I feel comfortable taking a walk/jog around the neighbor by myself, even at night. Heck, I'm notorious for accidentally leaving my keys in the front door over night.

There is a Wal-Mart Supercenter here. Shopping is very limited. It seems that this town is trying to move forward. There is an older shopping strip that has been redone and is filling up with nice establishments. There is a huge plot of land that is waiting for bigger chains to come in.

Norman and OKC are just 40 minutes away.

[okcali]

Bartlesville is a great community. The schools are great. 2 Universities. Has a great skyline for a community of such a size. 45 minutes to Tulsa. However, you may have trouble finding a home for rent under $600, but you may find an apartment. The lifestyle is suburban. There is a mall here but it's not anything major. As for the people, coming from smaller towns we have been said to be "stuck up", but I don't see that. Traffic isn't bad. 4.5 miles to school from home takes anywhere from 10-15 minutes(mainly from stoplights). It is somewhat of a unique community. Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, and many other were here to film over fall(impressive for a small city of 36,000). The town was built on oil. Conoco Phillips started here(that's why our buildings are here). Frank Lloyd Wright's only skyscraper is here. Overall, I like it pretty well. There isn't a whole lot of nightlife, but again, Tulsa is close. The best bet would be to come visit and hit up all the towns. If I had to move anywhere else in OK anytime soon, I would look at Owasso, Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Jenks, Stillwater, OKC, Edmond, or Moore.