[Green.fairy]

We're looking for an area in Oklahoma that has relatively low crime, good roads, affordable homes and an overall "bohemian" / "hippie" feel. Things like access to healthy organic produce, artsy and kitschy shops, and culture are important to us. But we have a modest budget, so we would be looking for an older, quaint, (unrenovated) single-family home. Cottages/tudors/small craftsman/bungalows are our preferred styles. (There's only two of us so we don't need anything that big.) Our absolute *must* however would be that the home has a basement.
(That's non-negotiable.)

Any particular areas/neighborhoods anyone can recommend?

Thank you for reading.

[StillwaterTownie]

Good roads and basements tend to be rare finds in Oklahoma. The Paseo neighborhood in Oklahoma City might be up your alley. It's in the northwest area of Oklahoma City, which is the most interesting part of the city.

[RedTexanTea]

Originally Posted by Green.fairy

We're looking for an area in Oklahoma that has relatively low crime, good roads, affordable homes and an overall "bohemian" / "hippie" feel. Things like access to healthy organic produce, artsy and kitschy shops, and culture are important to us. But we have a modest budget, so we would be looking for an older, quaint, (unrenovated) single-family home. Cottages/tudors/small craftsman/bungalows are our preferred styles. (There's only two of us so we don't need anything that big.) Our absolute *must* however would be that the home has a basement.
(That's non-negotiable.)

Any particular areas/neighborhoods anyone can recommend?

Thank you for reading.

Non-negotiable on the basement is a non-starter in Oklahoma and Texas.There are few basements in Oklahoma because of the water table level and soil type. The ground is too moist, the soil contracts and expands.

I know in the midwest and back east homes have basements that are the entire footprint of the first level but you will not find that building style here. You will find a random home here and there that have basements but it is the exception and not the norm.

Stillwater Townie is right, we don't have great roads in Oklahoma. Ada is one of the exceptions in many parts as the Chickasaw tribe funds road repairs close to their facilities.

[StillwaterTownie]

A doctor in Stillwater was foolish enough to take a chance in building his office with a basement on S. Washington St., which runs through one of the lowest elevations in Stillwater. So what happened? His basement flooded.

I can only think of one house in my neighborhood with a basement. The homes in older neighborhoods might be more likely to have a basement, but I've found them to be dark, dirty, scary places needing renovated.

[RedTexanTea]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

I can only think of one house in my neighborhood with a basement. The homes in older neighborhoods might be more likely to have a basement, but I've found them to be dark, dirty, scary places needing renovated.

Exactly, we call those cellars or "fraidy holes" in Oklahoma. Fraidy hole meaning place you run for a tornado or that you are afraid to go down to them because they are dark and scary and full of spiders.

[Threestep2]

It be interesting know what OP plans to do with a basement in Tampa/Sarasota. In-house fish farm?

[Howest2008]

If Oklahoma basement tend to floods why wouldn't Oklahoma swimming pools flood in a very similar fashion?

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by Howest2008

If Oklahoma basement tend to floods why wouldn't Oklahoma swimming pools flood in a very similar fashion?

Because they're high enough above the water table. Like I said you risk it when you build a basement in one of the lowest elevations in Stillwater, such as on S. Washington St. If you go far south enough on Washington St. to 11th St. you'll run into the further risk of your house flooding from those fairly rare times when Stillwater Creek can't adequately drain into the Cimarron River because it's at flood stage.

[Threestep2]

Of course pools flood. Last summer we had gulley washers with water filling the street and coming over the curb. Perfect to take the gold fish for a swim. Have you forgotten the pictures of water gushing out of the Capitol building.

[Howest2008]

Well I guess that you can't have either Swimming Pools or Basements in Oklahoma.....