[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Synopsis

Why say NMnita? Hot Springs is in Arkansas.

well that is what happens when you drink too much wine before dinner.:

actually I keep going between the two forums; sorry, of course it is. Thanks again.

Nita

[eddie gein]

Nita,

I forgot to mention that one of the perks about Grove is that it is close to Arkansas. Fayetteville-Springdale is a beautiful area and has a lot to offer.

After re-reading my earlier post I don't think I was totally fair with Grove in that it is going places fast. I think that it along with Durant Oklahoma have the most momentum of any town in the state outside of OKC metro, Tulsa Metro and Lawton Metro. And the growth that Grove is getting is from retirees with a lot of money.

[Heidi Leigh]

OK... Let me be the 1st one to brag about Shawneee, then.. : D

I grew up in Shawnee, Oklahoma... Moved there when I was 12 and graduatede in 1988..

Yes, I am 37, now, but I am moving back to Shawnee, this Summer.. (2007)

My daughter is 12 and has lived her whole life in Maryland, but wants to live like I did, when I was her age... I loved growing up in Shawnee and can tell you everything you need to know about it, then and now...

All of my best friends, either stayed there after graduation or have moved back. I've been the hold-out for a while, not because I didn't want to move back, just had to finalize my life, here, first.

My son is 3 and like his sister, has lived his entire life in Maryland, but being young, like my brother was, back when I wa 12, he will adapt. : D

I believe that no one should give advise on a town, they have NEVER lived in; moreless, NEVER knew anything about! I would never do that!

Some of my classmates are teachers and coaches for the Middle and High schools, as well as assembly and chaperone parents.

Shawnee is a very-diverse town, with a lot of culture, but hey what town isn't.

I had the opportunity to visit, Shawnee, again, in February (2007).. Although, there were newer places, some of the town still remained the same. I am a big believer in, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" : D

What I can tell you......... Shawnee has nice scenery, diverse neighborhoods (each little neighborhood has a different housing design), its population is about 30k, now, as of 2007.. There is very nice weather and Oklahoma, in general, is about wide-open spaces, dotted with nice towns. Shawnee is a safe town, if it weren't believe me, my friends surely wouldn't have moved their families back there; moreless, have stayed there all of their lives!



I hope this helped, you somewhat!

Oh, and by the way, I NEVER wanted to leave Shawnee, in the first place! My parents moved their company to the East Coast, and all of us kids followed!

Looking forward to being back HOME, soon.

Ttys,

Heidi

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by eddie gein

Nita,

I forgot to mention that one of the perks about Grove is that it is close to Arkansas. Fayetteville-Springdale is a beautiful area and has a lot to offer.

After re-reading my earlier post I don't think I was totally fair with Grove in that it is going places fast. I think that it along with Durant Oklahoma have the most momentum of any town in the state outside of OKC metro, Tulsa Metro and Lawton Metro. And the growth that Grove is getting is from retirees with a lot of money.

whata bout retirees without a lot of money?

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by nmnita

well that is what happens when you drink too much wine before dinner.:

actually I keep going between the two forums; sorry, of course it is. Thanks again.

Nita

It IS easy to get confused sometimes! I've noticed that you are also considering Arkansas. I lived in Danville, Arkansas (near Russellville, in the Ouachita Mountains) for a couple of years in the 80s. It's a beautiful area, but I didn't really feel like I "fit in" for some reason. The people were nice enough, but very much more "clan-ish" (not as in Klu Klux..) than the people in Oklahoma - at least it was my feeling.

I was very young at the time and it could have been my mindset. One thing I hated was that most of the state of Arkansas is completely dry. Now, I'm not a slobbering drunk but I don't want to drive 50 miles to a wet county to buy wine or a six-pack of beer. In Oklahoma, there are dry counties as well, but that's a misnomer; there are liquor stores even in dry counties in Oklahoma. Not so in Arkansas.

[Kurt]

Hey, Yorkie Mom! I grew up in Northern Minnesota and know how you feel about the weather and cost-of-living. I ended up in Florida but will soon retire in Northeast Oklahoma on Grand Lake--I grew up on a lake in Northern Minnesota (Itasca County) and fell in love with Grand Lake because it remined me on home. There are hills and trees and lots of Midwestern folks--just ordinary and decent people--who made the same decision. You can still get some pretty cheap digs around here if you know where to look. Trouble is that Grove on Grand Lake is not that big a town--yet--but it is booming.

Bartlesville is a bigger town and I really like it. It has trees but is definitely getting further out on the Plains. Oil money has been good to the town and there is an artsy or cultural scene. Last Summer I went over there and really enjoyed driving around because it is big enough to offer amenites but not so big that you had traffic jams.

But as an old Minnesotan--I think you would like the Grand Lake area.

As to Grand Lake being expensive--yes--if you are in certain areas and right on the lake. But you can get less expensive places not far from the lake and further from Grove. The Jay-Spavinaw-Eucha area south of Grand Lake and even a bit closer to Tallequah come to mind--and this area is just gorgeous. Of course, Tallequah is another option. But Grand simply reminds me of my boyhood lake resort days in Northern Minnesota.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Synopsis

It IS easy to get confused sometimes! I've noticed that you are also considering Arkansas. I lived in Danville, Arkansas (near Russellville, in the Ouachita Mountains) for a couple of years in the 80s. It's a beautiful area, but I didn't really feel like I "fit in" for some reason. The people were nice enough, but very much more "clan-ish" (not as in Klu Klux..) than the people in Oklahoma - at least it was my feeling.

I was very young at the time and it could have been my mindset. One thing I hated was that most of the state of Arkansas is completely dry. Now, I'm not a slobbering drunk but I don't want to drive 50 miles to a wet county to buy wine or a six-pack of beer. In Oklahoma, there are dry counties as well, but that's a misnomer; there are liquor stores even in dry counties in Oklahoma. Not so in Arkansas.

The liquor stores itself will make a difference. Actually only kidding, but I have a gut feeling we will end up in OK> In about 3 or 4 weeks we will take our first research trip: The reason I say "OK" our granddaughter will be a senior at UAR next semester. Her boyfriend and probably husband someday is a redneck from word go: a really neat guy but not like anyone we have known for a long time. Anyway, he was the one who said: Arkansas, for your grandparents (Us) just isn't right. Now he loves his home state, wouldn't think of leaving, looks forward to the day he will take over his dad's ranch, shares our political views and we love each other, he still said to her "send your grandparents to Mushokee or someplace in OK, they will not like Fort Smith. Yes, we are still going to look in the Fort Smith/Van Buren area, but I just have my feelings. Of course being big football fans (college patiucularly) it would be hard to support OK when we have a granddaughter at AR.

I think I mentioned somewhere, my favorite aunt and my dad were born in OK> We will spend time looking in Grove btw:

Nita

[Ray&BB]

Hands down...Owasso, OK!! 30,000 pop...Home Town feel with big city shopping and restaurants...outstanding schools...lots of great churches...beautiful area just 15 minutes NE of Tulsa, OK. Two new hospitals in Owasso. Ten minutes or less to four neat golf coarses, a wonderful zoo, the air and space museum and new planetarium. Not on the interstate, but I-44 is only a ten minute drive on US 169. US 75 just four miles west. Owasso's highschool baseball team is usually in the US Today's top 10 in the nation and was a week ago #4. They just won the top class state tournament with 30 some consecutive wins and may be ranked higher this week. A hundred things for seniors to do and see within 30 mile radius. We live on Hwy 75 just four miles from Owasso...five miles from Tulsa...15 miles from beautiful lake and love the area. I moved from South Dakota in 2000 and my wife from Wichita Falls, TX the same year. The summers can get hot and compared to northern winters...there is no real winter here. We can play golf year around with just occasional interludes of snow and ice in winter or "too hot to play" days in summer. The Owasso City Manager may be the best in the country and backed up by a great bunch at City Hall they keep Owasso out front. Crime is not a great problem with a terrific police force in Owasso. With the city's terrific growth in the past five years crime pops up a little more often. Tulsa has had quite a crime spree that is turning around with the hiring of many more police officers and a new police chief. We have not been personally effected by crime but are happy to see the extra effort the citys are putting into stopping it. There is countryside between Owasso and Tulsa anyway. Having talked about the crime let us give Tulsa credit for being one of the most beautiful cities in the U.S. It really is and has two or three world class museums and concert halls. I guess I am saying that Owasso has everything anyone could want in a home town and yet we have access to a beutiful city with all the benefits it can provide. As far as pets...especially dogs...this area abounds. In our neighborhood there are16 homes and eight pet dogs!

[LC124]

Are there a lot of tornadoes in Newcastle? I've been considering a move to OK, but the thought of getting killed by a tornado scares me. I remember the BIG one in May 1999, and felt so bad for those people affected by it. Where are the least amount of tornadoes?

[Mattie Jo]

LC, Cherokee Co has fewer tornadoes than any county in OK. People in this county don't worry about them.