Moving Family (4+ kids) Summer 2011 Need advice (Norman, Edmond: rentals, high crime, house)

[Anaunia]

I will be moving during the Summer of 2011 to OKC with my wife and 4 children who are elementary and high school ages.

I will be working in the center of town, and am trying to figure out where to look for really safe neighborhoods for my family. I have heard a lot about Edmond, but I would like to know about any other options that are not too far from central areas of OKC. My housing budget is in the 350k range and upwards.

Any advice would be appreciated!

I know this has been asked in various ways before, so I apologize in advance.

[ou_norman]

Edmond, Norman, Northwest OKC (Quail Creek/Deer Creek) offer the nicest suburban areas with executive homes in the 350k+ range. Norman would have the most traffic, but if you are close to 35 and around Robinson, it's probably only 30 minutes to downtown. East Edmond is more hilly and wooded. Quail Creek area is great because it's close to the city but a very nice area. This is around 122nd and May to MacArthur. Deer Creek is north of that in a nice school district that is growing quickly.

[Emery'sMommy]

Honestly it will be difficult to find "really safe" neighborhoods in close proximity to downtown. There's fantastic historic neighborhoods that are in your price range- Mesta Park, Heritage Hills, Gatewood, Crown Heights, and Edgemere Park that are all an easy drive into downtown. If Okc gets their act together with bike lanes, you could even bike to work if need be from some of these neighborhoods.
However, there's pockets of crime/ran down neighborhoods mixed throughout the nice ones. Even in Mesta Park, there are some shady looking rentals off of 23rd St. However, I bring my boys to that park all the time and feel perfectly safe. It's just a matter of being aware of your surroundings and making sure your house has a good security system.

I can't really recommend OKC school district though...there's some good elementary schools but middle and high are rough. However, you do have the option of magnet/charter schools- some that have made the top 100 US high schools list.
Most families that can afford it, will send their children to private schools.

SO all of that being said, you have to decide if it's worth the risk of being near lower-income/high crime areas in order to be close to work. If you truly want a safe suburban area, then Edmond, Yukon, Mustang, Moore, and Norman are your best bets. The commute into downtown from the west side isn't bad at all-maybe 20 minutes. We live south of 1-40 off of Morgan Rd. There's lots of nice, new neighborhoods with a "country" feel b/c of the farm land/open fields (which are slowly being devoured by new construction). And you'd be in Mustang school district, which is pretty good (although Edmond/Norman are better- longer commute though).

[Jen_OKC]

Another area to consider is Nichols Hills. There are some smaller (older) homes that you might be able to find. There is a lot of what I refer to as "old money" in that area. LOTS of million dollar homes but you can also find some in the range you are looking for. The schools are good but a lot of families sent their kids to Cassady (private school) as well. But, prepare to shell out some $$$$ for that education. Anyways, if finances permit it's certainly an area worth considering.

[Anaunia]

Bump! OK, I have decided that I am going to move my family to Edmond and am contemplating the North High School area part of Edmond. I will work downtown

Any advice on the school or where to live in that school district, stores.

Advice appreciated!

[Okey Dokie]

One thing to consider if you're in the North area is how long it will take you to get to I-35, Broadway Extension or Hefner Parkway for your commute. It may add considerable time to your commute. I lived in Edmond around NW 164 and Penn and I absolutely loved the convenience - everything I needed was within 2 miles max from my house. But that's in the Santa Fe attendance area

[Code_3]

Lots of choices here in the OKC metro area. Good Luck!

[AFwife04]

We are districted to Edmond North HS we live very close to Coffee Creek. I believe that the Coffee Creek area has homes that are in the price range you are looking for and should be districted to Edmond North. My husband works at Tinker and his drive in the morning is 30 minutes door to door when the traffic is good. Sometimes it takes 45 or more depending on what time he leaves. He takes the Broadway Extension. I may be working at OU Health Center and it took me just under 20 minutes the day I interviewed.

I can't speak personally for the school, my children are too young for high school. It was rated as a top 100 high school. I think it was 40-something on the list. I live near Santa Fe and Danforth. There is plenty of shopping within a 10 minute drive from my home.

Good luck with your move!

[debzkidz]

Both my kids are recent grads of North High School. It was a good experience for them both them. We actually moved here while they were both in high school. As for where to live, there are lots of homes in your price range in the North attendance zone. If you are going to be working downtown, I would recommend buying something relatively close to I-35. If you go further to the west, towards Coffee Creek or Oak Tree, your commute time will increase significantly. You will add several minutes just to get to the interstate or Broadway Extension (I-235). We came very close to buying in an area near Coffee Creek, but before we put a contract on the house DH made the drive during rush hour. It really added to his commute time. The biggest problem is that many of the east/west roads are only two lanes, once you start getting near the interstate, so traffic can really build up. The closer you are to the interstate, the better. We chose a neighborhood closer to I-35. He makes it downtown (door to door) in about 30 minutes. I personally hate the Broadway Extension. It takes forever just to get through Edmond. Too many red lights. There are lots of nice subdivisions that would be in your price range. Are you looking for new construction, near new, or older established neighborhoods?

[ou_norman]

I was also going to echo try to get somewhere close to Broadway in Edmond so that it's easier to get downtown. I used to make the drive from northwest of Edmond to the Broadway Extension to downtown- it took forever just to get to the highway.