Moving to Tulsa, have never been there and know nothing of the area. I could scour the internet and research every zipcode, every school etc. but I am hoping that some kind person will take pity on me and point me in the right directions.
Looking for information on good schools public or private (elementary school)
Looking for a neighborhood good for young families that would be close to Whole Foods.
I like historical neighborhoods, funky neighborhoods or the burbs as long as there isn't alot of crime and a sense of community.
Could rent or buy, but would prefer if renting to be something with a yard like a townhouse.
I really would appreciate any information at all.
Thanks,
Sunsurfos
The reason you haven't received any responses yet is because many of us are without power today. A big storm hit us this morning.
Since I don't have children I can't really answer your question regarding schools. I can however, speak to historic neighborhoods.
First of all, Whole Foods here is not what you're completely used to in Austin. Ours is a converted Wild Oats. Although, it is located in Brookside which is a fun neighborhood with a variety of housing options. Many different local restaurants are located on Peoria between 31st and 41st.
Up the road from there at 15th and Peoria is Cherry Street. Again many local restaurants and an up and coming loft area is developing.
Continuing East is the Historic Yorktown Neighborhood, followed by Lewiston Gardens, and Florance Park even farther East. These neighborhoods are near the upscale shopping center of Utica Square.
All the above areas are extremely safe and friendly. Welcome to Tulsa!
Here are some websites to check out for each district:
Brookside:
http://www.brooksidetheplacetobe.com/
http://www.abersonstyle.com/
http://www.center1market.com/
Cherry Street:
http://www.tulsairishpub.com/
http://www.cherrystreetfarmersmarket.com/
https://www.chromecc.com/store/comersus_main.asp
http://www.tulsalofts.net/aboutUs.php
Utica Square:
http://www.uticasquare.com/ (During the summer every Thursday night they host free outdoor concerts: http://www.uticasquare.com/now_showing/now_showing_summer.asp)
http://www.uticaplace.com/
Downtown:
http://www.thevillagebuilders.com/
http://www.philtower.com/
http://www.tribunelofts.com/
Jenks (South Tulsa burb):
http://www.riverwalkcrossing.com/
http://www.okaquarium.org/
Wow sorry about the power outage. Hope it wasn't too hot. Today was 100 here in Austin [:O]
Thank you for all the information, I will have fun looking through the links.
My husband is going to be working at the Whole Foods that was Wild Oats. I thought it would be nice to live close so we could visit and walk there maybe.
He has been there several times, and says the area around the store is really beautiful. I don't know if the homes will be in our budget I haven't even looked not knowing where to start.
Tulsa does look great from what I gather. We have lived in Austin for 3 1/2 years and before that in Seattle.
At least the jobs have been in fun areas!
Thanks again![;)]
oh interesting. SO the mothership is sending out new management to the former Wild Oats.
tell your husband to tell management that if they want to make big bucks, locate a store in south tulsa.
Yes, he brings greetings from the "mothership" and John Mackey.
I will let him know that Tulsa has requested another altar at which to worship the gods of fine organic food. [;)]
What is the public perception of the current location? Any input? I will pass it along. I love to buzz his blackberry with useful information.
Don't pay Inteller any mind. None of us do. He is just jealous that all the good stuff is in midtown and all he has out south is chain places. The over all improvements to Wild Oats since Whole foods took over has been very nice. It is located in a neighborhood called Brookside. You might consider getting a scooter to get around on if your looking in that area of town. There are lots of good local restaurants on S Peoria mostly locally owned. I don't know about the school situation, what grades are your children in?
Oh, and welcome to Tulsa and Green country. It will get hot here later this summer and is not a drippy as Seattle. We have great seasons, spring and fall are really beautiful. Rush hour only lasts an hour. You can get to most anywhere in town in 20 minutes.
Whole Foods/Wild Oats has a very loyal customer base. Every time I go in there it is packed.
I have been giving environmental tours of the store for college groups for about three years in that store.
I take 15 to 20 people through the store shouting about recyclability, shipping and storage issues, organic, sustainable packaging, etc.
I am not an employee of the store, but they are gracious enough to let me tell my green story using their props.
I used to live on Peoria, aka Brookside a few years ago and really liked it. You should be able to find quite a range of rental apartments and homes in the area. "Do not go south of 51st, gets a bit shady in a small area around there. Otherwise its a wonderful part of town" The area of Brookside around the Wild Oats is one of the "up and coming" trendy areas. New loft apartments are going in that are on the pricey side, but there are still many bargains to be found. Same with homes, its a transitional area with million dollar homes not far away as you head north, then more average and smaller homes as you go south and east. You should be able to find something within half a mile to a mile of the Wild Oats, and anything in that range will be in a nice area. The older more historic neighborhoods and homes are further North of the Wild Oats. Basically anything between 45th st and 15th street will be fine.
As for schools. The schools in the area are pretty average I would guess. Perhaps not the best in the city or area, but certainly not the worst. However if you want, one of the best private schools is not far away. Near the million dollar homes area lol.
Monte Cassino http://www.montecassino.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1
Cascia Hall (couldnt link to their website for some reason but found this.) Looks like a small castle. I like to call it the mini Hogwarts.
http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/22456
Good luck and have fun. [:)]
quote:
Originally posted by TheArtist
As for schools. The schools in the area are pretty average I would guess. Perhaps not the best in the city or area, but certainly not the worst. However if you want, one of the best private schools is not far away. Near the million dollar homes area lol.
Monte Cassino http://www.montecassino.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1
Cascia Hall (couldnt link to their website for some reason but found this.) Looks like a small castle. I like to call it the mini Hogwarts.
http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/22456
Good luck and have fun. [:)]
The schools in the area are actually excellent. Eliot and Lee are both really good schools. The high school in the area Edison is quite good too. Many of the kids that live in the area end up going to Emerson anyway, which is a magnet school that feeds into B.T. Washington, which is one of the best high schools in the nation.
Thanks for all the great info everyone.
Do there happen to be any private schools that aren't religiously affiliated?
Are there Charter Schools in Tulsa?
Recycle Michael, I am sure you will be meeting my husband if you are in the store frequently. He would love to meet you.
Thanks!
quote:
Originally posted by sunsurfos
Thanks for all the great info everyone.
Do there happen to be any private schools that aren't religiously affiliated?
Are there Charter Schools in Tulsa?
Recycle Michael, I am sure you will be meeting my husband if you are in the store frequently. He would love to meet you.
Thanks!
Yes http://www.riverfield.org/
and
Yes http://www.tsas.org/
There are PLENTY of areas around Wild Oats (whatever) that are family friendly and affordable. As mentioned, you could locate to an apartment for a while if you wanted and shop for what location you want to live in. Generally, "Midtown Tulsa" is more expensive than the suburban sprawl that Inteller loves in the South - but there are areas that are affordable (especially considering a comparison to Austin).
Houses are cheap! You should be able to find a 3 bedroom in that area for $160,000 that fits your bill. At that price range you won't find a mansion, but probably 1600 sq ft. with a garage. So have fun shopping. The area around Wholefoods/Wild Oats is also within walking distance of the River Parks (about 100 yards of park on each side of the River all the way through Tulsa with trails, equipment, etc.) - a real asset to the area.
Per the schools - it is a matter of wide opinion. My son goes to Tulsa Public Schools (TPS)and IMHO he is at a great school. The staff and parents work closely with each other to make it the best facility and learning environment possible. BUT, in a district as large as TPS such is not the case of all the individual schools - but generally the school is as good as the surrounding neighborhood looks (if the people take care of their property and the facility looks nice, they probably are involved with their school).
TPS also has a magnet school program that is top notch. Tri-lingual, concentrating on advanced placement, or just all around top notch. These feed into magnet intermediate and high-schools - some of which receive national recognition. So even if you are not impressed with TPS other schools (which my son goes to) don't write them off. You can get as much out of the school as you (and other parents) are willing to put in.
For private schools there are many choices - all religious. The two most noted are Catholic schools - Cascia Hall (Augustinian) and Holland Hall (Jesuit). The enrollment is restricted and they are expensive. There are probably many other fine private schools but there are also many that are religious schools that also might teach your kid how to read (many fundamentalist schools with specific books, ie. "American History for Christians" that scared me away).
My power's back on, so I'm glad I could help. The perspective comes from a young professional from Iowa with a wife and 8 year old boy. Moved here for law school 5-6 years ago and have yet to leave.
Welcome to TulsaNow, and welcome to Tulsa! Feel free to blast away with any questions and many of us will be free to chip in our 2 cents.
Thanks for the responses once again.
My son attended kinder in a public school just finishing up and I believe what the poster said about teachers and parents working together. I volunteered and put time into my son's school before I started working this year and I fully believe in partnering and being involved creates a quality education no matter what the school.
Often some of the schools in the the nicest areas have problems I would rather not have my kids become involved in..so I can see the highest ranking in test score schools aren't necessarily what I am looking for in a school.
Austin's highest scoring most affluent school district EANES was just surveyed to be considerably above the national average for drug and alcohol abuse as well as above average for the age at which the use starts. They found the parents were renting apartments close to the school for the kids to have "study groups" and the kids were turning them into big party places. Close to campus and no supervision, these are high schoolers with their own apts. Crazy.
Ok I got off on a tangent. What I meant to ask was what is a magnet school.
quote:
Originally posted by sunsurfos
Thanks for the responses once again.
My son attended kinder in a public school just finishing up and I believe what the poster said about teachers and parents working together. I volunteered and put time into my son's school before I started working this year and I fully believe in partnering and being involved creates a quality education no matter what the school.
Often some of the schools in the the nicest areas have problems I would rather not have my kids become involved in..so I can see the highest ranking in test score schools aren't necessarily what I am looking for in a school.
Austin's highest scoring most affluent school district EANES was just surveyed to be considerably above the national average for drug and alcohol abuse as well as above average for the age at which the use starts. They found the parents were renting apartments close to the school for the kids to have "study groups" and the kids were turning them into big party places. Close to campus and no supervision, these are high schoolers with their own apts. Crazy.
Ok I got off on a tangent. What I meant to ask was what is a magnet school.
I hope I can answer this, since I'm still figureing it out myself. My daughter is starting at Tharouh (I might figure out how to spell it before school starts) in August, which is one of the area magnant schools. I had never heard of them before she applied, and what I have gathered of them, is that they are schools that are geared more towards the more intellectual of our students. The cream of the crop, if I may. They have a more strengent academic regimen, and a differant learning enviroment then the standard school meant to cater to these top notch students. The student who is about to enter into the appropriate grade level (6th and up) apply for entry, and if accepted are able to go to one of the schools near them that have transport available and get taken to the school, or can be taken directly by the parent. Each school has differant venues that they offer the students. Beyond this, I am still at a bit of a loss of how to discribe them.
Austin has warmer weather than Tulsa, It's very hard moving from a warm mild climate to a colder one. Tulsa winters can get down to near zero. I'd like to get out of Ohio for warmer climates but I'm shackeled to a job and family in Ohio. I use to live in the D/FW MetroPlex and loved it there. Anyhow, welcome to Tulsa the cost of living is cheap and the people are friendly.[:)]
quote:
Originally posted by sunsurfos
Often some of the schools in the the nicest areas have problems I would rather not have my kids become involved in..so I can see the highest ranking in test score schools aren't necessarily what I am looking for in a school.
Stay away from Jenks then.
The great thing about moving from Austin to Tulsa is that you will be amazed at what a bargain Tulsa is. Housing, cost of living, you name it...it's more affordable here.
Another great thing you'll find close to the Whole Foods on Brookside is that you're just blocks away from our River Parks system. It's a beautiful greenbelt that stretches for miles along the Arkansas River. Not as massive as what you're used to in Austin (and sadly, no Barton Springs to swim in) but you can get on a bike (or just walk) for miles without having to think about traffic. Stop for a beer and some live music at the River's Edge at 21st and Riverside; watch the sun set over the water in the evenings; take a late-night stroll across the Pedestrian Bridge for great views of downtown at night. The river is one of my favorite things about Tulsa.
quote:
Originally posted by sunsurfos
Moving to Tulsa, have never been there and know nothing of the area. I could scour the internet and research every zipcode, every school etc. but I am hoping that some kind person will take pity on me and point me in the right directions.
I like historical neighborhoods, funky neighborhoods or the burbs as long as there isn't alot of crime and a sense of community.
If you are a fan of great mid-twentieth century modern architecture, look for a house in the Lortondale or Lortondale Second subdivisions, between Yale and Hudson Avenues, 26th St. to 27th Place South. Groovy homes, and the prices are dirt cheap by today's standards, the only sane reason being the limited appeal of the architecture design. The Lortondale additions are also located in the Hoover Elementary school district, the top-rated elementary school in the City. And it is a public school and won't cost you anything above the property taxes. There are also 2 neighborhood swimming pools in Lortondale for young children and adults alike, as well as our Darlington park, with tennis courts and large picnic areas.
We have just been through the school search and I wanted to mention the University School at TU (www.uschool.utulsa.edu) and Undercroft Montessori (www.undercroft.org) for a couple more non-religious affiliation, private schools. I know it doesn't help you much right now, but what was most helpful to me was visiting the schools and seeing what I felt like was the best fit for my child- all of them sound good on their websites, but it is what your intuition tells you when you're there that ends up being most important.
If you aren't working with anyone already to find a home, I am a Realtor and would be happy to assist- I live in midtown, in the Riverview neighborhood, right by downtown. Just send me a pm or email.
Welcome to Tulsa- you and your family will love it!
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
The Lortondale additions are also located in the Hoover Elementary school district, the top-rated elementary school in the City.
Not 100% correct.
Here are the elementary school ratings for the last year published on the Tulsa Public Schools website...
http://www.tulsaschools.org/schools1/testing/core07elem.pdf
Hoover is very, very good. I have friends with their children there who are very happy. If you look at the list, you will see many high performing schools in the Tulsa Public School system. Other good performing elementaries include Alcott, Carnegie, Eisenhower, Key, Wright and Zarrow.
Brookside Neighborhood...Wild Oats/ Whole Foods is in the Brookside Neighborhood. The neighborhood boundaries are Crow Creek to the north, I say 41st St. to the south although many will tell you it extends all the way to I-44, even City plans (not my version of Brookside), the River to the west, and Utica Av. to the east. Eliot Elementary is in the heart of the neighborhood and easily one of the top performing elementary schools in the region. It feeds right into Edison which has a highly rated magnet prepatory element (if Edison didn't mix general population it would rate up there with Booker T; as it is it rates well above all other high schools in the region according to US News). Edison is 1 - 1.5 miles from Brookside. Lots of restaurants and services in the Brookside neighborhood and good neighborhood parks. Lots of investment going into the hood as well. Variety of housing types (expensive townhomes, high end single family, cheap fixer uppers, apartments, high end apartments right behind Whole Foods are coming soon). Brookside's got somewhat of a funky element but not quite like you might expect coming from Austin. I would compare it most to Hyde Park with a little less funk.
Anyway...my $.02
I don't live far from Brookside and we (I have multiple children) find ourselves walking down there for something a couple times a week.
[:)]
Thank for all the great information. I am very excited for the move to Tulsa. Everyone on the board has been so helpful. I will let you know where we end up.
Your information is great since I will not get a chance to go there before the actual move to check things out for myself. Now I can point my DH in the right direction and things to check out until we (son and I) get to join him.
Let you know how things turn out.
Sunsurfos [:D]
quote:
Originally posted by sunsurfos
[:)]
Thank for all the great information. I am very excited for the move to Tulsa. Everyone on the board has been so helpful. I will let you know where we end up.
Your information is great since I will not get a chance to go there before the actual move to check things out for myself. Now I can point my DH in the right direction and things to check out until we (son and I) get to join him.
Let you know how things turn out.
Sunsurfos [:D]
I am a bit late to this thread. I would hope you consider South Tulsa and, for the highest quality education the city can offer, Holland Hall. I would avoid the 101st and Memorial area though. [:)]
quote:
Originally posted by sunsurfos
[:)]
Thank for all the great information. I am very excited for the move to Tulsa. Everyone on the board has been so helpful. I will let you know where we end up.
Your information is great since I will not get a chance to go there before the actual move to check things out for myself. Now I can point my DH in the right direction and things to check out until we (son and I) get to join him.
Let you know how things turn out.
Sunsurfos [:D]
I think you'll like Tulsa. It will take some time to get use-to a 4-season climate that Tulsa has. Tulsa gets snow and alot of cold weather. Tulsa has nice summers, but the warm summer season ends and then the cold moves in.. Austin, Texas has a milder two season climate and will be a big change. Oklahoma has alot of toll roads and that will take time to get use-to. Oklahoma has a low cost of living.[:)]
Have fun with the move...I moved here 5 years ago.Born and raised in San Diego,moved to Bay area/Monterrey/northern Sierra Nevada foothills areas after highschool.Moved to Des Moines in 2001 with ex so she could start a tattoo shop and me play in a band.Winter there was baaaad.Moved down here after meeting and marrying someone from Tulsa.
Been here 5 years now and was able to buy a lot more house than I ever could back in Cali.The winters are mild here,to me.We had way more snow and cold wet weather up in the Sierras than they ever get here.Summers are hot and humid.Perfect for my collection of guitars and reptiles.Relatively cheap place to live-I'm comparing to the bay area and northern Cali.Central to a lot of cool stuff to go and do that is driveable or cheap to fly to.This area here is getting a lot less conservative and alot more liberal than it was when I visited as a kid.Cherry Street is cool and not far from Brookside and has a lot of cool stuff to go and do.The area your hubs store is in,Brookside, is a nice area with cool shops,restaurants,nightlife,etc.There are alot of more than decent houses in that area you'll find.Not far from the RiverParks area.Not as cool a park as Zilker,but its nicer than alot of parks Ive been to in other cities this size.
When I lived in Des Moines we would drive to KansasCity or when on our way home from visiting Tulsa on weekends here and there and we would always stop at the Whole Foods store in KC and stock up on our fave stuff...anyways...welcome...good luck.