Owasso Neighborhoods...thoughts, tips suggestions?

[buck]

I used to live in Edmond and don't see too many similiarties between Edmond and Owasso. Also, a lot of the restaurants in Owasso have closed down, probably a case of the growth not being what they anticipated or adding too much stuff too fast.

[PonderInc]

Owasso's "City of Character" mottos give me the creeps.  I couldn't find a list of some of the weirdest ones from a few years ago, but this gives you an idea...

http://www.cityofowasso.com/character_trait/character_qualities.html

I'm surprised there isn't something like: "Righteous Sense of Superiority: Knowing that Being White and Christian Makes Us Right."

[naenae42day]

"Righteous Sense of Superiority: Knowing that Being White and Christian Makes Us Right."

Isn't that the state of OK motto?

=)

[MsProudSooner]

The Parade of Homes started this weekend and continues through next Sunday.  Here is a link to the website for information.  Looks like there are about 9 Owasso homes on the tour.

Tulsa Parade of Homes

I think Mid-town is great, but if I were looking at having kids in the next few years, I wouldn't consider living there.  I wouldn't want my kids to go to Tulsa Public Schools, so Mid-town wouldn't be on my short list for that reason alone.  

I wonder if the best thing that Tulsa can do to revitalize their core is to improve their schools.  They used to be the best in the state.  Not so any more.

[OUGrad05]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

K, clearly your idea of living is different from mine.  Not that I have anything against Owasso, but my time is far more valuable to me to consider your current commute.  Even the Owasso commute you are contemplating has significant costs.

Consider, from Owasso it is about a 30 minute drive to Downtown Tulsa covering 40 some miles each day.  In a month that is 20 hours and nearly 1200 miles of driving.  Lets pretend your free/work time is worth $35 an hour and your drive costs are in line with the IRS (50.5 cents per mile cost guideline, generally considered low at the moment) - that's over $1000 a month in commuting expense.

If you lived in the Brookeside area, which you indicated you liked but thought was too expensive, your commute would be 3 miles and 10 minutes.  Saving you over 1000 miles of driving and 14 hours of time per month.  Certainly the extra $1000 a month could displace any added cost associated with living in the area.

Have you ever considered how much it is costing you in both finances and TIME to commute that far?
- - -

Per crime, the only crime I have experienced in my 5 years in Tulsa has been on my commute home.  So you wouldn't be exempt from that anyway.  Nothing against Owasso, but take into consideration the rising expense of living far apart from where you work - even if relative to your current situation it is an improvement.

/not a hippy either.

I like brookside but I dont see it as being conducive to family life.  I see some areas of South Tulsa, BA and Owasso very friendly to family life.  

Yea we've considered the time factor.  It is weighing heavy on our minds but its about 20 minutes from Owasso to my work downtown and even if we moved to south Tulsa in the Union school district we'd still be 15 to 18 minutes from work, my wife's would be about 15 mins instead of the 20 or so it would be from Owasso.  

I agree the drive kinda sucks, but it sucks unless we move to midtown or brookside, which again doesnt' seem family friendly.  Tulsa schools are atrocious.  

Also, my job compensates for rising energy costs  I guess thats a benefit of working in the industry.  

[MsProudSooner]

I heard on the radio this AM that the next Tulsa Transit express bus might be between Owasso and downtown.

[OUGrad05]

quote:Originally posted by MsProudSooner

I heard on the radio this AM that the next Tulsa Transit express bus might be between Owasso and downtown.

Yea and they're also talking about light rail.  Which would be sweet, but I'd prefer it only if its profitable or break even.

[nathanm]

quote:Originally posted by OUGrad05

Yea and they're also talking about light rail.  Which would be sweet, but I'd prefer it only if its profitable or break even.

Like the roads?

[OUGrad05]

quote:Originally posted by nathanm

quote:Originally posted by OUGrad05

Yea and they're also talking about light rail.  Which would be sweet, but I'd prefer it only if its profitable or break even.

Like the roads?

Roads is completely different its part of vital infrastructure necessary for an economy to function, light rail is not, its a nice feature but not a necessity.

[OurTulsa]

Guess that's all a matter of preference and perspective.  Roads are vital because we made them that way...we don't have much in the way of alternatives...we are effectively slaves to our machines.

In hind sight (in light of rising fuel costs, environment, public safety) building Tulsa around a diverse modal network including roads but also an efficient mass transit system, regional rail and at least a consideration to a decent walking and biking environment might have made for a stronger economy, better social and physical environment...and gosh darn it a nicer place to live.  

But, hey, want some good wide roads?  Utopia in Owasso.  They gots lots and lots of parking up there too...probably somewhere in the range of 13 to 17 parking spaces for every citizen.  Be careful of resale though...I've heard todays suburbs are tomorrow's slums.

[TheArtist]

Yea, I lived in Owassos "3 lakes II" when it was new. An uncle who was a doctor had a home in "3 lakes 1". They were both the "nice" neighborhoods, when I would tell the kids in my high school class where we lived, they would go "oooh where all the rich people live". They were the new neighborhoods, out on the edge of the city by fields and trees.

Have you checked out either of those neighborhoods?  Not so nice anymore hu?

Brookside is very family friendly imo, and the property values are only going to improve.  

[cannon_fodder]

OUGrad,

I believe you are buying into the sub-exurban story line about living in "the city."  Sorry if I sound like I'm trying to "sell" midtown, but my wife and I are just so happy we received good advice when moving here and landed in midtown.

I am from Iowa.  My wife was a teacher in Iowa.  Between us we have 13 years of college, a few undergrad and a graduate degree.  Education is important to us... and my son goes to TPS.  I can say with confidence that your statement "Tulsa schools are atrocious" is an ignorant statement (no offense, I mean ignorant int he definitional sense, as in you are merely not informed).

I could not be more pleased with the facilities, administration, or his teacher.  Of course he has teachers he/I don't like as much, but in generally  they do an amazing job.  We have budgeted for private schools for our son (I went to private schools), but saw/see no real incentive to switch schools.  

If you are not inclined to throw your lot in with the "general population" then get your to-be child in to a magnet school.  I've never heard a complaint about the magnet program at Tulsa.  Generally they are recognized as among the best schools in the State.  If TPS magnets are not your lot, there are a ton of private schools in the area to chose from.

A school is worth what the community puts in to it.  MOST private schools have high levels of involvement, unfortunately that is not always the case at public schools - but it is sometimes.  But don't write off TPS, feel free to PM me if you want to know what school he goes to, I don't want my stalkers/detractors to go after the boy-child. []
- - -

For crime, I have been a victim of one crime in 5 years since living in Tulsa.  Granted, that one crime was a drive-by shooting (!) - but it was a random event by all accounts.  Some punk kids driving down the BA exited, fired, and got back on.  No correlation to where one lives and when caught - the kids were from Sapulpa (they shot up a car on 169 and hit an empty car seat... so the cops tracked them down).  

Now, using common sense I did not let my son play alone in the front yard until he was older.  I don't leave his bike out over night.  I lock my doors and close my garage.  I've never had a problem with theft, but by virtue of being in a more densely populated area there are simply more eyes to be tempted.  

Now, there have been things stolen from my neighborhood.  A car was broken in to last year and a house on the market had some kids break in and party.  But I doubt those are unique to Tulsa and are not of grave concern to me (no rapes, murders, robbery, assaults... these things concern me).
- - -

I understand your "family feel" concern.  There is a lot more diversity in mid-town Tulsa than Owasso.  As far as income disparity, race, and living conditions.  In Owasso you will be surrounded by mostly white, middle class, families (race/income differences raise natural concerns, valid or not - just being honest.  Also older people, young singles, and the odd ducks), and that has benefits to it for sure.  The ability to kick your kid off to the park to play with the Joneses.

But in my midtown neighborhood there are kids for my son to play with.  There is a park just down the street.   We are 5 minutes from Woodward, 10 minutes from the River Parks, 15 minutes from the zoo, 20 minutes from the aquarium. [for parents: 5 blocks to a liqueur store, 4 blocks from a bar and an all night restaurant...]

We also have a candy store, a Tae Kwon Do studio, a library, a bookstore, our dentist, MD, blockbuster, and about 200 other shops, grocery stores, and restaurants within walking distance.  Expo square nearly always has animals we can bike over and look at.  I consider it family friendly to be able to bike to many destinations with my boy on weekends.  When he is a little older, he can bike to these places himself (oh the day!).
- - -

Again, sorry if I am "selling" where I live as the best.  But in my opinion, we are dang lucky to have landed where we did.  Our main problem is going to be "upgrading" our house to something larger when my boy is a teenager and I have a need to get away from him.

Feel free to ask questions here or PM me.  I just don't want you to assume the suburbs are the only place to raise a family.

[nathanm]

quote:Originally posted by OUGrad05


Roads is completely different its part of vital infrastructure necessary for an economy to function, light rail is not, its a nice feature but not a necessity.

Tell that to the parts of the country that grew up with the railroad. Like Broken Arrow, that exists in that particular location because that's where some railroad guy decided there would be a town.

Note I didn't say light rail.

Besides, it's not "roads," or "rail," or "canals," or whatever else that is vital to a functioning economy. What is vital is "transportation." Favoring one form over all others is folly.

[Red Arrow]

quote:Originally posted by OUGrad05

quote:Originally posted by MsProudSooner

I heard on the radio this AM that the next Tulsa Transit express bus might be between Owasso and downtown.

Yea and they're also talking about light rail.  Which would be sweet, but I'd prefer it only if its profitable or break even.

The way I read your comment is that you would be willing to subsidize an unprofitable bus but a rail system must be self supporting. Is this correct?

If it is correct please consider:

Rail systems typically attract more riders than bus or BRT systems.  This would make it more likely to be self supporting at some time in the future than a bus.

A rail system can be less expensive than rubber tired options when the life and the operating and maintenance costs of the system are considered.

New development is more likely to happen near the rail than some remote acreage that would require an automobile to live there.

[OUGrad05]

quote:Originally posted by TheArtist

Yea, I lived in Owassos "3 lakes II" when it was new. An uncle who was a doctor had a home in "3 lakes 1". They were both the "nice" neighborhoods, when I would tell the kids in my high school class where we lived, they would go "oooh where all the rich people live". They were the new neighborhoods, out on the edge of the city by fields and trees.

Have you checked out either of those neighborhoods?  Not so nice anymore hu?

Brookside is very family friendly imo, and the property values are only going to improve.  

I'm looking at basically everything in Owasso thats relatively modern in our price range regardless of neighborhood.  We find them narrow it down and go from there.  We have 6 or 7 we're going to view on thursday.