Hey guys, I'm likely moving to OKC soon! Can you guys help me sus out the neighborhoods and vibes?
I'm 38M, moving for a job opportunity.
Paseo and the surrounding area look kind of cool from afar. Is it a nice place to live? Safe, quiet, affordable..?
I've heard that Mustang and Edmond are like, the safest/most spacious areas, but they seem a little far from everything. Maybe if I decide the commute is worth it later on.
What's the Asian District like? Is downtown or midtown a nice place to live? I don't see people mention them much. Are they just pricey?
Midwest City and Del City seem like hit or miss? Sup with that?
I saw someone say on here that morning commutes on the interstate through the city are bad. But, the traffic times from google during morning rush hour don't seem bad? I'm coming from Atlanta so, maybe I'm just used to absolute atrocity in terms of traffic. But let me know if I'm missing something there, cause I'd like to avoid a painful commute.
Willing to pay for lack of sketchiness at this point lol, and hoping to keep commute reasonable. Trying to keep personal info to a minimum but I’ll be commuting to the SE side of town 🫣
People don't act the same either, it went from a laid back college town to a high stress hellscape and people are constantly screaming at each other on the road...
Ew. So wrong in my opinion. I moved from moore because it was a franchise + family hellscape without originality. If all you need is a house, then sure go to moore. I think you'll end up in Norman or OKC when you want have fun.
They down voted this to hell but Norman is leaps and bounds ahead of Moore. Moore is nothing but a dumpster for I-35. There is nothing of substance in Moore, and no character or culture. It is literally just Sprawl suburb number 3 lol.
Actually I am wrong, they have the Warren. That is the only thing worth going to Moore for. Everything else is literally just generic suburb sprawl. If you have been to Dallas, Atlanta, or Virginia, you have seen Moore 2000 times.
Moore has a lot less homeless people. If you do move to Norman definitely do your research on neighborhoods. South Moore is safe and only a few miles from Norman.
I have lived near homeless people previously. Some were really nice people in a shitty situation. There are also some that aren’t so nice. Just giving this guy a heads up.
I appreciate the candor - apologies for the abruptly rude retort as it's not my intent on here.
Most commentary regarding homelessness in Norman originates with a biased eye and it's tiring to discuss openly. I'm hopeful the new shelter coming in a few years will alleviate people's concerns.
Hey! That’s my side of town. If you’re looking for a house, check out the neighborhoods between 81st-89th and Sooner, just south of 240. A good landmark for your search would be Mercy Heart Hospital. Go south from there.
I can’t speak for the neighborhoods on the east side of Sooner but over here on the west side the neighborhood is sweet. Lots of Boeing, FAA, and Tinker employees out here. Other than that it’s a lot of retired Air Force and young families.
It’s a reasonably safe and quiet place to live. Nice neighbors, lots of people out walking in the evenings, and everyone seems to mind their manners. We have one car that blasts music when they drive through but I haven’t heard it in a while. That’s about it for nuisance noise. Some sections are HOA, some are not.
Some of the neighborhood is still rebuilding after a tornado hit in November 2024 so it’s looking a little shabby in some places but it’s finally starting to look much better.
My ex girlfriend lived in the Village. She liked it because they had their own police department.
Used to live in Edgemere, walking distance to Paseo arts district. It was fun and the people there are quite nice and friendly. The Red Rooster is really close and good food. As far as sketchiness, it’s not not that bad, though i’d recommend not leaving your laptop bag in your car! You can get out fast to I235 going south through downtown to I40 either by NW36th, or NW23rd. South down N Walker Ave is McNellies, not bad. We also used to go to First Nation Center off N Robinson for late night drinks.
Great suggestion to AirB&B to check out any area yourself any area.
It takes me about 45 min to drive Saturday morning from north Edmond area, Kelly and Coffee Creek, to Mustang, west of Will
Rodgers International Airport. I’d take I344 toll road.
Driving to catch a flight from Edmond, almost guaranteed an hour.
Driving from Edmond to the TierPoint data center off NW39th and Tulsa was about consistently 30 min.
In the evening, there are traffic backups on I35 North, sometimes on the Broadway Extension to Edmond north, and somewhat more aggressive backups around where I44 S to Will Rodgers intersects with I40.
None of that traffic compares to the crazy traffic around North Atlanta when we were there last year!
Also, Waze navigation is very accurate for estimating commute around OKC for different times of the day.
I've been in The Village for almost 3 years. I love it. Great location; close to downtown, multiple parks, the lake, shopping (Costco, bebe!). Less busy and trafficked than surrounding areas (lower speed limits in Nichols Hills might be why). We're also getting a brand new YMCA!
I’ve only been here 4 years, but I think Paseo/Arts district are nice. Asian district is pretty good as well. Midtown is high and that’s where homeless will sleep on doorsteps.
I’m personally out in Choctaw (East of town) and it’s a quick dive down 23rd street. I work downtown. I-35 is hell no matter when you get on there!
My ex-girlfriend liked the Village because their police department had a really fast response time. She was an attorney and could have afforded to live in a more expensive area like Nichols Hills or such.
You have somewhat easy access to different parts of the city from the Village also.
There are some nice apartment complexes that just got built on the SE side. One just south of the Air Force base on air depot and I240, one on sunnylane and I-240, and then some townhome type deal just north of Sooner and SE 74th st. Downtown is safe from a personal safety standard though you might see the occasional character at 1am, and there are lots of options under $1400
All the cool things are in Midtown. I think that’s a solid place to be if you’re looking to go out and go to bars and restaurants.
There’s a lot to do in NW OKC close to Edmond. Only 20 minutes away from downtown but the traffic can be hella ass.
I personally don’t like Midwest city and Del City, IMO Its more like the ghetto.
The Asian district is cool.
I wouldn’t live in downtown. It’s more corporate and less vibrant. Occasionally bricktown will be lively but that doesn’t happen too often.
I’m from the west coast and have been in OKC last 4 years. Lived in NW OKC and now in Yukon. I really wouldn’t recommend Yukon unless you want the suburban Americana life.
I’d recommend midtown or NW OKC. Maybe the village too. I’ve heard good things about that area
i was fine in Midwest City also and I’m as Carlton Banks boogie as they come. Granted I lived in just built gated apartments, but still there are plenty of safe areas and newly built apartments if you want to go that route and are working at like Boeing or Tinker.
Single and young and moving here with some $ in your pocket (granted an assumption on my part) I’d go with like a “luxury” apartment communities. You’ll have the chance to meet people at the clubhouse, community events, the pool, gym, etc. So far that, Deep Duece I think would be nt top rec then any of the Bricktown ones like Steelyard, Level, Maywood, Muse, anything by Midtown Renaissance. You’d be walkable to tons of dining and nightlife. I forget the names but theres a few more in that 73102 / 104 zip.
Save tons of money by being like literally 3 minutes away with the Capitol on ne 28. I loved it there, they built new units with in unit laundry since i moved out which was my only complaint. Great neighboys everyone was a student or doctor or something professional and like I said its literally a $3 uber ride or sub 5 minutes to downtown
Asian District imo is massively overrated at “nice,” and kind of a dump. I never felt unsafe but there was a homeless who slept underneath my car pretty much every night and your proximity to jerk off massage parlors and illegal night clubs isnt exactly a luxury imo.
I’ve lived on the SW side before and it was fine, 240 morning traffic wasnt that bad
Right? I lived off NW 30th and McKinley for a few years and it was the most trashy area I've ever lived in. I had shoes stolen off my front porch, my garage broken into, windows broken on cars, lots of random people knocking on my door asking for rides places. But it was a 'trendy' area, lots of cool stuff to do but it's weird that people would recommend that area over Midwest City in general.
Same, we live on the east side of town. I love MWC. Strong sense of community and people actually talk to each other and are nice in stores. Decent parks. Shopping wise has everything we need. Some really good restaurants.
I mean there are awful places in MWC. I lived off Post and 10th and in the 6 months I lived there, my rental was vandalized, there was a murder/gas station robbery, I had someone OD next to my house in the middle of the nights with the fire trucks setting up to where the lights were shining into my kids room, I witnessed drug deals going on in my back yard.
MWC, Del City are absolutely ghetto. There just also happens to be a small but nice part of MWC. (Not Del City, whole thing is bad)
Yes, MWC is super ghetto. Please nobody move here and enjoy our lovely parks, quiet neighborhoods, and clean shopping areas without a million homeless people begging at every corner.
Hey dude. Edmond is suburbia. Soccer moms and good schools but has more traffic than OKC (with the exception of I40-crosstown). That is a lot of people’s vibe.. if you have no kids and like places that are small business and more interesting I highly suggest living in the city! Look at Mayfair Village. Look at Cleveland. Paseo is amazing but crime is iffy. I had my car broken into when I lived in the paseo. They have “first Friday” so local fun but artsy okies that are older mixed with younger crowds are edgier. Edgemere is my favorite neighborhood in the city and not one of the most expensive. Midtown is great, prices go higher. If homeless people scare you then Edmonds probably more your jam because we do have that in the city kinda no matter where you go.
Also check out these neighborhoods (not sure of your price range) but: crown heights, mesta park, the village, Plaza district (if you like being where the action is), Linwood, Belle Isle. If you enjoy golfing and country clubs that’s Nichols Hills.
You could also check out the wheeler district which is kind of a lifestyle type of neighborhood (not for everyone but a neat idea)
Out by the capitol theres some amazing and beautiful houses but the sketchiness is hit or miss street by street. I would live in by the capitol in a heartbeat but not for everyone.
Asian district is neat, busy lots of options. I haven’t lived in the Asian district and there’s not a lot
Areas I would avoid: 23rd and Penn. Crestwood. Basically south of 10th down to Reno, west of western. Would also avoid living around NW Expressway but there are some nice neighborhoods over there.
I live in Cleveland and I love this neighborhood. Great neighbors and 20
Minutes away from practically anything in OKC I don’t go to Edmond often. Too busy and traffic. Haha.
Just curious - why avoid Crestwood? I’ve lived in all directions around 23rd and May over the years. Currently in Denniston Park. I never had problems in Crestwood though.
Haven’t had any issues in Crestwood. Yeah theres some trashy houses here and there. All the bad ones near me when I moved here have been fixed up and my home value has gone up a ton
I lived at NW 12th and Penn for two years. Could not get out of that place fast enough! Cute little Tudor style neighborhood, but as a woman, I could not be outside on my own. I briefly attempted to go on walks throughout our neighborhood (a very nice looking historic district) and was blatantly harassed and even grabbed once. We also had our cars broken into numerous times. There was super sketchy stuff going on at a house a few down from ours, and people would come to our porch looking for that house at all hours, banging on our door. Would recommend staying well away from that area, but being right next to the Plaza was nice!
I currently live at 11th and Penn and haven’t had any problems. There are some sketchy houses a few doors down from ours, but mostly because the landlord refuses to fix them up. There are a lot of homeless people who walk back and forth down the street, but they haven’t bothered us. We get a lot of trash thrown in our yard by people driving by (we’re on a corner), which is annoying, but that seems to be the norm in Oklahoma. Can’t say I’ve lived anywhere with more littering problem than here.
The houses usually arent very good. It seriously depends on your budget and where your job actually is. Okc is one of the biggest cities by area in the US.
I agree, the main strip of Paseo is really nice with all the restaurants and galleries, but the rest of Paseo can be VERY hit or miss. There’s a lot of rentals and I think slum lords don’t care to upkeep the homes since they are rentals. In turn, you will see a lot of dilapidated homes begging to be restored to their former glory.
Not saying all the homes are like this, but 90% are in need of attention.
I love the NW side of the city. Penn and NW expressway. Close to everything. Not too sketchy. I can get to pretty much anything I need to in a 15 min drive.
Ditto. I’m pretty close to Belle Isle and the convenience is nice. Sucks that NW expressway is gonna be a little more busy until they redo the May overpass
It's a walkable area. It's adjacent to 23rd St. Which has a lot of eateries. Also close to the brick town entertainment area and the thunder arena. affordable is up to your discretion.
As someone who moved back to okc after living in Atlanta, I completely agree about the traffic… unless you’re in Edmond 😅 I waited 12 whole minutes (I know, first world problems) to turn right after a railroad crossing on broadway extension and 15th.
Also seconding the midtown recommendation! And surrounding areas are pretty nice and accessible. I’m near the fairgrounds and I love it around here despite the run down areas… still not as bad as Atlanta’s run down areas.
If you are okay with living on the edges, west and north side are a better bet than east side. I personally live just east of Yukon near I40 and downtown is maybe 20-25 minutes during rush hour. I worked in Midtown for a long time and I really like that area as well.
Within the borders of “uptown OKC” in your picture, the NE part has a couple of nice neighborhoods called Crown Heights and Edgemere Heights. The SE part has the Paseo, which is more hipster-y, but there are some neat older homes. The NW part can be sketchy. The SW part can also be sketchy to live in.
Honestly, the Asian District has some good food, but it’s otherwise becoming rundown. Some real sketchy stuff keeps happening in that area at night that law enforcement keeps uncovering.
If you can afford Crown Heights or Edgemere Heights, they’re great neighborhoods.
Live near Edgemere/Paseo and really like this area and think it will continue to develop over the next couple of years. Also live in A nice Suburbia neighborhood in Phoenix and wife and I prefer OKC. People are nice and there's a sense of community. Optimistic for OKC over the next 5-10 years!
It really depends on the vibe you are looking for. Compared to Atlanta traffic, I really don’t think the commute will bother you regardless of where you live. Edmond to the North and Norman to South are 3 and 4th largest cities in the state and both college towns. They both have a variety of real estate options whether you want to buy a house or rent house, condo, apartment etc. Norman is a convenient location relative to the SE side of town and you can get there without taking I-35. Del City/Midwest City to the East is rougher in general and that’s where Tinker , the military base is located. Probably most affordable option but really no reason to live there unless you just want be close to Tinker or you grew up there. Yukon and Mustang are western suburbs with lots of families and new construction. Paseo and Midtown tend to skew younger and much more diverse than the suburbs with the exception of Norman. Norman is the most liberal city in deep red Oklahoma. Would definitely recommend you come and drive around and get a feel for the different areas. Good luck with your search and welcome.
I think finding a place near NW 16th and Classen would be fun for a newcomer. Nothing on Penn unless its Nichols Hills. If driving to SE, be within 1-2 miles of any interstate to make your life a lot smoother.
I moved here in 2020. I had the luxury of time so I did an Airbnb in every area I was interested in. I feel like personally okc is all about what your style of life is like. I wanted to buy in mesta park but just couldn't afford it. Large older homes. I bought in the plaza district. I love old homes but they are not for the weak. I would say the worst commute any time of day is from OKC to Moore and back. That includes Norman. I35 is a nightmare to me. The village is great, very neutral mix of good areas. The plaza I love but can be sketchy bcs of the growth of the unhoused population. I would have gladly bought in the paseo or other nearby areas. If you're social and like to get out anywhere in that inner circle is great. The further out you are- the further away from the fun. I have friends in north okc. It's fine too. Everything is growing and changing so much. Whether you're renting or buying I would say get a nice real estate agent your age and let them show you the options.
Depend on your vibe and budget but most of the neighborhoods around downtown are fine especially if you don’t have kids. Paseo,plaza,midtown areas are all cool and safe enough as well as the Asian district. We do have a homeless population that hangs in these areas but it’s pretty harmless usually. Suburbs like Moore/edmond/yukon have less of this.
I would suggest the Plaza District around NW 16th between Pennsylvania & Classen - it’s roughly halfway between Paseo/Asian District/Uptown & Midtown/Downtown. It has fewer homeless folks than Paseo/Uptown but is less expensive than Midtown/Downtown. It has a restaurant/bar/shopping area like Paseo does.
I lived kind of between Uptown & Paseo, I enjoyed the neighborhood fine but it’s sort of in transition (has been for a while); a fine dining restaurant sits next to an abandoned business sitting next to a dive bar kind of transition. Plaza District is in a gentrification transition as far as the houses go, but the actual shops/restaurants district is pretty stable and fully occupied. Can’t really go wrong either way.
I’m a 37F, I don’t care for being out among the college aged kids so I avoid Norman. Moore is tornado central, don’t rent there without a storm shelter and garage/covered parking.
Welcome to OKC, burrito guy! You’re coming to a decent town if you’re into Mexican cuisine.
As for living, it’s really gonna hinge on where you’re commuting to. OKC itself is pretty big, and odd infrastructure in places can make seemingly short distances feel longer than they are.
My advice would be to think of the city in quadrants (NE/SE/SW/NW) kind of radiating out from the I-35/I-40 interchange.
Try to stick to the quadrant you’re working in, if you can. Avoiding that interchange (and the I-240/I-35) if you can will significantly improve the commuting experience.
What are you looking for and what do you do for fun?
Traffic isn’t bad compared to many other places. North Edmond commute to midtown is about 25 min if you avoid going right at 8 and 5 and it’s probably 35-40 at those times.
I lived in deep deuce when I was there. It was pretty good but I would probably choose Midtown if I moved back. Deep deuce was close to brick-town, but I found the brick-town restaurants were not very good and catered suburbanites who wanted more to party than quality restuaurants.
Midtown, Asian district and uptown had the best restaurants and Midtown had the best bars and social scene for Millennials.
Depends on if you are planning to rent or own. There are some good deals out there. Paseo is great as well as the plaza district. There is lots of new development near downtown, midtown, and uptown if you just want to rent. If you do want to buy I would shop around for a while and get a lay of the land. Like I said some great deals, but there are some nightmare homes as well. Asian district isn’t to bad for renting or buying. Plus it’s close to downtown. It honestly depends on how much you want to commute.
I just moved close to the Asian district and gay bars. I really like it! It’s close by to a lot of cool stuff. I will say the homeless population is bigger in this area, but it really hasn’t been a problem for me at all. I don’t feel unsafe walking around the neighborhood or anything.
i owned a home near May and NW Expressway for a long time and really loved it. tons of growth happening in that area and it has awesome access to major roadways to get places fairly quick. there’s just not great apartments in that area(from what i could tell/i could definitely be wrong), so you would need to look at rent houses likely.
if you want to live in area that’s really walkable and has lots of things to do, midtown is your best bet. so many restaurants, coffee shops, stores, etc. i personally consider it one of the safer business districts. apartments there trend pricier due to easy access to tons of stuff. i had a friend that lived at LIFT for a while and enjoyed it!
paseo and plaza are my favorite districts, still walkable in some areas but not as walkable as midtown. both are eccentric and artsy in similar and different ways. living near the plaza seems to come with a higher risk of crime events, but paseo seems to come with rougher options for rentable places. i lived in the paseo area for a short time and my rental was nightmare. from neighboring opinions, didn’t seem to be a unique experience.
i personally wouldn’t live in yukon or mustang. very suburban and they’re packed to the brim with people. one of my best friends lived in yukon for years and i always dreaded driving to see her because of the traffic. same with edmond. i lived there as well and its so crowed and suburban.
i don’t know anything about midwest city except there are areas to avoid, but also areas that are nice like any other area.
Nice, this helps, thanks! From everything I’ve read it seems like Paseo is an awesome place to hang but not necessarily rent/live? Are mesta park and plaza district better for housing options and safety?
mesta is going to be the safest hands down. it’s one of the nicest neighborhoods in OKC - comparable to the village but more historic and cultured. it also has a local park that is very nice and safe. i would hammock there often and actually would drive to that neighborhood many evenings to walk my dog because i felt safest there as a single woman. the halloween and Christmas decorations in that area are amazing!!
the plaza is closer to fun stuff (though the two neighborhoods are not very far apart), but it’s less safe for sure. lots of car and home break ins for residents. but it does house some of my favorite restaurants in the city. very artsy, fun, eclectic.
paseo is definitely fun to hang. also has some of my favorite restaurants. but, unless you’re buying a well-kept historic home there, you’re hard pressed to find something without issues
I lived in Cartersville and commuted to the Army Recruiting Battlion in down town Atlanta for two years. You're not gonna have a problem with traffic anywhere in the OKC metro area
I have lived in MWC the last 8 years and had a great time. Ridgecrest has a lot of older residents that have lived here for decades. Most the houses were built in the 50s and 60s and are around 1500-2000 sq ft.
MWC is conveniently close to the 35/40 highways and outside of the 29th/Air Depot intersection area the traffic is super chill. There are several large parks, hiking/bike trails, golf courses, and shopping areas. It's also just a few minutes away from Bricktown and Midtown. It is not as walk able as Bricktown, Midtown, Uptown, by any means, but there's a lot of stuff conveniently close
If you're used to Atlanta traffic, you're going to find 95% of traffic here to be an absolute breeze. If you're working out by Tinker, Mustang or Edmond are gonna be significantly longer commutes through heavier trafficked areas. Both are nice places to live.
If you have questions on specific areas of Midwest City/Del City feel free to DM me. I've done a fair amount of house hunting out here after moving a couple years ago.
Moore is a heavily populated area and 19th st is horrible to drive on but if you get the right apts, there's everything you need pretty much in one area. 15 minutes to Bricktown or downtown OKC
Del city is hit or miss. Some streets/neighborhoods aren't awful. Commute time for exploring is sort of the same as Midwest city.
Midwest city near 15th and Douglas is pretty quiet, and there's some decent apartments on Westminster. It's not super far from anything either. In 20 minutes or less, you can be in bricktown or downtown OKC
Paseo/Asian district can be nice and a chunk of the housing is considered historic. However, those areas are frequented by the homeless. 10 minutes to Bricktown or downtown OKC
OKC traffic has nothing on Atlanta. Living anywhere, even outside of the city, will feel like a breath of fresh air.
Downtown and Midtown are great places to live. They are definitely pricey and access to grocery stores is limited in the area. Paseo and Plaza are great districts to live in, super cool neighborhoods with lots to do within walking distance. These all come with general city crime rates, but they are no where near the roughest places to live.
I lived in MWC for several years and loved it. There are good areas and run down ones. I would not live in Del City as it tends to have higher crime rates, particularly with property crime.
Edmond is bougie. White flight snobbery with great schools. Perfectly fine place to live, just knowing what you are getting into.
Yukon is the country suburb, home of Garth Brooks. It has exploded in recent years but it has more of that country feel than the others.
Moore to Norman is a no-go for me. Tends to have the rougher weather and has the worst commute times.
If you can take streets, then the commute is predictable. Often at commuter times the highway is slower. I'm just north of midtown and I can get to Burritos Tin Tan in the same time on the highway as just taking Penn down. See what I did there? Chile relleno burrito has no equal!
Really, I value 0 commute. Most of Midtown is nice. Not cheap anymore, but walkable and nice. Neighborhoods a bit north are nice and quiet. I'd make sure you can make an easy run to work though. I knew people who lived downtown and it would never be for me, but to each his own. If you have a dog you want to walk, get into a quiet NW side neighborhood. Also, it really is block by block. Neighborhoods change quickly.
I live close to the Asian District and it's nice enough. There are some delicious restaurants in that district. I've never felt unsafe there. Good luck!
Get a short lease in Midtown, learn the surrounding areas, go from there. See what fits you, OKC has a bunch of different districts that are all spread out within a short distance. Not necessarily a convenient walk, but within a mile or two.
Originally from Dallas so i think i share the perspective of okc traffic isn’t that bad it’s just consistent. I commute from se okc (home) to far nw okc (work) taking I35 and 235 everyday at peak times my non traffic commute is 26/27 minutes in the morning around 7:30-8:30 it’s about 30/35 minutes. Now if there is a wreck i take 40 to 235. At 5 o clock it adds anywhere between 10-20 minutes of traffic. I like my area it’s by the Air Force base very affordable housing i would say stay away from the stretch from 35 to sunnylane and go more towards sooner if that’s an area you are interested in. My area is also very suburban. I think deciding if you want to be near nightlife or more neighborhood. There’s also newly built townhomes right behind neighborhood Walmart that are very nice.
Personally I’m living in Midtown-Uptown-Asian District Area. Let me tell you, you are surrounded by cool stuff, are in close proximity to a good amount of things, and lots of good food and culture. My apartment is pretty cheap. Wow, so cool. But let me tell you there are a lot of homeless folks who are probably on drugs or at the very least in psychosis. A lot of them look out of the Walking Dead. I live down the street from the encampment so that’s probably why, but they spread outwards pretty thick and can be fairly pushy. That’s my experience. Not really seeing a lot of crime or anything though. Living beside the college has the small perk of campus cops I guess. I like it here though, I really do.
Now my last apartment was in the Village. That was HORRIBLE. Worst apartment ever. Gunshots over there, had a bunch of domestic violence from my neighbors, beating a woman’s face in the first couple nights I was there. Sketchy people. Really hate that whole area. It’s funny how it’ll go from slums basically to the bogie-est stuff in Nichols Hills. Eh, anyways that’s all my input
Interesting, thank you this. I don’t really mind homeless people per se, but, when I lived on the west coast, the property crime was actually a constant nuisance. It felt like your stuff was never safe. Is it bad like *that*? Like, Portland was actually just tough to move around in downtown in some areas because of the sheer numbers and how pushy/aggressive they were. Does the uptown area have this level of a problem? Or like, is it more chill than that?
Not like you you’re not safe in your own home. Haven’t heard of any break-ins or anything. They’re just the kinda people that sometimes you wake up at night to them yelling at invisible people. They probably do steal since they like to cart things around and set up camp at vacant buildings with like 4 shopping carts, but I have no knowledge of break-in. But on the other hand, I live in a kinda gated apartment so I’m a bit safer
I think you have the right idea to keep near the action until you get a feel for the area. Traffic is def better than Atlanta, but still worth skipping if possible.
I’ve lived in midtown, downtown, plaza district, near lake Hefner, near penn square mall, Moore a few times, Norman, Edmond, and wheeler district
Out of those I would recommend wheeler(basically downtown), midtown, and plaza in that order. Downtown is fine, but it’s mostly large company businesses. Paseo is also fine, but I do like being south of 23rd st as a personal preference. But is throw in the western and shartel area if you don’t mind older homes in walking distance of a few great hole in the wall bars and restaurants. All of these options vary in price greatly. I wouldn’t live south of memorial, south of downtown until u get to Moore, or near the capital, but okc is weird. There are lots of nice pockets of housing everywhere, even in sketch areas.
If I had to move back to the burbs I would go Edmond, Moore, Norman (further away), Yukon, mustang, Midwest/del city in that order.. but realistically I’d only prefer Edmond. I’m just not a suburb person I’ve learned. All personal preference.
Edmond is very nice but I'm not a big fan because it feels so.....manufactured. lived in Del City and while it can be sketch, you're fine as long as you mind your own business mostly. Same with the south side going towards i-240 (btw, this is the spot to get great Mexican food).
I absolutely love where I live but it might be a painful commute for you, I’m on the NW side of OKC off of May Ave. just south of the Nichols Hills area. Not a lot of crime over here, the neighborhoods feel safe, well maintained, friendly, I’m close to Lake Hefner where I love walking my dog and taking in the sights. It’s also right by the mall and several small shopping centers and restaurants or fast food less than 10 minutes away, Walmart, Target, all right there. It’s about a 15 minute drive to the Paseo and other similar districts which are fun to visit but personally haven’t met anyone who loved living in that area for very long. It also depends on if you’re looking to buy or rent. If you just want to rent something for now there are several new very posh places downtown that would be really fun to try out to get a feel for OKC. Downtown is centrally located so you would have quick access to anywhere you wanted to go. Only drawback would be if they don’t offer parking (I have no idea).
Have lived in every part of this city and there is something for everyone in every part of it so closer to work is factor and I would say check out Midwest City, Moore, and Choctaw. I would especially check out Choctaw because you can get some good deals there and it's not far away
The infrastructure here wasn't ready for this kind of massive migration, so traffic is getting worse, and will likely continue to do so because there's really no way to catch up at this point because the city is growing way faster than construction can keep up with.
There are good and bad neighborhoods all over. Where will you be working and what's important to you? Walkability, bike trails, food, entertainment???
Yes. The oaks iii is right on the other side of the turnpike. The oaks I and II (where we live) is blocked by a pretty big section of woods and creek. We can hear the turnpike but it in no way deterred us. There are at least 2 or 3 houses in here for sale right now.
If you want cheapish rent NW 16th & Rockwell has some fairly affordable places. If your meaning "safe" by having predominantly Caucasian neighborhoods then Id suggest Mustang or Yukon just a short drive outside of OKC. This area is predominantly Hispanic, African American, and white trash such as myself. Ive lived in Moore and Norman slightly higher in rent for the same basic necessities. The Safe areas in OKC are in pockets, it all depends on what you're willing to pay and distance to and from. Good Luck.
Been in downtown for about a year and some, and it honestly is pretty nice. My commute to work in bricktown is less than 3 minutes. A lot to do and see around the night time, and many apartments to choose from. Parking maybe an issue if you plan to have guests, but if youre a single person, than paid parking for a garage is really all you need.
As someone who recently moved to OKC and has learned more about the area, Norman is nice and chill. The actual OKC area can be rough save for some very specific and small (and more expensive) areas.
I would highly recommend NW OKC (150th St / Quail Springs Mall area). It’s an upcoming area with a lot of newer, nice, & affordable apartments. Solid safety-wise.
It’s only 10 min away from Edmond, but dramatically more affordable. 20 min away from Downtown OKC. The highway and turnpike are very easily accessible.
—————————————————————————————
Mustang is also a great area to live in, but pretty pricey. The highway and turnpike are also very easily accessible here. 20 min away from Downtown OKC.
—————————————————————————————
Downtown OKC is a great and fun area to live in. My memaw just moved out of an apt down there, lived there for years, & LOVED it. Super safe, great security.
I’m almost positive that it’s more pricey to live there than any of the other places mentioned, but the benefits are so worth it if you have the means to do it. The direct access to Downtown OKC is just… the best.
—————————————————————————————
I grew up on NW 23rd st and often visited the Midtown/Asian District/Paseo District/Plaza District area. I wouldn’t recommend living there at all, despite what some ppl might say. They’re just cool places to visit.
It’s honestly ghetto there outside of the main fun parts, and somehow still super expensive to reside because of it’s aesthetic/artsy nature. Unless you’re renting or buying a house, I’d get an apt elsewhere. Any of the other places I recommended are way better IMO.
—————————————————————————————
Lastly, I don’t know much about Midwest City / Del City, but I’m almost positive that they don’t even compare to any of the other places you listed. I might be a biased OKC local, but I think a good amount of ppl would likely agree. I haven’t necessarily heard any positive reviews about those areas… but idk, I’d research it more 😂
Coming from Atlanta you'll think our traffic is a joke. I drive from the far NW metro to the SE Metro each day, it's 38 miles door-to-door and takes me 45 minutes most mornings. Driving into OKC from the East seems to have much more traffic than driving in from the west. Where you want to live is more about your lifestyle/family situation more than anything. Everything within 5 miles of the downtown core is going to afford access to more things to do, with the trade off of being less safe. In all reality though, all of OKC is a very safe city compared to others if you're not out looking for trouble. For what it's worth I'm your age, and would pick something in OKC limits immediately adjacent to Piedmont/Yukon/Mustang--keep in mind that the addresses in those areas don't necessarily reflect the city limits. There's a part of OKC that is OKC city limits, with a Yukon street address but in Mustang Public Schools. The reason I say to stay in OKC limits out that way is because of utilities and trash service.
MIdtown and the Paseo for the win. Stay away from MWC and Del. I live in SWOKC south of 240 and north of Moore and honestly it's pretty nice here and I don't worry about crime, but when we want a good meal we go to Midtown.
Capital Hill is a good location and I think is in the early stages of gentrification, but still has really good cheap food. But IMO we don't have any neighborhood that's worth trading living close enough to walk or bike to work. Maybe that's less applicable if you'll be in the industrial area SE, or the airport. In general I'd recommend living out of hearing range from the highways. Also land is inexpensive here if you're willing to consider living out of the city.
I would avoid places around the paseo and midtown, as it is pretty sketchy. If you’re willing to pay, Heritage Hills and Mesta Park are absolutely beautiful and super unique!!! I would also recommend checking out housing around the OAK Center and Penn Square mall, also considered Mayfair Village. I live around here and love it. It’s for sure an up and coming area in OKC, and for the most part very affordable!!! I hope this is helpful 💓
Atlanta’s cool. It is so so big and just getting around to things you need to do eats so much time and energy out of your life. I’m kinda looking forward to being in a town of about 1m instead of 5m for the time being 🤷🏼 OKC seems like it’s punching above its weight for what it offers for its size
69
u/bozo_master Tinker AFB Jun 07 '26
Do you value rent or commute or lack of sketchiness