Many of the best things about Tulsa seem to be embedded in affordable family-friendly neighborhoods. While that might be true there is also an active downtown scene with plenty of arts, culture, music, festivals and tons of bars and restaurants That mix of family vibe and a social center for younger professionals make Tulsa a compelling place.

**Here's a recent expat giving a point of view on living in Tulsa:** 
*I moved away for work. I miss it. I'm in a much bigger city now, but it felt like there was more to do in Tulsa. There are three venues that feature household bands/names all within 6 or so blocks. Between those and the bars downtown, you can watch live music just about any time or find other cool places in walking distance. Riverside is always (when it's not 110 degrees or 10) full of people biking, running, playing volleyball, etc. It can be a little status driven, but not nearly as bad as a lot of bigger cities. It has a good balance of big and small as a city. Traffic is not much of a problem, you may see the same cast of characters out, but you'll get world class shows and very cool events (my favorite being Oktoberfest and Tulsa Tough).*

For more reviews of what living in Tulsa is like from locals check out: [**The Buzz**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/tulsa?page=buzz)


An Interesting Mix

The Best Thing About Tulsa?

If you ask locals many will complain about the poor roads but what it is more widely known for is the meth scene. Of course not all areas of the city are plagued by the scourge but nonetheless just know that Oklahoma in general and Tulsa in particular wrestle with clearing out the drug. 


Meth

The Worst Thing About Tulsa?

Much of Tulsa's lifestyle is as you might expect. It’s an amazing city for families. Kids are safe to ride bikes around their neighborhoods and play outside in yards and most of the parks. People are extremely friendly – so expect a dose of southern hospitality on day one. 

There are however significant unexpected upsides: the arts scene is incredibly rich with a great opera, ballet and symphony offering as much culture as cities significantly larger. The music scene is also excellent with rock and blues acts consistently performing. Whether your tastes run to La Boheme or Justin Bieber it’s happening here. These performing arts venues are all surrounded by a growing foodie scene and plenty of upscale and casual bars/clubs for after the show. 

Anyone interesting in seeing what the locals do for fun check out the calendar of events: https://www.tulsago.com/experience


Lifestyle Of Tulsa

Tulsa was built on oil wealth and while there have been ups and downs in that industry in Tulsa it remains home to the headquarters of a number of oil-and-gas companies. A major economic diversification effort expanded the area into aerospace, finance, tech, media and manufacturing. While there are plenty of big businesses in Tulsa the bulk of employment comes from small businesses that make up 80% of the city’s companies. A number of the big corporations, like BOK Financial are in the Central Business District so for anyone looking to avoid the traffic and reputed poor drivers consider living near downtown. 


Worklife of Tulsa

Tulsa is consistently rated one of the 10 most affordable cities in the country. It’s also often rated of the 10 best real estate markets due to a combination of affordable housing + the high percentage of homes that sell near their list price in case you need to move on. If you’re looking to move from a more expensive place and stretch your bucks in a mid-sized city with arts and energy Tulsa is a great option. 


Stretching A Buck

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**The Best Thing About Tulsa?** An Interesting Mix

Many of the best things about Tulsa seem to be embedded in affordable family-friendly neighborhoods. While that might be true there is also an active downtown scene with plenty of arts, culture, music, festivals and tons of bars and restaurants That mix of family vibe and a social center for younger professionals make Tulsa a compelling place. 

**The Worst Thing About Tulsa?** Meth

If you ask locals many will complain about the poor roads but what it is more widely known for is the meth scene. Of course not all areas of the city are plagued by the scourge of meth but nonetheless just know that Oklahoma in general and Tulsa in particular wrestle with clearing out the drug. 

**How You Living?** 

As was noted there are a mix of neighborhood options 
in Tulsa. Most notable for those with young families is Cherry Street. Beautiful homes, lots of art and culture, boutique retail and a growing restaurant scene make this the perfect mix for those looking to raise kids with energy in the neighborhood. Downtown is also a good option for young professionals and young families who like to live near the classical arts and music scene and want to avoid any semblance of sleepy neighborhoods. 

**Why You Should Move Here Now?** Stretching A Buck

Tulsa is consistently rated one of the 10 most affordable cities in the country. It’s also often rated of the 10 best real estate markets due to a combination of affordable housing + the high percentage of homes that sell near their list price in case you need to move on. If you’re looking to move from a more expensive place and stretch your bucks in a mid-sized city with arts and energy Tulsa is a great option. 


Downtown is where all the youngsters are living and the Arts District is one of the most popular neighborhoods in the area. Filled with museums, bars and restaurants it’s the perfect neighborhood for those who like the museum-lifestyle or those who simply want close access to great nightlife. Pearl District is another great option for young professionals. Way more artsy than refined (like the Arts District) the Pearl District is blowing up with galleries, breweries and a close walk from Downtown and the East Village neighborhood. 
- Arts District
- Pearl District
- Deco District
- Greenwood


Young Professionals

Arts District

Cherry Street is a really cool neighborhood that is east of downtown with a quieter but still fun commercial district. Great restaurants, Irish pub, boutique coffee joints and in fact the highest number of locally owned businesses in town - nationals chains are not welcome here! The homes are beautiful old classics and perfect for the discerning couple or single looking for a more chill lifestyle. 
- Cherry Street
- Brookside
- Kendall Whittier


DINKs/SINKs

Cherry Street

Brady Heights is the largest gay district in Tulsa. Located just north of downtown it has a sizable commercial district with tons of restaurants, shops, bars and clubs. Brady Heights is one of the beautiful historic districts of Tulsa and the homes are classic Georgian, Victorian Queen Anne and Craftsman styles. Another option to look at in the midtown area of Tulsa is Florence Park. Filled with older albeit smaller homes and an active social scene, the area is more affordable than Brady Heights for those looking for a more affordable option. 
- Brady Heights
- Florence Park


LGBTQ+

Brady Heights

For younger families buying their first homes, Turner Park is a great option. Just under 6 miles from downtown for those who still want quick access to the city, it is filled with single-story, post-war homes priced for first time buyers. Turner Park also has a beautiful outdoor space called, not so surprisingly, Turner Park. Acres of greenery for the kids and the whole family (including Fido) to run and play. Riverview Historic District is another really compelling place for families to put on their shortlist. 100+ year old homes at reasonable prices is the first thing that attracts families. Another plus is how heavily the neighborhood stresses education, after all it is named after the old Riverview Elementary School. 
- Turner Park
- Riverview Historic District
- Owasso
- Broken Arrow
- Sand Springs


Families

Turner Park

Tulsa

**What is it like to live in Tulsa, OK?**

Pros:

- Lower cost of living than other major cities
- High population density
- Forest…so there is scenery
- Less traffic than major cities
- Conservative culture…if that's ok with you
- Nice churches
- Many retirees
- Excellent art and music scene
- No harsh winters
- Family oriented, festivals, The Gathering place parks
Cons:

- Underperforming schools
- Terrible public transportation
- Bad roads, outdated infrastructure and highways
- Lack of diversity
- Low wage job market
- High poverty and crime rates
- Friendly people? Eh, it depends on perspective. They are polite. Tulsa borrows charm from southern states but it's not unique to Tulsa only. I find friendlier people in southern states than in Tulsa. Tulsa is Midwestern
- Minorities…especially unmarried minority women are not socially accepted
- Extremely religious and judgmental culture
- Smoking cigarettes and vaping is culture and most public places, including workplaces lack smoke free areas. So, if you're a non-smoker, you're constantly breathing in secondhand smoke


**What is it like to live in Tulsa, OK?**

Living in Tulsa is fine. IMO quite a lot depends the previous places you've lived.

Tulsa is around the 50th largest city in the US.

Tulsa traffic is nonexistent compared to large cities.

Tulsa race relations are poor imo.

Tulsa is a Bible belt conservative town.

The people in Tulsa and Oklahoma in general are much friendlier and trustworthy than most other areas across the US.

Oklahoma's elementary educational system is an embarrassment and residents should be ashamed that it ranks so low in comparison to other states.

It's sunny almost everyday in Tulsa even during the winter. Summer can be ridiculously hot and humid.

The landscape has low hills with a lot of wooded areas.

Roads are always bad.

People in Tulsa are primarily college sports fans.

Imo the performing arts and public radio are well supported; probably proportionate to cities in the top 25 largest cities.

I think that this fills in some of the blanks from the other responses.

**Thinking about moving to Tulsa. Should I?**

I moved to Tulsa in the last year and I have to say that I really like Tulsa. It's a smaller city (comparatively); there are many well-established trees that help remind you that you are in the south; everything is so close by and most drives require only 10 mins to get here or there. I'd definitely suggest visiting before committing but I am happy with my decision to move here.

With that said, however, I am not sure how much hasn't been going on over the last year (that would otherwise be happening) because of Covid. I do think that many restaurants and bars have closed permanently. I look forward to checking out festivals and fairs when those start happening again.

Edit: Oh, and the airport! There is a small international airport here as well that is super easy and quick to get in and out of. In other places, going to catch a flight at the airport was such a chore and an all-day affair - but the airport here is quick to get through and to. It's great!

**Thinking about moving to Tulsa. Should I?**

I moved away for work. I miss it. I'm in a much bigger city now, but it felt like there was more to do in Tulsa. There are three venues that feature household bands/names all within 6 or so blocks. Between those and the bars downtown, you can watch live music just about any time or find other cool places in walking distance. Riverside is always (when it's not 110 degrees or 10) full of people biking, running, playing volleyball, etc. It can be a little status driven, but not nearly as bad as a lot of bigger cities. It has a good balance of big and small as a city. Traffic is not much of a problem, you may see the same cast of characters out, but you'll get world class shows and very cool events (my favorite being Oktoberfest and Tulsa Tough).

I think some people complain that it can be tough to break into friend groups, but I think that applies to a certain extent anywhere.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Green Country

Looklyloo Score: 69

We're on it!