While areas like Oklahoma City and Tulsa are the more popular destinations, the truth is there are other cities and towns in Oklahoma with excellent reasons not only to visit, but to live as well. One of those is Norman, just a half-hour drive (maybe even less) from Oklahoma City.
We might be a little biased, but Norman offers plenty of attractions, amenities, and fun for everyone. In this month’s post, read about our favorite eight reasons that you might want to consider Norman for your next home.
Low Cost of Living
One of the biggest reasons people choose to move to Oklahoma is its affordability. The entire state has a very low cost of living. According to US News, Oklahoma ranks fourth overall in affordability and second in cost of living. Norman itself is in the lower end of cost of living in the state, making it one of the most affordable places to live in the country. Not a bad place to start when making your pros and cons list!
Delicious Food
Move over, NYC and LA, Norman is coming for you – alright, maybe not quiet yet. But the food in Norman is excellent, with a wide variety of both popular chain restaurants such as Whataburger, Torchy’s Tacos, and Pei Wei, as well as local gems and hotspots. No matter what you’re craving, Norman definitely has it.
For a fancy night out, Oklahoma City has some innovative, exciting new restaurants, one of which was named the best restaurant of 2018 by Bon Appetit Magazine. You’ll likely never run out of new places to try in Norman and nearby areas.
Local Favorites
As we mentioned, Norman has many hidden local gems that are lauded and obsessed over by local citizens. There’s Midway Deli, a neighborhood grocery store founded in 1955 transformed into a sandwich shop; Tarahumara’s Mexican Cafe, a fast-paced, customer-friendly Mexican restaurant; and Victoria’s Pasta Shop, a student favorite.
But there are many other non-food favorites in Norman where locals love to spend their free time. From University of Oklahoma campus destinations like the Fred Jones Museum of Art to night-time fun at The Deli, which is not a deli and is instead a live music venue on the famous Campus Corner, there is a seemingly endless list of things to do.
All Kinds of Sports
For the sports fan, Norman is heaven. In the fall, you can enjoy the legendary Oklahoma Sooners play at one of the loudest stadiums in all of college football. Or if you don’t want to attend the game but just enjoy the atmosphere, the town near campus basically shuts down on game days, offering food and drink on the street.
If you’re more of a basketball fan, you can enjoy both local basketball at the university, or head up to Oklahoma City to watch the Thunder, the second-most winningest team since 2010. Not to mention, the OU men and women’s gymnastics teams boast national titles in the last few years, as well as the softball team.
Great Proximity
Like we mentioned, Norman is great for its proximity to Oklahoma City, but there are also tons of other nearby destinations that make Norman an excellent place to live for adventurers. There’s the Wichita Mountain range and the Arbuckle Mountain range, plus the Great Salt Plains State Park to the north. You can also visit Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Dallas/Fort Worth in only a few hours in the car.
Beautiful Walking Spots
For many, exercise is a key element of not just life, but where you live. In Norman, you get prime access to excellent places to walk, run, or bike. There’s the University of Oklahoma campus, which is filled with beautiful trees and paths and open to the public, or you could try one of the city’s parks, which offer everything from baseball diamonds to soccer goals and jogging paths.
If that’s still not enough, check out the Sutton Wilderness Park, a wooded area with walking and running paths plus a lake for fishing and relaxing. You could even take a day trip to nearby Lake Thunderbird and go swimming, boating, or just lounging.
Local Climate
We know, we know. Every city brags that their weather is the best weather (except for places like Chicago, where they brag that theirs is the worst weather for their frigid winters). In Norman, you’ll experience warm but rarely unbearable summers and mild, sometimes frosty winters. Snowstorms are common but hardly ever a hindrance.
In the fall and spring, you can enjoy some of the prettiest weather you can find nationwide, with temperatures in the 50s to 70s. It’s hard to complain about the weather in Norman.
Get Where You’re Going
In Norman, it’s incredibly easy to get wherever you need to go, no matter what area of town you live. There are walkable and bike-able grocery stores close to almost every popular neighborhood, as well as bike paths all over town. In the car, you’ll find you rarely need to drive more than ten minutes to reach everything from your favorite restaurant to even the movie theater.
If you’re ready to make your move to Norman, we’d love to chat. We offer several excellent apartment options with different layouts and locations. Contact us today to talk to a leasing agent.
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