Since Oklahoma City fell victim to the worst terrorist attack in our nation's history, the city has had difficulty shaking off the media spotlight on the tragedy. Aside from our national admiration of the strength of Oklahoma City's residents, we focus on little else about the city that has was often referred to as the nation's "Heartland" prior to that fateful day five years ago.

While Oklahoma City will never forget, its residents have moved on, and the city continues to thrive. But then again, determination runs deep here. Oklahoma City's roots date back before the days of the Homestead Act, when a number of "pioneers" decided to stake their claim before the passage of the act on land around what would later become Oklahoma City. Their eagerness (and their violation of the law) earned them the nickname of "Sooners." That name stuck, and continues to be synonomous with Oklahoma City and the entire state today. In fact, a "Sooner" is the official mascot of the University of Oklahoma.

The future Oklahoma City welcomed a new wave of settlers when oil was discovered here. As the region's population continued to swell as a result of this booming industry, Oklahoma City was born, and what was once a flat, desolate area at the heart of the nation became an industrial center.

Settlers came from far and wide, creating a diverse population in Oklahoma City. The first settlers here, however, have deep roots that remain today. Native Americans represent some 10 percent of Oklahoma City's population. The annual Red Earth Festival pays tribute to the proud heritage of multiple Native American tribes, who have gathered together every year since 1879 to ensure that future generations remember and preserve their unique traditions.

In addition to oil, other major industrial sectors in Oklahoma City include agribusiness, construction and real estate, government, health care, manufacturing, military (Tinker Air Force Base is located southeast of Oklahoma City), mining, and wholesale and retail.

Residents in this city enjoy a high quality of life, thanks in part to a large network of parks that wind through the city and provide plenty of areas for recreation. Golf has a particularly large following here; Oklahoma City has more than 20 public golf courses and more than 10 private courses. Horse-racing is another popular regional pasttime. Remington Park, a $97 million stadium in the heart of the Heartland city, offers a wide range of seating options for all budgets and levels of devotion to the spectator sport.

If you're planning a visit to the Heartland city, your best bet is to travel here any time between the months of October to May. The weather is friendly here for the most part, give or take a few intense thunderstorms (as the spring of 1999 so dramatically demonstrated, the area also is prone to tornadoes). The summer months, during which daytime temperatures soar well into the 90s, can be on the warm side for the faint at heart. But Oklahoma City is more than compensated for its summertime patience with beautiful fall weather and mild winters.

Like so many other major cities across the United States, Oklahoma City has embarked on a massive undertaking: an extensive renovation of its downtown sector. The epicenter of this urban renewal is in an area of the city called Bricktown. Here, you'll find several warehouses undergoing refurbishment for mixed-use developments. Alongside the renovation on historic structures, crews are hard at work on new construction projects, including the recently completed Bricktown Ballpark, where Oklahoma City's RedHawks baseball team plays.

In addition to its rich Native American history, Oklahoma City also is home to another kind of history: the cowboy. That history is so extensive, in fact, that the Heartland city was selected as the site of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, which houses various artifacts of the legendary cowboys and the great West. Within this center, you'll also find the Rodeo Hall of Fame and a Children's Corral, which provides "little pardners" with a taste of the cowboy life with real-life artifacts from the West. If you're looking for an even more realistic sampling of historical local color, head to Frontier City Theme Park, a somewhat kitschy-yet-fun tribute to the West. This is 70 acres of staged gunfights, saloons and live entertainment for cowboys and cowgirls of all ages.

Also worth a trip while you're here: the Oklahoma City Zoological Park, habitat for a myriad of species, and considered among the nation's best wildlife centers.

If a move here is in your future, you're going to enjoy a relatively low cost of living. A 1998 cost of living survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association (ACCRA) ranked Oklahoma City among the nation's least expensive metropolitan centers. Its housing inventory is varied and reasonably priced. An analysis of Oklahoma City's housing costs, conducted by Ernst & Young Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group, found that the city's residents paid approximately 17.4 percent of their disposable income for upscale housing. That percentage placed Oklahoma City as the nation's most affordable upscale housing market for the third year in a row.

While Oklahoma City has experienced its share of tragedy, the spirit and determination of its residents, combined with the city's rich and diverse heritage, have contributed to its swift move back onto the path of progress.

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Published: August 30, 1999

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