Norman

First Courthouse is one of the older residential areas of Norman, Oklahoma, although it blends that residential aspect with a commercial corridor on Porter Avenue. Porter Avenue is also home to the Norman Regional Hospital, which is the second largest employer in the city. First Courthouse includes not just its namesake area, but also the neighbor of Old Silk Stockings, where the Moore-Lindsay Historical House Museum now sits. “It’s quite an old area. The home was built in 1899 and turned into a museum in 1975,” says Amy Pence, who has been the Museum Manager for five and a half years. “It’s beautiful and a prime example of what early upper middle class was like in Norman.” The housing style can range throughout the neighborhood. “There’s a decent amount of older homes,” says Pence. “But not enough to call it a historical district.” Most homes were built in the early 20th century, with ranch, ranch-style, bungalow and Craftsman homes a common sight. There are a few Victorian and Queen Anne’s as well, especially in the older homes. With an average price of $149,500, most homes begin around $120,000 for a two-bedroom bungalow and can reach $300,000 for a newly constructed Craftsman with three bedrooms. Homes often come with storm cellars in the backyard in preparation for tornados, as well as alleys located behind the home where trash pickup sometimes occurs. Sidewalks and walkability can vary from street to street, with some where homes are set further back from the sidewalk with mature trees covering the area. On others, the homes are closer together and to the street, with some on-street parking or small carports. According to the CAP Index, First Courthouse receives a crime score of 6. Driving down North Porter Avenue showcases businesses such as Boom-a-rang Diner, Gourmet Donut, Boomer Express, HTeaO and Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Store. “This side of town has more locally owned businesses,” says Pence. “The west side has more of the chain restaurants and businesses.” A Walmart Supercenter is about half a mile to the east, while Sprouts Farmers Market is about half a mile to the west of the neighborhood. In the Carriage Plaza Shopping Center, Cayman’s Clothiers sells women’s clothing and cosmetics. Norman itself has several city-wide events, including the Norman Music Festival, first started in 2008 and running the third Thursday through Saturday of April, and more neighborhood-oriented activities, including learning more about the history of the neighborhood at the Moore-Lindsay Historical House Museum. Several of the neighborhood churches will also have Sunday evening activities, such as book club at the Goodrich Memorial United Methodist Church. Children in the neighborhood can begin at either Jefferson or Wilson Elementary School, both of which are within neighborhood boundaries and receive an A-minus from Niche, for prekindergarten through fifth grade. Longfellow Middle School, also in the neighborhood, is for sixth through eight grades and receives a B-plus from Niche. Students can then attend Norman North High School and take Advanced Placement classes. Norman North receives an A from Niche. Just across North Carter Avenue to the east, the Frances Cate Park offers outdoor options for the sport nut, with a fitness court for all types of exercise as well as spaces for soccer and basketball. Children can also explore the playground, crossing a small creek to reach the equipment. There is also a little pocket park by the Moore-Lindsay Historical House Museum with a gazebo, benches and tree coverage. Interstate 35, a major north-south interstate, is about 3 miles to the west of the neighborhood. The bus line 121 comes through every 60 minutes and has stops along North Porter Avenue by the Norman Regional Hospital. “Porter Avenue is physically small but it’s a main north-south street,” Pence says.

Named the City of Festivals, Downtown Norman is the epicenter of over 25 festivals, countless events and a bustling nightlife. With more than 40 locally owned bars and restaurants, boutique shops and various green spaces, there is always something going on in Downtown Norman. For those looking to be near the action, there is a small collection of homes just off Main Street, while the area also has maintenance-free living in apartments. “It’s a place where you can get anything you want,” says Dan Scheem, President and CEO of Visit Norman and Norman Sports. “There is a live music scene, every city event practically happens downtown, and so many local restaurants and shops.” The housing supply is limited in this primarily entertainment district, and a decent portion is in the form of one-and-two-bedroom apartments. A little off Main Street, buyers can find single-family homes on tight city streets. The homes are primarily cottages and Craftsman bungalows built on compact lots between the 1920s and the 1950s. A three-bedroom Craftsman will go for about $220,000. Students attend the highly rated Norman Public Schools, which grades an A-minus on Niche, is the eighth-largest district in the state and offers a robust fine arts program. Children attend Adams Elementary, which scores a B, the A-minus rated Whittier Middle School and Norman North High School. Norman North grades an A and offers the Career Pathways Program that allows students to explore their interests in six career fields, including Arts, Communications and Information Systems. Andrews Park was initially built in 1890, and families head to the park to take advantage of the playground and beat the heat at the splash pad. Housed at the park, Blake Baldwin Skatepark brings out extreme athletes skating in a safe environment. The park is a community gathering space with a 500-seat outdoor amphitheater that hosts the city’s annual Jazz in June Festival. Right through the heart of downtown, the 1.5-mile Legacy Trail runs parallel to an active railroad, passing through some of the city’s artwork and sculptures, making it a unique place for a walk or bike ride. Residents drive about two miles west on Main Street to shop for groceries at Sprout’s. Shopping in Downtown Norman can be done on foot at boutiques like East Downtown, a vintage clothing store, and Stash, which sells a little of everything, including home goods. With more than 40 locally owned restaurants and bars, locals can practically try a new place to eat every night. Probably the most famous stop is The Diner, featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and is only open until 2 p.m. Scratch Kitchen and Cocktails is another option, and each meal is made from scratch. “When my wife and I have a date night we are coming downtown,” Scheem says. Featuring nearly half a dozen breweries, the owners have created the Ale Trail passport. Once craft beer enthusiasts sample a drink from each, they can cash their stamps in for a souvenir mug. Norman is dubbed the city of festivals, hosting more than 25 yearly. The largest event is the Norman Music Fest, a three-day festival with stages right on Main Street. Drawing music lovers from near and far, the free independent music event brings nearly 100,000 people downtown. More frequently, the Sooner Theater is housed in a 1929 movie house and hosts local and touring shows, while the Second Friday Norman Art Walk is a free celebration of arts held monthly in the Walker Arts District of downtown. While it is easy to navigate Downtown Norman by foot, Go Norman Transit offers a range of bus lines around the city, and Main Street has three different routes that drop off at various stops in the city. Downtown is within 1.5 miles of the Norman Regional Hospital, a 324-bed general hospital. Exactly a mile away is the University of Oklahoma, a major public research university offering 170 academic programs with an enrollment of more than 31,000 students. The university has big-time college sports, and the Sooners’ NCAA Division I teams will compete in the Southeastern Conference starting in the 2024-25 school year. Students and residents should note that Downtown Norman ranks as nearly double the national average in the CAP Index crime score for violent crime and larceny. “Norman is a college town, and students lived checkerboarded throughout the city, but downtown doesn’t have the housing style they’re looking for. Gameday’s in the fall, you will see a bit more crowds, but before and right after the games, people stay in campus corner,” Scheem says.

Larsh-Miller is a small, residential neighborhood in Norman within walking distance of The Historic Campus Corner, downtown Norman and the University of Oklahoma. The Railroad in the late 1800s had set a solid foundation for Norman’s eventual urban transformation, and today Norman is known for historic homes, vibrant retail districts and a major state university. "Larsh-Miller is a great historic area. There are some beautiful houses with a lot of charm and original details," says Jennifer Green, Realtor with Salt Real Estate. "And the neighborhood is within walking distance of the University of Oklahoma. That's a big selling feature." The area’s quiet residential streets are dotted with homes built from the early 1900s to the 1930s. Modest Craftsman bungalows, cottages, farmhouses and traditional homes start around $150,000 and can go up to $500,000. Larger Colonial Revivals, Foursquares and Tudor Revivals over 3,000 square feet range between $550,000 and $900,000, with multi-unit properties listing around $1 million. Modern two-bedroom condos from the 2010s are about $300,000. Brickwork exteriors are prevalent in the neighborhood with Craftsman influence. "Homes in Oklahoma have appreciated in value lately, but definitely in the Larsh-Miller area," Green says. "There has been some really beautiful refinishing of the homes there." As Norman is an area with major heat and drought risks, many area homes may have wildfire risks and homeowners are recommended to purchase home insurance. Residents may shop for groceries at Sprouts Farmers Market, and the convenience store Campus Corner Market is also close by for quick snack trips. For household supply restocks, Walmart is about 2 miles east of the neighborhood. Catch a sports game broadcast with some friends over burgers and beer at The Garage. Those craving cheese fries or pulled pork nachos may grab a table at The Mont’s outdoor patio area. The Historic Campus Corner is home to locally owned boutiques, including The Apothem and Mave, as well as popular restaurants, breweries and coffee and ice cream shops such as Sweet Sips & Sticks and Second Wind Coffee House. Additional vintage shops, live music venues, art galleries and eateries are home to downtown Norman, including The Diner on Main Street, Norman Arts Council and Sooner Theater. The city offers a variety of festivals throughout the year, including the Norman Music Festival, the Norman Chocolate Festival and the Earth Day Festival, which offers workshops on environmental causes while celebrating the planet. Norman also holds the tradition of the Norman Twilight Market, which is a monthly night market featuring local bakers, vendors, musicians, pet adoption events and family-fun activities for children. Additional events include the Spring Art Show and the Medieval Fair. Locals can catch a movie at the AMC movie theater and play at Sooner Bowling Center. Located about 7 miles west of the neighborhood, Hey Day is a comprehensive entertainment venue with laser tags, mini golf, billiards and an arcade. Residents can walk or jog along the Legacy Trail at Legacy Trail Park or visit June Benson Park, which is a peaceful small green space that was named after the city’s first female mayor. Slightly up north, Andrews Park offers a more comprehensive recreational experience with a skatepark, an outdoor amphitheater and a splashpad for children. Residents may take their dogs on long walks at the adjacent Sutton Wilderness Trail Park. The parkland’s pond also has a lively fishing scene, attracting local anglers to the park. People can also play sports such as soccer or disc golf at Griffin Community Park. Families can visit Westwood Water Park is the summer and enjoy the water slides at the municipal pool. Students may begin schooling at Lincoln Elementary School, which is rated A-minus by Niche and has a student-teacher ratio of 13 to 1. Irving Middle School has a B while Norman High School scores an overall A. Norman High offers over 20 Advanced Placement courses as well as programs such as Gifted and Talented and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID). Norman’s city bus transit is operated by EMBARK Norman, providing access to many neighborhood, recreation and facility destinations. The community is also situated near Interstate 35, which leads into Will Rogers World Airport and Oklahoma City with a 22-mile drive. Oklahoma City can also be accessed via Amtrak at Norman Station. Norman Regional Hospital is less than 2 miles away. According to the data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the city’s Consumer Confidence Report, Norman’s drinking water may have high levels of Chromium 6, arsenic, chloramine and strontium present.

When most people think of Oklahoma, they imagine endless wheat fields, cows and farmland. West Norman has plenty of fields nearby, but this neighborhood has big city amenities in downtown Norman, Sooner Mall and the University of Oklahoma (OU). "The west side of Norman is a nice place to live, especially if you're a commuter," says Karen McIntosh, a Realtor with Dillard Cies Real Estate who has over 13 years of experience. “Norman's main shopping and bigger chain restaurants are on the west side of the I-35 corridor, so it's a very convenient part of town." Brick single-family homes make up most of the neighborhood, and renters can find options in townhouses, apartments and mobile homes. Mike Pierce, a local librarian, says, “Norman as a whole is a college town. We see students of all ages come in to study. OU also creates most of the job opportunities here.” Students, homeowners and retail workers enjoy the convenience of living in West Norman.          Interstate 35 guides commuters to Oklahoma City, where they might clock in for work or catch an OKC Thunder basketball game. "The neighborhood is only around 15 minutes from downtown OKC and 20 minutes from the Will Rogers Airport,” McIntosh says. OU students and faculty can take the interstate to campus or use 36th Avenue Southwest onto West Lindsey Street for another direct route. West Main Street features Sooner Mall with a Sam’s Club across the street. Sooner Mall has over 60 stores and restaurants for visitors to explore while walking around the shopping destination. Shoppers who can’t find what they need can also visit Brookhaven Village on 36th Avenue to browse various specialty retailers, from LOFT to Henry Home Interiors. Brookhaven Village features Pub W, a favorite gathering place for West Norman residents who enjoy craft beer and spicy menu options. Louie's Grill and Bar sees crowds of hungry Sooner fans during football season. Patrons can watch the game on one of the many TVs while enjoying brunch or drinks with friends. Pierce recommends Juan del Fuego Mexi Diner for brunch and lunch, Gaberino’s Homestyle Italian for dinner and Kebabish Bites for Pakistani dishes.         Truman Primary serves prekindergarten through second-grade students and feeds into Truman Elementary, offering third- to fifth-grade classes. Both earn B-plus ratings from Niche. Whittier Middle School and Alcott Middle School neighbor each other, and both earn A-minus grades. The A-rate Norman North High School is the last step. The administration decided to install solar panels to save money and invest it back into the classrooms. "All the schools on the west side of Norman are really good," McIntosh says. "They're a big draw to the area, too."      Almost all homes in the neighborhood feature multicolored brick siding, staggered roofs, tall entryways and attached garages. Townhouses on the east side of the neighborhood range from $175,000 to $200,000. Many three-bedroom single-family homes cost anywhere from $200,000 to $375,000, while larger four-bedroom units with Tudor-style exteriors cost $400,000 to $575,000. Four-bedroom French Country homes can sell for $900,000 to almost $2 million. Each home has limited to moderate yard space for kids and pets to run around. The homes also sit close together around cul-de-sacs and sidewalk-lined streets, and a few mobile home parks live between the master-planned communities.   The University of Oklahoma sits 5 miles from West Norman. Sports fans have a short drive to experience Bedlam week at OU when the Sooners play against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Reaves Park in downtown Norman reaches capacity for the Medieval Fair every April. The Norman Arts Council organizes the Norman Music Festival every April on East Main Street. This multiday music extravaganza has multiple stages with a rotating schedule of artists for visitors to enjoy for free.        Lions Memorial Park neighbors Truman Elementary and sees students and local families visit for a fun day out. This is a great spot to enjoy a morning run along the paved path, eat a leisurely lunch at one of the shaded picnic tables or climb the playground equipment. The Norman Public Arts Board and Norman Arts Council spearheaded the Samo Ducky Project in 2010 to install duck sculptures with designs made by local artists throughout Norman parks. Lions Memorial Park has Ziggy Starduck. The Kevin “Lee” Gottshall II Memorial Park, named in memory of one of the youngest 1995 Oklahoma City bombing victims, features a playground, a soccer field, paved walking paths and picnic tables. The Lego Duck sculpture hangs out in this green space.        Like the rest of Oklahoma, West Norman sees its fair share of tornados during the spring. The city tornado alert system undergoes weekly testing, so residents often hear the sirens for three minutes on Saturdays around noon.

At first glance, Northwest Norman is a typical suburban locale: well-cared-for homes, pristine lawns and highly rated public grade schools. With Interstate 35 bustling by less than 3 miles east and downtown Oklahoma City less than 20 miles north, there are plenty of shopping and dining options nearby, too. But Northwest Norman is also a community of friendly neighbors who care deeply about each other and the special place they call home. "I just love this town; it's hard for me not to gush about it," says Jan Nelson, Realtor with Vawter Real Estate, a longtime Norman resident. "The people are just awesome here. They're friendly and hardworking, and their loyalty runs deep. The community is like family, and it's the people that make the area what it is." Realtor Sarah Neal, with Metro Brokers of OK Connect agrees. “Norman is a larger town that operates with a small-town vibe,” says the Norman native. Housing styles here tend to lean toward European or Dallas-inspired variations on Traditional architecture. Most were built between the 1970s and 1990s, but construction in this part of town is ongoing. Prices run from about $245,000 to $500,000 for older, three to four-bedroom Traditional homes, but Spanish-inspired estates with acreage properties and sleek new builds with eight or more bedrooms can go for as high as $2.7 million. The median hovers close to the $360,000 mark, well above the median for both Norman and the OKC metro. "People like to live here because home values stay the same or are better every time they sell," Nelson says. Grade schoolers are served by the Norman Public Schools district. Most elementary-aged kids go to Roosevelt, which earns an A grade from Niche, between preschool and fifth grade. Some go to either Cleveland Elementary or Adams Elementary instead, depending on their address, so parents are advised to double-check the attendance zone maps ahead of registration. Cleveland Elementary gets an A-minus from Niche; Adams gets a B. All three elementary schools feed into Whittier Middle, which receives an A-minus, and Norman North High, which gets an A. Norman North boasts the No. 2 spot on Niche’s list of the best public high schools in Cleveland County. Norman students are encouraged to explore six different career fields, starting as early as first grade. As their interests develop, they can delve deeper into coursework in fields ranging from health sciences and arts, communications and information to industrial, manufacturing and engineering. The University of Oklahoma is less than 8 miles southeast of most homes and offers 170 academic programs. Notable OU alums include actors Ed Harris, of “National Treasure” fame, and Olivia Munn, of “Oceans 8,” but the public research university is known locally for its sports. “The softball and women’s basketball teams are top-rated, and so is the gymnastics team. And, of course, there’s football. There are great sporting events all year round,” says Sallie Vawter, a Norman native and Realtor with Vawter Real Estate. Ruby Grant Park, the first public park built on Norman’s west side, is within 4 miles of most homes. It’s near I-35 in the neighborhood’s northeast corner and offers amenities from an accessible playground and dog park to a cross-country track and an 18-hole disc golf course. There are also practice ball fields and an exercise course spread over the 144-acre park. Individual subdivisions often have their own community parks and playgrounds, too. Brookhaven Park, in the Brookhaven addition on Northwest Norman’s south side, has the usual amenities, including a playground, sunny soccer field and a basketball court. It also hosts the annual Brookhaven Fall Festival, which brings neighbors together for food trucks, bounce houses, hayrides and pumpkin decorating each October. Fall is also prime time for OU football fans, who converge on the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium for home games to cheer on the Sooners. “We are a university town and football is huge. Like kids’ birthday parties are not on game days and you plan your shopping around game day traffic huge,” says Neal. “You have to be a Sooners fan, it’s one of the things that keeps the community united and gives Norman its small-town vibe.” The city’s largest retail district, Legacy Park, is just across I-35, within about 5 miles of most homes. Fanned around the lake-sized lighted water feature at its center, there’s a 3,000-seat amphitheater for live music and other community events. Between Legacy Park and the surrounding shopping corridors branched out on either side of I-35, residents are a short drive from big box stores galore, from Academy Sports and Petco to Best Buy and Super Target. For groceries, there’s a Crest Fresh Market and a Walmart Supercenter nearby, too. There are plenty of national and regional chain restaurants along I-35, but for food with more local flair, most people head downtown. “Norman is real big on their locally owned restaurants,” says Vawter. She says one of her personal favorites is Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails, which is popular for its refined menu of elevated Southern fare. “Local restaurants and shops are things we really value and support as a community,” says Neal, in agreement. “I can’t even think of a favorite, there are too many great options.” Interstate 35 runs north-south along the east side of the community. “It makes for very easy commuting up to Oklahoma City,” says Neal. Downtown OKC is about 20 miles north of Northwest Norman, a trip that Neal says takes only 20 minutes with no traffic and about 45 with traffic. Norman’s own historic downtown is only about 5 miles southeast. Embark Norman buses pick up at stops scattered in the shopping districts along I-35, on lines connecting throughout Norman and even north to Moore and OKC. In downtown Norman, the Amtrak train station on South Jones Avenue provides service north to OKC and south to Fort Worth, Texas. For those looking to fly even farther afield, Will Rogers World Airport is about 21 miles northwest.

On the northeast side of Norman, overlooking Lake Thunderbird State Park, Franklin-Denver offers all the benefits of rural Oklahoman living. Most homes sit on properties of more than an acre, and the roads here are not as heavily traveled and less brightly lit, so a twinkling tapestry of stars is visible on clear nights. But it’s not so far from the Norman and OKC city centers that a night out on the town would be inconvenient. "You can get your own piece of land out there, but you're still within the city limits and have access to everything," says Rachael Cockerell, a Buyer’s Specialist on the Ryan Chyzy Real Estate Team at Peak 46 Properties. "It's a great starting point for someone who's ready to branch out a little bit and has some space yet still be in the vicinity of work, restaurants and accommodations." Sarah Neal, a Norman local and Realtor with Metro Brokers of OK Connect, agrees. “You get proximity to town, as well as a little bit of land, so it’s country living with quick access to city amenities.” There’s quite a mix of home styles in this stretch of Norman, from modern takes on Victorian estates to Traditional and ranch-style homes built in the 1970s and ‘80s. There are even working farmhouses built between the 1930s and ‘40s and contemporary Dallas-style mansions. Home sizes reflect the diversity in the area's housing stock, ranging from 800-square-foot two-bedroom bungalows to 6,000-square-foot estates with five, six or sometimes even eight bedrooms. The common thread here is land. Most homes sit on properties of no less than 2 acres. “It can lean agricultural. People homestead, they have horses,” says Neal. “Prices run anywhere from $250,000 to more than a million. On the lower end, you’ve got properties that are smaller and have been there for a long time, just little homesteads, and on the higher end you’ve got custom estate-type homes.” One such enclave of large, custom-built homes is Vista Springs, just west of Lake Thunderbird. Norman local Sallie Vawter, a Realtor with Vawter Real Estate, says it’s rare to see a home sell for less than half a million there. “A good majority go for between $700,000 and $2 million.” Lakeview Elementary is located in the heart of the community, off 108th Avenue Northeast. It earns an A-minus from Niche. Longfellow Middle gets a B-plus and Norman North High gets an A. Both the middle and high schools are about 10 miles west of most homes. The high school also holds the No. 2 spot on Niche’s list of the best public high schools in Cleveland County. Norman students district-wide are encouraged to explore six different career fields, starting as early as first grade. As their interests develop, they can delve deeper into coursework in fields ranging from health sciences and arts, communications and information to industrial, manufacturing and engineering. The University of Oklahoma, a public research university, is in central Norman. Its campus is less than 12 miles from most homes in this area. “We are a university town,” says Neal. “You have to be a Sooners fan. It’s one of the things that keeps the community united and gives Norman its small-town vibe.” Vawter agrees. “There are great sporting events all year round, too, beyond football. The softball and women’s basketball teams are top-rated, and so is the gymnastics team.” She adds that sports are a big deal even at the high school level. “Both high schools are 6A, so they’re excellent.” Most residents live within 8 miles of Lake Thunderbird State Park. With waterfront and dryland amenities galore, the 6,000-acre lake and surrounding park are havens for outdoor recreation. Deer archery and waterfowl hunting are available in certain areas, in-season. Fishing for a variety of species, including largemouth bass and catfish, is available year-round. There are also nine boat ramps, two marinas and two swimmable beaches, as well as hundreds of campsites, miles of trails and several lakefront playgrounds. At the Discovery Cove Nature Center, visitors can learn more about the lake, speak with a naturalist or enjoy hands-on nature exhibits. Discovery Cove, which is on the lake’s southern shore, also offers programs from fishing clinics to how-to classes in subjects such as Dutch oven cooking and animal tracking. Falls Lakeview Park, next to Lakeview Elementary, is just a couple miles north of Lake Thunderbird. It features picnic tables, a playground, baseball backstops and a basketball court. Off East Lindsey Street south of Lake Thunderbird, Native Spirits Winery draws residents from around town for its locally made wines. In 2017, the winery won Norman Transcript’s Reader’s Choice award for Best Winery. After a friendly greeting from the winery’s resident pups, visitors can enjoy tasting the Native Spirit red, white and blush varietals while listening to live music on Friday nights. “Norman actually has a really lively music scene, in general. There’s live music in downtown nearly every weekend,” says Vawter. “The city is also real big on their locally owned restaurants.” One of her favorites, Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails, is on West Main Street in the heart of historic downtown and serves up elevated Southern fare. For groceries, locals can head to the Walmart Supercenter off 12th Avenue Northeast. It’s about 11 miles west of home. The bustling shopping corridors on either side of Interstate 35 are about 12 miles west, and feature big-box retailers from Academy Sports & Outdoors and Target to Crest Fresh Market and Hobby Lobby. Here on Norman’s northeast side, most homes are between 11 to 15 miles away from the city’s historic downtown, a drive that typically takes between 15 and 20 minutes. Downtown Oklahoma City is nearly 30 miles north, but Neal says it’s an “easy” commute. “Traffic is not bad around here, compared to other places. It’s nothing compared to D.C.,” says Neal. Locals can take either Interstate 40, about 8 miles north, or Interstate 35, about 12 miles west, into OKC. In light traffic conditions, the drive typically takes about 30 minutes either way. For those flying farther afield, Will Rogers World Airport is about 34 miles northwest of home, on OKC’s southwest side.