The Highland Trails addition of Edmond, just north of Kelly & Waterloo, goes all out every 4th of July, and this year, clearly, was no exception. In grand fashion, Brad Stone highlighted the event for all to enjoy:

According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Edmond, OK is one of America’s fastest-growing cities, and the fastest-growing city in the state of Oklahoma. Here are just a few of the reasons that so many are making the move to call Edmond home.

Ever wonder what to do for fun in Edmond on a Saturday morning? Here’s an idea: this is video from last year’s First Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta at Lake Arcadia, held by the City of Edmond.

Want to join in the fun? The 2nd Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta will be August 28th, 2010. Registration begins today so check out the City of Edmond website, or call 405-359-4630.

One of the great things about living in Edmond is the parks system that’s in place, and the support the city continues to give. While many will always argue where the tax money should be spent, parks & recreation are always a great investment for a community. Keep up the great work, Edmond!

Ask ‘Edmondites’ why they love their home town so much and you’ll get all sorts of explanations; Great schools, small-town feel, friendly people, forward-thinking government, an active arts community, the list goes on and on, but did you know that Edmond is known as one of the Top 25 Most Uniquely American Cities & Towns?

If you’re like me and you weren’t able to be at the Edmond LibertyFest parade this year, or even if you were lucky enough to be there, you’ll probably enjoy this time-lapse video, which condenses the whole thing down to 2.5 minutes:

…but you know, ‘some’ are just plain wrong.

Below-average cost-of-living is no new topic here, but I’m certainly not going to miss out on an opportunity to brag a little bit more:

According to the latest Cost of Living Index by ACCRA, Edmond’s first quarter cost of living index ranks 10.1 percent below the national average.

What does this mean for you? Well, if you already live in Edmond, it just validates what you already knew, but if you don’t, it might mean that a move could put more money in your pocket.

I posted a while back about Edmond’s ranking among Money Magazine’s Top 100 Best Places to Live, but after a friend brought the list to my attention again over the weekend, I took a deeper look at some of the statistical information that went into why Edmond made the list.

I found a few things, in particular, interesting because they’re defiant of so many of the stereotypes that we ‘Okies’ get stuck with:

• While Edmond ranked well above state averages in both reading and math testing, we ranked at an even higher differential in math than the averages of the Top 100 cities, at 17.2% above.
• Edmond has higher-than-average Arts Funding as compared to the other cities ranked in the Top 100.
• Weather-wise, we have considerably more clear days, at 38%, as compared to the 30% average.
• 79.8% of residents have completed at least some level of college, which is higher than the 73.6% average.

Maybe the weather’s not as bad, and we’re not as dumb and unrefined as some might believe.  It’s always fun to buck the stereotypes, because people that have never lived here just don’t get it, but here are a few more of the things within this list that emphasize why living in Central Oklahoma is so great:

• ‘Family Purchasing Power’ (which considers median family income and compares it with cost-of-living) is higher-than-average.
• Our $178,250 median home price is far more manageable than the $293,712 median average of the other cities.
• At $1,881 per year, our average property taxes blow the other cities ($4,072) out of the water.
• In the Quality-of-life category, we excel in Air Quality, Personal Crime Incidents, and Commute Times.

Sounds to me like a great place to call home, which is why I do.  I’m curious what other factors have so many folks falling in love with our best-kept secret?

Yesterday was a miserable, storm-ridden one for many folks in Oklahoma. Tornadoes can be fickle, and these were no different. Doing extensive damage to one home, while leaving the one next door untouched is a common characteristic, and while driving a few Edmond neighborhoods today, I saw a wide range of damage.

You’ll see pictures here of trampolines that were misplaced throughout neighborhoods, as well as homes with the roofs literally ripped off of them. I’ll add more photos throughout the week as more of the damage is uncovered.

Our prayers go out to those families who were effected by this storm, and we hope for a speedy recovery process.

Monarch Butterfly

Originally uploaded by kojo_46

I hope this week’s feature photo of Central Oklahoma encourages us all to slow down a little bit and better appreciate mother nature’s little things.

My wife and I recently upgraded to a beautiful home in West Edmond that is landscaped to the max.  Being surrounded by so much plant life has opened my own eyes to things I never really took the time to enjoy before.  In addition, that plant life attracts some amazing insects and birds.

Our new friend, kojo_46 has captured a piece of such natural beauty in this beautiful photo. Be sure you click through the picture to view it in it’s full-size glory!

And an extra-special thanks to kojo_46 for sharing this work of art with us!

[where: Edmond, OK]