Edmond, Okla. It was once the site of the Land Run, where the first schoolhouse and the first church were established. Then it became farmland, where cattle roamed ranches for years. That is until it became urbanized, one of the greatest and fastest-growing cities in Oklahoma, and to some, one of the best in the country.
1. There is never anything to do.
As teenagers, growing up in Edmond was all right, except when it came to making plans with friends. Unless you want to go out to dinner or just go to someone's house every night, you might as well make plans to go to the city. For being a college town, Edmond is definitely lacking in affordable, fun things for its younger residents to do.
2. Edmond cops are everywhere.
Having cops around town isn't a bad thing at all, but there's something about being a teenager driving with cop cars passing you at nearly every intersection that just makes you uncomfortable.
3. Traffic.
If you want to drive across town between the times of 2:30 and 5:30 p.m., you might want to add an extra 20 minutes to your drive time. Schools get out at 2:30 and 3:30, and people get off work usually around 5 p.m. On top of that, people in Edmond don't seem to know how to drive. So in the afternoons, Edmond turns into one giant, backed-up mess.
4. Construction.
I swear, there is always some sort of construction going on in Edmond. Add this onto the whole traffic issue, and you have some of the worst traffic you have ever seen. I've lived here eight years now, and I can't remember a time that Edmond did't have lanes shut down or detour signs somewhere in the city.
5. There's a coffee shop on (practically) every corner.
Whether you're a fan of Evoke, All About Cha, or the classic Starbucks, Edmond has you covered. Edmond teens love to be artsy and drink "cute" cups of coffee for the Insta, and I guarantee this town is the perfect place for that.
6. The student section at every football game is always LIT.
If you've ever been to a football game in Edmond, you know that we tend to go all out. There are different dress-up themes, our bands' drum lines know how to get us fired up, and we support our team no matter what. Those nights definitely make you feel at home.
7. All three high schools are competitive.
I'm talking COMPETITIVE. It goes deeper than just sports, although Edlam games are always everyone's favorite. Each year, it seems like one school tops the other two academically. Some have more scholarship money, some have more prestigious university acceptance, and some have more national merit scholars. However, one thing is certain: there's always a sense of pride when you hear someone from Edmond became incredibly successful.
8. "Oh you're from Edmond? You must be rich."
Edmond is home to some of the most expensive houses in the state, and not to mention Oak Tree Country Club. So most people tend to think you have to be rich to live in Edmond. For the few of us that don't get cars handed to us as soon as we turn 16 or live in luxurious houses, this can get real annoying, real fast.
9. Herbert W. Armstrong College is actually a cult.
I'm not entirely sure how this got started, but everyone knows this "college" north of Waterloo Road is a cult. People talk about sneaking onto the property to check it out, but all you really need to do is schedule a "college visit" to see what's really going on.
10. You have at least one picture in front of Pops.
For residents outside of Edmond, Pops is an icon on Route 66 on everyone's list of places to visit. To us though, it's just a short drive across I-35 and a place to go when we run out of ideas for plans (see number one). Regardless, everyone loves to check out the new flavors of pop they have to offer and see the giant bottle lit up at night.
11. UCO is a great school, but no one really wants to go there.
Unless you want to major in forensics or music, UCO is at the top of nobody's college list. It's weird enough to think of Edmond as a college town, despite UCO being in the middle of the city. To those of us from Edmond, we tend to question why anyone not from this area would even think about going to UCO because it just seems like a lesser school than OU or OSU, even though it really isn't.
12. We have a few famous people and events in our little town.
Edmond is home to the first territorial schoolhouse, as well as the term "going postal." On a lighter note, Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller graduated from Edmond North, Thunder basketball player Russel Westbrook has two houses here, L.A. Clippers basketball player Blake Griffin graduated from Oklahoma Christian School, and former New York Yankees turned NFL football player Brandon Weeden is a graduate of Santa Fe High School. Not too shabby for our little city here.
13. You have a sense of pride when you say you're from Edmond.
Despite most teenagers loathing living here, it feels great to say you're from the city that has the best schools, the best athletes, and the best homes in the state. After all, Edmond is "a great place to grow."
