Bartlesville:
Bartlesville has the "Pathfinder Parkway" an asphalt Trail System that connects most areas of town and parks with one another that provides an area for runners, joggers, bicyclists, (Bartlesville features active communities for all these activities) nature walks through wilderness areas, across the Caney River on a suspension bridge (built solely for the Pathfinder), that is off road and separated from vehicular traffic for most of its length.
Over the years, I've had the pleasure of selling homes to a number of people, five or six of whom admitted that they had come look at Bartlesville while they considered accepting a transfer to town with our major local employer Phillips Petroleum Company now Conoco-Phillips. They told me candidly that they planned to consider this as a paid vacation and had not planned to accept, but after looking at Bartlesville and specifically the Pathfinder Parkway System, they were sold on the quality of life, the friendliness of the people, the eclectic restaurants and the convenience to shopping, and accepted the positions.
Bartlesville features more than adequate shopping, parking lots with wide spaces, quality-built homes for reasonable prices and eclectic restaurants including, but not limited to multiple selections of Mexican, Chinese, Barbeque, Italian, Sushi, and the one and only world famous Murphy's Hot Hamburgers a hot open face hamburger, served on toast, covered with French fries and served "with gravy over all" their trademark and a must try. A Murphy's "Gravy Over All" T-shirt was spotted being worn in a campground outside of Oslo, Norway.
Bartlesville is home to Frank Lloyd Wright's only skyscraper, and a world class performing arts center designed by William Wesley Peters, chief architect of Taliesin Associated Architects, The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. The performing arts center is home to the OK Mozart International Music Festival (now OKM Music), features performances by world class artists, the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra, Choral Society, Civic Ballet, and is home to the world’s largest cloisonné mural.
The Bartlesville Community Center tells us that "since 2001, Broadway in Bartlesville! has brought an amazing selection of Broadway-style shows to Northeastern Oklahoma. Thousands of people have had the opportunity to view shows that are usually reserved for much large cities. Cats, The Producers, Cirque Dreams, Chicago, Hairspray, Moving Out and Monty Python's Spamalot are just a few of the Broadway hits that have been brought to Bartlesville through this program.
For those who want things that Bartlesville doesn't provide, Tulsa and the growing shopping in Owasso are located less than 45 miles (40 minutes) to the south, and Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and Branson, Missouri can be reached in an afternoon or a short flight from the Tulsa International Airport on the north edge of Tulsa, in close proximity to Bartlesville.
You have the convenience of small-town living, a typically 15 minute commute during rush hour, with easy and quick access to major shopping and entertainment. US Highways 60 and 75 run through Bartlesville, Interstate 44 runs through Tulsa and I-35 and I-40 are nearby. Tulsa, Oklahoma 45 minutes away, and Springfield, Missouri 3 hours away, provide additional shopping, and Dallas is just 4 hours 45 minutes away.
About Bartlesville:
Bartlesville has been named one of the top best small towns to live in by a number of people and magazines
Attractions of America - Most Beautiful Towns
Livability.com Livability shows a full one third of the population has a Bachelor's degree or higher which could explain why it is such a neat place to live.