Neighborhoods of Oklahoma City
Encyclopedia
The City of Oklahoma City uses Special Zoning Districts as a tool to maintain the character of many neighborhood communities.
Downtown Oklahoma City
itself is currently undergoing a renaissance
, one of the largest in the nation. Between the mid 19
80s and 1990s, downtown was unchanged and largely vacant. It was the scene of the bombing
of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
on 5th Street between Robinson and Harvey Avenues, caused by convicted domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh
; most buildings within a 1 miles (1.6 km) radius were structurally damaged by the explosion, including the old Journal Record Building (now home to the National Memorial museum). Many other buildings, such as the unique international style
YMCA
building, supposedly one of few remaining in the United States were damaged or destroyed.
White flight
during the 1950s and 1960s left much of the inner city abandoned. During the Urban Renewal
days of the early 1980s, controversial urban planning allowed for the destruction of almost 50 historic buildings and skyscraper
s. Examples include the Biltmore Hotel, which was imploded to make way for the I. M. Pei
-designed Myriad Botanical Gardens
, the only major Urban Renewal project completed as planned. Many of the buildings which were not destroyed in the Central Business District were covered by new façades or left to Class-C office space. The removal of historic structures left downtown without much retail presence.
In stark contrast to the promise of Urban Renewal
, Downtown had not seen a new skyscraper or any sort of major construction project for many years. The last major skyscraper built downtown was the First Oklahoma Tower in 1982 and the Leadership Square complex built in 1984. Leadership Square was originally intended to be a single 60+ floor skyscraper but was later scaled down to two connected towers due to economic downturn.
Downtown and surrounding areas such as Bricktown and Midtown have seen a significant revival in the wake of the MAPS program, which created new venues and attractions in the downtown area. Today, as Downtown and the Central Business District continue in their economic revival, there are numerous condo and apartment developments being built around downtown, along with older buildings that are being converted into apartments and hotels. Leading this charge is the renovation of the historic Skirvin Hotel, where numerous presidents
and dignitaries have stayed. The historic Colcord Building, Oklahoma City's first skyscraper, was also converted from office space to a boutique hotel in 2006.
Devon Energy
, currently occupying space in 5 separate downtown buildings, revealed plans in August 2008 for a new 1900000 square feet (176,515.8 m²), 925 feet (281.9 m)-tall skyscraper at the corner of Sheridan and Hudson, a space originally planned for a "Galleria" mall under the Pei urban renewal plan. The building is expected to bring new life to the west side of downtown, which has seen less growth compared to Bricktown on the eastern edge and Midtown to the north.
Other development projects include:
The area due south of the Ford Center is anticipated to become OKC's latest downtown district once the long overdue move of the I-40 Crosstown bridge takes place by 2011. The master plan for the "Core to Shore" area shows a boulevard running through downtown - where the current alignment of the Crosstown bridge is today, as well as a large new city park stretching from the Myriad Botanical Gardens
down to the Oklahoma River. It is also assumed that the Central Business District would be extended south, and new highrise construction will take place there.
Bricktown
is an entertainment district located on the east side of Downtown Oklahoma City
. Before a recent renaissance, the area was a warehouse district that had begun to get run down. Today, it is bustling with restaurants, dance clubs, live music venues, upscale retail shops, and offices. Top attractions include the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark
and a navigable Bricktown Canal, both the result of the city's MAPS projects.
The Bricktown Canal stretches one mile (1.6 km) through the district toward to a new park past the Oklahoma Land Run Monument. When completed, the Land Run Monument will be a series of 77 giant statues stretching over an area the size of two football fields on the south canal, and will be one of the largest sculptural monuments in the world.
Lower Bricktown (a newly constructed area south of existing warehouses) boasts a brand-new 16-screen movie complex run by Harkins theaters, a Bass Pro Outdoor World
, a Toby Keith
'I Love This Bar and Grill' theme-restaurant, a Red Pin Bowling Lounge, and several upscale retail establishments and restaurants. The Centennial on the Canal is Bricktown's first new residential construction, and contains three levels of high-end condos with retail on the canal and street levels. The area also includes the corporate headquarters of Sonic Drive-In and a six-story Residence Inn.
The brick buildings of the district were created between 1898 and 1930 to aid in the freight operations by the four major railroad companies that used the area. Oklahoma City's first black newspaper, the Black Dispatch was officed in Bricktown at 228 E. First, along with the first local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Deep Deuce, directly north of Bricktown, ignited the downtown urban housing boom in the late 1990s with the Deep Deuce Apartments. The area consists mostly of low rise apartment buildings and various formerly vacant mixed use buildings. Deep Deuce was once the largest African American neighborhood downtown in the 1940s and 1950s and was the regional center of culture and jazz
music. Bands such as the Count Basie
Orchestra, the Blue Devils, the Charlie Christian
Band, and others resided in this downtown neighborhood. It is also noteworthy that Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
was rejected for an executive position at the Calvary Baptist Church in Deep Deuce for being "too young."
Much of the original neighborhood was bulldozed to make way for the I-235
Centennial Expressway in the late 1980s. While the area was neglected during the 1990s, the downtown renaissance has made the area attractive to developers, despite how little remains of the neighborhood's earlier character and architecture. The first phase of The Triangle (a large masterplanned community between Bricktown, the elevated railroad tracks, and I-235) is the Brownstones at Maywood Park, which includes 3–5 story brownstones over several blocks of Deep Deuce, along with a park and a large sculpture. Also in the construction or planning phases are several other residential developments, including The Lofts at Maywood Park, Block 42, The Hill, Central Ave. Villas, and Flatiron Lofts. The area is also home to the OKC campus of Oklahoma Baptist University
. All these newly developed properties have rental prices a minimum of 150% of the average income per capita of the populous of the state.
The area now known as the Arts District wraps around part of west downtown that encompasses the Civic Center Music Hall
, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art
, the Myriad Botanical Gardens
, Stage Center, the Ron Norick Downtown Library, several local theaters, headquarters of the American Choral Directors Association
and at its northern edge, the Oklahoma City National Memorial
. The district is also home to the nation's 3rd largest arts festival, the annual Festival of the Arts
. The area saw new residential development open several years ago when developers converted the former Montgomery Ward department store into condominiums, and in 2007 with Legacy Summit at Arts Central, a $40-million, 200-unit across from the Civic Center Music Hall. Also in this district is City Hall, the art-deco Oklahoma County Courthouse, and the central station for Metro Transit buses.
The Film Exchange District encompasses 42 square blocks and lies between Classen Boulevard and Walker Avenue along Sheridan Avenue. It is also bordered by S.W. 2nd Street, S.W. 1st Street and Colcord Drive.
The district's history includes the likes of Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Fox Films starting with silent films. The first film exchange appeared in Oklahoma City as early as 1907, and in 1910, the General Film Exchange was established on West 2nd Street.
Paramount Pictures operated at 123 SW 3rd and by 1929 relocated to 701 W. Grand (Sheridan Ave.), now in the heart of the Film Exchange District and backed the opening of the Plaza Theatre in 1935. By 1930, most studio offices had moved along what is now Sheridan Avenue.
The 1930s came to know the area as Film Row, where theater owners came to screen and lease films for their movie houses. J. Eldon Peek, a graduate student of Oklahoma State University, and his wife Maxine opened the Oklahoma Theatre Supply Company and Missouri Theatre Supply Company at 708 W. Grand (Sheridan) in 1930. By 1988, she and her granddaughter Sharon Allen were still operating the business, which closed in 2004. The Peeks landed contracts to install sound systems in former silent theatres across Oklahoma and relocated to their newly constructed building at 628 W. Grand (Sheridan) in 1946.
In the 1950s, cable television first came to Oklahoma in Bartlesville, where the "Telemovies" system was started by Video Independent Theatres. Television and the advent of new technology and introduction of inexpensive air freight, hurt the film exchange business and by the 1970s and early 1980s, film row became a haven for bars, prostitution and drugs.
Several of the historic buildings in the district are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Midtown is the area roughly bounded by 4th Street on the south, I-235 on the east, 22nd Street on the north, and Pennsylvania Avenue on the west. Central Midtown is the area south of NW 13th Street, North of 6th St between Robinson and Classen. Like much of the inner city, Midtown is also experiencing a renaissance of its own as the city cleans out the blight and decay and replaces it with upscale urban amenities.
In the inner city, there are lots of heritage conversions and new construction projects under construction and proposed. Central Midtown is the area around NW 10th and North Walker. A number of new housing developments and numerous heritage building conversions where abandoned hotels and retail structures are being renovated into upscale condos, lofts, and apartments are taking place and announced seemingly each week. It is hoped that this synergy will create a dynamic new near downtown residential neighborhood that will attract the hip creative class to the inner city. This area includes the historic Plaza Court building, St. Anthony Hospital, and the SoSA neighborhood.
This Midtown neighborhood along Broadway Avenue in Northeast Downtown was a popular retail district in the 1920s and was home to most of Oklahoma City's car dealerships. The area declined with the rest of Downtown in the 1960s and '70s.
Today there is a considerable effort to turn AAlley into Oklahoma City's newest upscale urban neighborhood. Efforts to redevelop the area will transform the showrooms and storefronts of Automobile Alley
into upscale lofts, galleries, and offices. The latest addition to the up and coming district is Red Prime Steak, and upscale modern eatery designed by renowned architect Rand Elliot. The restaurant is housed in a former Buick dealership and prominently features red neon and LED. Also in the area are many of downtown's earliest churches along Robinson Ave. (known as "Church Row") in Midtown
, the flagship store for the CD Warehouse chain, and the downtown YMCA, which had to be rebuilt following the bombing of the Murrah building.
Located off of N.W. 16th Street between Classen and Penn, today, the Plaza District is a neighborhood commercial district boasting Oklahoma City's local arts flavor and is home to art galleries, studios, retail shops, restaurants, and creative services. Visit these local businesses owned by young, creative entrepreneurs and attend performances at the renovated Plaza Theatre for Lyric at the Plaza. Be sure to check out the artist-made retail businesses, a quality custom tattoo shop, a local salon favorite, a full-production modern local winery, and many shops for vintage and retro finds. This district, once blighted by urban decay now boasts a renewed energy embraced by Oklahoma City's youth and diverse culture. Each Second Friday of the month from 7-11pm, enjoy LIVE on the Plaza, a monthly artwalk featuring live music, featured artists, special events and local shopping.
The Plaza District is nestled in between two neighborhoods, Gatewood Historic District on the north (16th, Classen, 23rd, Penn) and Classen Ten Penn Neighborhood on the south (Classen, 10th, Penn 16th).
, bounded roughly by NW 23rd Street on the south, I-235 on the east, I-44 on the north and Pennsylvania on the west. The area is home to historic tree-lined neighborhoods, Oklahoma City University, and numerous ethnic shops and gritty enclaves.
NW 23rd, Classen Blvd., Western Ave. and NW 39th west of Classen Blvd. are all current or historic alignments of U.S. Route 66
that snake through Uptown. This stretch is characterized by small Art Deco
storefronts, re-purposed bungalows, and Route 66 icons such as the Milk Bottle Building, the Gold Dome, and the neon signs of the Tower and Will Rogers Theaters.
Oklahoma City has the largest Asian population in the state and is home to a rapidly growing cultural area, officially deemed Asia District
or more locally known as 'the Asian District'. Many cultures from all over Asia are represented in the shops and restaurants as well as the neighboring residential and commercial areas. The district is also referred to as 'Little Saigon' by local residents, as it was and still is popularly known, despite the official renaming as the 'Asian District.'
Centered primarily along Classen Boulevard from NW 22nd Street to NW 30th, the region is a culturally diverse Chinatown community, with the strongest visually identifiable influence being Vietnamese. Tens of thousands of Vietnamese refugees settled in the city during the 1970s after the fall of Saigon, leading the revival of what had previously been a declining neighborhood following a suburban "white flight" exodus of middle class residents. As the new Asian residents rebuilt the community, more immigrants moved into the area from countries beyond just Vietnam and Southeast Asia. It is now home to residents from all around the world.
Today the Asian District [1] is a bustling cosmopolitan scene full of art galleries, quaint apartments, retail shops, Asian delis, highrise condos, and bars and restaurants of many varieties (for example, in the span of a single block can be found a pizzeria, a diner, bubble tea restaurants, an Asian-theme video arcade, and many Chinese and Phở restaurants). One can often observe both international and domestic students from bordering Oklahoma City University, the Dove Science Academy, and the Classen School of Advanced Studies frequenting the neighborhood.
The Paseo Arts District
was built in 1929 as the first commercial shopping district North of downtown Oklahoma City. The Spanish village with its stucco buildings and clay tile roofs is the home of Oklahoma City's Artists' community, the only such district in the state.
Although the Paseo Arts District is in the near north quadrant of the city, it is quite central to Oklahoma City's most diverse and cultural neighborhoods. Located along Paseo Drive at roughly N. Walker Ave and NW 28th Street, the district is home to a number of bars and nightclubs as well as numerous upscale/ethnic restaurants and grills. The area also plays host to an annual Paseo Arts Festival in the spring, usually Memorial Day Weekend.
The larger Paseo Historic Neighborhood area extends between Shartel and Walker, from NW 30 to about NW 25. In the immediate area are several historic neighborhoods including Mesta Park, Gatewood, Edgemere, Jefferson Park, and Heritage Hills. To the west of the Paseo
is the NW Business District and the NW 39th Enclave and the Eastside
is due east.
Immediately South West of the Paseo is the city's Chinatown/Little Saigon neighborhood known as Asia District
as well as Oklahoma City University
.
The Paseo was originally developed by Dr. G.A. Nichols, who also developed the Nichols Hills neighborhood.
In 1973 the Crown Heights - Edgemere Heights Homeowners Association was founded to promote fellowship, preservation and beautification. The Security Association founded in the 1980s provides 24 hour armed patrol and the area enjoys a very low crime rate. In 1980, CH-EH Improvement, Inc., a 501(c)3 charity, was formed for "the improvement of conditions" in CH-EH.
The Tudor Revival style characterizes 40% of the district’s homes.. Common features are a steeply pitched roof, multiple front gables, decorative half-timbering, massive chimneys and tall, narrow windows with multi-pane glazing.
The second most popular style is Colonial Revival accounting for 35% of the residences. Features include having a side-gabled roof and an accentuated front door.
The third most common style is a typical one-story Minimal Traditional, a simplified version of the Colonial Revival, which is typically one-story with a moderately pitched roof.
Other styles that appear include Mission-Spanish with stucco walls and tile roof, Classical Revival with prominent columns, Monterey with its characteristic balcony, French Eclectic with steeply pitched roof and quoins and the International Style with flat roof and casement windows. There are several excellent examples of Art Deco, and many home interiors reflect Art Deco details regardless of the exterior style.
CH-EH characterizes itself as feeling like a "small-town" or an old-fashioned neighborhood where people know their neighbors. The annual Fourth of July Parade and Picnic are attended by hundreds of residents and friends, as are Oktoberfest, Progressive Dinners, the Easter Egg Hunt and other events.
Oklahoma City has the state's largest gay/lesbian population and gay village
, known as the NW 39th Street Enclave
or simply 39th Street. As with many of OKC's neighborhoods, the lack of established boundaries makes it hard to give an exact location, but generally speaking, this community is principally located along NW 39th Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Youngs Street, although there are many gay-friendly businesses organizations and neighborhoods diffused throughout the surrounding area of the city.
The NW 39th Street Enclave rivals Bricktown
in terms of sheer volume of clubs, bars, and nightlife including The Habana Inn, billed as "The Southwest's Largest Gay Resort Hotel", with two clubs, piano bar, a restaurant, gift shop, and nearly 200 rooms all at the hotel. 39th Street is also home to the annual PRIDE celebration and other attractions.
The area south of the Oklahoma River contains several parks. This area of Oklahoma City is also home to the Mat Hoffman Action Sports Park of Oklahoma City located at 1700 S. Robinson. The Skate Park is a 26000 square feet (2,415.5 m²) mecca for skateboarders and other extreme sports enthusiasts. The park was designed by local extreme biking guru and national icon Mat Hoffman
.
Capitol Hill
(ironically nowhere near the actual state Capitol campus) is located south of downtown Oklahoma City and borders the Oklahoma River. It was founded as a separate city during the land run and was later annexed into Oklahoma City. Hence, it has its own impressively well preserved main street business district along S.E. 25th Street, which has seen a revival in recent years.
Capitol Hill was a popular middle class suburb early in the century, but as the population moved into the outer suburbs and the trolley lines that had connected it to downtown stopped running, the neighborhood went into decline. The neighborhood became known for its gang violence and street thugs, but has seen a decrease in gang activity since a known gangster known as Brennan "Tiny" McCloy publicly denounced gang violence. He was one of the founding members of "El Sueño".
Today, Capitol Hill includes a largely Hispanic business district, where one can find anything from recording studios to the Oklahoma Opry to soccer supply shops and street-side taquerias.
markets.
Historic Stockyards City recaptures the architectural flavor of the early 20th century with gaslights and wooden storefronts. Many businesses in Stockyards City date back to the early 20th century when the area was home to several major meat packing companies. The district still has weekly cattle auctions and is home to a local legend, the venerable Cattlemen's Steakhouse.
Stockyards City is also home to many western themed shops and boutiques, including the oldest western wear store in Oklahoma, Langston's Western Wear. Established in 1913, Langston's is the largest seller of Wrangler jeans and Levi's jeans per location in the Southwest and has been voted the Best Western Store by the readers of the Daily Oklahoman every year the "Reader's Choice" award has been given.
For planning and zoning purposes, the area is divided into several areas:
. This district includes the Oklahoma state capitol
, most of the state office buildings, and the OU Health Sciences Center. The district is well known as one of the culinary hubs of Oklahoma City, with world-famous BBQ and soul food being served.
The district has a mix of low, middle and upper income residents, often within only a few blocks of each other.
It also houses some of Oklahoma Cities highest crime rates, such as gun violence and several gangs.
, roughly centered around NE 50th and Martin Luther King in Northeast Oklahoma City, is home to many of the city's well-known attractions. These include Science Museum Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden
, ASA Hall of Fame Complex and Remington Park
Racetrack and Casino among other attractions. The "Adventure District" designation was created in 2000 as part of a marketing effort by the various attractions in the area; in 2003, the City of Oklahoma City recognized the area as an official entertainment district.
and Integris - Baptist Medical Center. Penn Square Mall is one of Oklahoma's most upscale shopping malls with retailers like Apple, J. Jill, Coach, and Cache', Penn Square is also one of the city's most popular malls and constantly ranks among the most profitable malls in the country. Also nearby is Lake Hefner
, a favorite spot for bikers and joggers, with a trail system around the entire municipal reservoir. The entire area is located within Oklahoma City limits.
Northwest Expressway, the city's main artery to the northwestern suburbs, is a strip mall filled, restaurant bearing, continuously congested (by Oklahoma standards) 6-lane boulevard with highway intersections, hotels, and office towers scattered along at various intervals. The Northwest Expressway Corridor includes most of the large scale highrises, office towers, and hotels outside of downtown, (including the architecturally interesting 360 at Founders Plaza).
The area contains several large employeers. The medicine has a significant presence in the area with both Integris-Baptist Medical Center and Deaconess Hospital headquartered within blocks of each other. Other businesses of interest include Valliance Bank, First State Bank, and Ackerman McQueen Advertising. Many energy related businesses have offices in the area.
, just north of Belle Isle, is an enclave of the wealthy. The streets are lined with nice houses, the commerce is upscale, the restaurants are gourmet
, and the country club is exclusive. There are other such enclaves throughout the city, but Nichols Hills is notable even among them for sheer extravagance. The City of Village
, immediately north, is a middle class post-World War II neighborhood which looks somewhat out of place next to its neighbor to the south, although property values have increased in recent years due to its proximity to Lake Hefner and Nichols Hills neighborhood.
), bisected by the Lake Hefner Parkway
, is a huge swath of suburban development rapidly creeping toward Edmond, the city's northern suburb.
The area gained its name from the Quail Creek residential development (founded in 1961) and its neighborhood Quail Creek Golf and Country Club. The just under two square mile Quail Creek residential development was one of the country's first neighborhood golf communities and was the vision of developers John W. "Jack" Johnson and his brother Paul Johnson. Work on the development started in 1960, with golf course designed by Floyd Farley and club house designed by Howard, Samis and Davies. Ernie Vossler
, the original Golf Pro, later took the neighborhood golf community concept and created the Oak Tree developments (Oak Tree National) in Edmond, Oklahoma
, as well as La Quinta Resort developments in the Coachella Valley
(Palm Springs, California
) area.
Since the early 1980s, this area has been transformed from grazing land and farm prairie into a broad ribbon of office parks, housing tracts, chain restaurants, a regional supermall - Quail Springs Mall
, and a great number of strip malls and box stores. Growth here has been brisk, with corporate campuses, golf courses, and shopping centers opening up new opportunities for exploration. The area is also home to the Martin Park Nature Center, a fairly large nature preserve with several hiking trails and lots of natural wildlife. North of the Memorial Road corridor is Deer Creek, a rapidly growing section of the metro centered around well-regarded schools.
The area is home to some of the Metro's major employers. There is a concentration of health care services in the area, including Mercy Health System, the Oklahoma Heart Hospital as well as the Integris Cancer Institute and its adjoining ProCure Proton Therapy Center. The Quail Springs Business Park houses several hotels and a concentration of corporate administration services including those for Hertz, AAA, AT&T, Avaya, FBI Regional Office, and Jordan Associates Advertising. Other major employers in the area are AlaMode Software Systems, and Farmers Insurance Group.
The Francis Tuttle
Technology Center has two campuses in the area. Francis Tuttle is a tax supported school that offers programs to adults, with career-specific training to maintain a quality workforce. Complete business and industry training and consulting services are offered to local businesses at nominal or no-cost. The general public is offered short-term training for career enhancement or leisure activities. Francis Tuttle's Bruce Gray Center is adjacent to Quail Springs Business Park.
The area is known for its golf courses, including Quail Creek Golf and Country Club, the Greens Golf and Raquet Club, Rose Creek Golf Club, Silver Horn Golf Club, the Links Apartment Golf and Athletic Club, and the city's most upscale golf course is located in an area called Gaillardia (named both after Oklahoma's state wildflower, the Gaillardia, also known as the Indian Blanket, and the Oklahoma City business mogul family and owners of The Daily Oklahoman, the Gaylords).
The area is also infamous for one of the most congested and difficult intersections in the city, Memorial Road and North Pennsylvania Avenue, a natural consequence of the city's sprawl and developer-controlled planning. However, area is popular with locals due to a wide variety of shopping, dining and entertainment attractions within easy reach, with plenty of open spaces and without the cramped, stifled feeling of the more "urban" areas; and despite calls for a return to more urban-centric ideals by a small minority, the success of this area is undeniable.
The Meridian Avenue "Hospitality" District is along one of the city's busiest arteries, S. Meridian Avenue, and extends from mid-tier West Oklahoma City to suburban SW Oklahoma City. At the Meridian / I40 intersection, with its close proximity to the Oklahoma State Fair Park (which labels itself as the "Horse Show Capital of the World") and its many exhibition halls, the area has one of the largest concentrations of hotel rooms in the southwest. This Hospitality District and the area surrounding it is anchored on the north by the developing Oklahoma River (just before you reach I-40). City leaders have already written a very large check for water taxis to operate steamboats to shuttle people from the area to downtown, and possibly connect to a yellow water taxi in Bricktown
. The Oklahoma River is a vast ribbon of former blight razed and developed into parkland, and developers already have placed bids for major projects.
There are numerous hotels, restaurants, and night clubs located in the Hospitality District with White Water Bay and Celebration Station offering summer activities for the entire family.
East of the Hospitality District is the Dell Customer Contact Center, with an original projection of 500 jobs, like their model for every other Dell campus. It is now the highest performing service center that Dell operates, and the current job projection is around 4,500, mostly due to typical economic development as practiced by the Greater OKC Chamber of Commerce. The Dell campus will have a dock for the Oklahoma River Taxi.
North of the Dell Campus, at the Portland / I40 / I44 intersectons is the Furniture District, with several specialty furniture stores including Mathis Brothers, Bob Mills Furniture, Thomasville Home Furnishings, Suburban Contemporary Furniture, and Factory Direct Furniture & Bed.
The busiest section of the corridor is just north of Will Rogers World Airport
and stretches from Airport Road (a controlled-access freeway) to I-40 is the Airport District. On west side of the airport is located the largest FAA center outside of Washington, D.C. (and the third largest employer in the metro.) In the area north of the airport are several corporations, including Hobby Lobby
and affiliated Mardels, headquartered within a mile of the District. Land is cheap as you venture further from Meridian Avenue, and many manufacturing facilities and corporate headquarters have their sprawling campuses on the southwest side of the metro. Other manufacturing companies include IEC International Environmental, ClimateMaster, as well as a distribution center for Associated Wholesale Grocers.
away from Crossroads Mall at I-240 & I-35. The homes in the area are mostly small and older (1950s-1970s); the eateries and shops attract wealthier customers from suburbs surrounding southwest Oklahoma City (such as the Westmoore area).
The I-240 corridor has many restaurants including: Chili's, Texas Roadhouse, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, Joe's Crabshack, Red Lobster, Hooters, Charleston's, and many others.
Oklahoma City Community College
, built in 1972 as South Oklahoma City Junior College, is located in the I-240 Corridor at I-44, and is the state's third largest college with over 22,000 students enrolled.
The far southern sides of Del City almost touch I-240, where there are new housing additions, and numerous new manufacturing facilities and of course, the mountainous landfill. This area is very similar to the Memorial Road area. There are some new office buildings. Traffic grinds to a halt on I-240 coming from Tinker Air Force Base
, which lies between I-40 and I-240 in Oklahoma City, and touches Midwest City. Tinker is one of the nation's premier bases, employing over 30,000 people. The famously-dismantled General Motors plant (now used by Tinker AFB), Quad Graphics, and some other employers are scattered around the mostly industrial countryside. Several new industrial parks take advantage of the Tinker proximity, including the Boeing facility now under construction.
Draper Lake is also in this area, and is the largest lake in the Oklahoma City limits. The lake is a 2900 acre lake, and has very popular mountain biking trials nearby, which attract riders from around the state, with more than 14 miles (22.5 km) of single-track trails, varying in difficulty.
Currently the pipes which feed lake Draper from the larger lake Atoka are under repair, causing the water levels of lake Draper to be too low for boating. The levels should return to normal levels in 2012.
35.482309°N 97.534994°W
Downtown
See main article Downtown Oklahoma CityDowntown Oklahoma City
Downtown Oklahoma City is located at the geographic center of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and is the principal business district of the city. With 115 city blocks and around of office space, downtown Oklahoma City also is the economic, financial, and entertainment center of the city...
Downtown Oklahoma City
Downtown Oklahoma City is located at the geographic center of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and is the principal business district of the city. With 115 city blocks and around of office space, downtown Oklahoma City also is the economic, financial, and entertainment center of the city...
itself is currently undergoing a renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
, one of the largest in the nation. Between the mid 19
80s and 1990s, downtown was unchanged and largely vacant. It was the scene of the bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19...
of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was a United States Federal Government complex located at 200 N.W. 5th Street in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. The building was the target of the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, which killed 168 people, including 19 children...
on 5th Street between Robinson and Harvey Avenues, caused by convicted domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh
Timothy McVeigh
Timothy James McVeigh was a United States Army veteran and security guard who detonated a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995...
; most buildings within a 1 miles (1.6 km) radius were structurally damaged by the explosion, including the old Journal Record Building (now home to the National Memorial museum). Many other buildings, such as the unique international style
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
building, supposedly one of few remaining in the United States were damaged or destroyed.
White flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
during the 1950s and 1960s left much of the inner city abandoned. During the Urban Renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
days of the early 1980s, controversial urban planning allowed for the destruction of almost 50 historic buildings and skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s. Examples include the Biltmore Hotel, which was imploded to make way for the I. M. Pei
I. M. Pei
Ieoh Ming Pei , commonly known as I. M. Pei, is a Chinese American architect, often called a master of modern architecture. Born in Canton, China and raised in Hong Kong and Shanghai, Pei drew inspiration at an early age from the gardens at Suzhou...
-designed Myriad Botanical Gardens
Myriad Botanical Gardens
The Myriad Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on the southwest corner of Reno and Robinson. The Gardens is home to multiple tiers of densely landscaped areas that surround a sunken lake...
, the only major Urban Renewal project completed as planned. Many of the buildings which were not destroyed in the Central Business District were covered by new façades or left to Class-C office space. The removal of historic structures left downtown without much retail presence.
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
, Downtown had not seen a new skyscraper or any sort of major construction project for many years. The last major skyscraper built downtown was the First Oklahoma Tower in 1982 and the Leadership Square complex built in 1984. Leadership Square was originally intended to be a single 60+ floor skyscraper but was later scaled down to two connected towers due to economic downturn.
Downtown and surrounding areas such as Bricktown and Midtown have seen a significant revival in the wake of the MAPS program, which created new venues and attractions in the downtown area. Today, as Downtown and the Central Business District continue in their economic revival, there are numerous condo and apartment developments being built around downtown, along with older buildings that are being converted into apartments and hotels. Leading this charge is the renovation of the historic Skirvin Hotel, where numerous presidents
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and dignitaries have stayed. The historic Colcord Building, Oklahoma City's first skyscraper, was also converted from office space to a boutique hotel in 2006.
Devon Energy
Devon Energy
Devon Energy Corporation , is among the largest U.S.-based independent natural gas and oil producers. Based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the company's operations are focused on North American onshore exploration and production...
, currently occupying space in 5 separate downtown buildings, revealed plans in August 2008 for a new 1900000 square feet (176,515.8 m²), 925 feet (281.9 m)-tall skyscraper at the corner of Sheridan and Hudson, a space originally planned for a "Galleria" mall under the Pei urban renewal plan. The building is expected to bring new life to the west side of downtown, which has seen less growth compared to Bricktown on the eastern edge and Midtown to the north.
Other development projects include:
- $100 million in proposed improvements to the Ford Center were approved by voters in March, 2008. The improvements will allow for offices and new locker rooms for OKC's new NBA team, new restaurants and bars, rooftop terraces, a new grand entrance, and a family fun center.
- Block 42 is a high-end condominiumCondominiumA condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
project offering luxury condos with a modern, urban aesthetic. The project was completed summer 2008. - The Hill is a project with almost 200 town homes being built on a hill overlooking the Deep Deuce district and Bricktown. The project is currently under construction.
- The Triangle (encompassing the Flatiron District and some of Deep Deuce) is a project by TAP Architecture that will include 700 loft units, office and retail space.
- The Central Avenue Villas which has 30 loft units.
- A new Hampton Inn and SuitesHampton Inn'Hampton Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, and Hampton by Hilton are the names of a brand of hotels trademarked by Hilton Worldwide. Most Hampton hotels are independently owned and operated by franchisees, though a few are owned and/or managed by the Hilton Hotels Corporation...
in Bricktown.
The area due south of the Ford Center is anticipated to become OKC's latest downtown district once the long overdue move of the I-40 Crosstown bridge takes place by 2011. The master plan for the "Core to Shore" area shows a boulevard running through downtown - where the current alignment of the Crosstown bridge is today, as well as a large new city park stretching from the Myriad Botanical Gardens
Myriad Botanical Gardens
The Myriad Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on the southwest corner of Reno and Robinson. The Gardens is home to multiple tiers of densely landscaped areas that surround a sunken lake...
down to the Oklahoma River. It is also assumed that the Central Business District would be extended south, and new highrise construction will take place there.
Bricktown
Bricktown
Bricktown (Oklahoma City)
Bricktown is an entertainment district just east of downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma . It was formerly a major warehouse district. The major attractions of the district are the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, the navigable Bricktown Canal, and the 16-screen Harkins movie theatre...
is an entertainment district located on the east side of Downtown Oklahoma City
Downtown Oklahoma City
Downtown Oklahoma City is located at the geographic center of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and is the principal business district of the city. With 115 city blocks and around of office space, downtown Oklahoma City also is the economic, financial, and entertainment center of the city...
. Before a recent renaissance, the area was a warehouse district that had begun to get run down. Today, it is bustling with restaurants, dance clubs, live music venues, upscale retail shops, and offices. Top attractions include the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark
AT&T Bricktown Ballpark
RedHawks Field at Bricktown opened in 1998 in downtown Oklahoma City's Bricktown district, replacing All Sports Stadium. It is the home of the Oklahoma City RedHawks, the AAA affiliate of the Houston Astros major league baseball team. The park seats 13,066 fans.The stadium frequently hosts the Big...
and a navigable Bricktown Canal, both the result of the city's MAPS projects.
The Bricktown Canal stretches one mile (1.6 km) through the district toward to a new park past the Oklahoma Land Run Monument. When completed, the Land Run Monument will be a series of 77 giant statues stretching over an area the size of two football fields on the south canal, and will be one of the largest sculptural monuments in the world.
Lower Bricktown (a newly constructed area south of existing warehouses) boasts a brand-new 16-screen movie complex run by Harkins theaters, a Bass Pro Outdoor World
Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops is a privately held retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise. Bass Pro Shops is known for a large selection of hunting, fishing, and other outdoor gear.-History:The owner, John L...
, a Toby Keith
Toby Keith
Toby Keith Covel , best known as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums — 1993's Toby Keith, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin, plus a Greatest Hits package for various divisions of...
'I Love This Bar and Grill' theme-restaurant, a Red Pin Bowling Lounge, and several upscale retail establishments and restaurants. The Centennial on the Canal is Bricktown's first new residential construction, and contains three levels of high-end condos with retail on the canal and street levels. The area also includes the corporate headquarters of Sonic Drive-In and a six-story Residence Inn.
The brick buildings of the district were created between 1898 and 1930 to aid in the freight operations by the four major railroad companies that used the area. Oklahoma City's first black newspaper, the Black Dispatch was officed in Bricktown at 228 E. First, along with the first local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Deep Deuce
See main article Deep DeuceDeep Deuce
Deep Deuce historic neighborhood is a district in Downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It consists mostly of low-rise apartment buildings and formerly vacant mixed-use buildings and shops....
Deep Deuce, directly north of Bricktown, ignited the downtown urban housing boom in the late 1990s with the Deep Deuce Apartments. The area consists mostly of low rise apartment buildings and various formerly vacant mixed use buildings. Deep Deuce was once the largest African American neighborhood downtown in the 1940s and 1950s and was the regional center of culture and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music. Bands such as the Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
Orchestra, the Blue Devils, the Charlie Christian
Charlie Christian
Charles Henry "Charlie" Christian was an American swing and jazz guitarist.Christian was an important early performer on the electric guitar, and is cited as a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained national exposure as a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra...
Band, and others resided in this downtown neighborhood. It is also noteworthy that Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
was rejected for an executive position at the Calvary Baptist Church in Deep Deuce for being "too young."
Much of the original neighborhood was bulldozed to make way for the I-235
Interstate 235 (Oklahoma)
Interstate 235 in Oklahoma is also known as the Centennial Expressway. The spur route of Interstate 35 is a 5.4-mile-long north–south spur route in central and north-central Oklahoma City. It connects northbound to U.S. Highway 77 on to suburban Edmond and southbound at Interstate 44 on to...
Centennial Expressway in the late 1980s. While the area was neglected during the 1990s, the downtown renaissance has made the area attractive to developers, despite how little remains of the neighborhood's earlier character and architecture. The first phase of The Triangle (a large masterplanned community between Bricktown, the elevated railroad tracks, and I-235) is the Brownstones at Maywood Park, which includes 3–5 story brownstones over several blocks of Deep Deuce, along with a park and a large sculpture. Also in the construction or planning phases are several other residential developments, including The Lofts at Maywood Park, Block 42, The Hill, Central Ave. Villas, and Flatiron Lofts. The area is also home to the OKC campus of Oklahoma Baptist University
Oklahoma Baptist University
Oklahoma Baptist University is a co-educational Christian liberal arts university located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and owned by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Established in 1910, OBU is ranked No.2 among baccalaureate colleges in the western region in the 2010 U.S...
. All these newly developed properties have rental prices a minimum of 150% of the average income per capita of the populous of the state.
The Arts District
See main article Arts District, Oklahoma CityThe area now known as the Arts District wraps around part of west downtown that encompasses the Civic Center Music Hall
Civic Center Music Hall
The Civic Center Music Hall is a performing arts center located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was founded in 1937 and includes the Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre, the Freede Little Theatre, CitySpace, the Meinders Hall of Mirrors and the Joel Levine Rehearsal Hall.The Civic Center Music...
, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art
Oklahoma City Museum of Art
The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is a museum located in the Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. The museum features visiting exhibits; original selections from its own collection; a theater showing a variety of foreign, independent, and classic films each week;...
, the Myriad Botanical Gardens
Myriad Botanical Gardens
The Myriad Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on the southwest corner of Reno and Robinson. The Gardens is home to multiple tiers of densely landscaped areas that surround a sunken lake...
, Stage Center, the Ron Norick Downtown Library, several local theaters, headquarters of the American Choral Directors Association
American Choral Directors Association
The American Choral Directors Association , headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting excellence in the field of choral music...
and at its northern edge, the Oklahoma City National Memorial
Oklahoma City National Memorial
The Oklahoma City National Memorial is a memorial in the United States that honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were affected by the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995. The memorial is located in downtown Oklahoma City on the former site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal...
. The district is also home to the nation's 3rd largest arts festival, the annual Festival of the Arts
Festival of the Arts
The Festival of the Arts, or simply Festival is a three day arts festival in Grand Rapids held on the first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of June. First held in 1970, after the 1969 installation of Alexander Calder's La Grande Vitesse, known as "The Calder" locally, Festival was quite small with...
. The area saw new residential development open several years ago when developers converted the former Montgomery Ward department store into condominiums, and in 2007 with Legacy Summit at Arts Central, a $40-million, 200-unit across from the Civic Center Music Hall. Also in this district is City Hall, the art-deco Oklahoma County Courthouse, and the central station for Metro Transit buses.
Film Row
In 2003, a part of downtown Oklahoma City was developed into the new Film Row, to honor its roots as a film exchange district.The Film Exchange District encompasses 42 square blocks and lies between Classen Boulevard and Walker Avenue along Sheridan Avenue. It is also bordered by S.W. 2nd Street, S.W. 1st Street and Colcord Drive.
The district's history includes the likes of Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Fox Films starting with silent films. The first film exchange appeared in Oklahoma City as early as 1907, and in 1910, the General Film Exchange was established on West 2nd Street.
Paramount Pictures operated at 123 SW 3rd and by 1929 relocated to 701 W. Grand (Sheridan Ave.), now in the heart of the Film Exchange District and backed the opening of the Plaza Theatre in 1935. By 1930, most studio offices had moved along what is now Sheridan Avenue.
The 1930s came to know the area as Film Row, where theater owners came to screen and lease films for their movie houses. J. Eldon Peek, a graduate student of Oklahoma State University, and his wife Maxine opened the Oklahoma Theatre Supply Company and Missouri Theatre Supply Company at 708 W. Grand (Sheridan) in 1930. By 1988, she and her granddaughter Sharon Allen were still operating the business, which closed in 2004. The Peeks landed contracts to install sound systems in former silent theatres across Oklahoma and relocated to their newly constructed building at 628 W. Grand (Sheridan) in 1946.
In the 1950s, cable television first came to Oklahoma in Bartlesville, where the "Telemovies" system was started by Video Independent Theatres. Television and the advent of new technology and introduction of inexpensive air freight, hurt the film exchange business and by the 1970s and early 1980s, film row became a haven for bars, prostitution and drugs.
Several of the historic buildings in the district are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Midtown
See main article Midtown Oklahoma CityMidtown Oklahoma City
Midtown is located due North West of downtown Oklahoma City surrounded by Automobile Alley to the east and Asia District to the North. It is home to St. Anthony's Hospital and smaller communities like Plaza District and Church Row...
Midtown is the area roughly bounded by 4th Street on the south, I-235 on the east, 22nd Street on the north, and Pennsylvania Avenue on the west. Central Midtown is the area south of NW 13th Street, North of 6th St between Robinson and Classen. Like much of the inner city, Midtown is also experiencing a renaissance of its own as the city cleans out the blight and decay and replaces it with upscale urban amenities.
In the inner city, there are lots of heritage conversions and new construction projects under construction and proposed. Central Midtown is the area around NW 10th and North Walker. A number of new housing developments and numerous heritage building conversions where abandoned hotels and retail structures are being renovated into upscale condos, lofts, and apartments are taking place and announced seemingly each week. It is hoped that this synergy will create a dynamic new near downtown residential neighborhood that will attract the hip creative class to the inner city. This area includes the historic Plaza Court building, St. Anthony Hospital, and the SoSA neighborhood.
Automobile Alley
See main article Automobile AlleyAutomobile Alley
Automobile Alley Historic District is an upscale Urban neighborhood in Oklahoma City, located roughly along North Broadway Avenue in Downtown Oklahoma City...
This Midtown neighborhood along Broadway Avenue in Northeast Downtown was a popular retail district in the 1920s and was home to most of Oklahoma City's car dealerships. The area declined with the rest of Downtown in the 1960s and '70s.
Today there is a considerable effort to turn AAlley into Oklahoma City's newest upscale urban neighborhood. Efforts to redevelop the area will transform the showrooms and storefronts of Automobile Alley
Automobile Alley
Automobile Alley Historic District is an upscale Urban neighborhood in Oklahoma City, located roughly along North Broadway Avenue in Downtown Oklahoma City...
into upscale lofts, galleries, and offices. The latest addition to the up and coming district is Red Prime Steak, and upscale modern eatery designed by renowned architect Rand Elliot. The restaurant is housed in a former Buick dealership and prominently features red neon and LED. Also in the area are many of downtown's earliest churches along Robinson Ave. (known as "Church Row") in Midtown
Midtown Oklahoma City
Midtown is located due North West of downtown Oklahoma City surrounded by Automobile Alley to the east and Asia District to the North. It is home to St. Anthony's Hospital and smaller communities like Plaza District and Church Row...
, the flagship store for the CD Warehouse chain, and the downtown YMCA, which had to be rebuilt following the bombing of the Murrah building.
Plaza District
In the 1920s a commercial niche formed along NW 16th Street between Blackwelder and Indiana Avenues. This development was in response to the area’s location at the end of the trolley line as well as the growth of neighborhoods around the district. With the addition of the Plaza Theatre in the mid-1930s, the area became known as the Plaza District.Located off of N.W. 16th Street between Classen and Penn, today, the Plaza District is a neighborhood commercial district boasting Oklahoma City's local arts flavor and is home to art galleries, studios, retail shops, restaurants, and creative services. Visit these local businesses owned by young, creative entrepreneurs and attend performances at the renovated Plaza Theatre for Lyric at the Plaza. Be sure to check out the artist-made retail businesses, a quality custom tattoo shop, a local salon favorite, a full-production modern local winery, and many shops for vintage and retro finds. This district, once blighted by urban decay now boasts a renewed energy embraced by Oklahoma City's youth and diverse culture. Each Second Friday of the month from 7-11pm, enjoy LIVE on the Plaza, a monthly artwalk featuring live music, featured artists, special events and local shopping.
The Plaza District is nestled in between two neighborhoods, Gatewood Historic District on the north (16th, Classen, 23rd, Penn) and Classen Ten Penn Neighborhood on the south (Classen, 10th, Penn 16th).
Heritage Hills & Mesta Park
The Heritage Hills Heritage neighborhood had led the charge of development in the area, with wealthy businessmen and doctors restoring formerly abandoned oil mansions located north of downtown, between N 13th and N 22nd Streets. Mesta Park, a slightly more affordable neighborhood located between N. Walker Ave. and N. Classen Blvd., bordering Heritage Hills, has also seen significant development. The entire inner city north central area is a patchwork of historic mansions and retail streetscapes that is a pleasant mix of urban grit and heritage residential monuments. Both Heritage Hills and Mesta Park along with Gatewood http://www.gatewoodokc.com/ neighborhoods are on the National Register of Historic Places and are designated as Historic Preservation District and Historic Landmark Overlay DistrictCottage District
Cottage District is a neighborhood known for its unique mix of architecture and edgy style. It is an eclectic inner-city neighborhood characterized by a mix of early 20th century era cottages, blight, and striking contemporary architecture. Officially called the "Cottage District" by the City of Oklahoma City, "SoSA" has become the district's popular name (it's the acronym for South of Saint Anthony). Situated on the Northwest corner of the central business district, SoSA is roughly bordered by Classen Boulevard, Walker Street, NW 6th Street, and NW 9th Street. The neighborhood still has pockets of blight, but spurred by the rehabilitation of two 1906 residential buildings in 2002, it has begun to transform its unsavory reputation. As of 2010 there are seven architect-designed residences within a two block radius, and three more in progress. The high density of architect-occupied, contemporary dwellings has caused some to call it "the architect's ghetto."Uptown
Further north is UptownUptown Oklahoma City
Uptown is the area near the mid 23rd Street of Oklahoma City due east of Asia District. It includes Oklahoma City University and numerous ethnic shops and gritty venues. Among them, Tower theatre is currently being remodeled to become a large scale venue with new storefronts...
, bounded roughly by NW 23rd Street on the south, I-235 on the east, I-44 on the north and Pennsylvania on the west. The area is home to historic tree-lined neighborhoods, Oklahoma City University, and numerous ethnic shops and gritty enclaves.
NW 23rd, Classen Blvd., Western Ave. and NW 39th west of Classen Blvd. are all current or historic alignments of U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
that snake through Uptown. This stretch is characterized by small Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
storefronts, re-purposed bungalows, and Route 66 icons such as the Milk Bottle Building, the Gold Dome, and the neon signs of the Tower and Will Rogers Theaters.
Asia District
See main article Asia District, Oklahoma CityOklahoma City has the largest Asian population in the state and is home to a rapidly growing cultural area, officially deemed Asia District
Asia District
Oklahoma City's Asia District, also known as the Asian District, is the center of Asian culture and International cuisine and commerce in the state of Oklahoma...
or more locally known as 'the Asian District'. Many cultures from all over Asia are represented in the shops and restaurants as well as the neighboring residential and commercial areas. The district is also referred to as 'Little Saigon' by local residents, as it was and still is popularly known, despite the official renaming as the 'Asian District.'
Centered primarily along Classen Boulevard from NW 22nd Street to NW 30th, the region is a culturally diverse Chinatown community, with the strongest visually identifiable influence being Vietnamese. Tens of thousands of Vietnamese refugees settled in the city during the 1970s after the fall of Saigon, leading the revival of what had previously been a declining neighborhood following a suburban "white flight" exodus of middle class residents. As the new Asian residents rebuilt the community, more immigrants moved into the area from countries beyond just Vietnam and Southeast Asia. It is now home to residents from all around the world.
Today the Asian District [1] is a bustling cosmopolitan scene full of art galleries, quaint apartments, retail shops, Asian delis, highrise condos, and bars and restaurants of many varieties (for example, in the span of a single block can be found a pizzeria, a diner, bubble tea restaurants, an Asian-theme video arcade, and many Chinese and Phở restaurants). One can often observe both international and domestic students from bordering Oklahoma City University, the Dove Science Academy, and the Classen School of Advanced Studies frequenting the neighborhood.
The Paseo
The Paseo Arts District
Paseo Arts District
The Paseo Arts District was built in 1929 as the first commercial shopping district north of Downtown Oklahoma City by Oklahoman G.A. Nichols .Paseo has undergone transformations; currently, the Paseo is enjoying a renaissance since the 1980s...
was built in 1929 as the first commercial shopping district North of downtown Oklahoma City. The Spanish village with its stucco buildings and clay tile roofs is the home of Oklahoma City's Artists' community, the only such district in the state.
Although the Paseo Arts District is in the near north quadrant of the city, it is quite central to Oklahoma City's most diverse and cultural neighborhoods. Located along Paseo Drive at roughly N. Walker Ave and NW 28th Street, the district is home to a number of bars and nightclubs as well as numerous upscale/ethnic restaurants and grills. The area also plays host to an annual Paseo Arts Festival in the spring, usually Memorial Day Weekend.
The larger Paseo Historic Neighborhood area extends between Shartel and Walker, from NW 30 to about NW 25. In the immediate area are several historic neighborhoods including Mesta Park, Gatewood, Edgemere, Jefferson Park, and Heritage Hills. To the west of the Paseo
Paseo Arts District
The Paseo Arts District was built in 1929 as the first commercial shopping district north of Downtown Oklahoma City by Oklahoman G.A. Nichols .Paseo has undergone transformations; currently, the Paseo is enjoying a renaissance since the 1980s...
is the NW Business District and the NW 39th Enclave and the Eastside
Eastside, Oklahoma City
The Eastside is home to the U.S. state of Oklahoma's largest African American community. It is located roughly East of Walker Avenue and North of 4th Street in the near North East quadrant of Oklahoma City....
is due east.
Immediately South West of the Paseo is the city's Chinatown/Little Saigon neighborhood known as Asia District
Asia District
Oklahoma City's Asia District, also known as the Asian District, is the center of Asian culture and International cuisine and commerce in the state of Oklahoma...
as well as Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University, often referred to as OCU, is a coeducational, urban, private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
.
The Paseo was originally developed by Dr. G.A. Nichols, who also developed the Nichols Hills neighborhood.
Crown Heights - Edgemere Heights
In October 1930, in an area that was part of the original golf course of the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club, the first Crown Heights lots were offered for sale. Crown Heights is bounded by Western and Walker; it begins on the north side of 36th and includes the north side of 42nd. Edgemere Heights was developed in the 1940s and 1950s; it is bounded on the south and east by the Deep Fork Creek (and I-235), on the west by Crown Heights and has the same N/S borders.In 1973 the Crown Heights - Edgemere Heights Homeowners Association was founded to promote fellowship, preservation and beautification. The Security Association founded in the 1980s provides 24 hour armed patrol and the area enjoys a very low crime rate. In 1980, CH-EH Improvement, Inc., a 501(c)3 charity, was formed for "the improvement of conditions" in CH-EH.
The Tudor Revival style characterizes 40% of the district’s homes.. Common features are a steeply pitched roof, multiple front gables, decorative half-timbering, massive chimneys and tall, narrow windows with multi-pane glazing.
The second most popular style is Colonial Revival accounting for 35% of the residences. Features include having a side-gabled roof and an accentuated front door.
The third most common style is a typical one-story Minimal Traditional, a simplified version of the Colonial Revival, which is typically one-story with a moderately pitched roof.
Other styles that appear include Mission-Spanish with stucco walls and tile roof, Classical Revival with prominent columns, Monterey with its characteristic balcony, French Eclectic with steeply pitched roof and quoins and the International Style with flat roof and casement windows. There are several excellent examples of Art Deco, and many home interiors reflect Art Deco details regardless of the exterior style.
CH-EH characterizes itself as feeling like a "small-town" or an old-fashioned neighborhood where people know their neighbors. The annual Fourth of July Parade and Picnic are attended by hundreds of residents and friends, as are Oktoberfest, Progressive Dinners, the Easter Egg Hunt and other events.
Western Avenue Corridor
The Western Avenue district extends from NW 36th to just north of Wilshire Boulevard and encompasses the Shartel and Classen Curve areas. The area is defined by a Business Improvement District which area merchants established in order to assesses property owners for additional public and marketing services. The Western Avenue Association provides marketing services for the merchants of District. Many energy related businesses have offices in the area including Chesapeake Energy, one of the metro's largest employers.39th Street Enclave
See main article NW 39th Street EnclaveNW 39th Street Enclave
The NW 39th Street Enclave, also known as "39th & Penn" or simply "39th Street", is a prominent leabian, gay, bisexual and transgender district in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma...
Oklahoma City has the state's largest gay/lesbian population and gay village
Gay village
A gay village is an urban geographic location with generally recognized boundaries where a large number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people live or frequent...
, known as the NW 39th Street Enclave
NW 39th Street Enclave
The NW 39th Street Enclave, also known as "39th & Penn" or simply "39th Street", is a prominent leabian, gay, bisexual and transgender district in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma...
or simply 39th Street. As with many of OKC's neighborhoods, the lack of established boundaries makes it hard to give an exact location, but generally speaking, this community is principally located along NW 39th Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Youngs Street, although there are many gay-friendly businesses organizations and neighborhoods diffused throughout the surrounding area of the city.
The NW 39th Street Enclave rivals Bricktown
Bricktown (Oklahoma City)
Bricktown is an entertainment district just east of downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma . It was formerly a major warehouse district. The major attractions of the district are the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, the navigable Bricktown Canal, and the 16-screen Harkins movie theatre...
in terms of sheer volume of clubs, bars, and nightlife including The Habana Inn, billed as "The Southwest's Largest Gay Resort Hotel", with two clubs, piano bar, a restaurant, gift shop, and nearly 200 rooms all at the hotel. 39th Street is also home to the annual PRIDE celebration and other attractions.
Inner City South & the Oklahoma River
"Inner City South" is used to describe the neighborhoods south of new Interstate 40 alignment currently under construction to the areas within and immediately around South Grand Boulevard.Boathouse District
North of Capitol Hill and due south of downtown Oklahoma City, the Boathouse District promises to be yet another major urban area for Oklahoma City made developable by the renovation of the Oklahoma River. The area north of the Oklahoma River is part of Oklahoma City's Core to Shore redevelopment area has a master plan that shows public park and recreation space, residential neighborhoods, office parks, several "urban waterfronts" and river taxi docks along the waterfront. The recently completed Chesapeake Boathouse is a new Oklahoma City landmark on the Oklahoma River and a promising symbol for the Riverside District. The Oklahoma Boat House Foundation is the sponsoring organization for the US Olympic & Paralympic Training Site for both rowing and canoe/kayak.The area south of the Oklahoma River contains several parks. This area of Oklahoma City is also home to the Mat Hoffman Action Sports Park of Oklahoma City located at 1700 S. Robinson. The Skate Park is a 26000 square feet (2,415.5 m²) mecca for skateboarders and other extreme sports enthusiasts. The park was designed by local extreme biking guru and national icon Mat Hoffman
Mat Hoffman
Mat Hoffman is an American BMX rider considered one of the best vert-ramp riders in the history of the sport. He is nicknamed "The Condor" and owns the BMX Freestyle brand Hoffman BMX Bikes, based out of Oklahoma City, OK.-Bio:...
.
Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill, Oklahoma City
Capitol Hill is a neighborhood of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was originally a separate city that was established in 1905, merging with its larger neighbor in 1911...
(ironically nowhere near the actual state Capitol campus) is located south of downtown Oklahoma City and borders the Oklahoma River. It was founded as a separate city during the land run and was later annexed into Oklahoma City. Hence, it has its own impressively well preserved main street business district along S.E. 25th Street, which has seen a revival in recent years.
Capitol Hill was a popular middle class suburb early in the century, but as the population moved into the outer suburbs and the trolley lines that had connected it to downtown stopped running, the neighborhood went into decline. The neighborhood became known for its gang violence and street thugs, but has seen a decrease in gang activity since a known gangster known as Brennan "Tiny" McCloy publicly denounced gang violence. He was one of the founding members of "El Sueño".
Today, Capitol Hill includes a largely Hispanic business district, where one can find anything from recording studios to the Oklahoma Opry to soccer supply shops and street-side taquerias.
Stockyards City
Located at the Agnew Exit South of I-40 and extending to SW 15th street, the Stockyards City area is a unique public/private partnership designed to preserve the early 20th century historic flavor of the area. Many of the businesses in the area date to the 1910 area when the Oklahoma National Stockyards company began its public livestock market. At the heights of its operation during the middle of the 20th Century, the area's meat packing operations represented about 10% of the city's employment. Today, the Oklahoma-National Stockyards the stockyards remains the world's largest stocker and feeder cattleFeeder cattle
Feeder cattle are steers or heifers mature enough to be placed in a feedlot where they will be fattened prior to slaughter. Feeder calves are less than 1 year old; feeder yearlings are between 1 and 2 years old. Both types are often produced in a cow-calf operation.-References:...
markets.
Historic Stockyards City recaptures the architectural flavor of the early 20th century with gaslights and wooden storefronts. Many businesses in Stockyards City date back to the early 20th century when the area was home to several major meat packing companies. The district still has weekly cattle auctions and is home to a local legend, the venerable Cattlemen's Steakhouse.
Stockyards City is also home to many western themed shops and boutiques, including the oldest western wear store in Oklahoma, Langston's Western Wear. Established in 1913, Langston's is the largest seller of Wrangler jeans and Levi's jeans per location in the Southwest and has been voted the Best Western Store by the readers of the Daily Oklahoman every year the "Reader's Choice" award has been given.
- The Merchants of the area have established a Business Improvement District that help fund a number of special events that occur in the district, including a Longhorn Cattle Drive each December, sidewalk sales between Thanksgiving and Christmas and the Annual Stockyards Stampede the first weekend in June.
- The Stockyards Urban Design Committee provides preliminary approval of new development, remodel, reconstruction, and building additions (Map of Stockyard's Zoning districts)
- The area has a Main Street designation
For planning and zoning purposes, the area is divided into several areas:
- Oklahoma River's Scenic River Overlay Design District, Stockyards Section
- Stockyards City Transitional Overlay District (managed by the Stockyards Urban Design Committee)
- Stockyards City Development District (managed by the Stockyards Urban Design Committee)
- Oklahoma National Stockyards Company - original land housing the livestock auction as well as several meet packing plants, not an incorporated part of the City of Oklahoma City
Northeast Oklahoma City
Northeast Oklahoma City is home to Oklahoma's largest African American community. It is located roughly East of the I-235 and North of I-40. Neighborhoods in this district include the Medical District and the Lincoln Terrace neighborhoodLincoln Terrace neighborhood
Lincoln Terrace is a historic and diverse neighborhood in the Eastside district of Northeast Oklahoma City, located on either side of Lincoln Blvd just south of the Oklahoma State Capitol, between NE 13th and NE 23rd streets.] Most homes in the area were built during the decade after the erection...
. This district includes the Oklahoma state capitol
Oklahoma State Capitol
The Oklahoma State Capitol is the house of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the building that houses the Oklahoma Legislature, and the meeting place of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. It is located along Lincoln Boulevard in Oklahoma City. The present structure includes a dome that was...
, most of the state office buildings, and the OU Health Sciences Center. The district is well known as one of the culinary hubs of Oklahoma City, with world-famous BBQ and soul food being served.
The district has a mix of low, middle and upper income residents, often within only a few blocks of each other.
It also houses some of Oklahoma Cities highest crime rates, such as gun violence and several gangs.
Adventure District
The Adventure DistrictAdventure District
Oklahoma City's Adventure District is an area in Oklahoma City, roughly centered around NE 50th Street and Martin Luther King Avenue, that is home to several of the city's most well-known attractions...
, roughly centered around NE 50th and Martin Luther King in Northeast Oklahoma City, is home to many of the city's well-known attractions. These include Science Museum Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden
Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden
The widely acclaimed Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is a zoo and botanical garden located in the Adventure District in northeast Oklahoma City, Oklahoma....
, ASA Hall of Fame Complex and Remington Park
Remington Park
Remington Park is a horse racing track and casino located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Built in 1988, it was the first world-class pari-mutuel track in Oklahoma. Remington Park was built by the late Edward J. DeBartolo Sr., the shopping mall developer who also owned Thistledown in Cleveland, Ohio...
Racetrack and Casino among other attractions. The "Adventure District" designation was created in 2000 as part of a marketing effort by the various attractions in the area; in 2003, the City of Oklahoma City recognized the area as an official entertainment district.
NW Expressway / Belle Isle Corridor
Mayfair and Belle Isle are a pair of middle class, mid century neighborhoods surrounded by Penn Square MallPenn Square Mall
Penn Square Mall is a two-story, upscale regional shopping mall and 10-screen theater in Oklahoma City, located at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and NW Expressway, near I-44. The center was originally built as an outdoor shopping center in 1960 with anchors John A. Brown and Montgomery...
and Integris - Baptist Medical Center. Penn Square Mall is one of Oklahoma's most upscale shopping malls with retailers like Apple, J. Jill, Coach, and Cache', Penn Square is also one of the city's most popular malls and constantly ranks among the most profitable malls in the country. Also nearby is Lake Hefner
Lake Hefner
Lake Hefner is a reservoir in northwestern Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was built in 1947 to expand the water supply for the city of Oklahoma City. It also serves as a major recreational destination, as it is surrounded by of bicycle trails. Lake Hefner covers 2,500 acres and averages 29 feet ...
, a favorite spot for bikers and joggers, with a trail system around the entire municipal reservoir. The entire area is located within Oklahoma City limits.
The area contains several large employeers. The medicine has a significant presence in the area with both Integris-Baptist Medical Center and Deaconess Hospital headquartered within blocks of each other. Other businesses of interest include Valliance Bank, First State Bank, and Ackerman McQueen Advertising. Many energy related businesses have offices in the area.
Nichols Hills and The Village
The City of Nichols HillsNichols Hills, Oklahoma
Nichols Hills is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 4,056 at the 2000 census. Nichols Hills is a bedroom community and is completely cut off from further growth. It is surrounded by Oklahoma City and The...
, just north of Belle Isle, is an enclave of the wealthy. The streets are lined with nice houses, the commerce is upscale, the restaurants are gourmet
Gourmet
Gourmet is a cultural ideal associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterised by elaborate preparations and presentations of large meals of small, often quite rich courses...
, and the country club is exclusive. There are other such enclaves throughout the city, but Nichols Hills is notable even among them for sheer extravagance. The City of Village
The Village, Oklahoma
The Village is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 10,157 at the 2000 census.-Geography:The Village is located at ....
, immediately north, is a middle class post-World War II neighborhood which looks somewhat out of place next to its neighbor to the south, although property values have increased in recent years due to its proximity to Lake Hefner and Nichols Hills neighborhood.
Quail Springs/Memorial Corridor
At the far northern edge of the city along Memorial Road and the Outer Loop (John Kilpatrick TurnpikeJohn Kilpatrick Turnpike
The John Kilpatrick Turnpike is a toll road in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that runs from Interstate 40 on its west side to I-35, where it then merges into the Turner Turnpike...
), bisected by the Lake Hefner Parkway
Lake Hefner Parkway
The Lake Hefner Parkway is a freeway of length 7.46 mi in northwest Oklahoma City that is part of a major north–south corridor across the western part of the city. It was opened in 1992.-Traffic information:...
, is a huge swath of suburban development rapidly creeping toward Edmond, the city's northern suburb.
The area gained its name from the Quail Creek residential development (founded in 1961) and its neighborhood Quail Creek Golf and Country Club. The just under two square mile Quail Creek residential development was one of the country's first neighborhood golf communities and was the vision of developers John W. "Jack" Johnson and his brother Paul Johnson. Work on the development started in 1960, with golf course designed by Floyd Farley and club house designed by Howard, Samis and Davies. Ernie Vossler
Ernie Vossler
Ernest Orville Vossler is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour; he later prospered in the fields of golf course design and construction, golf course management services and real estate development....
, the original Golf Pro, later took the neighborhood golf community concept and created the Oak Tree developments (Oak Tree National) in Edmond, Oklahoma
Edmond, Oklahoma
Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the population was 81,405, making it the sixth largest city in the state of Oklahoma....
, as well as La Quinta Resort developments in the Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley is a large valley landform in Southern California. The valley extends for approximately 45 miles in Riverside County southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains to the saltwater Salton Sea, the largest lake in California...
(Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
) area.
Since the early 1980s, this area has been transformed from grazing land and farm prairie into a broad ribbon of office parks, housing tracts, chain restaurants, a regional supermall - Quail Springs Mall
Quail Springs Mall
Quail Springs Mall is a super regional shopping mall and trade area located in far northern Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It contains four major department store anchors, a 24-screen AMC Theatre, and a total of 130 tenants comprising a total of approximately 1,128,000 square feet of gross leasable area...
, and a great number of strip malls and box stores. Growth here has been brisk, with corporate campuses, golf courses, and shopping centers opening up new opportunities for exploration. The area is also home to the Martin Park Nature Center, a fairly large nature preserve with several hiking trails and lots of natural wildlife. North of the Memorial Road corridor is Deer Creek, a rapidly growing section of the metro centered around well-regarded schools.
The area is home to some of the Metro's major employers. There is a concentration of health care services in the area, including Mercy Health System, the Oklahoma Heart Hospital as well as the Integris Cancer Institute and its adjoining ProCure Proton Therapy Center. The Quail Springs Business Park houses several hotels and a concentration of corporate administration services including those for Hertz, AAA, AT&T, Avaya, FBI Regional Office, and Jordan Associates Advertising. Other major employers in the area are AlaMode Software Systems, and Farmers Insurance Group.
The Francis Tuttle
Francis Tuttle
Francis Tuttle Technology Center is a public career and technology education center affiliated with the state of Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. Francis Tuttle has a dual focuses, serving both the business community as well as high school and adult students...
Technology Center has two campuses in the area. Francis Tuttle is a tax supported school that offers programs to adults, with career-specific training to maintain a quality workforce. Complete business and industry training and consulting services are offered to local businesses at nominal or no-cost. The general public is offered short-term training for career enhancement or leisure activities. Francis Tuttle's Bruce Gray Center is adjacent to Quail Springs Business Park.
The area is known for its golf courses, including Quail Creek Golf and Country Club, the Greens Golf and Raquet Club, Rose Creek Golf Club, Silver Horn Golf Club, the Links Apartment Golf and Athletic Club, and the city's most upscale golf course is located in an area called Gaillardia (named both after Oklahoma's state wildflower, the Gaillardia, also known as the Indian Blanket, and the Oklahoma City business mogul family and owners of The Daily Oklahoman, the Gaylords).
The area is also infamous for one of the most congested and difficult intersections in the city, Memorial Road and North Pennsylvania Avenue, a natural consequence of the city's sprawl and developer-controlled planning. However, area is popular with locals due to a wide variety of shopping, dining and entertainment attractions within easy reach, with plenty of open spaces and without the cramped, stifled feeling of the more "urban" areas; and despite calls for a return to more urban-centric ideals by a small minority, the success of this area is undeniable.
Meridian Avenue "West End" Corridor
The Meridian West End Corridor is one of the largest, busiest and most industrially diverse areas of the city. The Corridor extends north of the Will Rogers World Airport to I-40, and from I-44 to Meridian.The Meridian Avenue "Hospitality" District is along one of the city's busiest arteries, S. Meridian Avenue, and extends from mid-tier West Oklahoma City to suburban SW Oklahoma City. At the Meridian / I40 intersection, with its close proximity to the Oklahoma State Fair Park (which labels itself as the "Horse Show Capital of the World") and its many exhibition halls, the area has one of the largest concentrations of hotel rooms in the southwest. This Hospitality District and the area surrounding it is anchored on the north by the developing Oklahoma River (just before you reach I-40). City leaders have already written a very large check for water taxis to operate steamboats to shuttle people from the area to downtown, and possibly connect to a yellow water taxi in Bricktown
Bricktown (Oklahoma City)
Bricktown is an entertainment district just east of downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma . It was formerly a major warehouse district. The major attractions of the district are the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, the navigable Bricktown Canal, and the 16-screen Harkins movie theatre...
. The Oklahoma River is a vast ribbon of former blight razed and developed into parkland, and developers already have placed bids for major projects.
There are numerous hotels, restaurants, and night clubs located in the Hospitality District with White Water Bay and Celebration Station offering summer activities for the entire family.
East of the Hospitality District is the Dell Customer Contact Center, with an original projection of 500 jobs, like their model for every other Dell campus. It is now the highest performing service center that Dell operates, and the current job projection is around 4,500, mostly due to typical economic development as practiced by the Greater OKC Chamber of Commerce. The Dell campus will have a dock for the Oklahoma River Taxi.
North of the Dell Campus, at the Portland / I40 / I44 intersectons is the Furniture District, with several specialty furniture stores including Mathis Brothers, Bob Mills Furniture, Thomasville Home Furnishings, Suburban Contemporary Furniture, and Factory Direct Furniture & Bed.
The busiest section of the corridor is just north of Will Rogers World Airport
Will Rogers World Airport
Will Rogers World Airport , also known as Will Rogers Airport or simply Will Rogers, is located in southwestern Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 6 miles from downtown and is the principal commercial airport of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area...
and stretches from Airport Road (a controlled-access freeway) to I-40 is the Airport District. On west side of the airport is located the largest FAA center outside of Washington, D.C. (and the third largest employer in the metro.) In the area north of the airport are several corporations, including Hobby Lobby
Hobby Lobby
Hobby Lobby is a privately held retail chain of arts and crafts stores based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and is formally called Hobby Lobby Creative Centers.Founded by David Green on August 3, 1972, the chain has more than 456 stores in 39 states...
and affiliated Mardels, headquartered within a mile of the District. Land is cheap as you venture further from Meridian Avenue, and many manufacturing facilities and corporate headquarters have their sprawling campuses on the southwest side of the metro. Other manufacturing companies include IEC International Environmental, ClimateMaster, as well as a distribution center for Associated Wholesale Grocers.
I-240 Corridor
Stretching from I-35 on the east and I-44 to the west and between 59th and 89th Street, this area in recent years has become the Southside's mecca for shopping, dining and even car buying. This densely packed area attracts mainly big box retailersBig-box store
A big-box store is a physically large retail establishment, usually part of a chain. The term sometimes also refers, by extension, to the company that operates the store...
away from Crossroads Mall at I-240 & I-35. The homes in the area are mostly small and older (1950s-1970s); the eateries and shops attract wealthier customers from suburbs surrounding southwest Oklahoma City (such as the Westmoore area).
The I-240 corridor has many restaurants including: Chili's, Texas Roadhouse, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, Joe's Crabshack, Red Lobster, Hooters, Charleston's, and many others.
Oklahoma City Community College
Oklahoma City Community College
The Oklahoma City Community College, also referred to as OCCC or O-Triple-C, is a coeducational community college located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The community college was founded in 1972. It currently enrolls 19,700 students. The faculty consists of 134 full-time professors, and 400 adjunct...
, built in 1972 as South Oklahoma City Junior College, is located in the I-240 Corridor at I-44, and is the state's third largest college with over 22,000 students enrolled.
Southeast
Tinker Air Force Base
Tinker Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions, located in the southeast Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area, directly south of the suburb of Midwest City, Oklahoma.-Overview:...
, which lies between I-40 and I-240 in Oklahoma City, and touches Midwest City. Tinker is one of the nation's premier bases, employing over 30,000 people. The famously-dismantled General Motors plant (now used by Tinker AFB), Quad Graphics, and some other employers are scattered around the mostly industrial countryside. Several new industrial parks take advantage of the Tinker proximity, including the Boeing facility now under construction.
Draper Lake is also in this area, and is the largest lake in the Oklahoma City limits. The lake is a 2900 acre lake, and has very popular mountain biking trials nearby, which attract riders from around the state, with more than 14 miles (22.5 km) of single-track trails, varying in difficulty.
Currently the pipes which feed lake Draper from the larger lake Atoka are under repair, causing the water levels of lake Draper to be too low for boating. The levels should return to normal levels in 2012.
External links
- Official City of Oklahoma City Website
- OKC Convention and Visitors' Bureau
- Downtown OKC (contracted by OKC to implement Business Improvement District initiatives)
- Chamber of Commerce
- The Neighborhood Alliance of Central Oklahoma
- OK Metropolis Forums -- OKC Civic & Development Discussion
- About Oklahoma City
- Oklahoma River Attractions and Redevelopments
- Team USA - Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation
35.482309°N 97.534994°W