Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, Greater Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area | |
|---|---|
| File:Okc.jpg | |
| Nickname(s): Capital of the New Century, OKC | |
 Location in Oklahoma County and the state of Oklahoma. | |
| Country State Counties | United States Oklahoma Oklahoma County Cleveland County Canadian County Pottawatomie County Logan County Lincoln County Grady County McClain County |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mick Cornett |
| Population (2004) | |
• City | 528,042 |
| • Metro | 1,244,327 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Website | http://www.okc.gov/ |
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is also the county seat of Template:USCity. Oklahoma City was founded during the Land Run of 1889, first of five land runs in Oklahoma.
The city's name is often abbreviated as "O City" or its airport's IATA code, OKC. The local socialites have affectionately named it "Action City" and it is also known more recently as the Renaissance City due to its downtown renaissance. Residents of the outlying suburbs and rural areas often call it simply "The City".
Oklahoma City is a large, diverse, and growing metropolitan area; it is the civic, business, entertainment, and commercial center of the state. It is the largest city in the Great Plains region of the United States, and it is the largest city in population of the 5 "plains states" (Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota) in addition to four of its neighbouring states (Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and New Mexico). It is also a major crossroads, being one of the very few cities in the country where three interstates "cross": Interstate 35, Interstate 40 and Interstate 44.
Oklahoma City is the 29th largest city in the nation, according to a 2004 report from the U.S. Census Bureau. The city's population on July 1, 2004 totaled 528,042, with 1.3 million residents in the metropolitan area. Oklahoma City and Tulsa have the two lowest costs of living among major U.S. cities.
Oklahoma City was the site of the bombing on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 1995, the largest act of terrorism on American soil prior to the September 11th attacks and the most destructive act of domestic terrorism in American history.
NASCAR driver Lance Norick is from the city.
History
Main article: History of Oklahoma City
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,608.8 km² (621.2 mi²). 1,572.1 km² (607.0 mi²) of it is land and 36.7 km² (14.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.28% water.
Oklahoma City is the third largest city in the country in terms of geographic area, although its urbanized zone is 244 mi² - resulting in an urban population density more comparable to that found in other major cities, 2,515/mi² in 2004.
Oklahoma City is the second largest city in the nation still in compliance with the Clean Air Act (after Jacksonville, Florida).
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Oklahoma City is the principal city of the eight-county Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area and is the state's largest urbanized area. The Oklahoma City MSA was the 46th largest in the nation as of the year 2000.
| North: Guthrie Edmond |
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| West: Bethany Yukon Mustang El Reno |
Oklahoma City | East: Del City Midwest City Choctaw Shawnee |
| South: Moore Norman |
Cities and towns comprising the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area
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In 2005, Hall Park was annexed by Norman, Oklahoma and ceased to be a town, becoming instead a group of housing subdivisions.
Neighborhoods
Downtown and the Business District
The Metro Conncourse, named after its founder, Jack Conn, is an underground tunnel system connecting nearly all the downtown buildings in a 20-square-block area. The Conncourse is one of the most extensive all-enclosed pedestrian systems in the country, extending three-quarters of a mile and connecting over 30 downtown buildings by tunnel or skyway. The original tunnel link was built in 1931 and the system was extended in the 1970s.
Offices, shops, and restaurants line the Conncourse system, but it has fallen into disrepair and neglect over the past decade. It is scheduled to undergo a $2 million renovation in 2006. Upon completion of the renovation, the plan calls for the Conncourse to be renamed the Underground.
Downtown Oklahoma City itself is currently undergoing a major renaissance. Between the 1970s and the late 1990s, downtown was unchanging and almost vacant, and completely deprived of any life at all. It was the scene of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on 6th between Hudson and Harvey avenues. Almost every building in a 1-mile radius was structurally damaged by the blast, and several buildings adjacent, including the old Journal Record Building, were in worse or equally bad shape as the Federal Building. The community was devastated and the nation watched as Timothy McVeigh was tried and found guilty of the terrorist attack. Since then however, there have been many conspiracy theories about what really happened. Also since then the community has rebuilt the downtown area, including the federal building.
Downtown has not seen a new skyscraper or any sort of major construction project for that matter in many, many decades. During the last building boom in the 50s, 60s, and early 70s, wrong-headed urban planning allowed for the destruction of almost 50 historic buildings and skyscrapers. Many were covered by hideous facades, many, including the 40+-story Biltmore Hotel, were imploded on the site for green space or parking lots. The city destroyed its downtown retail core on the west side of downtown to build a galleria mall which was designed by Pei, but then the oil bust came and the plans bit the dust. If OKC had not practiced wrong-headed urban planning, today the downtown would still have light rail and would be a Victorian masterpiece like the Guthrie, north of town.
Downtown became a ghost town over night with the oil bust and hadn't recovered until now. Downtown has recovered in a big way over the last 5 years. It's become the home of major sports tournements, the NBA, the Redhwaks baseball, clubs, apartments, and major festivals and events. Numerous apartment complexes are being built around Downtown, and old buildings are being converted into apartments and hotels as well. Leading the charge is the historic Skirvin Hotel. The Skirvin was known for being the place where numerous presidents have stayed while visiting OKC. But the famous Victorian hotel, well regarded as the nicest hotel in the South (this side of the Mississippi), closed its doors in the 1980s. The building has been dodging bullets and being destroyed, but over the years numerous renovation attempts have failed. The building sat like a glitch on the skyline. Now the City alongside some developers and Marcus Properties are renovating the fabulous old building into the Skirvin Hilton Downtown. Another great story, the Colcord Hotel (Oklahoma's first "skyscraper") is currently being converted to a boutique hotel from Class C real estate.
The will also be a new 10-story brick Hampton Inn Bricktown that will feature 200 rooms, and a new Residence Inn by the Bass Pro in B'town that's already nearing completion for the Big 12 men's and women's basketball championships. It will have 150 rooms.
The condominium scene is also hot over the last few years.
- Downtown corporate heavyweight, Kerr McGee Corp., is renovating 3 (10-story, 7-story, and 11-story) vacant buildings that they've owned for a long time into luxury lofts.
- The Hill is a project with almost 200 townhomes being built on a hill overlooking the Deep Deuce district (later described).
- The Triangle, sort of in the Flatiron District between Deep Deuce and Bricktown, is a mixed-use project by TAParchitecture that will be finished in 5-10 years with 700 loft units, and lots of office and retail space.
- In 2001, the Deep Deuce at Bricktown opened with 294 units.
- Legacy Summit at Arts Central is a $40-million, 200-unit being developed across from the Civic Center Music Hall.
- Block 42 is a contemporary condo complex going up in Deep Deuce with just 24 units.
- The Park Harvey Center, a 17-story office building off of Park and Harvey avenues, is being converted into 164 apartment units.
- The Central Avenue Villas will have 30 loft units when finished later in 2007.
- The Chandelier is a project along North Broadway in Automobile Alley to turn a large old gallery into a loft building with 50 units. A 4-story glass lean-on will be erected next to the building.
There numerous other projects throughout Midtown and the Downtown neighborhoods and more are being announced every month. It's too hard to chronologically list all of the projects that will bring major life back to the formerly derelect icon of the city.
There are more units underway currently in Downtown than in the history of Downtown OKC combined. The office scene is also hot. Occupancy rates have risen above 80% for the first time since the bust, which means that as more office buildings are occupied or converted into apartments (there are 3 other, 2 being landmarks high rises in NW OKC being converted to apartments) that soon a developer will likely invest in erecting a new, office high rise in Downtown.
Today, the side neighborhoods of Downtown (listed below) are historical preservation districts with each their own distinct flavor and architectural flair:
Bricktown
The Bricktown Entertainment District in downtown Oklahoma City is the fastest growing entertainment district in the region, and is one of the city's (and state's) most popular destinations. The former warehouse district on the southeast side of downtown has seen a major renaissance, along with the rest of the city, over the last 10 years thanks to MAPS (a citizen passed 1-cent sales tax increase under Mayor Ron Norick), and is now bustling with restaurants, dance clubs, live music venues, classy retail shops, and offices. It is also home to the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark (aka, the Brick) and the navigable Bricktown Canal, which will eventually allow commuters to take the popular water taxis from western OKC into the Downtown neighborhood.
The Bricktown Canal stretches one mile through the district and runs to a park past the Oklahoma Land Run Monument. When completed, the Land Run Monument will be a series of 36 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 boasts a brand new movie complex run by Harkins Theaters, Bass Pro Outdoor World, the new Toby Keith I Love This Bar and Grill restaurant and upscale retail. Several hotels are planned as are additional retail venues and urban condominiums.
Automobile Alley
This 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 1970s and 1980s. Recently an effort to redevelop the area has transformed the showrooms and storefronts of AAlley into upscale lofts, galleries, and offices. Also in the area are many of downtown's earliest churches along Robinson Ave. (known as "Church Row") in Midtown and the city's first high school, now the headquarters of Oklahoma Farmers Union Insurance.
Today there is a considerable effort to turn AAlley into Oklahoma City's newest upscale urban neighborhood. North Broadway, coming out of the Business District, is lined with galleries, lofts, and historic offices. Many buildings have murals, and many are still vacant, offering opportunities for the next developer.
Deep Deuce
Deep Deuce, a few blocks north of Bricktown, ignited the downtown Oklahoma City urban housing boom in the late 1990's. The area consists mostly of low rise apartment buildings and various formerly vacant mixed use buildings. Deep Deuce was the largest African American neighborhood downtown in the 1940s and 1950s, and was a regional center of jazz music and African American culture. Bands such as the Count Basie Orchestra, the Blue Devils, the Charlie Christian Band, and others resided in this OKC neighborhood. Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was once rejected for a position at the Calvary Baptist Church in Deep Deuce for being "too young".
Much of the neighborhood was bulldozed to make way for I-235 in the 1980s, but the Bricktown boom has made the area (with its prime location between Bricktown and the growing biotech center east of I-235) attractive to developers despite how little of the neighborhood's earlier character still exists.
The Arts District
The area now known as the Arts District, despite a futile attempt to give the neighborhood a more colorful name like Arts Central, raps around part of western downtown that includes the Civic Center Music Hall, the new Oklahoma City Museum of Art, the Myriad Botanical Gardens, Stage Center for the Performing Arts, the new central library, several local theaters, and at its northern edge, the Oklahoma City National Memorial.
Due to its close proximity to the principal cultural attractions in downtown the Arts District is also the location of many very upscale condos and apartments, with more planned in the near future. Downtown's original residential units (pre-2000) are all located in the Arts District. The district is home to the nation's 3rd largest arts festival, The Festival of the Arts. Between the Arts District and Downtown is where, during the 70s, the city bulldozed numerous historic hotel and office buildings to build a galleria designed by I.M. Pei. The plans failed, along with OKC's economy during the oil bust, and a large gap in the character of the western side of Downtown was opened up.
Innercity North
Asian District
Oklahoma City has the largest East Asian population in the state and is home to a rapidly growing cultural district officially deemed Asia District. Many cultures from all over Asia are represented in the shops and restaurants as well as the neighboring residential and commercial area. The district is often 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 22nd Street to NW 30th, the region is a culturally diverse Chinatown community, with the strongest visually identifiable cultural 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 Asia District [1] is a bustling cosmopolitan scene full of Pho noodle cafés, art galleries, quaint apartments, retail shops, asian delis, highrise condos, and bars and restaurants of every stripe (literally - in the span of a single block can be found a pizzeria, a diner, an Arby's, an Asian video arcade, a Chinese and two pho restaurants). One can often observe students from nearby Oklahoma City University and Classen School of Advanced Studies frequenting the neighborhood.
East (area east of the Capitol)
The Eastside district in the near North East quadrant of Oklahoma City is home to the state's largest African American community and is experiencing a renaissance of its own. Once a perfect example of urban blight and neglect, the Eastside has seen some significant development recently. An African American Heritage Museum is currently in the works along with efforts to revive the long neglected NE 23rd Capitol Business District.
Other Eastside attractions include the beautiful and newly domed State Capitol of Oklahoma, the 45th Infantry Museum just south of the Adventure District, the Oklahoma Historical Society Museum, the University of Oklahoma Medical Center and the burgeoning Oklahoma Research Center. The OU Medical Center is the nation's largest, employing around 12,000 people. The area along Lincoln is usually lumped with the Downtown renaissance, and not the seperate northeast revitalization. Just because the entire city is undergoing a revitalization does not mean that it's all Downtown, from Guthrie to Norman.
The Oklahoma Medical District, comprised of some hospitals, the VA Med Center, the OUMC, and the OU Health Campus (comprised of 6 medical schools, and one of the largest health campuses in the nation) is undergoing a reconstruction phase with new buildings being built. There is also one of the region's major economic engines, the Research Park, which is a growing campus of 6 buildings fully leased with research-based tenants and thousands of jobs. The whole Medical District area is by far one of the fastest growing and newest economic engines in the metro area which has managed to link to Capitol Complex and Downtown into one package of urban revitalization linked by Broadway and/or Lincoln Boulevard.
The Eastside is considered by many to be the most economically diverse neighborhood in Oklahoma City, with land values ranging from astronomical in parts of the tree-lined Lincoln Terrace neighborhood(across from the Capitol and the OUMC) to poverty ghetto within public housing districts like Prince Hall Village on Kelly Avenue (further from Downtown); two very different 'hoods' only one mile apart.
39th Street Enclave
Oklahoma City has the state's largest gay/lesbian population and gay village, known as the NW 39th Street Enclave. 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, and there are many "alternative" lifestyle-friendly businesses, organizations and neighborhoods diffused throughout the surrounding area.
The NW 39th Street Enclave rivals Bricktown in terms of sheer volume of clubs, bars, and nightlife including The Habana Inn, billed as The Largest Gay Resort in America, with 3 bars, restaurant, gift shop, and nearly 200 rooms. 39th Street is also home to the local annual PRIDE celebration.
The Paseo
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. Located along Paseo Drive at roughly N. Walker Ave and NW 28th Street, the district is home to a number of bars and upscale/ethnic restaurants and grills and hosts an annual arts festival in the spring.
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. In the immediate area are several historic neighborhoods including Mesta Park, 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 neighbourhood known as Asia District as well as Oklahoma City University.
Uptown and Midtown
Further south are Uptown, Automobile Alley and Midtown as well as St. Anthony's Hospital (the state's oldest and largest hospital) at the northern edge of Downtown. Midtown, like much of the inner city, is experiencing a renaissance as the city cleans out the blight and decay and replaces it with upscale urban amenities like the 10th Street Main Street program and the Plaza District streetscape.
The historic Heritage Hills neighborhood has led the charge in the area, with wealthy businessmen and doctors restoring formerly abandoned oil mansions north of downtown, between NW 13th and NW 23rd. The district is now completely restored. Then the nearly identical area between Walker Ave. and Classen Blvd., bordering Heritage Hills, is called Mesta Park. Really, the entire inner northwest is a patchwork of historic mansions and retail streetscapes like 23rd Street, Western Avenue, or the Paseo.
Innercity South
Stockyards City
Located at the Agnew Exit South of I-40 to Exchange Ave, Stockyards City is home to the largest stocker/feeder cattle market in the world. Stockyards City recaptures the architectural flavor of the early Twentieth Century with gaslights and wooden storefronts. Many businesses in Stockyards City date back to the early 1900s 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.
A number of special events 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 Oklahoma-National Stockyards are the nation's largest, and are the world's largest cattle market even to this day.
Capitol Hill and Riverside
Oklahoma City has the largest Hispanic population in the State with the majority residing in the SW and NW quadrants of the city. The Capitol Hill and Riverside districts, due south of downtown, are the center of Hispanic oriented commerce, culture, and nightlife.
Capitol Hill (located deceptively far from the actual State Capitol) 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 SE 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.
While Capitol Hill still has problems with crime and gang activity, it is one of OKC's liveliest neighborhoods. One can find almost anything in Capitol Hill, from recording studios to the oddly placed Oklahoma Opry to soccer supply shops and street-side taquerias.
Also due south of downtown, Riverside promises to be yet another major urban district for Oklahoma City. The master plan 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. Riverside is expected to be one of the best areas for development in Oklahoma City in the coming years. This area of Oklahoma City is also home to the Riverside Skate Park, located at 1700 S. Robinson. Riverside Skate Park is a 26,000 square foot mecca for skateboarders and other extreme sports enthusiasts. The park was designed by local extreme biking guru and national icon Mat Hoffman.
Northern metro
Adventure District
Another neighbourhood in Northeast Oklahoma City is known as the Adventure District, which is home to many of the city's great museums and major attractions. The area has numerous tree-lined boulevards and is home to many upscale neighbourhoods. Tourist attractions include the Omniplex Science Museum, the Oklahoma City Zoological Park, Remington Park Racetrack and Racino, the National Softball Hall of Fame and Stadium, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Six Flags Frontier City, the Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum, and Cinemark Tinseltown USA among many other attractions.
Mayfair and Belle Isle
Mayfair and Belle Isle are a pair of middle class, mid century neighborhoods surrounding Penn Square Mall and Baptist Hospital. 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 stripmall-filled, restaurant bearing, continuously congested 6-lane boulevard with highway intersections, hotels, and office towers scattered along at various intervals. The Northwest Business District includes most of the large scale highrises, office towers, and hotels outside of downtown, (including the architecturally interesting United Founders Tower).
Nichols Hills and The Village
These are separate small cities, surrounded by Oklahoma City. Nichols Hills, just north of Belle Isle, is an enclave of the wealthy. The streets are lined with elegant houses, the commerce is upscale, the restaurants are gourmet, and the country club (Oklahoma City Country Club) is exclusive. There are other such enclaves throughout the city, but Nichols Hills is most notable even among them for its sheer extravagance. The Village, immediately north, is a middle class post-World War II neighborhood which looks somewhat palpable next to its neighbor to the south, although property values have increased in recent years due to its proximity to Lake Hefner.
Bethany and Warr Acres
Bethany and Warr Acres are located in the suburban inner western part of the city. These suburbs, which until recently were in decline, are home to the metro's most competitive tax rates, and have attracted numerous big box retailers. There are a large number of historic motels, restaurants, and bars along old Route 66 (now NW 39th St), Lake Overholser and growing Korean, East Indian, and Pakistani communities.
Bethany is home to Southern Nazarene University and has a well preserved main street area along 39th Street. Lake Overholser, the city's oldest lake and originally its primary reservoir, has seen proposals for resort development. On Lake Overholser, there exists upscale housing on the west (newer) and east (older) sides of the lake, and the Bethany area is mostly a mix of upscale housing and post war middle class housing. Unique compared to other suburbs, these suburban "enclaves" have a stagnant population.
Quail Springs/Memorial Corridor
At the far northern edge of the city along Memorial Road and the Outer Loop (Kilpatrick Turnpike) is a huge swath of suburban development rapidly creeping toward Edmond, the city's northern suburb.
Over the past 20 years 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, Mercy Health Center, and a great number of strip malls and box stores. Year by year, more corporate campuses are built, more golf courses open, and more strip malls are finished and life goes on without the blink of an eye here. The city's most upscale golf course is located in an area called The Gaillardia (named after the state flower, another name for Indian Blanket). The area is also infamous for one of the most congested and difficult intersections in the city, Memorial Road and N. Pennsylvania Avenue, a natural consequence of the city's sprawl and developer-controlled planning.
The Memorial Corridor may not make it into tourist brochures any time soon, but the area is popular to locals nonetheless. In addition to the suburban sprawl, this area is also home to 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 and golf courses.
Edmond is a suburb directly to the north and adjacent to Oklahoma City. Home to almost 80,000 people, it's considered the metro's rapidly growing "pride" suburb.
Western metro
Yukon,the proud home of Garth Brooks, is a growing suburb located 20 miles west of downtown on I 40 and the West Loop (Kilpatrick Turnpike). Yukon is a fairly typical suburb with a strong Western kick. It's an average patch work of nicer established housing areas and development sites. The city is currently in the midst of a retail boom.
The Mustang city limits are cut off from the rest of the metro by Will Rogers World Airport, which makes Mustang the most remote area of the metro. Mustang Schools service a large area outside Mustang limits, and are considered very decent. The city of about 15,000 is rapidly growing and until recently didn't even show up on maps.
Meridian Avenue/"West End"
The Meridian Avenue "Hospitality" Corridor 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.
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 and the Furniture District area, and survives primarily on traffic generated by it. There are numerous hotels, restaurants, and night clubs located in the district. In addition there are several corporations, including Hobby Lobby, headquartered within a mile of the corridor. Land is cheep 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.
Recently, the city landed a major Dell Americas Service 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 thanks to typical economic development as practiced by the Greater OKC Chamber and no other chamber of commerce.
The Meridian Avenue Hospitality Corridor 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.
Southern metro
Along the I-35 South freeway is Moore, one of the city's alleged "blue-collar" suburb (though the image is starting to fade with the recent boom in Moore). This is because the city is drawing people from Tinker AFB, York, and the recently-closed GM Automotive Plant. Moore is a fast growing suburb approaching 50,000 people, and there is massive commercial development under construction along the freeway at S. 19th St. and residential additions have been recently built and others are planned on the east side and western edges of the city limits. With that said, the more central strip just along I-35 near Main is older and beginning to show some signs of neglect.
"Westmoore"/South Oklahoma City
West of Moore is an area of Oklahoma City known as Westmoore, anchored by the Westmoore High School, one of the state's largest and most renowned high schools. The area, considered by some to be the fastest growing sector in the metro area, is booming with over 40,000 people is suburban in nature with one of the metro's highest in per capita income. Neighborhoods and country clubs here often make the "OKC's best" residential lists. It is unique in that it is completely within the city limits of Oklahoma City, but has its own identity and seems like just another suburb. The area is bounded by Meridian Avenue to the west, Santa Fe Avenue to the east, 89th Street to the north, and 164th Street to the south.
Norman, Oklahoma is the anchor city of the south Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area and boasts a growing full-time population of over 110,000 residents. 43% of them have a bachelor's degree, ranking Norman among the highest in the nation for educational attainment. It is the state's third largest city and is home to the University of Oklahoma with around 35,000 students and the renowned Sooner Football team. Norman is a cosmopolitan city with great urban districts and residential neighborhoods.
Currently the nation's 4th largest retail site (University Park North, a project by the OU Regents), is being built in Norman along I 35, between Robinson Street and Tecumseh Road (2-mile stretch). When completed the site will also include mixed use development such as hotels and offices in addition to retail.
Norman's picture-book Main Street is a great source of pride for Normanites, as are the many shady, tree-lined housing areas that surround the OU campus. The west side of town has seen the most development in recent years, including ritzy areas like Brookhaven, a sprawling neighborhood of townhomes, apartments, large estates and upscale retail and dining. The east side is poorer and older, with some interesting new apartment projects going up near the campus. These give way to suburban housing and eventually the gently rolling terrain that surrounds Lake Thunderbird.
Norman is a global center for the sciences of Meteorology and Geology and related research fields. The local business community boosts major employers like Hitachi, UPS, Saxon Publishing, Albon Engineering, Xyant Technology, Office Max, ClientLogic, National Center for Employee Development, Immuno-Mycologics, Inc., the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Shaklee Corporation, and several other research companies and smaller firms that take advantage of Norman's hot business climate.
Eastern metro
Del City is a municipality of about 25,000 people immediately SE of downtown that is suffering from severe neglect. Although there have been some attempts to revive Del City, these have mostly been unsuccessful, as the city has remained a hub of the lower middle-class.
SE Oklahoma City
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. While this area is hardly a Memorial Road, there are some new office buildings and traffic does grind to a halt on I 240 coming from Tinker, which lies between I 40 and I 240 in Oklahoma City, and touching Midwest City. The famously dismantled GM plant, 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 under construction.
Also Tinker Air Force Base , one of the nation's premiere bases, and one that employs around 30,000 persons, is located in this area.
Midwest City, with 55,000 people, is a mix of middle class post-war housing and upscale newer housing, which thrives on nearby Tinker. MWC (as it's often abbreviated) has a bad reputation as another blue-collar suburb, when in all actuality, it isn't. It's cut off from the rest of the metro by the poorer northeast sides of Oklahoma City and Del City, which is the source of this misbelief. The eastern part of the city has grown into a nice surbuban district, with nice new housing editions. City leaders have enjoyed success in reinventing their downtown area, and attracting major town center developments along I 40. The new shopping center has numerous eateries and shops planned. The city's dying mall Heritage Park has planned renovation and will hopefuly draw money into the town. The growing Rose State College campus is also located in Midwest City, and so was the very first Sam's Club.
Then to the east of Midwest City, along US 62, is Choctaw. Choctaw is not quite as dense as other cities are, and it's still establishing itself. There are only about 10,000 people that live in the city, but development is bringing new growth to the town.
Shawnee is an exurb of Oklahoma City, somewhat removed from the immediate metropolitan area by its isolation. But within the Shawnee micropolitan area, are about 65,000 people, lakes, hills, and strip malls along I 40. The city is also quite the college town, with two very beautiful campuses near its historic downtown. The historic downtown area has seen a flury of redevelopment, including the conversion of the vacant Aldridge Hotel into a large apartment building.
Oklahoma's first college, St. Gregory's University (a catholic arts college) was founded in Shawnee, and shortly afterwards came Oklahoma Baptist University. Both are two of Oklahoma's finest institutions of higher education. They also drive Shawnee and Pottawatomi County's economy.
Education
Higher education
Oklahoma City is home to many colleges and universities, including the private, liberal arts Oklahoma City University (formerly called Epworth University) in Midtown.
The University of Oklahoma is well represented in the city and metropolitan area, with the OU Medical Center due east of downtown and the main OU (Sooners) campus located in the southern suburb of Norman. In Norman, OU is home to around 35,000 full-time students, and in OKC the OU Health Sciences Center is one of only 4 colleges in the nation to have all 6 medical schools, and the OUMC is the nation's largest independant medical center, and employs over 12,000 people.
The third-largest university in the state, the University of Central Oklahoma, is located just north of the city in the suburb of Edmond. Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City is located to the side of the Furniture District on the Westside. Oklahoma City Community College in south OKC is the largest community college in the state. Just east of Oklahoma City is Rose State College [2] located in Midwest City.
Oklahoma City also has several public vo-tech schools, the largest of which are Metro Technology Centers [3] and Francis Tuttle.
There are also a number of private colleges and universities throughout the city, including Oklahoma Christian University, Southern Nazarene University [4], University of Phoenix - Oklahoma City Campuses[5], Mid-America Christian University, American Christian College and Seminary, Oklahoma Baptist College, Metropolitan College, DeVry University - Oklahoma City Campus [6], and the Downtown College Consortium.
Primary and secondary
The Oklahoma City Public School district is the state's largest and is one of the few urban districts in the nation with a growing enrollment, due largely to the so-called MAPS for KIDs city-wide improvement plan. Classen School of Advanced Studies is located in the Oklahoma City Public School District, a national Blue Ribbon School. The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics in Oklahoma City is home to the state's most gifted math and science pupils.
Numerous suburban districts circle the urban OKCPS district, such as Putnam City Public Schools in suburban northwest Oklahoma City, the largest suburban school district in the state. Also, the city has very well developed private and parochial schools, including Casady School, Heritage Hall, and the schools of the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.
Culture
Major attractions
Besides the skyscrapers that cluster in the city's central business district, one of the more prominent landmarks downtown is the Crystal Bridge at the Myriad Botanical Gardens, a large downtown urban park. Designed by I. M. Pei, the Crystal Bridge is a tropical conservatory that contains foliage more akin to the Amazon River basin than the Great Plains of North America. The park has several amphitheaters where live theater and concerts can be seen and heard in the summer. There is also a lake in the middle of the park inhabited by large goldfish. Waterfalls and fountains add life-giving oxygen to the lake as well as an added attraction for visitors.
The park is also home to the free Twilight Concert Series (summer) and the city's top festivals, including the annual Festival of the Arts, ranked the second best arts festival in the nation, (April), the annual Downtown Salute (a month-long festival in July complete with parades, free concert acts, and the three-day long Bricktown 4th of July Celebration and Fireworks), and Opening Night (December 31/January 1).
The Oklahoma City Zoological Park is highly ranked nationally and is the oldest zoo in the Southwest US. It is home to numerous natural habitats, WPA era architecture and landscaping, and hosts major touring concerts during the summer at its amphitheater.
The Omniplex Museum in the Kirkpatrick Center is one of the largest Science Centers and General Interest Museums in the country. The Kirkpatrick Center houses many informative exhibits on science, photography, aviation, etc, as well as the Omnidome OMNIMAX theater. The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum has galleries full of priceless western art and treasures and is home to the Hall of Great Western Performers.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial in the northern part of Oklahoma City's downtown was created, as the inscription on its eastern gate says, "to honor the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were changed forever on April 19, 1995". The outdoor Symbolic Memorial can be visited 24 hours a day for free, and the adjacent Memorial Museum, located in the former Journal Record building damaged by the bombing, can be entered for a small fee. The site is also home to the National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, a non partisan, non profit thinktank devoted to the prevention of terrorism.
The Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center is the new downtown home for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The museum features visiting exhibits, original selections from its own collection, a theater showing a wide variety of foreign, independent, and classic films each week, and a fine dining restaurant. OKCMOA is also home to the largest and most comprehensive collection of Chihuly glass in the world including the three-story Chihuly tower in the Museum's atrium.
The capitol building's dome was recently finished as it was one of the few state capitol buildings that did not have a dome atop the structure. Solomon Andrew Layton's original design for the capitol included a dome, but steel rationing during World War I prevented its completion. The effort to build a dome for the capitol was promoted by city and state leaders in the late nineties, and was completed in 2001.
Also in downtown Oklahoma City, Ford Center was ranked by concert industry group Pollstar as one of the top ten live music venues in the world in ticket sales, and along with AT&T Bricktown Ballpark is home to the city's professional sports teams. The Cox Business Services Convention Center, formerly known as the Myriad, is across the street to Ford Center.
The newly renovated art deco Civic Center Music Hall showcases performances from ballet and opera to traveling Broadway shows and concerts. Stage Center for the Performing Arts is home to many of the city's top theater companies. The building that houses Stage Center, designed by John Johansen is a modernist architectural landmark, with the original model displayed in MOMA in New York City.
Other theaters include the Lyric Theatre and the Jewel Box Theatre, both in Midtown and the new 1,200 seat Kirkpatrick Auditorium and 488-seat Petree Recital Hall, both at the Oklahoma City University campus. The university also opened the Wanda L Bass School of Music and auditorium recently, showcasing world class amenities and high-tech attractions. It should be a great addition to Oklahoma City's growing Performing Arts activities.
Six Flags Frontier City is a western themed amusement park with numerous coasters, rides, and games for all ages. The park also hosts a national concert circuit at its amphitheater during the summer. White Water Bay is a Six Flags Water Park located north of Will Rogers World Airport. Six Flags recently announced plans to move its corporate offices out of Oklahoma City and sell the two parks after the 2006 season.
Walking trails line Lake Hefner and Lake Overholser in the northwest part of the city and downtown at the canal and the Oklahoma River. Part of the east shore of Lake Hefner has been developed into upscale offices and restaurants, but the majority of the area around the lake is taken up by parks and trails, including a new leashless dog park and the popular postwar era Stars and Stripes Park. Lake Stanley Draper, the city's largest and most remote, offers more of an escape from the big city and has a more natural feel. The city is implementing a new trail system that will be akin to a bicycle freeway system, allowing residents to access all of the natural beauty of the region and still be within stomping distance to city attractions.
Media
See also: Broadcast Media in Oklahoma City
The Oklahoman is Oklahoma City's major metro newspaper, the most widely circulated in the state. The Oklahoman's internet edition is a collaboration with local CBS affiliate KWTV. The Oklahoma Gazette is Oklahoma City's independent newsweekly, featuring such staples as local commentary, feature stories, classifieds, restaurant reviews and movie listings. The Journal Record is Oklahoma City's daily business newspaper and OKC Business is a bi-monthly business publication. The MidCity Advocate is Oklahoma City's newest weekly broadsheet, covering ("good news" only) downtown, the State Capitol district, and the neighborhoods in Oklahoma City's historic core.
In addition, there are various community and international papers in the city such as The Black Chronicle, headquartered in the Eastside and the OK VIETIMES, located in Asia District. Gay publications include Hard News Online and Gayly Oklahoman. There are also five metro lifestyle magazines produced by local publisher Southwestern Publishing: Nichols Hills News, Edmond Monthly, Norman Living, NW Style and Downtown Monthly.
Oklahoma City was home to several pioneers in radio and television broadcasting. Oklahoma City's WKY Radio was the first radio station transmitting west of the Mississippi River and the third radio station in the United States. WKY received its federal license in 1921 and has continually broadcast under the same call letters since 1922. In 1928 WKY was purchased by E.K. Gaylord's Oklahoma Publishing Company and affiliated with NBC [7]; in 1949, WKY-TV went on the air and became the first independently-owned television station in the U.S. to broadcast in color.
Sports
Oklahoma City is home to several professional sports teams including the Oklahoma RedHawks, a AAA affiliate of the Texas Rangers, the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz, the Oklahoma City Lightning, the Oklahoma Storm, and the Oklahoma City Blazers.
In what may prove to be a turning point for professional sports in the city, on September 21, 2005, Mayor Mick Cornett announced an agreement with owner George Shinn of the New Orleans Hornets to adopt the city as its temporary home following the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina to New Orleans and the New Orleans Arena. This will mark only the second major league franchise ever to locate in the city.
Today the team is known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets and the city hosted 35 home games for the 2005-06 NBA season at Ford Center. Oklahoma City is scheduled to host an additional 35 home games in 2006-07 with the balance being played in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Hornets and NBA have publicly stated that they will return to New Orleans during the 2007-2008 season however, it is currently assumed that New Orleans may no longer be able to support the NBA, and the Hornets might remain in Oklahoma City.
The University of Oklahoma draws thousands of fans annually to Norman for Sooner home matchups, including football games at Owen Field and men's and women's basketball games at the Lloyd Noble Center. In addition, the OCU Stars play at the new Abe Lemons Arena at Oklahoma City University; OCU also has a top-rated rowing program.
The Ford Center also hosts many events each year including touring concerts, NHL exhibition games, some college basketball games for the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, and other spectator events and conventions. Ford Center held the 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball First & Second Round and will host the Men's and Women's Big 12 Conference Basketball Tournaments in 2007. Nearby SBC Bricktown Ballpark hosted the Big 12 Baseball Tournament in 2005 and will be the site again in 2006 and 2007.
Other notable sporting events in the city include the World Cup of Softball and the annual NCAA Women's College World Series played at the Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium as well as horse races at Remington Park and the many horse shows and equine events that take place at the state fairgrounds each year.
Additionally, Oklahoma City is home to several now defunct sports teams:
- Oklahoma Outlaws : USFL
- Oklahoma Wranglers : Arena Football League
- Oklahoma City Cavalry : Continental Basketball Association
- Oklahoma City 89ers : American Association (20th century) minor league baseball - now Oklahoma RedHawks
- Oklahoma City Stars : CHL Hockey Team
- Oklahoma City Coyotes : RHI Roller Hockey Team
- Oklahoma City Dolls : All-woman American Football League franchise
Transportation
Oklahoma City is an integral point on the U.S. Interstate Network. Most highways throughout the city are 6-8 lanes and have a level of congestion lower than most comparably sized cities. Interstate 35, Interstate 40, and Interstate 44 bisect the city, Interstate 240 connects I-40 to I-44 in South OKC, the Lake Hefner Parkway (OK-74) runs through Northwest Oklahoma City, Kilpatrick Turnpike makes a loop around North and West Oklahoma City, Airport Rd. (actually a freeway section of S.W. 44th Street) runs through Southwest Oklahoma City and leads to Will Rogers World Airport, Broadway Extension/U.S. 77 connects Central Oklahoma City to Edmond, and Interstate 235 spurs from I-44 in North Central OKC into downtown Oklahoma City. The section of I-40 known as the "Crosstown" because of its intersecting path right by downtown, will soon be experiencing renovation. The I-40 Crosstown Construction Project will slightly relocate the stretch of highway using state-of-the-art construction. It is expected to be completed in 2008. Oklahoma City was a major stop on Route 66 and was prominently mentioned in Bobby Troup's 1946 jazz classic, "(Get Your Kicks) on Route 66," later made famous by Nat King Cole.
Oklahoma City is served by two primary airports, Will Rogers World Airport and the much smaller Wiley Post Airport (incidentally, the two honorees died in the same plane crash in Alaska). Will Rogers World Airport is currently undergoing a major reconstruction period. Tinker Air Force Base, in East OKC, is the largest military air depot in the nation, a major maintenance and deployment facility for the Navy and the Air Force, and the second largest military institution in the state (after Fort Sill in Lawton).
Amtrak has an Art Deco train station downtown, with daily service to Fort Worth and the nation's rail network via the Heartland Flyer. There is also a heritage rail line under re-construction that will connect Bricktown and the Adventure District in NE Oklahoma City.
Greyhound and several other intercity bus companies serve Oklahoma City at Union Bus Station, Downtown. METRO Transit is the public transit company. Their bus terminal and headquarters is located downtown at NW 5th Street and Hudson Avenue.
There were plans in the early 1990s to build a light rail system for the city as part of the MAPS urban redevelopment program, but the project stalled repeatedly on issues of funding. (Ernest Istook, the city's Congressman and chairman of the congressional transportation committee, played a major role in killing federal funding for the project).
New Development: A downtown trolley system could be implemented under a future new MAPS III initiative, circumventing the (thus far) deragatory "role" of the state's congressional leadership in the city's infrastructure. METRO Transit released a new Mass Transit plan in January 2006 that details its vision of rapid transit in the coming years. The study results showed light-rail trolley circular in downtown OKC, commuter rail from downtown to the suburbs of Edmond and Norman, and a comprehensive, specialized metropolian bus network.
Economy
Major Companies based out of Oklahoma City
- Sonic - Fortune 1000
- OGE Energy - Fortune 500
- Hobby Lobby
- Kerr McGee - Fortune 500
- Tronox
- AT&T - Fortune 500 (Regional Headquarters}
- DEVON - Fortune 500 (largest public company in Oklahoma)
- Dobson Communications
- Chesapeake Energy - Fortune 500
- Express Personnel Services
- COX - Fortune 500 (Regional Headquarters}
- Express Sports
- Oklahoma Publishing Company - Fortune 1000
- Gaylord Entertainment
- Globe Life and Accident Insurance
- BancFirst
Smaller Companies based out of Oklahoma City
- Braum's
- Carlisle (maker of dishes and utensils found in most restaurants worldwide)
- Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores
- Lopez Foods (the largest Latin owned business in the nation and a major supplier to McDonalds)
- York North America
- AAR corporation (unit of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul business)[citation needed]
- Feed the Children
- WW Steel
- Dolese
- Benham Group
Others with significant presence:
- Hertz
- The Hartford
- Hitachi
- Office Max
- Dell
- General Motors (Assembly plant closed in February 2006)
- Cox Communications
- Farmers Insurance
- Cingular Wireless
- AOL
- UPS
- Farmers Insurance
- The Boeing Company
- U.S. Cellular
- Southwest Airlines
- Northrop Grumman
- General Electric
- State Farm
- Unit Parts
- Dayton Tire
- International Environmental
- Seagate Technology
- Goodyear Tire & Rubber
- Assurant Solutions
- Bar-S Foods
- Pratt N Whitney
Blogosphere
The Oklahoma City blogosphere is definitely charged. Many great forums and blogs exist where many Oklahomans take the issues they care about to eOKC. The great blogs include and are not limited to Windowphobe, the Downtown Guy and others. Great forums for OKC are:
- URBANOK, which is a forum that focuses on the stuff mentioned on this site, downtown renaissance, suburban growth, and Oklahoma City photography. Likewise for Tulsa.
- OKC Hornets Central, a site dedicated to the Oklahoma City Hornets. Lots of heated debates between OKC fans and New Orleans fans.
- OKCtalk, a website dedicated to random chat about stuff going on in OKC, complete with lots of off-topic areas.
- OK GOP Chat, a site dedicated to political debate, mostly home to Republicans from Oklahoma, but there are some Oklahoma Democrats too.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 506,132 people, 204,434 households, and 129,406 families residing in the city. The population density was 321.9/km² (833.8/mi²) for the entire city but was more than 2600/mi² in the urbanized areas. There were 228,149 housing units at an average density of 145.1/km² (375.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.41% White, 18.37% Black or African American, 3.51% Native American, 3.48% Asian American, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 5.28% from other races, and 3.89% from two or more races. 16.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 204,434 households, 30.8% of which had children under the age