The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Greetings! We are from the Edmond- OKC area and are considering moving to Tulsa. I was wondering if Tulsa has any locations like the Paseo Art District. I have been downtown to the Tulsa Art District and its not quite what I was looking for architecturally. I was also wondering about good coffee shops? General family friendly yet possible date night locations with a good diversity atmosphere?

There is nothing like Paseo, but we got nice areas.

Cherry Street is 15th street between Peoria and Harvard. Brookside is Peoria from 33rd street to 51st street.

I like Utica Square on 21st and Utica.

I don't drink coffee. I think coffee is a cult.

My favorite two coffee houses are:

Coffee House on Cherry Street (15th st - Cherry St area)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Coffee-House-on-Cherry-Street/206922734841

Shades of Brown (on Peoria - Brookside area)
http://www.shadescoffee.com/

Both are pretty eclectic, but I've only been in the mornings.  Have no idea on evening coffee house hot spots, but there are several other popular ones around town.

Well the Phoenix did win best coffee house this time around.

The Brady District in downtown is an entertainment and arts district with plenty to see and do.  It's adjacent to the Blue Dome entertainment district.

Do you have kids?

What is your favorite coffee shop in OKC?  That will help guide you to a similar shop in Tulsa.  The coffee scene in both cities has grown to be incredible and noted nationally.  There is a shop in Tulsa for about any taste, no pun intended.

I almost mentioned the Phoenix in my earlier post.  It's supposed to be great, but I have not personally been there.  And there are several others that are very solid, so no offense to them either.   RDJ is right, I'm sure there is one in Tulsa that matches well with what OKC is looking for, it's just a matter of matching styles.

DoubleShot at 18th & Boston is darned good and so is Topeca next to the Mayo hotel downtown.

A cool arts/entertainment area that is emerging is around 4th and Lansing in the "East End" of Blue Dome. Small and closer in feel to the Pearl area at 6th & Peoria.

I'm a DoubleShot fan.  Topeca has a nice atmosphere but it's out of my way.

OCU alum here who almost moved permanently to Mesta Park in OKC-- lived across from Paseo on NW23rd & Walker but that was around eleven years ago.

Nothing in Tulsa checks off all the boxes when compared to the size, scope, tradition, and architecture of the Paseo, but there's some great new smaller scale and up-and-coming stuff here... just depends on your priorities.

If you don't know Tulsa very well, the easy choice is to start on Cherry Street.  http://www.visittulsa.com/eat/21/cherry-street-restaurants/1/59
When I lived there, I had a great time "people watching" at the Farmers Market on Saturday mornings... http://cherrystreetfarmersmarket.com/
Cherry St is on south 15th St between Peoria and Utica, and is centrally located between the Utica Square/Brookside areas and the east part of downtown (East Village/Blue Dome)

My favorite coffee shop these days is the new Phoenix Cafe on 6th & Peoria less than a mile north of Cherry Street.
If you go there on a "date night," please also take the time to patronize Vanessa Somerville's non-smoking Lot 6 Art Bar across the street. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgWanJpdoJA
If your idea of a diverse crowd is to hangout with artists, creative types, and older bikers/vets with a smattering of younger hipsters (and a few ZZ Top wannabes?!?), that was my experience on a Tuesday night there... then drive or maybe even walk a few blocks to 3rd and Lansing to hangout in the East Village and take a souvenir pic by the London phone booth... http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A26686  ...a few blocks west on 3rd and Elgin is Fassler Hall http://www.fasslerhall.com/, the north border of the Blue Dome entertainment district...  

And finally (I'm a bit biased here)... one of Tulsa's best kept secrets is the Owen Park neighborhood between the Brady District and Gilcrease Museum Rd.    
I've lived here for almost three years (proud owner of a 1928 Craftsman bungalow!) and am happy to say the few duplexes/homes that had been boarded up down the street from me have been fully rehabbed and are now available for rent.  The area has a nice mix of owners and renters and a really nice mix of people IMHO... Owen Park is Tulsa's oldest public park (very family friendly and we're proud of our new "splash pad") and there are nice, regularly used bike trails and a bark park all within walking/biking/scooter distance.  The neighborhood was the closest to what I'd always liked about Mesta Park in OKC... it has a kind of laid back "bohemian" vibe to it and I've been told we may have a coffee shop in the 'hood pretty soon.... and a performing arts high school located right next door to the park... http://okarts.us/about/our_future_home.php
http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/2010/04/owen-park-tulsas-oldest/  

The closest coffee shops to Owen Park are the ones in the Brady District (Chimera and Gypsy)... it's been exciting to see all the new (and often free) stuff over at Guthrie Green and everything in between.  

That's all I can think of... for now...  ;D

3rd, not 4th, but yes, Hodges Bend is a neat little area. A relative of mine lived in one of the apartments there on 3rd next door to the bar that's been there forever until recently. It's a small collection of places, but pedestrian traffic is surprisingly high given the location. It would be about the perfect spot to cover over the highway and extend the pedestrian-friendly zone a few blocks farther east.

Sorry. Yes its 3rd and Lansing. And Hodges Bend is a better description. Not much there but its comfy.

Owen park. Tres magnifique. Could use some edging, trimming...sprucing up.

I moved to Owen Park about a year ago. A coffee shop and a small market would be great. I would love to hear more about the coffee shop that might be coming.

I moved to tulsa from OKC about 6 months ago and I lived close to the paseo in gate wood off 23rd. I haven't found anything like the paseo here but as far as the area around the paseo, the area around 11th and 21st and Harvard is pretty similar.

The Pearl district has the potential to be similar to The Paseo.

Paseo doesn't 'override' all the other things about Tulsa that beat OKC.... It's a neighborhood.