We have been getting a lot of requests for help moving to Tulsa. In our answers we consistently talk about West Tulsa, Midtown, South Tulsa, North Tulsa, East Tulsa and so on. At some point I want to put together a nice guide for people moving to Tulsa, but that sounds a lot like work.
So I figured we could make a collaborative map of what districts, sub districts, neighborhoods, or whatever exist in Tulsa. Or at least try to. Or at least stir some discussion on the board.
So I have started out by mapping what I perceive the basic districts to be:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112386765871492664275.000468c9750ea36bab357&ll=36.126783,-95.894852&spn=0.390448,0.617981&z=11
If and when I can figure out how to backup the map I created, I'll turn on the collaboration so people can add neighborhoods. Or pipe in with suggestions. I'm sure there will be plenty. Brookside, Cherry Street, the Blue Dome and the Brady to name a few easy ones.
This is the general areas I think of when I hear the generic terms. Thoughts, criticisms? Ideas?
Before anyone cries foul, I realize portions of East Tulsa are actually BA, South Tulsa is Bixby, and portions of West Tulsa is actually Jenks (I think). Just my impressions. Feel free to chip in . . .
Quote from: cannon_fodder on May 05, 2009, 12:07:20 PM
Before anyone cries foul, I realize portions of East Tulsa are actually BA, South Tulsa is Bixby, and portions of West Tulsa is actually Jenks (I think). Just my impressions. Feel free to chip in . . .
Eh, when I lived in BA I'd tell people I was from Tulsa. Enough people have to ask where Tulsa is much less the outer cities.
Narrow East midtown should secede from Maple Ridge.
I think yale would be a better hardline between east and midtown. It would also take care of the undistricted triangle. Beyond that I think the lines are pretty on target. Maybe some photo's of the neighborhoods placed on there would give some people a feel of things...
Quote from: custosnox on May 05, 2009, 12:35:23 PM
I think yale would be a better hardline between east and midtown. It would also take care of the undistricted triangle. Beyond that I think the lines are pretty on target. Maybe some photo's of the neighborhoods placed on there would give some people a feel of things...
Hmm, in the triangle that is nothing, I would say everything E of memorial is East Tulsa and W of Memorial is Greater South Tulsa.
Slow day at work, eh Cannon?
I had made this a long time ago and broke mid-town into "Historic Mid-town" and just "Mid-town".
Though people will vary greatly in understanding what mid-town in general means. If you say Historic Mid-town, I think most people have a clearer picture of that. So I have started using the term Historic Mid-town when I am wanting to convey that area specifically and not just talking about the more undefined/general mid-town lol. I do think your inclusion in some areas going east to Harvard is ok. One could in essence say that Historic Mid-town
Mid-town=green=pink....Historic Mid-town=pink
(http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/1690/tulsamap02a.jpg)
I have included the Pearl District area and such as part of Historic Mid-town, though its still a bit shabby now and we may tend to not want to include it lol. Once it revitalizes more, it really should be part of historic mid-town. However, this brings me to the area north of downtown, like Reservoir Hill and such. Those homes were built at the same time that many Historic Mid-town homes were and are of the same style and look. Plenty of old Italianate,Tudor, Country French, etc. homes there as well. So there is an area that really should also be called Mid-town as well and not prejudicially shuffled off into Terra Incognita/here be dragons. Perhaps "North Mid-Town"? Could help give this area a little more positive identity as well. One could fairly say that Historic Mid-town is the first 1.5-2 miles circling downtown.
Midtown, to me, is exactly as depicted on Artist's map. I think most can agree this is midtown, although the eastern border could be in question as some would consider all the way to Sheridan or even Memorial still part of midtown. I also think the 'historic' midtown could also go all the way to Harvard to the east and 41st to the south. Then you can split it up into the different neighborhoods i.e. Maple Ridge, Brookside, Uptown, Cherry Street, Utica Square, Swan Lake, etc.
And I don't think areas north or west of downtown should be lumped with midtown. Yes they are similar but it would just be too confusing. I prefer these areas to be known by their neighborhood names like Brady Heights and Reservoir Hill. If you must lump them into an area call it Northwest, Gilcrease, or the Osage Hills.
The area descriptions seem to change by generation. We perceive them differently. They also change as the city rebuilds and expands. What was once South at 61st is now practically central. Because of that I would use an entirely different method of description that didn't use adjectives like "historic vs non historic". Those can appear perjorative or elitist. Afterall, Lortondale and Braden Park are historic as well as Reservoir Hill. And an outsider would have no idea where the Pearl is.
Consider a property type description. For quick identification, I would put concentric squares around the city at familiar cross streets. 11th, 21st, 31st or Yale, Sheridan, Memorial. Then label them Central, One, Two, Three etc. Totally based on areterial street alignment. Then use time periods, geographic identifications (area icons) and finally, my favorite, which is original development names.
Time periods like Early Tulsa, Deco, Depression, Post War, 50's modern, 60's suburban etc.
Geographic location identifiers might be: Downtown, Red Fork, Bee Line, SS Line, Woodward Park, Riverside, Hillcrest, Tracy, Cherry, Pearl, Utica Square, TU, Fairgrounds, Crosstown, Reservoir Hill, Shadow Mountain, Woodland Hills, St. Francis, ORU, etc.
Finally, re-assert original plat names, some of which already are common, like: Kendall, Hillcrest, Sunset, Riverview, Tracy, Terwilliger Heights, Morningside, Ranch Acres, Park Place etc.
What you get is a description that allows more sophistication and a chance for each area to link to an icon. So, one might describe Conan's area as Area II/Mid Century Modern/Fairgrounds/Lortondale. My home would be Downtown/Early Tulsa/Skelly Mansion/Southside Edition.
I know it would be a task to re-align the mind set from the current form, but for outsiders it would make more sense. Just thinkin'.
Might be a more indepth guide to have multiple maps. One that would define districts, another that would act as a neighborhood value guide (color coded neighborhoods based on average value of housing), and another to mark historical significance. While I'm sure there are even more maps that could be added, including subdivision names, I'm just shooting from the hip here.
I like what waterboy is on to, but not sure it will catch on. I would be Downtown/Early Tulsa/Uptown/Carlton Place addition
I would think your icon is the Abundant Life building ;). Really, the Dresser Mansion, McBirney Mansion or University Club Towers.
It would be fun.
Oh, the horror! I thought I'd bought a place in mid-town. Turns out, I'm about a block or two in to East Tulsa! Egads, I'm like practically neighbors with legendary TN liberals like Hoss and USRufnex.
Quote from: Conan71 on May 06, 2009, 04:29:36 PM
Oh, the horror! I thought I'd bought a place in mid-town. Turns out, I'm about a block or two in to East Tulsa! Egads, I'm like practically neighbors with legendary TN liberals like Hoss and USRufnex.
Might make the value of your Lortondale home go up.
;)
Quote from: Conan71 on May 06, 2009, 04:29:36 PM
Oh, the horror! I thought I'd bought a place in mid-town. Turns out, I'm about a block or two in to East Tulsa! Egads, I'm like practically neighbors with legendary TN liberals like Hoss and USRufnex.
Hey now, I'm east side.... until I can afford to get out
Quote from: Hoss on May 06, 2009, 04:41:52 PM
Might make the value of your Lortondale home go up.
;)
Nah. This is a RED State, remember?
West Tulsa goes out ALOT further than that.
Quote from: waterboy on May 06, 2009, 07:22:07 AM
The area descriptions seem to change by generation. We perceive them differently. They also change as the city rebuilds and expands. What was once South at 61st is now practically central. Because of that I would use an entirely different method of description that didn't use adjectives like "historic vs non historic". Those can appear perjorative or elitist. Afterall, Lortondale and Braden Park are historic as well as Reservoir Hill. And an outsider would have no idea where the Pearl is.
Consider a property type description. For quick identification, I would put concentric squares around the city at familiar cross streets. 11th, 21st, 31st or Yale, Sheridan, Memorial. Then label them Central, One, Two, Three etc. Totally based on areterial street alignment. Then use time periods, geographic identifications (area icons) and finally, my favorite, which is original development names.
Time periods like Early Tulsa, Deco, Depression, Post War, 50's modern, 60's suburban etc.
Geographic location identifiers might be: Downtown, Red Fork, Bee Line, SS Line, Woodward Park, Riverside, Hillcrest, Tracy, Cherry, Pearl, Utica Square, TU, Fairgrounds, Crosstown, Reservoir Hill, Shadow Mountain, Woodland Hills, St. Francis, ORU, etc.
Finally, re-assert original plat names, some of which already are common, like: Kendall, Hillcrest, Sunset, Riverview, Tracy, Terwilliger Heights, Morningside, Ranch Acres, Park Place etc.
What you get is a description that allows more sophistication and a chance for each area to link to an icon. So, one might describe Conan's area as Area II/Mid Century Modern/Fairgrounds/Lortondale. My home would be Downtown/Early Tulsa/Skelly Mansion/Southside Edition.
I know it would be a task to re-align the mind set from the current form, but for outsiders it would make more sense. Just thinkin'.
This is starting to sound like a Kurt Vonnegut book...
Quote from: jne on May 12, 2009, 05:00:37 PM
This is starting to sound like a Kurt Vonnegut book...
I based it on legal descriptions. From memory-Township, Range, Section, Lot 23, Block 4, Grandview Manor Edition, city, etc. Something like that.
You can only go so far with descriptions using a compass. A decade ago it was funny to natives that people thought 31st and Yale was midtown. Its still funny to me that anyone thinks Maple Ridge goes so far south (31st?). A decade from now it will be funny when people think South Tulsa is 71st & Memorial.
Descriptions change with each generation and with growth. The next decade will include a boundary for an entertainment River District from Sand Springs to Jenks along the wildly successful chain of lakes the new dams will create :P. The downtown area will swell to include near north downtown and near west all the way to Newblock Park. Just thinking pro-actively.
I like Kurt Vonnegut.
I've always thought of the heart of mid-town as 15th & Harvard. Since I've lived a block from there twice now in my life, that might have something to do with my paradigm.
I remember the first time I heard someone refer to 51st & Harvard as mid-town, I thought they'd lost their mind. That was always "south Tulsa" to me.
Moving to 81st & Yale in 1977 felt like moving to the sticks.
Quote from: waterboy on May 12, 2009, 07:04:59 PM
I based it on legal descriptions. From memory-Township, Range, Section, Lot 23, Block 4, Grandview Manor Edition, city, etc. Something like that.
You can only go so far with descriptions using a compass. A decade ago it was funny to natives that people thought 31st and Yale was midtown. Its still funny to me that anyone thinks Maple Ridge goes so far south (31st?). A decade from now it will be funny when people think South Tulsa is 71st & Memorial.
Descriptions change with each generation and with growth. The next decade will include a boundary for an entertainment River District from Sand Springs to Jenks along the wildly successful chain of lakes the new dams will create :P. The downtown area will swell to include near north downtown and near west all the way to Newblock Park. Just thinking pro-actively.
I like Kurt Vonnegut.
In case my connection was a little too obscure, I was thinking of Slapstick - the plan to end loneliness by creating extended families. Everyone gets new middle names. The names are a random organism or element followed by a random number (1-20). Folks with the same names are regarded as cousins, and if you have the same name and number, you are regarded as siblings.
http://thesurrealist.co.uk/lonesome
Maybe we should come up with a similar name generator to identify our districts...
FTR - I agree mostly with Cannon's map. I wouldn't go all the way to Sheridan on the East boundary, but I think you have to include Lortondale. I would probably gerrymander a little line through those neighborhoods LOL.