Lots happening downtown these days.
1) Soranno's coffee and sandwich spot opens up at 5th & Boston in the First Place Tower. Ate lunch there last week, it was good.
2) The guy who owns Kokoa in Brookside is opening a lunch place in the Philcade Building in 2007.
3) The coffee roasting business in the Mayo Hotel will open a retail coffee outlet in the same space after the first of the year.
4) Work on the Mexican restaurant at 1st & Elgin is progressing... shouldn't be long now.
5) New club is having their grand opening this weekend. It's named Templ (no E at the end) and it's just east of 1974 on 2nd Street, between Elgin and Frankfort. It's the building with the big ornate doors. I snuck a peek inside there today -- very trendy and upscale, which is the crowd they're going for.
6) Work on the private residence at 3rd & Kenosha is moving along. There are a few windows installed now.
7) Announcement this weekend about the Mayo Lofts (in the Mayo Hotel) securing financing so they can begin construction after the first of the year.
8) Not commercial development, but the Central Library recently spiffed up its digs, both the new sign and on the interior.
9) Construction is ongoing to convert Boston Avenue to 2-way traffic between 3rd and 10th.
10) Oh yeah... apparently they're building something on the northwest corner of 3rd and Denver.
That doesn't include other somewhat recently opened businesses (Dwelling Spaces, Sound Pony, Dirty's Tavern, The Continental, First Street Art Gallery) and developments that are planned or proposed (I can think of a half-dozen right off the top of my head).
Downtown Tulsa's new glory days are right around the corner.
quote:
Originally posted by AVERAGE JOE
Lots happening downtown these days.
1) Soranno's coffee and sandwich spot opens up at 5th & Boston in the First Place Tower. Ate lunch there last week, it was good.
2) The guy who owns Kokoa in Brookside is opening a lunch place in the Philcade Building in 2007.
3) The coffee roasting business in the Mayo Hotel will open a retail coffee outlet in the same space after the first of the year.
4) Work on the Mexican restaurant at 1st & Elgin is progressing... shouldn't be long now.
5) New club is having their grand opening this weekend. It's named Templ (no E at the end) and it's just east of 1974 on 2nd Street, between Elgin and Frankfort. It's the building with the big ornate doors. I snuck a peek inside there today -- very trendy and upscale, which is the crowd they're going for.
6) Work on the private residence at 3rd & Kenosha is moving along. There are a few windows installed now.
7) Announcement this weekend about the Mayo Lofts (in the Mayo Hotel) securing financing so they can begin construction after the first of the year.
8) Not commercial development, but the Central Library recently spiffed up its digs, both the new sign and on the interior.
9) Construction is ongoing to convert Boston Avenue to 2-way traffic between 3rd and 10th.
10) Oh yeah... apparently they're building something on the northwest corner of 3rd and Denver.
That doesn't include other somewhat recently opened businesses (Dwelling Spaces, Sound Pony, Dirty's Tavern, The Continental, First Street Art Gallery) and developments that are planned or proposed (I can think of a half-dozen right off the top of my head).
Downtown Tulsa's new glory days are right around the corner.
I'm glad to see the wheels of progress starting to turn....Hopefully we'll see a nice snowball effect soon. :)
quote:
Originally posted by tulsa1603
I'm glad to see the wheels of progress starting to turn....
Me, too! I can't wait until there are corner grocers, families, entertainment and dining in downtown... I think the snowball is beginning to take shape--it's just building up momentum very slowly.
It is very exciting. I can't wait to see the surface parking on the southside of downtown turned back into buildings.
TCC plans construction at 11th and Main and GD is still moving forward with the East End... maybe that will get the ball rolling.
Some mexican joint moved into the old Nelson's location.
Someday someone will figure out that "location" was one of the reasons nelson's closed in the first place.
I went downtown Saturday and was impressed with the music but not the crowds. Jakob Fred with Annie Ellicott was at Tsunami, next door at the Blue Dome Diner was Steve Pryor, and at Arnies was Dustin Pittsley and Jessie Aycock. These are Tulsa's premiere musicians and the sounds were amazing. The crowds were sparce due to the Cain's having the annual Red Dirt Christmas which was packed.
I do not understand why a more cooperative scheduling between these venues fails to exist. But that is the nature of competition.
Tulsa is not large enough to have too much going on at one time. I bet this weekend there are fewer choices.
Support your local live music.
I was at MCNellie's last night, decent crowd considering it was a Monday. But it really kills the vibe any of those great places around the Blue Dome have going for them by having so many empty parking lots and vacant buildings around. I look forward to the day that area is full of buildings again, and I think the East End project is our best hope with that happening at a large scale. More residents down there is a must. But it's good to see some development regardless.
quote:
Originally posted by aoxamaxoa
I went downtown Saturday and was impressed with the music but not the crowds. Jakob Fred with Annie Ellicott was at Tsunami, next door at the Blue Dome Diner was Steve Pryor, and at Arnies was Dustin Pittsley and Jessie Aycock. These are Tulsa's premiere musicians and the sounds were amazing. The crowds were sparce due to the Cain's having the annual Red Dirt Christmas which was packed.
I do not understand why a more cooperative scheduling between these venues fails to exist. But that is the nature of competition.
Tulsa is not large enough to have too much going on at one time. I bet this weekend there are fewer choices.
Support your local live music.
I was also out in the Blue Dome area on Sat. night, and I agree, the crowd wasn't nearly as big as a Sat. night crowd should be. However, I am optimistic about downtown's future. These are some things that are in progress or are needed for downtown to reach its full potential:
a) The opening of various downtown loft projects.
b) The East End development.
c) The opening of the arena, and subsequent quality concerts/sporting events.
d) The opening of the Jazz Hall of Fame, and nighttime music events.
e) The CORE proposals coming to fruition.
f) The Centennial Walk and streetscaping project.
g) Advertising to visitors and suburban areas.
Tulsa is plenty large enough to support its entertainment venues as long as its entire population is informed of their existance. Go to Woodland Hills Mall and ask a random person if they know anything about the Blue Dome district, and you'll know what I mean.
What would be fun is to be able to do a live video netcast through TulsaNow and ask people randomly at Woodland Hills (or coming out of church) if they know of the Brady or the Blue Dome.
quote:
Originally posted by aoxamaxoa
What would be fun is to be able to do a live video netcast through TulsaNow and ask people randomly at Woodland Hills (or coming out of church) if they know of the Brady or the Blue Dome.
we spend two nights a week in brady, blue dome, sobo or cherry street joints and i still managed to roll my donkey out to church on sunday... this past friday, we were hitting the bars hard (three districts, six bars, one restaurant, ten hours) holding a "job wake" for one of our newly unemployed associates and saturday it was back to cherry street... i'm by no stretch a rev. lovejoy but you sound like a ****ing moron when you paint with that broad a brush "or coming our of church"...
quote:
Originally posted by aoxamaxoa
What would be fun is to be able to do a live video netcast through TulsaNow and ask people randomly at Woodland Hills (or coming out of church) if they know of the Brady or the Blue Dome.
What would be fun is to randomly shoot people in the kneecaps who post stuff like what is quoted above.
You don't have to live north of a certain street or belong to a certain social group/caste to be aware of downtown. PLENTY of people know about those places, as they drive past them every day to and from work.
And while we're at it, calling the "Blue Dome" a district is a crock of ****. It is a couple of city blocks. Its like calling the strip mall by me "The Coldstone Creamery" district. Districts are generally a LOT larger than that. "The Brady district" is -just- barely the size I would consider a district. The Asian District in OKC....now THAT is a district, it makes up several square miles.
quote:
Originally posted by inteller
quote:
Originally posted by aoxamaxoa
What would be fun is to be able to do a live video netcast through TulsaNow and ask people randomly at Woodland Hills (or coming out of church) if they know of the Brady or the Blue Dome.
What would be fun is to randomly shoot people in the kneecaps who post stuff like what is quoted above.
You don't have to live north of a certain street or belong to a certain social group/caste to be aware of downtown. PLENTY of people know about those places, as they drive past them every day to and from work.
And while we're at it, calling the "Blue Dome" a district is a crock of ****. It is a couple of city blocks. Its like calling the strip mall by me "The Coldstone Creamery" district. Districts are generally a LOT larger than that. "The Brady district" is -just- barely the size I would consider a district. The Asian District in OKC....now THAT is a district, it makes up several square miles.
Are you kidding me?? Just because people drive by things doesn't mean they have a clue about them. There might be "plenty" of people who do know about these areas of town, but there are even more who do
not.
The difference between Blue Dome and, say, a ColdStone Creamery, is that the Blue Dome is an icon in the center of an area that is building itself up and out from that very icon, creating nightlife, bringing in people to the area.
Comparing the Blue Dome district, small though it may be right now, to a
strip mall is inappropriate.
quote:
Originally posted by inteller
quote:
Originally posted by aoxamaxoa
What would be fun is to be able to do a live video netcast through TulsaNow and ask people randomly at Woodland Hills (or coming out of church) if they know of the Brady or the Blue Dome.
What would be fun is to randomly shoot people in the kneecaps who post stuff like what is quoted above.
You don't have to live north of a certain street or belong to a certain social group/caste to be aware of downtown. PLENTY of people know about those places, as they drive past them every day to and from work.
And while we're at it, calling the "Blue Dome" a district is a crock of ****. It is a couple of city blocks. Its like calling the strip mall by me "The Coldstone Creamery" district. Districts are generally a LOT larger than that. "The Brady district" is -just- barely the size I would consider a district. The Asian District in OKC....now THAT is a district, it makes up several square miles.
Ok, it was me that originally brought up the "ask people at Woodland Hills" thing because I grew up in south Tulsa and know for a fact that most people my age (20s) from there don't know what the Blue Dome District is. I know a lot of people in their 40s and 50s who work downtown but don't do anything else there.
And you're right, the Blue Dome isn't a true district yet, but it definitely isn't shrinking. The adjacent East End project will likely spur more and more development around the Blue Dome, allowing the area to grow into a true "district." I mean, what else should we call it?
Sorry aox, I have to agree that the church reference crossed the line. I too am a church attending person who also enjoys going out to bars. Believe it or not there are some intellectual people in Tulsa who don't consider that hypocrisy.
A bit touchy about churchianity are we? The comment was not intended to be a "stab" but the aggressive type A's took it that way....
quote:
Originally posted by aoxamaxoa
A bit touchy about churchianity are we? The comment was not intended to be a "stab" but the aggressive type A's took it that way....
oh ****ing please, "was not intended to be a "stab""?
he won't even try and back-up his own bull**** comments... then he goes on to try and make it about the "agressive type A's"...well done, 2 points for deflection...
his rhetoric has worn thin...
Amen. I don't think ya oughtta trash ole aox too much, the TyPros(gag) are working on a project to market Tulsa's attractions to Tulsans and TMSA residents to raise awareness and get feedback. Hell, I live in District 4 and most likely pass by alot of these places in my travels, yet I was unaware of some of these developments. I haven't been able to check out any of these emerging hot spots with the same endurance as others due to long hours at work(the curse of the drinking class). Maybe it's not such a bad idea. After all, with the flurry of new developments(not to mention the abundance of proposed developments) it is hard to keep up with everything that's going on.
The Steve Pryor Band played Saturday night at The Blue Dome, in conjunction with a Benefit for my riding brother who went down the Sunday before.
We had maybe 80 people show-up.
The event raised spirits, funds, and a little hell: all involved walked away happy.
A few patrons walked out scratching their expanded heads wondering what the hell they had just seen.
It gets little better than that.
Hey, anyone in here recall a monthly happening, called "The Phoenix Projext", back in the 80's in a tiny black box called the Phoenix Theatre?
Anyway, the poster who said "shows should be sched. better, so as to have big number turn-outs", is all wet and is a great example of what not to do to create a real district.
Inspired shows and events are not something one can sprinkle evenly over a calander.
Number are for yuppys and promoters.
Best one can hope for in a big crowd is a riot.
An experience occurrs in small groups.
There is not enough creative, thinking, hungry, spirits in Tulsa to fill a large venue - let alone an entire 'District'- of like minded people. Trendy couples 'out for a few drinks' are fun to taunt and shock, but they do not contribute to the magic of an event: except in that of the cover charge. Put money and numbers first and you miss the bus.
- jdb
DT Crowne Plaza Hotel announces a $10 million facelift including rooms, lobby, new restaurant, internet cafe, Starbucks and a Sky Bar with a pool
quote:
Originally posted by jdb
The Steve Pryor Band played Saturday night at The Blue Dome, in conjunction with a Benefit for my riding brother who went down the Sunday before.
We had maybe 80 people show-up.
The event raised spirits, funds, and a little hell: all involved walked away happy.
A few patrons walked out scratching their expanded heads wondering what the hell they had just seen.
It gets little better than that.
Hey, anyone in here recall a monthly happening, called "The Phoenix Projext", back in the 80's in a tiny black box called the Phoenix Theatre?
Anyway, the poster who said "shows should be sched. better, so as to have big number turn-outs", is all wet and is a great example of what not to do to create a real district.
Inspired shows and events are not something one can sprinkle evenly over a calander.
Number are for yuppys and promoters.
Best one can hope for in a big crowd is a riot.
An experience occurrs in small groups.
There is not enough creative, thinking, hungry, spirits in Tulsa to fill a large venue - let alone an entire 'District'- of like minded people. Trendy couples 'out for a few drinks' are fun to taunt and shock, but they do not contribute to the magic of an event: except in that of the cover charge. Put money and numbers first and you miss the bus.
- jdb
The auction was a riot....who bought that joint? The condoms no one bid on...
the slide show was great too!
Steve Pryor is one of Tulsa's greatest guitar players ever....glad he got his act together and his sobriety is a testament to overcoming one's evilness.....Bruno, it's the hollidaze and you come out swinging with your foul mouth....good timing....shows your true colors....Be like Pryor and do something about your issues.
quote:
Originally posted by carltonplace
DT Crowne Plaza Hotel announces a $10 million facelift including rooms, lobby, new restaurant, internet cafe, Starbucks and a Sky Bar with a pool
Sky bar by the pool sounds fun.....
FYI, born at Hillcrest (fourth generation), raised in South Tulsa; I attended Boy Scouts at Boston Ave and often skipped out during meetings just to walk among the skyscrapers at night - a walk I sill enjoy with my Great Dane. After divorce and loss of 3,500 sq ft deep in south Tulsa (75th and Harvard) to a criminal ex-wife – I moved to a loft in downtown Tulsa in 2001 – before Vision 2025. I loved it then and life is getting better each day with increased development. In the last three years, I have put a total of 10,000 miles on my Land Rover (national average is 15,000 miles per year) as I can walk the four blocks to the day job. I have a full music studio set up inside, a gourmet kitchen, high speed internet access, and all the niceties of quality living.
Downtown is growing. It is vibrant. Like any other neighborhood, there are things that could be improved, but progress is underway. As the 30,000 suburban living downtown workers were fighting the freezing streets and snow – I opened the window and watched it snow from my hot tub. Life is good.
It is odd living in a place others want to talk about. Reminds me of politics where everyone has an opinion regardless of experience, evidence, or education on the subject.
Downtown is fine and getting better. Private development does not depend on or greatly care for public opinion and there is much more going on than anyone knows yet.
quote:
Originally posted by aoxamaxoa
QuoteBruno, it's the hollidaze and you come out swinging with your foul mouth....good timing....shows your true colors....Be like Pryor and do something about your issues.
what a crybaby... you made the statement and then tried to weasle out of it... if you going to be ignorant at least try and be consistent...
awwww, come on... again with ad hominems? you can do better...
"true colors..."?... ouch, that hurts from a guy like you... how soon you forget... please, please send me more theatening PMs so i can post them for everyone to see...
Aox -
How about clipping just the portion of a post that actually applies to what you are making reference of?
Part of what makes these of these threads so unpleasnt to read is the long donkey quoting...
Where'd you sit Saturday night?
quote:
Originally posted by aoxamaxoa
A bit touchy about churchianity are we? The comment was not intended to be a "stab" but the aggressive type A's took it that way....
The church reference just sort of causes a knee-jerk reaction for a lot of people who grew up in Tulsa. Most people I know from out of state immediately think ORU when they hear the word Tulsa. No offense to any ORU people, but a right-wing ultra-conservative atmosphere is not exactly what most people think of as a fun place to live. Tulsa's national perception, when it has a national perception, is that of right-wing evangelicals. I find myself defending Tulsa against these type of perceptions quite frequently by saying "that's just a small part of the population," or "Tulsa's a diverse city, with many different religious groups and cultures."
quote:
Originally posted by David Arnett
FYI, born at Hillcrest (fourth generation), raised in South Tulsa; I attended Boy Scouts at Boston Ave and often skipped out during meetings just to walk among the skyscrapers at night - a walk I sill enjoy with my Great Dane. After divorce and loss of 3,500 sq ft deep in south Tulsa (75th and Harvard) to a criminal ex-wife – I moved to a loft in downtown Tulsa in 2001 – before Vision 2025. I loved it then and life is getting better each day with increased development. In the last three years, I have put a total of 10,000 miles on my Land Rover (national average is 15,000 miles per year) as I can walk the four blocks to the day job. I have a full music studio set up inside, a gourmet kitchen, high speed internet access, and all the niceties of quality living.
Downtown is growing. It is vibrant. Like any other neighborhood, there are things that could be improved, but progress is underway. As the 30,000 suburban living downtown workers were fighting the freezing streets and snow – I opened the window and watched it snow from my hot tub. Life is good.
It is odd living in a place others want to talk about. Reminds me of politics where everyone has an opinion regardless of experience, evidence, or education on the subject.
Downtown is fine and getting better. Private development does not depend on or greatly care for public opinion and there is much more going on than anyone knows yet.
Sounds really good. [:)]
Tulsa's fine.
The new entertainment districts in Tulsa are fine. It takes time for them to become a real part of the city- What would have happened in the mid-80s if you went up to someone anywhere in the OKC metro and said "Do you know what Bricktown is?" I would even go as far as saying it wasn't until the canal was completed in the late 90s that Bricktown started to become THE place to be in OKC. It was still hard at that time for businesses to turn profits. It's still hard, after 20 years of existence. The competition is tough, the crowds are sporadic (but less and less so with every month that goes by), and some people still think it's a hassle to get down there and park and do whatever. People told the original Bricktown investors that they were nuts; Downtown OKC was dead and the whole idea of an urban setting was dead, they believed.
So Blue Dome and all the other newly christened entertainment districts, particularly around the arena, can succeed. And I think with the arena already under construction, Tulsa's entertainment districts will grow much more quickly than Bricktown did. Although I agree that calling it the "Blue Dome District" is a little silly. I've been turned off to any neighborhood names with "district" in them... It just sounds fake.
I think the real key is having constant events going on. The biggest business to downtown is still tourism. The more conventions, sport events, and festivals you have, the better off businesses will be in an entertainment district.
http://select.nytimes.com/preview/2006/12/24/realestate/1154658397850.html?8tpf&emc=tpf
Planning a New Life in the City
"You can't really compare baby boomers with previous generations," Mr. Frey said, "because boomers are forever young. They also have education levels and cultural interests that would suggest they might be more likely to find cities attractive."
"May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.
May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.
May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young."
^Not trying to kill a nice sentiment, but that Rod Stewart song makes me want to rip out my car radio and toss it out of the window.
quote:
Originally posted by carltonplace
^Not trying to kill a nice sentiment, but..."
Yeah, and if I had a nose I'd cut it off.
jdb
quote:
Originally posted by carltonplace
^Not trying to kill a nice sentiment, but that Rod Stewart song makes me want to rip out my car radio and toss it out of the window.
Carlton--I just lost (almost) all respect for you. That's not the awful Rod Stewart song--that is
BOB DYLAN!!!!
Please, keep your over-the-hill baby boomers straight.
PMC...if you think Dylan is over the hill then you're just not paying attention.
Rod Stewart's always sucked.
But it was the link to the NYT article I wanted to thread over...
I said over-the-hill, not washed up. No disrespect to Mr. Dylan (we have a kid named after him), but you can't really call him a spry young man, can you?
As for Rod Stewart, obviously he's no Dylan, but I do have a soft spot for his earlier stuff-Maggie May, Every Picture Tells a Story. Forever Young, not so much.
"Mister D" is the man.........
However..
Stewart had some very choice friends during the very.. very..
"early stuff" (//%22http://youtube.com/watch?v=4gstWsWDqfU%22)