Real urban renaissance? Under the Wikipedia radar... (Nichols Hills, Kansas: fit in, houses)

[darbswerdna]

I am possibly moving to OKC soon and would love some info on the urban core neighborhoods ...

I would like to find a place that has a distinct urban feel, eclectic shops, coffee shops, diversity, arts scene, young people - 20's & 30's, etc. I would prefer an older/historic home...

Help me understand what is the real story under the Wikipedia radar. Give me the real story!

Starting from downtown there is:

Arts District
Automobile Alley
Bricktown
Central Business District
Deep Deuce
Triangle District
39th Street
Asia District
Capitol Campus
Eastside
Heritage Hills
Lincoln Terrace neighborhood
Mesta Park
MidTown
North Western District
Oklahoma Health Center
Paseo Arts District
Uptown
Capital Hill District
Riverside District


Any of these areas "up and coming?"
Tell me what makes those areas unique?
What differentiates them?
What is the demographic/generational makeup?
Are there any major natural 'separators' that would partition off one neighborhood to another [roads, highways, topographical, etc.]?

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by darbswerdna

I am possibly moving to OKC soon and would love some info on the urban core neighborhoods ...

I would like to find a place that has a distinct urban feel, eclectic shops, coffee shops, diversity, arts scene, young people - 20's & 30's, etc. I would prefer an older/historic home...

Help me understand what is the real story under the Wikipedia radar. Give me the real story!

Starting from downtown there is:

Arts District
Automobile Alley
Bricktown
Central Business District
Deep Deuce
Triangle District
39th Street
Asia District
Capitol Campus
Eastside
Heritage Hills
Lincoln Terrace neighborhood
Mesta Park
MidTown
North Western District
Oklahoma Health Center
Paseo Arts District
Uptown
Capital Hill District
Riverside District


Any of these areas "up and coming?"
Tell me what makes those areas unique?
What differentiates them?
What is the demographic/generational makeup?
Are there any major natural 'separators' that would partition off one neighborhood to another [roads, highways, topographical, etc.]?

Happytown will know all of these things; he's a regular poster. He's on vacation right now but should be back soon. In the meantime, hopefully someone with knowledge of these places will step in and offer their input.
Good luck. OkC is a great area.

[darbswerdna]

synopsis:

i'm curious as to why OKC is a great area to you? i'm looking for any and all insights from people that are there...what makes OKC special?

[peggydavis]

It would take a book to describe all those areas, darbswerdna. Too bad Happytown is too busy with school right now to post. You could use the find all posts feature and read everything Happytown has said about OKC to fill you in on most of the areas.

I lived in the OKC area for 35 years. It is special to me because you can find whatever kind of living you want there.

The North Canadian River has always separated OKC into the north and south sides. Construction of I-35, I-40, and I-44 and the Broadway Extension had significant impact on many neighborhoods.

I would pick Midtown, North Western, and Riverside as the most up and coming areas, meaning potential for future growth with the right ingredients already in place.

[darbswerdna]

thx for all your comments so far. i guess i should reiterate that with my initial criteria - distinct urban feel, eclectic shops, coffee shops, diversity, arts scene, young people - 20's & 30's, older/historic homes - i wondered which of those neighborhoods in the OKC core fit within that.

do midtown, north western, and riverside fit in those categories? I probably need to say that i am adamant about not being in the 'burbs. nothing against them, it's just not my thing...

[peggydavis]

I would say that the North Western area, the Paseo, Little Saigon (Asian District), Uptown, and Downtown in that order are closest to fitting your criteria. These areas are not that far apart in distance. All of them have both residential and commercial mixed.

[HeatherDawn]

I think it sounds like Paseo might be your best bet as far as the "vibe" you are looking for.

[Kedwamo]

thx for all your comments so far. i guess i should reiterate that with my initial criteria - distinct urban feel, eclectic shops, coffee shops, diversity, arts scene, young people - 20's & 30's, older/historic homes - i wondered which of those neighborhoods in the OKC core fit within that.

do midtown, north western, and riverside fit in those categories? I probably need to say that i am adamant about not being in the 'burbs. nothing against them, it's just not my thing...

Midtown is the area around St. Anthony Hospital, located to the NW of downtown. Not much there -- or at least, not yet. It's a work in progress. The old Plaza Court building has recently reopened with a Subway sandwich shop and a burger joint. Cafe do Brasil is about the most exciting thing there. It has a really cool rooftop bar, and great food. Midtown doesn't have much in the way of shops. An Office Depot is on the way, so maybe that will help bring more retail to the area. Just to the north is Heritage Hills/Mesta Park, which is a beautiful neighborhood containing many of the city's oldest homes.

"Riverside" is a predominately Hispanic neighborhood. Couldn't tell you much about it. It's south of downtown, and really, anywhere south of downtown (south OKC in general) is a bad area. (My advice to you: Stay away from the southside.)

N. Western Ave. has a few splotches of coolness. Sushi Neko, Musashi's and Wil's Coffee make up the southern "splotch." The northern "splotch" a couple miles north is actually in the suburb of Nichols Hills. That area has some nice restaurants and a few shops, but not exactly what I'd call "urban." Definitely not a pedestrian-friendly area either.

The Paseo is a neat little district of colorful, 1920's era Spanish-style buildings. It has a few art galleries and Galileo's Bar/Grill. Not exactly a booming area. It usually seems pretty dead and it's only about 3 blocks long. But it does have a unique character, and the surrounding neighborhood has a lot of charm. Galileo's has a poetry night every week that's pretty popular with the younger crowd. (This area is probably my favorite area in the whole city.) By far, it is the most unique place in the city, if not the whole state.

Classen Blvd. is nearby and is the major street through the "Asian" district. It's a pretty seedy looking area. Run down strip malls, unkempt houses, etc. But you can get some really great, authentic Thai and Vietnamese food. (It is interesting to see all the signs in Vietnamese. Not something most people would expect to see in the middle of the country.)

With that said, I wouldn't exactly call OKC a "hip, happening" place. It's no New York. It's not Denver or San Diego. It's not even Kansas City. This is still a very sprawling, suburb-heavy city. I'm really not sure that OKC would have the things you're looking for, or least, it doesn't have all those things in one compact, walkable neighborhood. Everything is spread out here.

Check it out though, you may love it.

[darbswerdna]

Kedwamo, thx for the great feedback! Peggydavis, when you says 'northwest area,' are you talking about the Heritage Hills/Mesta Park area?