OKC Questions for newcomer (Oklahoma City, Tulsa: credit, highrise, relocation)

[Daniel_T]

Hi, I have always wanted to move to OKC and when I get out of Pima CC here in Tucson in about a year, I will consider transferring to a four year in OKC Metro. Can anyone tell me about the University of Oklahoma? Is that a good school. I see it's located in Norman. Is OKC accessible from there? Also what are some other good colleges in the area?

When I took a vacation to Arkansas in 2005, we drove through Oklahoma City. I was excited. It's such a beautiful city. I really like it. I like the summers in Arkansas. I imagine they are comparable to OKC? It was 101 in Clarksville, AR with 99% humidity. I actually think the heat here in AZ is worse!!

How are jobs in the Metro? Do they pay well? Is it easy to find an apartment (studio-1 bed.) for about 500 a month or less? Is there a good public transportation system that someone can use? Plus, what is the real deal with all these tornadoes? I really like them which is why I also want to come to OKC. I love severe weather. Heard you all had one today. Hope everyone is safe and okay. Take care and I look forward to your comments.

Daniel True

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by Daniel_T

Hi, I have always wanted to move to OKC and when I get out of Pima CC here in Tucson in about a year, I will consider transferring to a four year in OKC Metro. Can anyone tell me about the University of Oklahoma? Is that a good school. I see it's located in Norman. Is OKC accessible from there? Also what are some other good colleges in the area?

When I took a vacation to Arkansas in 2005, we drove through Oklahoma City. I was excited. It's such a beautiful city. I really like it. I like the summers in Arkansas. I imagine they are comparable to OKC? It was 101 in Clarksville, AR with 99% humidity. I actually think the heat here in AZ is worse!!

How are jobs in the Metro? Do they pay well? Is it easy to find an apartment (studio-1 bed.) for about 500 a month or less? Is there a good public transportation system that someone can use? Plus, what is the real deal with all these tornadoes? I really like them which is why I also want to come to OKC. I love severe weather. Heard you all had one today. Hope everyone is safe and okay. Take care and I look forward to your comments.

Daniel True

Summers in Oklahoma and Arkansas are pretty much the same, but it would be more humid in Arkansas that Oklahoma City. Ok City is higher in elevation and less humid that eastern ok and arkansas. It still hot, and can be humid in OkC as well. OkC is experiencing ALOT of growth lately, and there shouldn't be any shortage of jobs. Although I live in Texas, my employer is based out of OkC and they have a wealth of jobs available; good paying ones too, with fantastic benefits. The public transportation in OkC is probably lacking, as it is in most areas outside of the east and west coasts of this country. But, I'm sure they have a bus system and are probably working on improving that sort of thing in the future. Apartments or rental homes should be easy to find. Look on the web or ask some of these people that are more knowledgeable about OkC than I. This time of the year is the time for severe weather in Oklahoma and Texas, as well as much of the Southern Plains and Southwest. Norman is very accessible to OkC, about 20-30 minutes on the South, and it's a fine university. I understand OkC University is very good as well. Good luck!

[shad8974]

So- You love tornadoes and severe weather. Thats a true zinger. I hope the recent storms didnt make your decision to move- SUCH a coincidence. The post is hard to believe- but maybe you are in the storm tracking business thing.

Here in OKC we open our sunroofs when twisters frequent so we can get that perfect swirley.

University of Oklahoma recently built a big time national forecast weather research institution and i believe it covers the national weather and is a research center. If that helps.
The university of Oklahoma is reviewed like other U's and has the highest public school ranking in Oklahoma/Tulsa U i think made it into the top 100 best U's/ I would look up all U's if you are really seriuos- like all students do. OU has a regular bus route that i have used many times- effective. it leaves from the the south oval(look up)on campus to OKC main terminal or other bus stops and back to Norman/south oval again. Bus can get crowded- OKC will probably be getting a light rail system soon because of the needed transportation/gas prices.

Your U in Tucson- i have no idea what it is considered- but to give you an idea. No good four year school in oklahoma will take ALL credits from a 2 year. Although they make exceptions for some classes- you will have to check it out. Depends on the school. Private, especially Tulsa U and OKC U will not take credit from a 2 yr. But check it out. - or ORU

list of schools associated with area of interest:
Public-
University of Oklahoma- Norman/20 min from OKC/high status-law and med schools
University of Central Oklahoma- Edmond/15 min OKC or less depending
Private-
Oklahoma Christian- Edmond
Oklahoma City University- OKC-high status/law school
Southern Nazerene university-OKC

You have always wanted to move to OKC? I have to admit- that is a bit strange especially when you call it 'BEAUTIFUL' that would have to be an exaggeration/its really nice though in many ways. You like 101 w/99% humidity(is that like breathing water?) Again strange- dont know anyone that has a taste for that kind of weather. But different strokes for dif folks.

I will give you a list of attractions in OKC since you seem interested- it will be broad. if you want more on a serious level. then you can respond back.

I will say that a good idea would be to move here and establish residency(1yr)- so you can get in-state tuition.

[shad8974]

OKC- here is the info. good luck

Oklahomans enjoying live theater in the middle of a beautiful garden, with the downtown skyline as a backdrop
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is also the county seat of . The city's name is often abbreviated as Okla City or its IATA code, OKC. Non-Oklahomans often refer to Oklahoma City as 'Oak City', but locals never use this name. Residents of the outlying suburbs and the rest of the state often call it simply "The City". Oklahoma City was founded during one of the largest land runs in the nation on April 22, 1889.

Oklahoma City is a large, diverse, and growing metropolitan area; it is the civic, business, entertainment, and commercial center of the state. It is one of the largest cities in the Great Plains 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 the six neighbouring states to Oklahoma (Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, New Mexico).

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 more than 1.3 million residents in the metropolitan area.

Oklahoma City was the site of the Oklahoma City Bombing on the Alfred P. Murrah 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.

History

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.

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, the state's largest urban area. The Oklahoma City MSA was the 46th largest in the nation as of 2000.

North: Guthrie Edmond

West: Bethany Yukon Mustang El Reno
Oklahoma City
East: Del City Midwest City Choctaw Shawnee

South: Moore Norman


Demographics

As of the census 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 of 18 living with them. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.

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Oklahoma City has the nation's second lowest cost of living among major U.S. cities, about 25 percent below the national average. Unrestrained by natural boundaries such as mountains or oceans, Oklahoma City annexed huge swaths of land in the 1960s, leading to an abundance of housing and cheap land. While sprawl has stretched the infrastructure of the city government and, some have complained, diluted the character of the city, the average commute from the far flung outskirts of the city is quick and mostly gridlock-free because of the city's interstate system (Mayor **** Cornett remarked in 2005's "State of the City" address that Oklahoma City was one of the few major cities in the nation where "police look for speeders at rush hour"). One exception being the "I-40 Crosstown Expressway", an elevated bridge which crosses the city just south of downtown heading east to west.

The Crosstown Expressway is slated to be relocated to the south of its present location in the near future. ODOT states that the project should be complete by 2006, but many dismiss this as unrealistic, as the project is still in its planning stages as of August 2005, and actual construction has not begun.

Edmond, an affluent northern suburb, was rated as Relocate America's 3rd best city in America, and is "the best small town in America" according to Universal Publications of New York. It must be noted, however, that the city of 80,000+ residents is by no means a 'small town'.


Neighborhoods


Downtown

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.


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 most popular destinations. The former warehouse district on the southeast side of downtown has seen a major renaissance over the last 10 years thanks to MAPS (a citizen passed 1-cent sales tax increase under Mayor Ron Norrick), and is now bustling with restaurants, dance clubs, live music venues, classy retail shops, and offices. It is also home to the SBC Bricktown Ballpark (aka, the Brick) and the navigable Bricktown Canal.

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 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, and upscale retail. Several hotels are planned as are additional retail venues and residential housing.


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 regional headquarters of SBC.

Today there is a considerable effort to turn AAlley into Oklahoma City's newest upscale urban neighborhood. A new restaurant is being developed and is leading the charge of additional upscale retail and housing announcements.


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 however precious little of the neighborhood's earlier character still exists.


The Arts District

The area now known as the arts district covers part of western downtown that includes the Civic Center Music Hall, the new Oklahoma City Museum of Art, the Myriad 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.


InnerCity Northside


Asian District

of the city's Asia District]]

Oklahoma City has the largest Asian population in the state and is home to a rapidly growing cultural district called simply, Asian District as many cultures from all over asia are represented in its shops and restaurants as well as the neighboring residential area.

Centered primarily along Classen Boulevard from 22nd Street to NW 30th, Asia District is a very culturally and visibly diverse Chinatown community, but the most obvious cultural influence in the area is 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 been a neighborhood in decline due to the suburban exodus of the middle class. As the new Oklahomans built the community, more immigrants moved into the area, not only from Vietnam and Southeast Asia, but from all around the world. This district is referred to as 'Little Saigon' by local residents.

Today's Asia District has a bustling cosmopolitan scene full of noodle cafés, college and high school students from nearby Oklahoma City University and Classen School of Advanced Studies, art galleries, quaint apartments, retail shops, 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).


Eastside and Adventure District

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 Business District. Other Eastside attractions include the newly domed and beautiful State Capitol of Oklahoma, the 45th Infantry Museum, the Oklahoma Historical Society Museum, and the OU Health Science Center.

The Eastside is considered by many to be THE most economically diverse neighborhood in Oklahoma City, with land values ranging from astronomical in some parts of the Lincoln Terrace neighborhood, to poverty ghetto at the public housing districts of Walnut Avenue, both within a mile of each other.

Northeast Oklahoma City is known locally as Adventure District and is home to many of the city's great museums and major attractions. The Adventure District includes the Omniplex Science Museum, the Oklahoma City Zoo, Remington Park Parimutual Racetrack and Racino, the National Softball Hall of Fame and Stadium, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Six Flags Frontier City, the Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum, and Cinemark Tinseltown USA among many other attractions.

The area has numerous tree-lined boulevards and is home to many upscale neighbourhoods (including neighborhoods such as Lincoln Terrace, North Highland, and Walnut Avenue.


NW 39th Street Enclave

Oklahoma City has the state's largest 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 and May Avenues, however there are related businesses and neighborhoods diffused throughout the surrounding area.

The NW 39th Street Enclave rivals Bricktown in terms of sheer volume of clubs, bars, and nightlife (The Habana Inn) The Largest Gay Resort in the Southwest. The Enclave is also home to the annual gay pride celebration as well as many alternative lifestyle friendly businesses and organizations.


The Paseo, Midtown and Uptown

The Paseo Arts District was built in 1929 as the first commercial shopping district North of downtown Oklahoma City. The fake 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 restaurants 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 Heights, 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 Vietnamese neighbourhood known as Asia District as well as Oklahoma City University.

Further south are Uptown, Automobile Alley and Midtown as well as St. Anthony's Hospital (the city'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.

[shad8974]

Cont.


InnerCity Southside


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 part of the Twentieth Century, with gaslights and wooden storefronts. Many of the 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 as well as the venerable Cattlemen's Steakhouse.

A number of special events have sprung up as well, including Longhorn Cattle Drive each December, sidewalk sales between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the Stockyards Stampede the first weekend each June.


Capitol Hill and Riverside

Oklahoma City has the largest Hispanic population in the State with the majority residing in the South and NW quadrants of the city. The Capitol Hill and Riverside districts, due south of downtown, are the center of Hispanic oriented commerce.

Capitol Hill (located deceptively far from the actual capital) 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 some serious problems with crime and gangs, it is also now one of the liveliest of OKC's neighborhoods. You can find almost anything in Capitol Hill, from recording studios to the oddly placed Oklahoma Opry to soccer supply shops and street side taquerias.

Riverside is another new district in the planning stages in central Oklahoma City. Following the completion of a dam and lock system along the North Canadian River, the 7-mile Oklahoma River was created. It now hosts several rowing events and an annual Christmas River Parade that drew 30,000 visitors in 2005. Recently completed, the Chesapeake Boathouse is a new Oklahoma City landmark and a symbol for the upcoming Riverside District.

South of downtown, Riverside promises to be yet another urban district for Oklahoma City. The master plan shows a lot of park space, residential neighborhoods, office parks, several "urban waterfronts," and many docks along the river for river taxi transportation. Riverside is expected to be one of the best areas for development in Oklahoma City in the coming years.


Suburban Northside


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.

Northwest Expressway, the city's main artery to the northwestern suburbs, is a strip mall 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

Nichols Hills, just north of Belle Isle, is an enclave of the rich and extremely rich. The streets are lined with mansions, the commerce is upscale, the restaurants are gourmet, and the country clubs are exclusive. There are other such enclaves throughout the city, but Nichols Hills is notable even among them for sheer extravagance. The Village, immediately north, is a middle class post-World War II neighborhood which looks somewhat out of place next to its neighbor to the south. Although property values have increased in recent years due to the 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.


Quail Springs/Memorial Corridor

At the far northern edge of the city along Memorial Road and the John Kirkpatrick Outer Loop Turnpike is a huge swath of suburban development rapidly creeping toward Edmond, the city's largely affluent 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. This 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.


Edmond

Edmond is an middle to upper-middle-class suburb of Oklahoma City. Edmond's southern city limits begin where Oklahoma City's northern city limts end. Edmond is well know for the site of the post office masacre as well as olympic medalist Shannon Miller. Two major higways intersect Edmond: The Broadway Extension runs right though the center of the city and I-35 runs through the eastern sides.


Suburban Southside


Meridian Avenue Hospitality Corridor/"Airport Heights"

The Meridian Avenue "Hospitality" Corridor is along one of the cities busiest arteries, S. Meridian Avenue, and extends from mid tier west Oklahoma City to suburban Southwest Oklahoma City. The busiest section of the corridor is just north of Will Rogers World Airport 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. The area also is home to most of the areas large furniture stores along W. Reno Avenue.

The district is located in close proximity to the South Bank of the Oklahoma River, causing city leaders to envision regular water taxi service from hotels and restaurants of the district to Downtown via the newly navigable waterway.


Education


Higher education

Oklahoma City is home to many colleges and universities, including Oklahoma City University in midtown and Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City in Northwest OKC. The OU Health Sciences Center is located due east of downtown Oklahoma City while the University of Oklahoma (Sooners) is located just south of the city in the suburb of Norman. The third-largest university in Oklahoma, the University of Central Oklahoma is located just north of the city in the suburb of Edmond. Oklahoma City Community College in south OKC is the largest community college in the state. Just east of Oklahoma city is Rose State College 1 located in Midwest City.

Oklahoma City also has several public vo-tech schools, the largest of which are Metro Technology Centers 2 and Francis Tuttle.

There are also a number of small private colleges and universities in the city, including Oklahoma Christian University, Southern Nazarene University 3, University of Phoenix - Oklahoma City Campus 4, Mid-America Christian University, American Christian College and Seminary, Metropolitan College, and the Downtown College Consortium 5 in downtown Oklahoma City.


Primary and secondary

The Oklahoma City Public School district 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. The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics is also in Oklahoma city and is home to the most gifted of the state's math and science pupils.

Numerous other suburban districts circle the urban OCPS 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 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 SBC 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.

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. Of special note, Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc. corporate headquarters is located in North Oklahoma City.

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.


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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 downtown Ford Center 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.



Transportation

Near the geographic center of the nation, 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. 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 largerst military air depot in the nation, a major maintenance and deployment facility for the Navy and Air Force, and the second largest military institution in the state (after Ft. Sill in Lawton).

Amtrak has an Art Deco train station downtown, with daily service to Fort Worth via the Heartland Flyer. Greyhound and several other intercity bus companies serve Oklahoma City at Union Bus Station, Downtown. METRO Transit is the public transit company. They recently opened a new bus terminal 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). There is a very good chance that a downtown light-rail trolley system will be built, but the relocation of I-40 south of downtown will destroy portions of an existing rail yard once considered to be essential for Commuter Rail.

METRO Transit will be releasing a Fixed Guideway Study in January 2006 that details its vision of transit in the coming years. The preliminary study results indicate a lean toward a light-rail trolley in downtown OKC, commuter rail from downtown to the suburbs of Edmond and Norman, and a comprehensive, specialized bus systems.







Points of interest

* Myriad Botanical Gardens
* National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
* National Softball Hall of Fame
* Oklahoma City National Memorial
* Oklahoma City Zoological Park and Botanical Garden
* University of Oklahoma
* Will Rogers Horticultural Gardens
* Visitors Center
* Chamber of Commerce
* Urban Oklahoma Forum
* About Oklahoma City
* Digital City Oklahoma City
* Frontier Country
* Municipal Web Portal
* Oklahoma City Key Magazine
* Oklahoma City Web Portal
* Oklahoma City's Community Portal
* OKCLive
* Arts Council of Oklahoma City
* Oklahoma Rock
* Oklahoma Punk Scene

[Daniel_T]

Thanks for all the info. That really helps


Daniel True

[FutureArchitect]

We have a new skyscraper coming up.. Lol. If that makes it more pretty.