[OkieInCincy]

I'm not meaning to make an OKC vs. Tulsa thread, but that's what it will probably digress to... Anyway I wanted to hear from Tulsans about the cool entertainment districts that are in Tulsa (I've only been legal a brief time) and from Oklahoma City folk about why our districts are not quite as walkable yet, and how they compare. It seems to me that Tulsa does a better job of focusing their efforts, they have fewer areas, but all are walkable dense, and well marketed. Obviously, Bricktown is the premier district in the state, but Blue Dome and Brady are close behind. Brookside seems more cohesive than Western/ Classen(I could be wrong); I'm not sure how SoDo and Pearl match up with Midtown/ AA. Cherry Street seems like a more complete, albeit less local version of the Plaza. A bit of a stretch but I threw in Campus Corner for good measure; during my summer at TU, I didn't notice an entertainment district around, but again correct me if I'm wrong.

Tulsa: Blue Dome District, Brady Arts District, SoDo, Cherry Street, Brookside, UT, Pearl
Oklahoma City: Bricktown, Midtown/Auto Alley, Western Avenue, Classen Circle, Campus Corner, Plaza, Paseo

[StillwaterTownie]

In Oklahoma City you left out the zoo and casino area.

[OkieInCincy]

Well the Adventure District is for families and well gamblers...

I was talking about drinking/ shopping/ dining districts.

[ou_norman]

Uptown 23rd Street in OKC is now as developed as any of them and is moving really fast. 4 really solid local restaurants, 2 or 3 bars, some retail, and a big development about to go in right in the core of it.

[OkieInCincy]

Originally Posted by ou_norman

Uptown 23rd Street in OKC is now as developed as any of them and is moving really fast. 4 really solid local restaurants, 2 or 3 bars, some retail, and a big development about to go in right in the core of it.

Yeah I went to school down the street. It's well on it's way. Some more parking, more stoplights/ pedestrian crosswalks, lighting, and foot/pike patrols would probably spur development. Maybe I'm being negative, but I wonder if OKC tries to do much at once. Meaning they don't districts reach critical mass before promoting the next big district.

[#1soonerfan]

^^
That's actually a valid concern. I think the new streetcar will alleviate this as it will connect a lot of the upcoming districts.

However, I am going to politely disagree with you that OKC's entertainment areas are somehow not walkable or dense compared to Tulsa's. Brookside is more polished than Western; however both have the same set up and I see people walk between stores and shops all the time. Midtown is a spread out area but the core of the neighborhood is Plaza Court extending roughly along Walker, which is becoming very dense with a new hotel and several upscale apartments currently under construction. Automobile Alley (specifically 9th Street) and Plaza Court frequently shut their main streets to allow crowds to walk in between shops and restaurants.

I'm a bit confused that you said the Brady and Blue Dome are close to achieving Bricktown's status. I've been to both recently and wasn't impressed with either (although they will likely be very nice in the future), and they are both inferior to the Cherry Street and Brookside areas.

I think you would be wise to come see these areas in OKC for yourself, assuming you are in Cincy. I think you would be surprised just how much has changed.

[OkieInCincy]

I was in Cincy for a few months, but I'm back now. Perhaps my biggest beef is that I'm bar kind of person and Bricktown is more touristy and features either expensive bars or clubs. The Brady is littered with bars and only has a few clubs. Midtown is actually pretty walkable, that my main haunt but even then you only have Louie's, McNellie's, and (whenever they feel like it) Bossa Nova that stay open late. I think we're getting there. Small changes like the one I suggested on 23rd, something to fix the Barmuda Triangle (pedestrian nightmare), and yes street cars will help

[ou_norman]

Bricktown doesn't even need to be included in a discussion about "better entertainment districts." Because it is hands down the best in the state, nothing comes close. I'm not a club person either, and used to think Bricktown was only for tourists and people from the suburbs. But it actually has a huge variety of atmospheres and activities.

Bricktown is really going through some changes too, IMO. It has been attracting people from all over the metro, as the only urban place in town, for a couple decades. But now it is complementing all of the other downtown neighborhoods with the big anchor amenities like Harkins. I think it's finding a role within the context of the rapidly growing residential population downtown. Deep Deuce and Bricktown are now pretty much contiguous with development. 250 more apartments are about to go in right on Sheridan in east Bricktown. So I think we will see a lot more neighborhood casual bars like Tapwerks or Deep Deuce Grill starting to open up in Bricktown.

Once the streetcar goes in, there will be one hell of a shopping/dining/bar/entertainment crawl from Bricktown, through Auto Alley to Midtown. And that's even if not a single new business opened up by then.

[bchris02]

Originally Posted by OkieInCincy

I was in Cincy for a few months, but I'm back now. Perhaps my biggest beef is that I'm bar kind of person and Bricktown is more touristy and features either expensive bars or clubs. The Brady is littered with bars and only has a few clubs. Midtown is actually pretty walkable, that my main haunt but even then you only have Louie's, McNellie's, and (whenever they feel like it) Bossa Nova that stay open late. I think we're getting there. Small changes like the one I suggested on 23rd, something to fix the Barmuda Triangle (pedestrian nightmare), and yes street cars will help

Agreed. OKC needs more nightlife for the hipster/eclectic crowd which is a rapidly growing segment of the young professional demographic.

OKC has the market covered on dance clubs and expensive bars, as well as dive bars.

[#1soonerfan]

I was in Cincy for a few months, but I'm back now. Perhaps my biggest beef is that I'm bar kind of person and Bricktown is more touristy and features either expensive bars or clubs. The Brady is littered with bars and only has a few clubs. Midtown is actually pretty walkable, that my main haunt but even then you only have Louie's, McNellie's, and (whenever they feel like it) Bossa Nova that stay open late. I think we're getting there. Small changes like the one I suggested on 23rd, something to fix the Barmuda Triangle (pedestrian nightmare), and yes street cars will help

I'm with ou_norman on this. The Thunder gamecrowds is pushing Bricktown IMO a pretty positive direction, whereas just a few years ago it felt like it was stagnating. What's your definition of "expensive"? I go to Bossonova a lot in the summer (I actually live 2 blocks away and walk over there) and while its a great hangout I don't find to be too cheap. Just on the corner of Sheridan and Mickey Mantle there are 5 bars I can think of off the top of my head: Purple Bar, TapWerks, the Mantle, One 15, and the bar at Mickey Mantle's. There's way more if you walk up and down the area. All cater to different tastes have differing crowds, just depends on what you're in the mood for.

Midtown has lots of potential but its going to be a while before it get to a "critical mass" like Bricktown.

Agreed. OKC needs more nightlife for the hipster/eclectic crowd which is a rapidly growing segment of the young professional demographic.

OKC has the market covered on dance clubs and expensive bars, as well as dive bars.

There's a lot of hipsters and hipster bars in OKC. Just go to the Paseo, Classen Circle, or a lesser extent, the Plaza District. Though I agree that Classen Circle isn't the most pedestrian friendly (crossing Classen after drinking=scary!). Most hipsters I know wouldn't be caught dead in Bricktown, nor would I consider them as "professionals". But that's just my personal observation.