Don’t Call Them Flyover Cities: Why You Should Visit Kansas City, Indianapolis, and Oklahoma City:


Great article about the so-called Flyover Cities; good company of 2 million metro population cities (Kansas City & Indianapolis).


Conjuring Nashville’s dusty, honky-tonk charm, Memphis’s true grit, and splashes of Chicago-style Art Deco architecture, Oklahoma City shares a mixed heritage that feels both sublimely Midwest and Southern.

What to Do:


Equally compelling, the colorful Paseo Arts District is home to more than 20 galleries and studios.

Surprised they didn't mention the Oklahoma City Zoo, Stockyards City or the Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum...

Where to stay:


For a more traditional experience, try the old grand dame Skirvin Hilton, built in 1911.

Gotta love it!

I would guess they didn't mention those things because of Vogue's target audience.

Saw this re-tweeted a few times on my Twitter feed. Thought it was worth a look.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/27/travel-oklahoma-city-offers-restaurants-cowboy-his/

New promotional video for OKC.


https://youtu.be/rVc4pgBGO28

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/13/the-15-cities-where-you-can-live-really-well-on-60000.html

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/13/the-15-cities-where-you-can-live-really-well-on-60000.html

They could have used a better picture for OKC.

They could have used a better picture for OKC.

Wow. Yeah, no kidding....

They could have used a better picture for OKC.

I saw it and thought why in the actual hell did they choose that?

Good lord! Looks like someone was pissed at OKC to select that pic! So ridiculous!

They really couldn't find a better picture for OKC. Give me a break.

Good lord! Looks like someone was pissed at OKC to select that pic! So ridiculous!

We are talking about CNBC here, and I'd guess they aren't all that fond of deep red states like Oklahoma.

The writer, Jessica Dickler, must've been a Sonics fan.

Thanks Plutonic Panda, your link deserves an ENCORE:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVc4pgBGO28&feature=youtu.be

The writer, Jessica Dickler, must've been a Sonics fan.

haha, seriously!

Here's the writers Twitter @jdickler
Although she most likely did not choose the picture, I think it would be a nice idea to send her other photos that might be more representative of OKC. Lots of them. A whole bunch. Many. Maybe she will share them with her editors.

Here's the writers Twitter @jdickler
Although she most likely did not choose the picture, I think it would be a nice idea to send her other photos that might be more representative of OKC. Lots of them. A whole bunch. Many. Maybe she will share them with her editors.


http://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/img/editorial/2015/11/17/103176651-dickler,jessica.240x240.jpg?v=1447792991
Jessica Dickler, CNBC - Personal Finance Writer
http://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/img/editorial/2016/07/08/103774668-GettyImages-509834848.530x298.jpg?v=1467986711
Think she could find a better pic than this tub-n-a-bucket pumping gas? :ohno:


Worth a try; however IMHO she knew what she was doing.

Not meaning to drum up a conspiracy, but that's the most unflattering picture out of the bunch and definitely one of the worst I've seen on articles like that. Whoever put it there seems to have either not thought twice about OKC or is probably from Seattle as suggested above. That's just a poor choice for showcasing anything.

Not insulting the person in the picture, just the entire picture itself when compared to the others.

I just sent the writer and CNBC an email asking for an explanation why the picture was chosen and if they would replace it with one that is more representative of the city. We'll see if I hear back. It's really unprofessional for them to do something like that.

Random interview with Wayne Coyne in Newsweek about his favorite places in OKC. Cafe Kacao and Goro both get nice shout outs.

http://www.newsweek.com/wayne-coynes-guide-oklahoma-city-541312

I'm not even sure that picture in the CNBC article is of OKC. Someone pumping gas with an oil pump behind them sounds like something that turned up on a stock photo search.

Houstons wasn't much better.

Houstons wasn't much better.

Like you, I started to look around at the others cities' pics posted in her article. Houston & Detroit were the other cities that caught my attention; there are many areas in those cities which could have better pics posted.

http://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/img/editorial/2016/08/04/103846234-GettyImages-94502408.530x298.jpg?v=1480601725
@ #12 Houston's pic
http://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/img/editorial/2016/06/08/103699860-GettyImages-487117557.530x298.jpg?v=1480601924
@ #1 Detroit's pic

Graffitti, an antiquated gas pump, dead trees. It's still the worst one even compared to those others.

It does seem to be a stock photo they use quite often when mentioning OK. If you search for the photo on Google you'll find it in several articles, like this gem: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/12/americas-worst-states-for-business-in-2016.html?slide=3.

Can anyone identify the location and/or year of that photo? I sure can't. Having had a family formerly in the convenience store business I thought pumps like that were no longer allowed by the EPA (or some government entity), and that's what caused several of the old service stations to shut down many years ago-- they could not afford to upgrade to the new style of pumps. Maybe I dreamed that up though. That makes me think this is an old photo regardless of where it is. Second, is it even in Oklahoma City?

It does seem to be a stock photo they use quite often when mentioning OK. If you search for the photo on Google you'll find it in several articles, like this gem: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/12/americas-worst-states-for-business-in-2016.html?slide=3.

LMAO! Excuse me GoldFire, you're dead right about this gem. Can't help but laugh because that's a female pumping gas, not a male. My bad. Just realized that they went out their way to paint OKC as Hicksville USA.

Stock photo? Needs to go into File #13.

Graffitti, an antiquated gas pump, dead trees. It's still the worst one even compared to those others.

Unless you have a passion graffiti who makes money on the side restoring antiquated gas pumps who's main job is to remove dead trees. ;)

Looks like the picture in question (http://www.gettyimages.com/license/509834848) was taken by OKC-based photographer J Pat Carter. She has thousands of pictures of Oklahoma from different festivals, OU and OSU games, and she seems to take a lot of photos of oil rigs as well.

If you go to this page (http://www.gettyimages.com/photos/j-pat-carter?excludenudity=true&mediatype=photography&page=22&phrase=j%20pat%20carter&sort=mostpopular) you'll see some other similar pictures from that same gas station as well as others.

So yes, apparently the picture is from Oklahoma City and was taken in February of last year, although I can't for the life of me figure out where exactly. Apparently not somewhere I've personally ever been before.

I'd agree though, it definitely seems like someone has a problem with Oklahoma if that's the picture they went with. More likely a political thing than a basketball grudge.

418 SE 44th

Scratching my head. Could that photo be at a more random location???

I provided a www.lmgtfy.com link ;-)

I just sent a njcely worded email to CNBC too, asking them to change the photo and sent one more representative of the city. Perhaps if everyone reading does the same, they might oblige. Just be nice and respectful.

418 SE 44th

Dang dude, impressive. :)

418 SE 44th

Impressive recall.

Thought to myself that I've seen this area before when the old Onion Barrell Restaurant (CF steaks, burgers & onion rings) was open off 44th & South High:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/418+SE+44th+St,+Oklahoma+City,+OK+73129/@35.4208399,-97.5027662,3a,75y,176h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s7It8GHVfTlznaA1RFEymOA!2e0!6s% 2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D7It8GHVfTlzna A1RFEymOA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearc h.TACTILE.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D86%26h%3D86%26yaw% 3D176.31468%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8 i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x87b2169ffc2b79fb:0xa163b8eadcc3e 1d2!8m2!3d35.420463!4d-97.5027099!6m1!1e1

http://www.wnyc.org/story/oklahomas-latino-populaiton-anxious-about-trump-presidency/

A good national radio segment with a Oklahoma City resident.

It looks like part of a series on local issues in Oklahoma.

http://www.wnyc.org/story/executive-actions-immigration-budget-woes-oklahoma-city/

.
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City, their incredible history together and a departure that will forever sting. --Anthony Slater, San Jose Mercury News.


Then the rest of the country rightly wonders: How can a fan-base be so venomous toward a man making a personal employment choice after delivering so much, so gracefully to a region for eight years?

The viciousness was silly. But the heartbreak was real and the sting will never leave. To so many in the state, Kevin Durant wasn’t just an athlete. He was a symbol. This wasn’t Shaq bolting from Orlando. This was the Liberty Bell leaving Philadelphia.

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/09/kevin-durant-oklahoma-city-their-incredible-history-together-and-a-departure-that-will-forever-sting/

Yeah I don't blame KD one bit for leaving and it's hilarious how mad people got.

Yeah I don't blame KD one bit for leaving and it's hilarious how mad people got.

Sports are emotional for the players and fan. Once emotions are involved, feelings will be hurt when the bond is broken ubruptly.

Yeah I don't blame KD one bit for leaving and it's hilarious how mad people got.

Quit trolling

Quit trollingseriously? I'm not trolling. I guess I'm not a huge sports fan as catch said so I don't quite understand the emotion. I understand why it'd be saddening but I also understand why he did it. What I don't understand is furious outrage.

He didn't have the backbone to tell his basketball brother (Russell Westbrook) about his decision. You basically told OKC; IT WAS FUN, BUT I MUST RUN...

More disheartening, he joined Golden State, the team we had down 3 - 1 in the series. Durant played like crap in those final 3 losses. K. D. wanted a championship ring. That ring won't mean a thing because he joined a ready-made NBA championship team instead of following through like a true leader to fulfill his dream.

No Kevin, I'm not going to boo you, because you're braced for that, that would be to good for you; but don't be surprised if I'm not happy to see you in a Warriors' uniform, SO GOODBYE & HAPPY LIFE; however I can't speak for the group of fans who just might want to tar-and-feather you.

Dream on K. D., it's just like Westbrook said, "We only allow men in our locker room." As a true Thunder fan who admired your ambition; you can live your dream for an NBA ring, OUR team & our dream will move on without you.

He didn't have the backbone to tell his basketball brother (Russell Westbrook) about his decision. You basically told OKC; IT WAS FUN, BUT I MUST RUN...

More disheartening, he joined Golden State, the team we had down 3 - 1 in the series. Durant played like crap in those final 3 losses. K. D. wanted a championship ring. That ring won't mean a thing because he joined a ready-made NBA championship team instead of following through like a true leader to fulfill his dream.

No Kevin, I'm not going to boo you, because you're braced for that, that would be to good for you; but don't be surprised if I'm not happy to see you in a Warriors' uniform, SO GOODBYE & HAPPY LIFE; however I can't speak for the group of fans who just might want to tar-and-feather you.

Dream on K. D., it's just like Westbrook said, "We only allow men in our locker room." As a true Thunder fan who admired your ambition; you can live your dream for an NBA ring, OUR team & our dream will move on without you.
Totally agree.

The dude who wrote the article either doesn't understand sports or is ignoring the obvious to try to make a case for Kevin.

You've got a team down 3-1 and end up losing and you're a large part of the reason for the losses but then you go join that team. It doesn't look good. Add to that, that he was hanging out with Dramond and others after the games and being all friendly with them and it doesn't look good. I'm not saying Kevin can't be friends with someone from another team, but when you're trying to put a team away for a trip to the finals, you don't need to be getting all cozy with them.

Add to that how Kevin handled the leaving situation and that makes it worse. He chose to do it over 4th of July in hopes that he could fly under the radar and avoid what he knew was coming; questions about going to a team that just ended your season because you played bad. Then Kevin tried to say he chose the more difficult road to a championship by going to GSW and that's just ludicrous. Then he and his new team try to play him as the victim in the whole thing like Russ and the guys had wronged Kevin. In what world does that make sense?

I guarantee you, had Kevin gone someplace like the Knicks, you wouldn't see anywhere near the level of anger that you did when he went to GSW. Sure, people would've been sad and upset but it would've been a lot easier to stomach. I can't believe the dude that wrote that article doesn't see that nor understand that.

The other thread on this has some posts with interesting points about what's excluded from the article, but suggesting that Anthony Slater "doesn't understand sports or is ignoring the obvious to try to make a case for Kevin" is kind of unfair. First, Slater is a tremendous writer and he was a real loss for the Oklahoman. Fortunately, I think Erik Horne has really done a nice job in taking over for Slater. Second, I think there is always an argument about selection and emphasis, and I think Slater probably made choices for his readers. I think it was a well-written article even if it wasn't complete.

I think even with KD going to the Warriors, people could have probably gotten over it if he had done it the right way. His blog post on the Players Tribune was just so generic and heartless. Then he allowed his camp to leak out all the Westbrook stuff and got baited into giving some pretty dramatic quotes. If he had just given OKC love on his way out and then shutup till the beginning of the season, most of the drama would have subsided by now.

You would've thought that watching the Lebron->Miami drama unfold would've taught us how NOT to leave a franchise, but KD blazed his own terrible trail on this road.

Its just sad that NBA ring won't carry quite the meaning it could have had when he realizes he took the easy way to get it. He was beloved in OKC but is just another entertainer in Golden State.

Its just sad that NBA ring won't carry quite the meaning it could have had when he realizes he took the easy way to get it. He was beloved in OKC but is just another entertainer in Golden State.

Durant lacked leadership. He feared RW because he was a true threat to take over the player leadership role in OKC. Westbrook is now married; this probably didn't set well with Durant. Westbrook is strong; speaks his mind--tells it like it is. Westbrook has clearly shown how a franchise player should lead.

K.D. hasn't earned that ring yet; San Antonio, Houston, Utah, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis, Oklahoma City & some others in the West may make it difficult for the Warriors.

A little of topic but still cant believe we made this list http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/best-trips-2015/

A little of topic but still cant believe we made this list http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/best-trips-2015/

that's a slightly better picture than the one used by CNBC

OpenTable ranked OKC the most romantic city in the US this year
https://blog.opentable.com/2017/love-is-in-the-air-the-top-25-most-romantic-cities-in-america-2017/

The other thread on this has some posts with interesting points about what's excluded from the article, but suggesting that Anthony Slater "doesn't understand sports or is ignoring the obvious to try to make a case for Kevin" is kind of unfair. First, Slater is a tremendous writer and he was a real loss for the Oklahoman. Fortunately, I think Erik Horne has really done a nice job in taking over for Slater. Second, I think there is always an argument about selection and emphasis, and I think Slater probably made choices for his readers. I think it was a well-written article even if it wasn't complete.
He says:


the country rightly wonders: How can a fan-base be so venomous toward a man making a personal employment choice after delivering so much, so gracefully to a region for eight years?
Which means he wonders; no the country. OKC doesn't have a corner on the market of fan bases being venomous. It's sports. That happens a lot. And again, it wasn't anger over an employment decision. The anger was over him playing terrible and blowing a 3-1 lead and then going to that very team that he played terrible against. Kevin is pretty much just trying to buy a ring at this point. Like I said, if Kevin had gone to a place like the Knicks, you wouldn't see this kind of anger. But the guy writing the article wouldn't know that.

He calls the viciousness silly. Again, he doesn't seem to understand sports. Show me in this article where he gets and/or understands sports.

Again, he doesn't seem to understand sports. Show me in this article where he gets and/or understands sports.

Throughout the article and throughout his writing career where he was, in my opinion, the best Thunder beat writer the Oklahoman has had. Just because you disagree with someone doesn't mean they're incompetent or lack knowledge.

Throughout the article and throughout his writing career where he was, in my opinion, the best Thunder beat writer the Oklahoman has had. Just because you disagree with someone doesn't mean they're incompetent or lack knowledge.

+1

It's quite silly if you've followed any bit of Anthony's writing career at all, to suggest he doesn't understand sports.

Throughout the article and throughout his writing career where he was, in my opinion, the best Thunder beat writer the Oklahoman has had. Just because you disagree with someone doesn't mean they're incompetent or lack knowledge.

It's not about not agreeing with him. If he really does understand and get sports as you say, then he's being purposefully obtuse in order to cultivate his storyline. It's not about Kevin changing jobs. It never was. It was about playing a team for a spot in the finals but hanging out with that team during the series more than his own team. It was about Kevin being a big reason we blew the 3-1 lead. It's about in retrospect it appears Kevin had mentally already gone to the GSW during that series. But it gets played off like the stupid Okies don't understand how pro sports work because this is their first pro team. Most Oklahoman have had favorite pro teams before the Thunder ever arrived. We understand players leave, get traded etc. But he's going to ignore all of that so he can write his story of how OKC is being unfair to Kevin or how OKC is full of noobs or whatever narrative he wants to write. Ignore reality to write your own narrative.

Like I said, had he gone to some other team like the Pacers, there wouldn't have been this kind of uproar. And I don't see anyone being able to dispute that.

OpenTable ranked OKC the most romantic city in the US this year
https://blog.opentable.com/2017/love-is-in-the-air-the-top-25-most-romantic-cities-in-america-2017/

It's hilarious that their "trackback" quotes TLO saying "Oklahoma City is the most romantic place in the country. Or, at least according to one of those meaningless clickbait lists."

It's not about Kevin changing jobs. It never was. It was about playing a team for a spot in the finals but hanging out with that team during the series more than his own team. It was about Kevin being a big reason we blew the 3-1 lead. It's about in retrospect it appears Kevin had mentally already gone to the GSW during that series... Ignore reality to write your own narrative.

Talk about writing your own narrative. First, there is zero evidence KD spent more time with the Warriors than the Thunder. I don't think there's even a confirmed report that KD actually spent time with Draymond. Second, KD shot poorly in the series, but also played the best defense of his entire career. Saying KD didn't try to beat the Warriors reeks of revisionist history. Third, everyone gets *why* going to the Warriors is controversial, including Slater who has said as much before.

So, yeah, l'll stick with the knowledgeable NBA beat writer knowing about sports.

"The viciousness was silly."

wut

http://www.afar.com/magazine/where-to-go-next-4-us-cities-to-visit-now

It's hilarious that their "trackback" quotes TLO saying "Oklahoma City is the most romantic place in the country. Or, at least according to one of those meaningless clickbait lists."

"at least according to one of those meaningless clickbait lists."

The irony.

l'll stick with the knowledgeable NBA beat writer knowing about sports.

Opinions man