Plutonic Panda
06-19-2016, 02:32 PM
Cool article by the Oklahoman:
http://newsok.com/britton-was-once-its-own-little-town/article/5504619
http://newsok.com/britton-was-once-its-own-little-town/article/5504619
View Full Version : Britton District Plutonic Panda 06-19-2016, 02:32 PM Cool article by the Oklahoman: http://newsok.com/britton-was-once-its-own-little-town/article/5504619 rezman 06-19-2016, 06:19 PM At one time, Britton was out there by itself surrounded by pasture land. I remember seeing some photos from early Okc taken of some new homes along Classen Blvd, looking north, somewhere around NW 36th st. There was nothing but open land north of the homes in the photo, and you could see the buildings of Britton far off in the distance, on the horrizon. Bill Robertson 06-19-2016, 07:29 PM My dads birth certificate, military records, etc. show his birthplace as Britton. That was how I first learned that it used to be a separate town. ljbab728 06-19-2016, 11:27 PM My great grandparents came here from England and settled on a farm just north of Britton during the land run. I have relatives who were buried at the Britton cemetery on N. Western in the 1920s. It's a poorly maintained cemetery but I go there every Memorial Day to put out flowers even though I never knew them. Plutonic Panda 02-27-2019, 07:08 PM https://newsok.com/article/5623743/the-old-town-of-britton-is-undergoing-renovation-and-restoration-through-private-investment Swalell1960 02-28-2019, 06:51 AM Nice indeed to see energy being put into the revival of this interesting little downtown. I too have family buried in the cemetery (Callarman). Britton is where my great-grandfather picked up my great-grandmother who had arrived by train from Kansas after his successful staking and filing of the homestead claim, upon which we still live to this day. TG&Y with my Dad every Saturday morning in the mid-1960s! Exciting stuff. BLJR 02-28-2019, 09:37 PM Nice indeed to see energy being put into the revival of this interesting little downtown. I too have family buried in the cemetery (Callarman). Britton is where my great-grandfather picked up my great-grandmother who had arrived by train from Kansas after his successful staking and filing of the homestead claim, upon which we still live to this day. TG&Y with my Dad every Saturday morning in the mid-1960s! Exciting stuff. I remember going in that TG&Y several times as a youngster also. Grandparents lived at the corner of 102nd and Classen. Think the house is still there. ditm4567 08-23-2019, 09:26 AM I think it is time to take away the parking lanes on Britton between Western and Classen, and keep Britton 4 lanes the entire way. Those spots are rarely ever filled, and there is a parking lot on the NW corner of Old Britton, next to the train tracks, that can hold enough cars for the amount of people that frequent the area. MagzOK 08-23-2019, 11:30 AM I think it is time to take away the parking lanes on Britton between Western and Classen, and keep Britton 4 lanes the entire way. Those spots are rarely ever filled, and there is a parking lot on the NW corner of Old Britton, next to the train tracks, that can hold enough cars for the amount of people that frequent the area. +1 :) theanvil 08-23-2019, 02:25 PM I disagree. Old Britton has the bones and potential to become something similar to the Plaza District. Some of those old storefronts have been recently updated. Keep the traffic narrow, add some landscaping, and who knows? The area is only a nice anchor tenant in the old Ritz Theater away from gaining more momentum. It's proximity to The Village can help it evolve. Dob Hooligan 08-23-2019, 03:38 PM I disagree. Old Britton has the bones and potential to become something similar to the Plaza District. Some of those old storefronts have been recently updated. Keep the traffic narrow, add some landscaping, and who knows? The area is only a nice anchor tenant in the old Ritz Theater away from gaining more momentum. It's proximity to The Village can help it evolve. I see a big difference being that Britton Road is a section line road and has evolved into a higher volume in both directions, except for that 4 block stretch. The Plaza District is a renewal of what was always a middle of a neighborhood street. ditm4567 08-23-2019, 04:34 PM I disagree. Old Britton has the bones and potential to become something similar to the Plaza District. Some of those old storefronts have been recently updated. Keep the traffic narrow, add some landscaping, and who knows? The area is only a nice anchor tenant in the old Ritz Theater away from gaining more momentum. It's proximity to The Village can help it evolve. The Plaza District is on 16th and is two lanes throughout the neighborhood that it is located in. Britton goes from being a four lane road that is roughly 40 MPH on both sides of the Old Britton strip and is a direct shot to and from Broadway Extension. That area at during morning and afternoon rush hour is hectic, and then when you add a train to the mix, it becomes a nightmare. The storefronts that have been redone are still not drawing tenants, and the one that has a coffee sign outside has been stalled for almost 6 months now. HOT ROD 08-23-2019, 05:59 PM doesn't mean it will always be the case so change the zoning. However, I see a compromise - why not have 2 lanes into AND after the district with one lane Each Way in district with parallel parking; restrict parking during rush hours, prohibit parallel parking N side during afternoon 3-6pm, S side during morning 6-9am. The parking lanes becomes a through lane all the way during rush hour. Here is a crude diagram below of my idea: 2 lanes in down to 1 lane with parallel parking in district (except rush hour) then back to 2 lanes: DOWNTOWN BRITTON -----------} No Parking M-F 3-6pm /---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - <WESTBOUND LANE < - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ================================================== ============================= - - - - - - - > EBOUND LANE > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -----------/ No Parking M-F 6-9am {................................................. .................................................. .............. hopefully the formatting doesn't adjust. .. I've seen many cities do this. A great compromise where the business district can have parking yet the road can get traffic through during crush times. it also could be a nice revenue generator if vehicles don't adhere to the no-parking restriction but I doubt there would be much parking during rush hours since the district seems to function mostly outside of those 3 hour blocks. It is a little bit of traffic with the merge to one lane in district for parallel parking but during rush hours you'd have full flow to I-235 during the morning or from I-235 during the afternoon rush hours by restricting parking during those times. Easy compromise. Swalell1960 08-25-2019, 08:14 AM As a driver of Britton Rd almost every day I do agree that traffic can be quite frustrating, but I'm not sure it's because it narrows down through downtown itself. The whole area is pretty tight anyway and of course the ATSF runs smack through the middle of the intersection, making it, in effect a six-way intersection. And even though trains can blaze through at a pretty good clip, they often use the passing siding that starts just to the north, so trains are often slowing down to enter the siding or starting slowly from a dead stop to leave the siding. I think to maintain the potential charm and curb appeal that dt Britton can have you have to keep it at two lanes, something like Western in the Will Rogers corridor. I wonder if three-laning it through dt Britton is feasible at all, as is through The Village? Pete 06-23-2021, 09:10 AM The district has added signage at the western border: HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton061921b.jpg HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton061921a.jpg Pete 06-23-2021, 09:19 AM Here is an updated directory for the district. Shown in green is Madhopper Brewery which is now under construction: HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton061921c.jpg HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brittonbrewery1.jpg OKCisOK4me 06-24-2021, 04:52 AM Any details on this Mapdhopper Brewery? I tried checking online but there is nothing. Is it a misspelling? Martin 06-24-2021, 06:58 AM looks like it's madhopper brewing... Madhopperbrewing | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/madhopperbrewing.beer/) citywokchinesefood 06-24-2021, 10:05 AM I live about a mile away and I think the biggest barrier they are going to face is a lack of strong bar/restaurant concepts. Venn pizza is good, but it is not going to usurp Empire or Gusto from my rotation. As a local resident the district does not draw me to consistently stop there before/after work, or during my free time. Until they have a good nexus of strong bar/restaurants they wont have a prayer in hell to be as successful as the Plaza. I wish them the best of luck but I don't have enough bars to bar hop, or good enough food to keep me there. chssooner 06-24-2021, 10:35 AM I live about a mile away and I think the biggest barrier they are going to face is a lack of strong bar/restaurant concepts. Venn pizza is good, but it is not going to usurp Empire or Gusto from my rotation. As a local resident the district does not draw me to consistently stop there before/after work, or during my free time. Until they have a good nexus of strong bar/restaurants they wont have a prayer in hell to be as successful as the Plaza. I wish them the best of luck but I don't have enough bars to bar hop, or good enough food to keep me there. Well it's just starting to grow, so...but by all means, let's say it is a strike out before it steps in the batters box. Pete 06-24-2021, 10:40 AM Venn is a huge step forward and Madhopper will add a lot. The coffee place seems popular. They will eventually find a good tenant for the old Ritz Theater. More will follow with time. Lots of great buildings in that little district and they started with a bunch of dilapidated structures and not much else. GoGators 06-24-2021, 11:04 AM I live about a mile away and I think the biggest barrier they are going to face is a lack of strong bar/restaurant concepts. Venn pizza is good, but it is not going to usurp Empire or Gusto from my rotation. As a local resident the district does not draw me to consistently stop there before/after work, or during my free time. Until they have a good nexus of strong bar/restaurants they wont have a prayer in hell to be as successful as the Plaza. I wish them the best of luck but I don't have enough bars to bar hop, or good enough food to keep me there. I think you just have to give the area a little time to develop. It wasn't that long ago that the only place you get food in the plaza was Saints. I remember going to Grandads on 23rd and thinking how nice it would be if there was just one other bar a person could walk to in uptown. Seems crazy to think about now but this was less than 10 years ago. I'm not sure if Old Brittian will become as much of a booming area as the plaza, but it does have certain advantages that 99.9 percent of the metro doesn't have and will never get. The area has a lot of potential. shawnw 06-24-2021, 12:07 PM It wasn't that long ago that the only place you get food in the plaza was Saints. Amen. A decade ago Plaza was not a place you went for food. Even Saints with their one burner at the time (not sure if that's still the case) struggled to feed folks. warreng88 06-24-2021, 12:28 PM Con confirm what is said about the Plaza. My wife started working at Lyric Theatre in summer of 2010. Saints opened shortly there after and about six of us went to check it out. The food was not that good and was overpriced. It wasn't really until The Mule opened that the Plaza district became an area for people outside of the immediate two-ish mile area. Save for a Rocky Horror performance or two... Teo9969 06-28-2021, 09:33 PM I don't think it can be overstated how important the success of Chisolm Creek and NHP are on this area. Those 2 developments will eventually drive everything west of 235 and south of Memorial into full on gentrification mode, which is going to make Britton all the more important. Kind of feel like Capitol Hill is the only other "old" area of the city where it seems the time to get in is now. stlokc 06-29-2021, 08:54 AM Teo9969, I hope you're right. I think it's a heavy lift to think of gentrification hitting the North Highlands neighborhood between Western and 235 south of Britton Road. That's a critical piece for the stability of that part of town. If one could figure out how to stabilize/reinvigorate the Western Ave corridor from Wilshire north to 122nd, and the neighborhoods for a half-mile on both sides of that stretch, in order to tie in Nichols Hills, Chisholm Creek and a new, funky Britton Road, wow, game changer for Oklahoma City writ large. It's a huge area but is so ideally placed geographically. Quality development along 235 (which is starting to percolate with American Fidelity, The Half, and the medical buildings north of Britton) will help. Pete 06-29-2021, 08:56 AM ^ That neighborhood north of the Britton District still has a bunch of dirt/gravel roads, even the residential streets. It's like another world, and not in a good way. Roger S 06-29-2021, 09:20 AM ^ That neighborhood north of the Britton District still has a bunch of dirt/gravel roads, even the residential streets. It's like another world, and not in a good way. It's like small town rural Oklahoma stlokc 06-29-2021, 09:22 AM Pete, I've driven around that area north of the Britton district - because I love to explore. You're very right, but in a way, that presents an opportunity. Imagine something like Wheeler that abuts Britton to the south (and utilizes Britton as its business district) and takes advantage of that open land. Integrate the existing houses that are there with new ones in a more urban context. If the young and hip are flocking to Wheeler, I feel the next generation might flock to that area; especially those that grew up further north. stlokc 06-29-2021, 09:33 AM OK, I just looked at the area in the handy-dandy OKC Talk Development Map. I didn't realize there were so many existing houses in the 3-4 blocks north of Britton Road. But I still think a big, integrated development could work in the area north of that. North of 97th from Classen over to the Broadway Extension is completely empty. Putting a Wheeler-esque development there could, in turn, stabilize the few blocks between there and the old town of Britton. StrongCider 06-29-2021, 10:06 AM Good luck prying that out of Garrett & Company's hands... T. Jamison 06-29-2021, 10:19 AM An interesting thing I just found out about the Britton District is that it is generally split between two City Council Wards with Britton Road being the dividing line between Western and Walker. I would imagine cohesive infrastructure improvements would require a significant amount of collaboration. Fortunately, the two council people are James Cooper and Nikki Nice which I think helps. stlokc 06-29-2021, 10:31 AM Does Garrett and Company own that entire area? I actually know them, which makes no difference because I’m not actually the one with the money or expertise to do any of this myself. LOL. Always easier to just speculate on an internet chat board. LOL StrongCider 06-29-2021, 01:46 PM Does Garrett and Company own that entire area? I actually know them, which makes no difference because I’m not actually the one with the money or expertise to do any of this myself. LOL. Always easier to just speculate on an internet chat board. LOL They own the vast majority of the tracts in that area. shawnw 07-13-2021, 09:56 PM Did we already say somewhere in this thread what this is? Not seeing it... https://www.instagram.com/p/CRRSiU8rUxH/ Pete 07-14-2021, 05:42 PM ^ It's a little office development called Beltline 66. Location is west of Western and on the south side of the street; little cross-street is Vincent. HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/beltline66a.jpg HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/beltline66b.jpg HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/beltline66c.jpg shawnw 07-15-2021, 08:28 AM Ah. Post made it seem like it was going to be big news... chssooner 07-15-2021, 09:10 AM Ah. Post made it seem like it was going to be big news... What were you expecting for a small but growing district like this? This adds to the populace during the day, and likely for after hours, which will help bars make more money and lure other food/drink places there. It is fairly big for a center with 3-4 tenants joining a district with like, 10 overall. shawnw 07-15-2021, 09:29 AM Um, not being critical, I think this is great for their growth. But in the comments when someone asked what it was going to be they responded: The owner's not quite ready to say. You'll have to stay tuned for the big reveal! So I thought it was something "huge" so to speak. It's great either way, though. Bowser214 07-15-2021, 09:56 AM I'm just spitball'n but it would be cool if it was a mini food hall type deal. WheelerD Guy 07-15-2021, 12:07 PM Good luck prying that out of Garrett & Company's hands... +1. Those guys play hard ball, drink their Starbucks black and have exceptionally sharp elbows. Anyone trying to move against them better be riding in on a Brinks Truck. Pete 01-07-2022, 07:44 AM Resurgent Britton district to add restaurant, brewery and distillery (https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=770-Resurgent-Britton-district-to-add-restaurant-brewery-and-distillery) The redevelopment of the Britton District continues with three new businesses being planned. http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton010622a.jpg Patio area of El Coyote On the north side of the street and at the far west end, chef Jonathon Stranger (Osteria, Bar Chicchetti) has submitted plans for El Coyote, a restaurant and bar that will feature New Mexican cuisine. The design by AHMM Architects includes a large adobe-style patio will the interior will be highlighted by a long interior bar and southwestern elements. http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton010622b.jpg El Coyote interior Immediately to the east will be Madhopper Brewery in a structure that once housed the Britton Theater. http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton010622f.jpg El Coyote space to the left, Madhopper Brewery to the right And a distillery and tasting room will soon be coming to the old Ritz Theater on the south side of Britton. http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton010622g.jpg Venn Pizza opened in June in a completely renovated space with a back patio. http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton010622h.jpg http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton010622i.jpg Zero Tolerance Coffee also opened in early 2020, as did the historic Owl Court motel has been restored from ruins into several small shops and office spaces, joining several businesses in renovated structures. http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton010622k.jpg Owl Court http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton010622c.jpg http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton010622d.jpg http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton010622e.jpg http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton010622aa.jpg Also, a new butterfly garden on the southwest corner of NW 92nd and Western will soon provide a relaxing spot for visitors on what is now a vacant lot. http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton010622m.jpg http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton010622l.jpg Britton was once a separate municipality until it was annexed by Oklahoma City in 1950. The town was named after railroad attorney Alexander Britton who worked for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. As part of the charter to allow the railroad to be built through Oklahoma, a railway station was required to be built every 7 miles. The first stop north of Oklahoma City became known as Britton and the town once had 6,000 residences where Main Street (now Britton Road) became the main commercial corridor. For a time, Route 66 passed directly through downtown Britton. http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/britton010622jj.jpg Roger S 01-07-2022, 07:52 AM Ok... You had me at New Mexican....oh and distillery.... but mostly New Mexican. Had a memory pop up on my social media recently of an omelette I had at a little dive diner in New Mexico a couple of years ago that was served Christmas Style..... It was freaking amazing! MagzOK 01-07-2022, 08:35 AM Oh heck yes! I am mostly looking forward to the New Mexican restaurant. . . mattjank 01-07-2022, 08:35 AM Ok... You had me at New Mexican....oh and distillery.... but mostly New Mexican. Had a memory pop up on my social media recently of an omelette I had at a little dive diner in New Mexico a couple of years ago that was served Christmas Style..... It was freaking amazing! Same here. Just got back from southern Colorado, with mandatory stops coming and going at our favorite spots. Colbafone 01-07-2022, 08:38 AM I used to live ON Britton, between Penn and May, and the entire stretch of Britton between Broadway and the Hefner Parkway, all of it has so much potential, if not already "there". All that to say, I absolutely LOVE this. The old downtown Britton is such a cool area. Even going south on Western right there on Britton, there's a LOT of untapped potential right there, with most of it already in use, actually. Anyway, this is absolutely awesome. Huge gets. Can't wait to try them all out. warreng88 01-07-2022, 09:37 AM Pete, can you clarify where the patio would go for the restaurant? I would guess into the parking lot to the west, but it could be behind. Pete 01-07-2022, 09:47 AM Pete, can you clarify where the patio would go for the restaurant? I would guess into the parking lot to the west, but it could be behind. Behind (to the north). Pete 01-07-2022, 10:39 AM This is the site plan for El Coyote: HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/elcoyote5.jpg barrettd 01-07-2022, 01:32 PM This all sounds very cool, and very close to me! shawnw 01-07-2022, 03:52 PM Very glad to see the theaters are going to great uses White Peacock 01-07-2022, 05:42 PM New Mexican cuisine is fantastic; can't wait to check this place out. On a motorcycle trip to Santa Fe/Taos, I went (twice) to a restaurant in Chimayo and I've been daydreaming about it ever since. soonerguru 01-07-2022, 07:42 PM I have been hankering for true New Mexican cuisine in OKC for years. I was hoping Frida would go in that direction, alas...... But El Coyote is exciting. Salivating just thinking about the gobsmacking meals I had in Santa Fe over the years -- some of the best food I've ever eaten. For the record, I tried La Tertulia in Tulsa on a recent visit, and while it was decent it just didn't pull off New Mexican. You always hate when a restaurant description says something like, "a modern take on...." Why? We don't need a modern take on New York Pizza, or a Katz Deli sandwich, or red chile chicken enchiladas from the Shed. Growing up in Norman, we had the Border Crossing, which despite multiple owners and perhaps being uneven service wise, was always spot on with the food. Later, we had Blue Corn Cafe in North OKC, which was just in a terrible location and no one really understood what they were trying to do. Hopefully El Coyote is an earnest attempt at bringing legit New Mexican cuisine to OKC, and hopefully it's a worthy destination for dining. Bowser214 01-07-2022, 08:02 PM The Green Chille Kitchen in Yukon is worth checking out. http://www.greenchilekitchen.com/ soonerguru 01-07-2022, 08:11 PM The Green Chille Kitchen in Yukon is worth checking out. http://www.greenchilekitchen.com/ It's OK. Nothing stellar. soonerguru 01-07-2022, 08:18 PM Another Norman New Mexican gem I forgot: Trujillo's de Santa Fe, which was a smashing restaurant that opened in the mid-1980s in a pueblo-style mansion. It was a very expensive investment with a sophisticated and impressive menu, but seemed to be a victim of the oil bust, if memory serves. HangryHippo 01-07-2022, 08:19 PM It's OK. Nothing stellar. Lies. MagzOK 01-08-2022, 08:26 AM It's OK. Nothing stellar. Absolutely. We were greatly disappointed. It has promising stuff on the menu, but it doesn't deliver like those in the Santa Fe area. formerly405Tulsan 01-09-2022, 01:09 AM I have been hankering for true New Mexican cuisine in OKC for years. I was hoping Frida would go in that direction, alas...... But El Coyote is exciting. Salivating just thinking about the gobsmacking meals I had in Santa Fe over the years -- some of the best food I've ever eaten. For the record, I tried La Tertulia in Tulsa on a recent visit, and while it was decent it just didn't pull off New Mexican. You always hate when a restaurant description says something like, "a modern take on...." Why? We don't need a modern take on New York Pizza, or a Katz Deli sandwich, or red chile chicken enchiladas from the Shed. Growing up in Norman, we had the Border Crossing, which despite multiple owners and perhaps being uneven service wise, was always spot on with the food. Later, we had Blue Corn Cafe in North OKC, which was just in a terrible location and no one really understood what they were trying to do. Hopefully El Coyote is an earnest attempt at bringing legit New Mexican cuisine to OKC, and hopefully it's a worthy destination for dining. You don't have to like La Tertulia, but it's not a modern take on anything. His grandpa ran it in Santa Fe for 30+ years and it is his reincarnation of that, down to the paper the menus are printed on. I personally think it's better than anything I had on my trips to Taos or Santa Fe. Mott 01-09-2022, 09:41 AM Started visiting Santa Fe in the late 70’s. Would stay at the de Vargas, $21.00 a night for 3, bathroom down the hall. Amazing place SF was, a hardware store, Woolworth’s on the square, Sears around the corner, a great local camping and fishing store on San Francisco St. lot’s of owner owned bookstores, and the art galleries. Our favorite cafe was Josie’s, on Marcy St. The Chile was great, green are red, we thought it the best in town. Well worth the 15 wait in line. And she made great mocha cake and apricot pie. Closed around 2020, after 50+ years. |