SoSA District

[hoya]

Eh, there are maybe 100 people total in the world who could tell you what SoSA means. All of them either post on OKCTalk or live in the SoSA area. Whatever it ends up being called in the future, if it ends up being called anything, will be determined with time. This isn't something that anyone needs to get upset about.

[onthestrip]

Not sure Im a fan of a single family home taking up two lots in such an urban location. There should probably be more density in this area. But Im sure it will be a cool home when finished.

[mkjeeves]

The "uproar" - at least in this thread - wasn't about the name so much as it was about dishonest posting. I actually use the name myself (in the absence of a better option), but was sternly corrected recently by someone connected to the district who resents the way it was foisted upon them by one guy. The origination of name - despite comments here to the contrary - is the OPPOSITE of organic.

Anyway, I've probably said enough on the topic for someone who isn't personally involved. I shed some light on an attempt to deceive a poster who was asking an honest question; hopefully someone here understands and appreciates that.

More of the story here: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.p...d=173960237930

The most critical part being the first paragraph, there was a conflict over the design destiny of his property, if not the whole area. The name and promotion of the name came out of that conflict, as a public service, offense, defense, "foisting", or what have you,* depending on how you want to view and characterize results, motives or actions of the people involved, or of DW individually as the origin and promoter of the name.

*E. All of the above.

[Spartan]

I am not sure how I feel about the name SoSA. Did it originate here on OKCTalk? To me it sounds kind of cool but it also sounds like a ripoff of LoDo in Denver or NoDa in Charlotte. Furthermore, I don't think the neighborhood is far enough along at this point to have a well-established brand. Ask anybody where Bricktown or Deep Deuce or Midtown is and they can tell you. Mention SoSA and people who aren't invested in the community or who don't follow OKCTalk won't know what you are talking about.

I didn't realize Charlotte did that. How can something be a ripoff of something else that A) is becoming quite common and less specific; and B) nobody has ever heard of (outside Charlotte).

Mention anything and people who aren't invested or don't follow news won't know what you're talking about.

This debate is starting to sound like we can't have nice things, because other places have nice things, and it would just be a knock off of nice things.

[Motley]

Aren't they all ripoffs of "SoHo" in NYC which ripped it off an area of London that used the term back in the 1600-1700s? It's not original, but you have to begin to use a name for a place in order to establish it.

[hoya]

Yeah I'd say SoHo and TriBeCa are more well known than the others.

[adaniel]

SoHo sounds a lot better than its old name of "hell's hundred acres."

Of course the London Soho was full of hookers and sex workers as recently as the 80's....so maybe not.

[traxx]

Hey, at least we don't have a DoWiSeTrePla like where Lily and Marshall lived on How I Met Your Mother. The real estate agent used that term to sell the neighborhood. Come to find it out, it stood for DOwn WInd of the SEwage TREatment PLAnt.

[dwellsokc]

One of the rejected names was "NoCo" (North of the County jail)! ...See how thoughtful we were?

[Just the facts]

Without a defined center or edge based on the 5 minute pedestrian shed, this area shouldn't be called anything - and least of all a district. Drawing some arbitrary lines on an aerial photo isn't how this done. Picking a center (park, commercial area, significant intersection, etc...) that is the focal point of the surrounding neighborhood and establishing a roughly 1/4 mile ring around it is how it is done.

I would like to see the city coordinate an effort to do this very thing and then use it a guide for development.

[Rover]

Without a defined center or edge based on the 5 minute pedestrian shed, this area shouldn't be called anything - and least of all a district. Drawing some arbitrary lines on an aerial photo isn't how this done. Picking a center (park, commercial area, significant intersection, etc...) that is the focal point of the surrounding neighborhood and establishing a roughly 1/4 mile ring around it is how it is done.

I would like to see the city coordinate an effort to do this very thing and then use it a guide for development.

Your definition seems pretty clinical/textbook. But, to your point, wouldn't Saint Anthonys be the focal point in this case? It isn't always at the center. SoHo in NYC is SOuth of HOuston Street, not north and south of Houston Street. And, it isn't a point, it is a line. It is a neighborhood defined by relative position to a focal point (or line ).

[Spartan]

All good questions.

Another good question (perhaps): What names then ARE acceptable? Only those that follow the current formula? _____ Hills, or ______Town? How does the name Morning Woods describe the subdivision on Covell in Edmond, or how does Gatewood describe the area between 16th and 23rd? I'm pretty sure there aren't any gates.

Deep Deuce is awesome and well-done. Core2Shore has grown on me (despite initially hating it because it was Riverside) because it has become synonymous with an aspirational civic vision. I like Philly, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh because they have these awesome authentic neighborhoods that everyone knows; You become a real city once all or most of your neighborhoods and districts connect. Over time they become branded with their history, demographics (for better or worse, this is the focus of most urban research), character, and boundaries. "SoSA" can allow for that to happen at least as much if not more than any other identity.

[Just the facts]

True, the focal point doesn't have to be at the center, for example - waterfront, but if you make St Anthony the focal point then that leads to other spatial problems with surrounding neighborhoods. If it was up to me I would call the area 5-Points after the Walker/10th/Classen round-a-bout and this area dubbed SoSA would be a relatively low-density boundary between 5-Points and some as yet un-named neighborhood south of it, with development patterns following the rural to urban transect.

This is why I would like to see the City lead an effort to do this correctly. The neighborhood is the fundamental building block of the City,so it is kind of important to get it right.

[Spartan]

True, the focal point doesn't have to be at the center, for example - waterfront, but if you make St Anthony the focal point then that leads to other spatial problems with surrounding neighborhoods. If it was up to me I would call the area 5-Points after the Walker/10th/Classen round-a-bout and this area dubbed SoSA would be a relatively low-density boundary between 5-Points and some as yet un-named neighborhood south of it, with development patterns following the rural to urban transect.

This is why I would like to see the City lead an effort to do this correctly. The neighborhood is the fundamental building block of the City,so it is kind of iimportant to get it right.

The reason it is SoSA is because it doesn't want to be some relatively low-density hinterland between two better neighborhoods.

[Just the facts]

It's not some part of the hinterland. It is the T3 component of the 5-Points neighborhood which is adjacent to the the T3 component of some future neighborhood.

http://transect.org/transect.html

[Spartan]

Then simply calling it "SoSA" leaves one less winded than that...

[Just the facts]

You just like the name SoSA - but you know I'm right

[Spartan]

I do like SoSA!

[traxx]

How does the name Morning Woods describe the subdivision on Covell in Edmond

It's been changed. I guess someone finally told them what Morning Wood meant. I can't remember what the new name is. It's a typically forgettable subdivision name.

Oh, and fyi, it's Coltrane between 2nd and Danforth.

[bchris02]

You become a real city once all or most of your neighborhoods and districts connect. Over time they become branded with their history, demographics (for better or worse, this is the focus of most urban research), character, and boundaries. "SoSA" can allow for that to happen at least as much if not more than any other identity.

Completely agree with this. That's one thing I really enjoy about Dallas. Most of their urban districts are interconnected and each has its own identity and branding. OKC is still a ways off but SoSA is the piece of the puzzle that will link Midtown to the Arts District and the CBD. It's still very early in its gentrification cycle but a brand identity definitely needs to be established. It would also nice to see some sort of mixed-use anchor to give the district a focal point.

[Spartan]

Our "Arts District" is another funny thing. Not home to a single resident artist. The character is basically just superblocks with little sidewalk life.

[hoya]

All good questions.

Another good question (perhaps): What names then ARE acceptable? Only those that follow the current formula? _____ Hills, or ______Town? How does the name Morning Woods describe the subdivision on Covell in Edmond,

[Just the facts]

Our "Arts District" is another funny thing. Not home to a single resident artist. The character is basically just superblocks with little sidewalk life.

That is because people went rogue and started drawing random lines ona map without actually plannng anything or even using the correct terminology. The Arts District is neither 'art' oriented nor a district. They should drop the name entirely and create a Civic District encompassing the area from City Hall to the county jail and should have mandated an art-deco motif for any new structures in or fronting the district. Alas, ball dropped.

Anyhow, I strayed from SoSA so my apologies.

[bchris02]

I think the "Arts District" branding would be great if there were more arts-oriented attractions there. You have the Civic Center and the Art Museum but nothing else. There is plenty of surface parking all around this area waiting for development. Hopefully it becomes more attractive in a few years if/when ClayCo builds their residential tower and the 21c Museum Hotel is built to the southwest of the area.

[Spartan]

The arts are alive in OKC.. In the Paseo, Plaza District, on Western Avenue, even in Bricktown and suburban downtowns like Edmond and Norman. The arts are not alive in the Arts District, nor is anything else.

That part of downtown is dead, and we killed it.