New York Times article on OKC's Downtown Courtyard

[Luke]

I found it sort of wierd that the NYT would have an article on the downtown Courtyard...

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CHECK IN, CHECK OUT
Marriott Courtyard Downtown in Oklahoma City

By FRED A. BERNSTEIN

Published: June 5, 2005

This Courtyard has features other Marriotts lack.

THE BASICS Marriott operates hotels under more than a dozen brands: J. W. Marriott is considered the top of the line, followed by Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Marriott, and then Courtyard by Marriott. But in a series of recent stays, I've found that the distinctions between those brands are being blurred by a corporate design department that is putting a similar stamp on very different hotels. Rooms at the Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza, in a mall next to the airport, for instance, look remarkably similar to rooms at this far less expensive hotel in Oklahoma City. In fact, the Courtyard has amenities (including in-room safes) that the Renaissance lacks.

THE LOCATION The hotel is the newest (and most centrally located) of three Courtyards in Oklahoma City. On the edge of downtown, it sits across a plaza from the Ford Center, an arena built in 2003. Bricktown, the closest thing Oklahoma City has to an entertainment district, is a brick's throw away. Parking is next door in an above-ground garage. The city's most poignant tourist destination - the Oklahoma City National Memorial - is five minutes from the hotel by car. The freeway that leads to Norman (home of the University of Oklahoma, and in many ways a more cosmopolitan place than Oklahoma City) is also nearby.

THE ROOMS Surprisingly attractive and efficient. Some of the features - including a niche with a shelf for the coffee maker, so it isn't in the bathroom - are identical to ones I saw in Tampa. There, the TV sat out on the dresser; here, the media cabinet, a wardrobe, and a writing desk together form a clever built-in unit. In Tampa, the windows don't open; here, they open onto pleasant balconies. Rooms on the east side face Bricktown; on the west side, the view is of the roof of the Ford Center. Go east. The rooms are a bit too colorful: picture bright greens, reds, blues and yellows on bedspreads and just about everywhere else.

BATHROOMS Ordinary. The shower curtains (which match the bedspreads) are fabric. In older Courtyards, they were just plastic, said the general manager, Jim Rickards. His hotel was constructed to match the 2004 Courtyard standards, Mr. Rickards said, adding that about 600 older Courtyards would be upgraded to the new standards by next year.

THE CROWD Given the proximity to the Ford Center, there's no predicting who will also be staying at the hotel. One night this spring, there were devotees of the Lipizzaner Stallions; another, fans of Motley Crue. And then there are followers of the Yard Dawgz - an Arena Football team founded in 2003; their home is the Ford Center.

AMENITIES Surrounding the lobby are a restaurant (the Courtyard Grille) that serves breakfast, a pleasant indoor pool and a business center with a computer printer and basic reference books. The lobby also features a kind of alcove convenience-store - dubbed the Market - that never closes. Apples and bananas are free, perhaps because they're so unpopular compared to junk food. Service isn't perfect. When I received a fax at the front desk, there was a page of someone else's (very confidential) fax mixed in. But that could happen anywhere. The employees, who answer the phone with "Home of the Yard Dawgz," are uniformly enthusiastic.

ROOM SERVICE From the lobby restaurant, 4 to 11 p.m. only.

THE BOTTOM LINE The standard room, with tax, comes to $159. On one popular travel Web site, www.tripadvisor.com, this Courtyard was rated first among 101 hotels in Oklahoma City. "Nice new hotel in the middle of it all." one guest wrote.

The Courtyard by Marriott Downtown. 2 West Reno Avenue, Oklahoma City; (405) 232 2290; www.marriott.com.

[Nuclear_2525]

Well I'm glad s/he liked Bricktown.

[soonerguru]

Sadly, he was right: Norman is a more cosmopolitan place than OKC. This is immediately apparent to any outsider.

Not a glowing portrait of our city in the making.

[OUman]

Norman maybe cosmopolitan, but only when it comes to OU. Go anywhere else and it's just another regular suburb. Don't get me wrong, I like living here, but for Asians and people of other cultures, Oklahoma City still has the best choice of produce, restaurants and other options. The Asian stores are all located in Oklahoma City for the most part, Cao Nguyen and Hong Kong Market. Both have a good choice of produce and products. Here in Norman, there's only one, and that's a small one on campus. The best Indian restaurant I've been to is Gopuram in Oklahoma City. Misal of India down here wasn't as good as I had expected.

[HKG_Flyer1]

I see this is as another net positive for OKC. For whatever reason, it is starting to show up on the "radar screen" of the East Coast elite.

[HOT ROD]

It looks like the New Yorker did not get out much, or that no one really told him about what OKC has to offer. His comment about OKC not being cosmo is totally untrue.

He should have spent more time exploring OKC's inner city districts than just basing (sp?) his sole opinion of OKC on Bricktown and Norman. Honestly, all he had to do was check out the great articles about OKC from Wikepedia and Tripadvisor to see that OKC has much to offer and is a great place to visit as a tourist.

OKC may not be New York - but OKC IS a fine city with much to offer!!

===

That being said, I think there is something for OKC to learn from this. True, OKC has attractions and has turned things around in the creative class attracting urban amenities department. But it seems like OKC just goes after events or venues and then ....?

A perfect example - the Men's NCAA First and Second round this year. Sure, it was hoppin in the Ford Centre, but the rest of downtown and the city was shut down! You guys may take offense to someone from out-of-state saying that OKC is ok but lacking, but that may be the truth. That visitor is in town for a day or two so that was OKC's opportunity to SHINE for him and we failed! Ditto the New York times guy, he was going to give OKC a chance but we failed to even inform him that we have a chinatown or a growing japantown or a thriving hispanic community (we are a city full of diversity and cosmo).

Honestly, this is THE BIGGEST Complaint that I have about OKC, we get the big stuff here but it seems like we drop the ball once we get tourist in town. We expect that tourists "know where to go or what there is to do" since those of us from OKC do. When we have major events in town, we need downtown OKC to be a hoppin place, with a festival like atmosphere! We need more than just the event - we need the sensation!

If nothing more than 1) from the financial opportunities - when people travel they tend to spend $$ if there is somewhere/something to spend it on and 2) from the opportunity to show the world OKC - otherwise, why do we want big conventions, concerts, or events to come here?

Why have people come here unless we GET THEIR TOURIST DOLLARS!!! AND LET THEM BECOME BEACONS ABOUT THE NEW OKLAHOMA CITY!!! Let's get these tourists to tell everyone how much fun they had in OKC, that there was more to do than JUST the NCAA games - the city was hoppin AFTER (and Before) the event!!! Otherwise, what's the point of MAPS? What's the point of the events, the hotels, the airport "expansion" and flights??

When you all go to Dallas or Austin or whereever, do you attend the event and then go home? Do you have nothing to do, no excitement before or after the event? Well, that is what we are doing for our tourists, that's what happens when they come here! We get them here and have no excitement for them after the event (or before) - we are just the venue for the game or concert or convention. Nothing more for them to do, no excitement!

If OKC wants to be a tourist town (which is what it seems like), then OKC needs to recognize the needs of visitors in addition to creating family friendly venues for the locals. Sure, the locals go home after events but tourists dont nor do they want to. They want excitement, they want to SEE our Asian population, Black, Hispanic, mixed, gay, so on! They want to see the cosmopolitan OKC and we continually fail to make it. We are a cosmopolitan cultural city but we rarely show it!! It seems like we hide our ethnic diversity or "put them over there" and we dont promote our events in town.

Everybody in OKC should have known about the Women's Final Four, that it will be televised nationally on ESPN and that stadium should be packed!!! And there should be much to do before and after the games, to hype the event and celebrate it's conclusion. That's what happens in Austin and is the sole reason why people think that city is hip!

Honestly, I think the media is the number 1 blame of this but our city leadership needs to take a stand and follow through! When we get events, we need to ensure there is an experience that is more than "just" the event! Then, people will change their minds about OKC and tell others about the positives of Oklahoma City! And that would be a Renaissance!

While I disagree with those who put OKC down, i have to agree with their assessment - and I think that is our fault. In order for OKC to move up to the major leagues, we have to get excitement in this town. Before and After the events.

Enough said.

[okcpulse]

I hope to change all that once I get my Oklahoma City tour book published. It is finished.

But in all honesty, define cosmopolitan. If you show up in Oklahoma City, drive straight downtown from WRWA, then no, you won't find much of a cosmopolitan atmosphere, which is very under-rated. We get a bum rap from Tulsa every time they visit because they take I-35 straight downtown, then back. Oklahoma City's cosmopolitan atmosphere exists from downtown northwest, including Midtown and OU Medical Center/Capitol complex (the History Museum and Biotechnology cluster). In Tulsa, "cosmopolitan" is from downtown south. Definitely isn't in east Tulsa or in north Tulsa, or even west Tulsa. It definitely isn't in south-central or northeast Oklahoma City, or even west Oklahoma City.

But you can't strip a city of cosmopolitan definition just because of its rundown areas. If that is true, then cosmopolitan cities in America are non-existant. It is just a fools paradise, or an abstract idea.

If Bricktown is "the closest thing Oklahoma City has to an entertainment district", this coming from a New Yorker (and rightfully so- NYC will need plenty of entertainment to satisfy the demand of 8 million residents), then we as Oklahoma Cityans need to push Western Avenue a lot more, and promote Midtown as a viable investment.

[HOT ROD]

I hope to change all that once I get my Oklahoma City tour book published. It is finished.

But in all honesty, define cosmopolitan. If you show up in Oklahoma City, drive straight downtown from WRWA, then no, you won't find much of a cosmopolitan atmosphere, which is very under-rated. We get a bum rap from Tulsa every time they visit because they take I-35 straight downtown, then back. Oklahoma City's cosmopolitan atmosphere exists from downtown northwest, including Midtown and OU Medical Center/Capitol complex (the History Museum and Biotechnology cluster). In Tulsa, "cosmopolitan" is from downtown south. Definitely isn't in east Tulsa or in north Tulsa, or even west Tulsa. It definitely isn't in south-central or northeast Oklahoma City, or even west Oklahoma City.

But you can't strip a city of cosmopolitan definition just because of its rundown areas. If that is true, then cosmopolitan cities in America are non-existant. It is just a fools paradise, or an abstract idea.

If Bricktown is "the closest thing Oklahoma City has to an entertainment district", this coming from a New Yorker (and rightfully so- NYC will need plenty of entertainment to satisfy the demand of 8 million residents), then we as Oklahoma Cityans need to push Western Avenue a lot more, and promote Midtown as a viable investment.

You are exactly correct, WE!!! need to push more than just Bricktown!!!

We, our city promoters, leaders, and hospitality concierges, need to push more about OKC to visitors than just Bricktown. We need to understand that to most people from big cities, Bricktown (while quaint) is not really anything outstanding. Western Avenue, Little Saigon, Paseo, Cap Hill, Capitol, Plaza, Midtown, ... so on ARE!!! OKC is very cosmopolitan around OCU, which is a school and the sole reason why the New Yorker thought Norman was cosmo.

Did anyone tell the New Yorker to go to NW 23rd and Classen for cosmo, regular living OKC? Im sure if someone told him, he might have changed his mind about OKC and would have at least said we are dicey "that OKC has a Chinatown, a gay district, so on... and all thriving and growing"

OKCPulse, youre exactly right, we are somewhat to blame. We need to tell Tulsans or those from other cities more about OKC than just Bricktown. I for one, know about OKC due to this site - since I dont live in OKC, so when I came there, I knew where to go. But honestly, all my hotel told me about OKC was Bricktown.

We need Downtown OKC or OKCCVB to take the lead here and educate concierge and travel books/sites about OKC. We are very cosmopolitan!! OKC has some very nice enclaves, but they are secret - hidden from the freeways, save downtown.

I understand those districts may not be as developed as Bricktown, but nobody really cares about the lack of development, we visitors want to see OKC and add to your economy. so show us, tell us, and we will come!!!

[BDP]

Sadly, he was right: Norman is a more cosmopolitan place than OKC. This is immediately apparent to any outsider.

Wha? What eactly about Norman would immediately strike anyone as cosmopolitan?

I'm not dissing Norman, but cosmopolitan is not something I would use to describe Norman.

[HOT ROD]

The University of Oklahoma is full of diversity, critical mass, and urban attractions readily visible! That is why the opinion of Norman is one of cosmo. Without OU, Norman is just another bedroom suburb to OKC.

In OKC, the largest city, our diversity is not easily visible downtown! And there IS NO critical mass except on the freeways.

We need to make more than just one-stop attractions, we need thriving communities. and OKC is getting there - with Asia District, Paseo (not the gay neighbourhood as some have called it), OCU, Plaza, Midtown, Cap Hill, Capitol, NW 39th Enclave... we just need to start sending visitors there, not just Bricktown.

Honestly, I think we should give Bricktown promotion a rest. Brewer et al are making boo-koo bucks off Bricktown while the rest of the city suffers. Brick receives all of the promotion and press while the other districts are the REAL neighbourhoods of OKC.

Why dont they promote the fact that OKC has a chinatown? Why dont they tell people that the most eclectic part of the city where you would find the creative class is the new Western Avenue and Japantown district up there? Why dont they tell visitors that OKC has over 60,000 hispanic Americans who have a thriving "downtown" more resembling Mexico City - called Cap Hill? What about the 130k African Americans in OKC alone!!! Or the 30K Asian Americans. There is more to OKC than just Natl Cowboy, Zoo, and Bricktown - yet those three are all that gets promoted!

Dont get me wrong, we need to continue to improve Bricktown but I think we need to spread the promotion wealth that way all of OKC's inner city districts can improve, that will create critical mass and then visitors will not only see the other sides of OKC but they will change their opinion to reflect the reality that OKC is very cosmopolitan - the most in the state, if not the whole Great Plains' region!

Then again, if you think about it - the New Yorker put his foot in his mouth because Norman is part of Metro OKC, so Oklahoma City IS cosmopolitan!!!

[BDP]

The University of Oklahoma is full of diversity, critical mass, and urban attractions readily visible!

Where is this visible stuff? I'm with you on all the other stuff in OKC and very familiar with it all, but I'm interested in this cosmopolitan side of Norman.

Does OKC print maps labeled by district? The Western Ave. association has a decent guide with a map detailing the establishments in the district. OKC needs to print broader maps for tourists defining the districts and their attractive qualities. I bet it would educate many locals as well and I'm sure advertising could pay for the whole thing.

[HOT ROD]

Does OKC print maps labeled by district? The Western Ave. association has a decent guide with a map detailing the establishments in the district. OKC needs to print broader maps for tourists defining the districts and their attractive qualities. I bet it would educate many locals as well and I'm sure advertising could pay for the whole thing.

Nope. Which is SAD!!! Look at the main Cvvb travel guide or any other for that matter, and there is not only NO map of the rest of OKC outside of downtown but there is little to no mention. Im not sure why this is, I mean, OKC has some very very nice urban neighbourhoods. It would be nice for tourists to find out about the urban OKC and infuse some cash into those districts as well as Bricktown.

As to your other qu about Norman visible cosmo, just go to Campus Corner or the campus itself or anywhere near it and you get a cosmo "feel". You get the same feel in Edmond at UCO and Oklahoma City University; universities are notoriously cosmopolitan for the diversity of students and attractions they harbour. But you and I both know that OKC is way more cosmo than Norman, in fact, OKC is more than anywhere in the state. It just is not so readily visible.

I think another thing OKC could do is enact and enforce neighbourhood upkeep codes. Offer incentives for businesses who add trees, reduce surface parking with either garages or (at least) add treelined lots. And Im not talking about seedlings (although anything is better than nothing), Im talking about more mature trees 5-10 years old.

OKC should require all development inside its urbanized zone to have lush features and pedestrian friendly amenities. The city should also require homeowners to keep up their yards or charge them a fee for the city to come do it (or a contractor). OKC Beautiful can happen and they should take the lead on this but it needs to start at the city.

That will help get people out, give them somewhere to walk, and increase the feel of this city. Otherwise, we are just one concrete filled big city like LA, which is not very attractive. (although LA is nice due to hills and ocean, otherwise it would not be).

[BDP]

As to your other qu about Norman visible cosmo, just go to Campus Corner or the campus itself or anywhere near it and you get a cosmo "feel". You get the same feel in Edmond at UCO and Oklahoma City University; universities are notoriously cosmopolitan for the diversity of students and attractions they harbour.

Good points, but I guess I just don't get that "feel" from campus corner or the school in general. Now, I did not go to school there, nor do I live there, so maybe I am not intimate enough with it to fully appreciate its diversity. My main exposure was from visiting friends in college and from going to games. Maybe that's not a good way to experience its diversity.

As far as OKC goes, it is very easy to avoid its diversity, but it is a very diverse place. I think the city has been slow to embrace its diversity. I honestly believe that many of the city leaders are as unaware of its diversity as many of its citizens. I kind of also think they believe that tourists only want Disneyland.

[HOT ROD]

Good points, but I guess I just don't get that "feel" from campus corner or the school in general. Now, I did not go to school there, nor do I live there, so maybe I am not intimate enough with it to fully appreciate its diversity. My main exposure was from visiting friends in college and from going to games. Maybe that's not a good way to experience its diversity.

As far as OKC goes, it is very easy to avoid its diversity, but it is a very diverse place. I think the city has been slow to embrace its diversity. I honestly believe that many of the city leaders are as unaware of its diversity as many of its citizens.

I couldnt agree with you more on everything you said (well, maybe save the Norman campus as I know it does feel pretty cosmo.) OKC hides is cosmo, doesnt celebrate it much, doesnt promote it.

I totally agree with you, most citizens probably dont even know OKC has a chinatown! or a rapidly developing japantown.

[soonerguru]

BDP,

You should go visit Campus Corner on a non-game day for starters. When there are about 50,000 rednecks wandering around drinking Bud Light, one may easily miss Norman's cosmopolitan flair.

Seriously, though, they have improved Campus Corner and it offers the best urban walkability section in the entire state. There is more urbanity in that 8-square block area than there is in our downtown, sadly.

OKC would do well to light a fire under the Paseo and get it moving. It is stagnant right now, but still interesting. It offers a mixed-use pedestrian area similar to Campus Corner, and it's funky as well.

Then again, nearly everything the city fathers get their greedy hands on turns to ****, so maybe they should just stay away from the Paseo altogether.

[BDP]

When there are about 50,000 rednecks wandering around drinking Bud Light, one may easily miss Norman's cosmopolitan flair.

This could be very true. I have been there a few times outside of games. I really like Campus Corner, I just don't recognize it as cosmopolitan, just typical college village feeling. I think it has improved a lot and I think it has a lot of potential left in it as well.

OKC would do well to light a fire under the Paseo and get it moving. It is stagnant right now, but still interesting.

I don't know if I would say it's stagnant. A lot of it is occupied studio space and Galileo's, Isis, and the cafes give good reason to hang out there. Maybe some more retail space would help. The biggest vacancy is the spaghetti warehouse building. I think if the Paseo could get something going in there, it would be moving along nicely.

The problem with the Paseo is that its main asset also works against it. It is what it is because its so tucked away, but that hurts its visibility. I agree that it is one of the city's best potential tourist draws and next best place for locals. I would also like to see it grow organically and in character with the neighborhood.

If HP helps the neighborhood out like it did Mesta Park, then the Paseo could very well be the cultural center of our historic neighborhoods as its geography lends itself to be. That would really give OKC some undeniable and attractive character.

[metro]

I'm usually one of the ones more in the know but can someone shed more light on the new Japantown district?? Is this just part of our little asia district?

[HOT ROD]

the new japantown is a rapidly (well, for OKC rapidly) developing upscale district along N. Western. Its called a japantown 'not officially, but among local business and entrepreneurs' due to the high concentration of restaurants and shops that offer japanese cuisine, goods, and services.

While japantown is not as developed or concentrated as the Asia District, it is pretty upscale and offers something that Asia District does not - japanese. Althought there are about 5 or so such businesses now, there is anticipated to be a modest explosion of new businesses in the area that offer japanese goods and services - especially as OKC's taste for japanese and upscale asia continues to improve.

In japantown, arguable the best sushi in the state can be found- sushi neko, as well as a couple of japanese steakhouses, teppanyaki, and karaoke bars. There are also video outlets, services, and shops (tho not as much right now). This is expected to take off, hence the "pre" designation of it as new japantown.

Everyone should check the area out. It is probably the most upscale restaurant row in OKC, as outside of the Japanese area is more of OKC's exclusive establishments.

[Luke]

So, is this just Suhi-Neko and Musahi's on Western? That's Japantown? Where are those other businesses you mentioned, Hot Rod?

[John]

I have never heard of it referred to as "Japantown".

Just "Western Avenue"

[BG918]

OKC has some great urban and cosmo areas. Parts of Bricktown, downtown, the arts district, the Paseo, and Western Ave. would be considered urban and cosmo. While efforts to improve and expand these areas have been good, they could be much better. Take Bricktown for example, better urban design should have been implemented in lower Bricktown. It will take mistakes like this for the city to really start creating truly urban neighborhoods. You think people visit San Antonio's riverwalk because there is a suburban-style movie theater, some chain restaurants, and a Bass Pro that you have to cross a gigantic parking lot to get to? No because it's unique and urban, which part of the canal is, and hopefully things will change, but I doubt it with Hogan as the developer and urban design committee approving anything he proposes. OKC DESERVES BETTER!

And about Norman, I live there and I wouldn't say it's very cosmo. It has a lot of diversity and some urban areas around campus, but not much other than that. Norman could be something much better though if more students lived in urban-style apartments around campus and campus corner. The downtown is only a mile from campus as well, and could easily be redeveloped into something better than it is now.