A comprehensive look at historic northside neighborhoods

[Spartan]

First, to Nick: Great idea and well executed ... I can see a lot of good stuff coming from this project.

Second, wsucougz ... You mentioned "Douglas" ... might be same as Douglas Place addition. Between Walker & Lee and NW 45 & NW 47 is a very pretty park ... about a month ago I noticed a sign (below) showing when the park was established and that intrigued me ... I hadn't been aware of residential development that far north in 1911. On your map, Nick, this park is the green rectangle immediately north center of your Edgemere neighborhood.

I'll definitely go check it out next time I'm on the north side.

[CuatrodeMayo]

For instance here's a study on Classen Ten Penn:
http://www.okhistory.org/shpo/archit...senTenPenn.pdf

Interestingly enough, this report directly refers to the house Wayne now owns...the only "Moderne" house in the neighborhood.

[BG918]

The inner north neighborhoods in OKC and just like the neighborhoods that make up midtown Tulsa and both were developed at the same time. Midtown Tulsa goes from downtown along the river south and east to 44 and east to Memorial. Why not just extend the boundaries of midtown further north to include all of the areas within the 44/235 loop north and west of downtown? Or call the entire area of the inner north 'uptown'? Downtown from the river north to 8th, midtown from 8th to 13th, and uptown north of that all the way to 44 which includes the individual neighborhoods.

[Spartan]

Uptown might be a good future moniker for the area in between I-44 and Nichols Hills, the Chesapeake Area, lower Northwest Expressway, and Penn Square. The area has the potential to bloom into something like Uptown Houston (in like..100 years lol) or more likely the area around the Dallas Galleria.

[metro]

Spartan, I agree, although Uptown refers to NW 23rd from Classen to Broadway. I'd love to see enough MidTown infill to where this area becomes part of MidTown (and makes more sense to me), but we didn't live 50+ years ago when NW 23rd was truly Uptown.

[Spartan]

Neighborhood identity being what it is (or isn't) in OKC, we're going to be fussing over this for a while.

[Mesta Parker]

Excellent map of the neighborhoods! Took a lot of work.

The next time you update the map,

- the border between Mesta Park and Heritage Hills between NW16th and NW22nd is Walker not Lee.
- NW21st from Walker to Robinson is part of Heritage Hills.
- The eastern border of Heritage Hills is Robinson. Robinson to Broadway is East Heritage Hills.

[lasomeday]

You know Houston has the inner loop. How about we have the Inner Circle?

[Spartan]

I like that.

Mapping the southside and its hoods would be a nightmare to me...kind of like this LA Times project where they try and name every LA hood.
Mapping L.A. - Los Angeles Times

Criticized here ("LA Times tries to name everything, again")
Los Angeles Times Takes Another Stab at Naming Everything : Neighborhoods : Curbed LA

[Platemaker]

Spartan... have a look at a map I made last year.... I used the OKPD's deffinition of neighborhood boundaries to creat it... ps it's two pages Google maps can only fit so many user created objects on one page.
OKC Neighborhood Boundaries - Google Maps

The southside is included.

[Platemaker]

Spartan, I agree, although Uptown refers to NW 23rd from Classen to Broadway. I'd love to see enough MidTown infill to where this area becomes part of MidTown (and makes more sense to me), but we didn't live 50+ years ago when NW 23rd was truly Uptown.

I dunno... I think 4th-5th to 22nd is Midtown.... 23rd to 50th is Uptown. In fact... expect some new art on 23rd Street going forward in solidifying "Uptown" as the name for the area... something like "Welcome Uptown". You'll see it within a few weeks.

Uptown doesn't have to be so geographically tied to the north part of the city.... it's just a name.

[Platemaker]

Like this:

Untitled - Google Maps

[metro]

I'll definitely go check it out next time I'm on the north side.

Doug, Nick - Douglas Park is a NICE park and every Sunday around 3pm you can play pickup games of Ultimate Frisbee. Lots of us young professionals like to hit up the park and hang out. Doug, if we get the wheelbarrow sidecar built, I'll drive ya over there.

[metro]

I dunno... I think 4th-5th to 22nd is Midtown.... 23rd to 50th is Uptown. In fact... expect some new art on 23rd Street going forward in solidifying "Uptown" as the name for the area... something like "Welcome Uptown". You'll see it within a few weeks.

Uptown doesn't have to be so geographically tied to the north part of the city.... it's just a name.

I was referring to the historic name Uptown in this city. NW 23rd east of Classen has historically been called "uptown". Although by today's city I wouldn't so much call it that, it's more MidTown to me.

[Spartan]

Metro, we all know about NW 23 Uptown. I like Platemaker's idea of splitting up the inner north side at 23rd. Uptown can stay Uptown that way..the definition just gets a lot broader.

Do you actually play ultimate frisbee all the time in Douglas Park, metro? (Doug, I was thinking of doing a blog post of my own about all of the neighborhood parks with pics and all..I am SOO glad you're working on this, because that would almost just take too much effort compared to the topics my blog usually tackles.)

[metro]

I have, but haven't got the chance to play recently but hope to get out there a few more times this summer and enjoy the weather. I don't head it up or anything, but they are always out there and it's just pickup games for anyone. It's basically like football only with a frisbee and no tackling. Sundays at 3pm. These types of activities are what I envision will blossom at the new "Central Park" downtown.

[krisb]

Are there any mid-century modern neighborhoods in OKC? I know that Tulsa has quite a few prime examples. OKC has a lot of mid-century "modest" housing from the early 50s, including my own neighborhood near Will Rogers Park. I wonder what the future of these post-war neighborhoods will be.

[Larry OKC]

You know Houston has the inner loop. How about we have the Inner Circle?

LOL ... Some would say we already have that with the convergence of the Oklahoman, Chamber, City Hall & some of the more prominent business owners.

[Doug Loudenback]

Spartan... have a look at a map I made last year.... I used the OKPD's deffinition of neighborhood boundaries to creat it... ps it's two pages Google maps can only fit so many user created objects on one page.
OKC Neighborhood Boundaries - Google Maps

The southside is included.

Very nice, Platemaker.

[Doug Loudenback]

Doug, Nick - Douglas Park is a NICE park and every Sunday around 3pm you can play pickup games of Ultimate Frisbee. Lots of us young professionals like to hit up the park and hang out. Doug, if we get the wheelbarrow sidecar built, I'll drive ya over there.

That'll work ... either that or I can drive to the SW corner of the park and look down at you guys from the overlook as you have a go at ultimate frisbee ...

[Platemaker]

Are there any mid-century modern neighborhoods in OKC? I know that Tulsa has quite a few prime examples. OKC has a lot of mid-century "modest" housing from the early 50s, including my own neighborhood near Will Rogers Park. I wonder what the future of these post-war neighborhoods will be.

Checkout Brookhaven Place just east of Belle Isle (turn east onto NW 53rd from Classen) and West of Western (turn west onto Lombardy from Western)... I'm in love with that area.

[Spartan]

A drive down NW 59th Street...

[stratosphere]

Coronado Heights area? Im not sure if thats what you call "mid century modern". Belle Isle is probably a good example...

[okclee]

This neighborhood topic would be an excellent read in the DOK. I think a weekly piece covering a different highlighted Okc area would be enjoyed by many. Each week the DOK could do a feature on a selected neighborhood, giving the history and giving info on what it is today.

[Spartan]

That is a great idea but it might be cooler in the Gazette. I am not sure of how the Daily Oklahoman would be able to critically assess where neighborhoods are today in light of where they once were. I am also uncertain that the Oklahoman would be able to convey the cultural renaissance going on in some neighborhoods..for instance, the Plaza. How can mainstream media report on something as complex as the state of the Paseo, or a neighborhood such as Classen Ten Penn?

Classen Ten Penn--yeah it's a ****hole, but it's also got the Flaming Lips, a few homes being remodeled especially closer to 16th, and activity from the Plaza spills in. It also has huge potential with 10th and the proposed (and delayed) Tenth Street Peace Park..not sure if the Peace Park will happen but I have no idea where they are in their fundraising and the buildings (except for the VFW post) were already torn down and I think the city owns all the land for it already. That's called potential, hipness, and a vision. Mainstream media can't convey those things very well.