Brown's Bakery property

[Bigrayok]

I can remember when the whole area between 10th and 13th on Walker looked pretty dumpy. The Plaza Court was mostly empty for years and the buildings Stella, 1492, and Midtown Deli sit in were vacant. Do the owners of Plaza Court pay Brown's Bakery any money to allow their customers to park in Brown's parking lot at night? Maybe Brown's should charge a parking fee so they can spruce their building up? The Federal Building at 6th and Hudson may be new, but it is is more ugly and depressing looking to me than the Brown's Bakery building. At least Brown's is contributing to the Oklahoma City economy while midtown and the downtown area is full of buildings that have been vacant for years.

Bigray in Ok

[metro]

I've stayed away from this because the topic really doesn't excite me all that much ... any more than Browns Bakery itself does. Besides that, anything I'd have to say would be negative, and I'm not generally inclined to knock a neighborhood member of mine, like Browns is (living north of the store on NW 19th). At best, I think that Browns bakery products are average, if that. My wife has purchased some cakes for birthday, etc., parties there that I will just not eat ... and I like cake. White cake always seems to work for Browns, but not the brown varieties. But that's not the point of this thread.

Browns has been pretty crummy looking as a building for as long as I can remember, and I've lived north of that location since 1983 in two different residences, both on NW 19th, as I said. That's 27 years. I've yet to see the bakery invest a nickle in the building's exterior or interior appearance. Their reputation (why it is deserved as a bakery, I don't know) apparently gives them the income they require and the company feels no need to invest in its structure and interior facilities. And I'm not talking about graffiti cleanup -- I'm just talking generally. It's kind of like a residence that needs a lot of work ... particularly noticeable after a resurgence in a neighborhood community -- but one that refuses to paint, mow its lawn until required, etc. It always looks run down and scruffy even if it is a step ahead of code enforcement. I don't see Brown's as a good neighbor in those respects.

It would be thrilling to see Browns have a change of perspective. And whether there is any basis in Steve's tease or not, as I said, Brown's non-maintenance is not anything new, not even close to new. So, the possibility that Browns might be saving its money for a larger investment down the line rings hollow to me ... if that's the case, they've been saving for at least 27 years that I'm aware of and quite likely more than that before I moved into the general neighborhood.

I've said my negative piece and now I'm done.

Doug, thanks for chiming in. You summed up my entire thoughts on Brown's. I agree, they have been shabby as far as I remember, but since I have lived in the area for years, and drive by it multiple times a day, I'm really starting to get tired of looking at it's disrepair as it stands out like an eyesore now that the area has really revived.

[Laramie]

Everyone else seems to be getting a free-pass!

I've been a patron of Brown's Bakery for a number of years.

They aren't any different from many of your BBQ/Food establishments all over town.

Don't you just love going into those sugar-shacks when the food is great (?); then all of a sudden the owner fixes the place up and it's appear s(mentally) as though the flavor of the food rolled down hill.

Brown's is one of those small businesses that can't afford to put a lot of capital into improvements.

Would anyone like to donate a 5 gallon bucket of Habitat's best paint?

There are a lot more businesses in this city and places in the Saint's area that can't hold a candle to Brown's Bakery.

Myself, I've been trying to lay off the bread items (Brown's does have whole wheat and good corn bread) in my diet so I guess a few chips of paint won't hurt! As for those chips of paint, remain visual; I won't open my mouth until I've cleared their parking lot.

[BBatesokc]

Brown's is one of those small businesses that can't afford to put a lot of capital into improvements.

Since when is general maintenance considered "improvements?" if you're going to own property it comes with a basic expectation you will maintain it to at least a minimum standard for your geographic area.

I don't think the request was for expensive new awnings or landscaping. Paint, glass and some spit and polish.

[metro]

What BBates said, and when did replacing broken windows become "improvements"? Sadly for Browns, general maintenance is an improvement. Don't tell me they can't afford $30 bucks to go over to Habitat and get their "finest paint" and a couple of paint brushes. I believe that is called, laziness, not lack of funds.

[BBatesokc]

That reminds me..... My wife made me a list of capital improvements I need to do over the weekend; mow, edge, clean the gutters, clean the windows, and paint the trim where we had the gutters replaced.

[CuatrodeMayo]

In their defense: They painted within the last year or so and the sign was replaced about 3 months ago.

[okclee]

I was glad to see the new sign placed on the building. I feel like they need a donation jar on the counter for their maintenance issues.

Also I am thinking about donating a newer slightly used TV for them to use in their dining area, instead of that antique looking one they have now.

The employees they have are very very nice every time I am in there.

[metro]

Cuatro, I will give them credit for a new sign, but where did they paint?. It sure doesn't show.

[Jersey Boss]

No, they should not get a "pass", free or otherwise.

[ThePlainsman]

I think it was a Safeway (maybe already Homeland by then) in the mid to late 80's. I remember stopping by there a few times, but don't specifically recall which grocery store. Does anyone know when Brown's moved in?

[Bigrayok]

I drove by Brown's yesterday and did not think it looked too bad. The sign looked new. I did see a board in the front. Is this the broken window previously mentioned? I do not know if there is a backlog at the local glass companies, but there are houses in Nicholls Hills and Quail Creek that still have boards in the windows three months after the hail storm in May. One of my pet peeves are property owners that do not mow their grass after a business leaves the premises. I see that a lot in Oklahoma City.

Like I said in a previous post, if the owners of the Plaza Court do not pay Brown's for letting their customers park there, maybe Brown's should charge them and use the proceeds to spruce the place up. Pody Poe mentioned in his autobiography that the priests at Christ the King Catholic Church complained to him that his customers were parking in their parking lot and wearing the pavement out. Pody gave them $10,000 to repair the lot and they never complained to him again.

Bigray in Ok

[metro]

Bigray, see my pictures on page 1, the very first post. They have multiple broken glass windows, and the entire back of the building has boarded up windows. They have been like that for probably a decade or more. It wasn't damage from a recent hailstorm, I would give them slack for that and never have made this thread. That's Browns fault if they aren't charging for parking and feel the need to charge Plaza Court owners. Personally, I think they should reach some sort of agreement with MidTown Renaissance Corp. to pay them a monthly fee and then use some of that money for their general maintenance. That's not Plaza Court's fault that Brown's doesn't have the foresight or desire to do so.

[striker]

metro is right. Brown's is a mess and while I understand that small businesses don't always put appearances first due to cost and other priorities, they could at least clean the place up, a little paint and some effort and it would at least not be an eyesore.

Can we add the bail bonds place with the old cars and various property in the area to the list? I love the white building that the front and roof caved in on 6th that they just hope the trees cover up. Act like you care people, even if you're just here for the money.

[USG'60]

If I remember correctly, it was Earl's Grocery or something similar. Brown's was originally on Harvey or Hudson, I believe. This was all about 30 years ago. I, too, drove by today for the first time since I don't know when and it did look better than I remembered it. The faded blue is now black. Looked slick to me for Brown's.

[rondvu]

Found an article in the Oklahoman Archives dated 12/17/49. The building was designed by Joseph Boaz. There was an article in the May issue of Progressive Architecture. The building originally housed Clyde's Supermarket. The article goes on the say that the roof is a Quonset and the frontage is almost entirely of glass. The roof is supported by bowstring trusses, leaving the floorspace clear of pillars. The trusses rest on the brick side walls.

[CuatrodeMayo]

Indeed it has sood bones. It could be an amazing part of Midtown in the right hands.

[metro]

If I remember correctly, it was Earl's Grocery or something similar. Brown's was originally on Harvey or Hudson, I believe. This was all about 30 years ago. I, too, drove by today for the first time since I don't know when and it did look better than I remembered it. The faded blue is now black. Looked slick to me for Brown's.

Did you have your glasses on when driving by? Did you not notice the graffiti and multiple broken windows? What constitutes neglect in your world?

[USG'60]

If I remember correctly, it was Earl's Grocery or something similar. Brown's was originally on Harvey or Hudson, I believe. This was all about 30 years ago. I, too, drove by today for the first time since I don't know when and it did look better than I remembered it. The faded blue is now black. Looked slick to me for Brown's.

CLYDE'S, thats it, not Earls. Thanks, that was driving me nuts.

[soonerguru]

I've stayed away from this because the topic really doesn't excite me all that much ... any more than Browns Bakery itself does. Besides that, anything I'd have to say would be negative, and I'm not generally inclined to knock a neighborhood member of mine, like Browns is (living north of the store on NW 19th). At best, I think that Browns bakery products are average, if that. My wife has purchased some cakes for birthday, etc., parties there that I will just not eat ... and I like cake. White cake always seems to work for Browns, but not the brown varieties. But that's not the point of this thread.

Browns has been pretty crummy looking as a building for as long as I can remember, and I've lived north of that location since 1983 in two different residences, both on NW 19th, as I said. That's 27 years. I've yet to see the bakery invest a nickle in the building's exterior or interior appearance. Their reputation (why it is deserved as a bakery, I don't know) apparently gives them the income they require and the company feels no need to invest in its structure and interior facilities. And I'm not talking about graffiti cleanup -- I'm just talking generally. It's kind of like a residence that needs a lot of work ... particularly noticeable after a resurgence in a neighborhood community -- but one that refuses to paint, mow its lawn until required, etc. It always looks run down and scruffy even if it is a step ahead of code enforcement. I don't see Brown's as a good neighbor in those respects.

It would be thrilling to see Browns have a change of perspective. And whether there is any basis in Steve's tease or not, as I said, Brown's non-maintenance is not anything new, not even close to new. So, the possibility that Browns might be saving its money for a larger investment down the line rings hollow to me ... if that's the case, they've been saving for at least 27 years that I'm aware of and quite likely more than that before I moved into the general neighborhood.

I've said my negative piece and now I'm done.

This is outstanding writing, Doug.

Not to pile on here, but other than the donuts (which my diet no longer allows me to consume), I neither understand the reputation Brown's enjoys. I also have found their customer service to be perfunctory at best.

[metro]

Well apparently the City of OKC doesn't think there is any violation despite the broken windows, graffiti, and rotted wood/chipping paint is clearly against the stated codes listed on OKC.gov's website. This isn't the first time they have turned a blind eye at obvious violations. I even stated the exact municipal codes I was referring to. I wanted to file a complaint just to see what they said, see response letter below. Stay classy, OKC.

[BBatesokc]

I ran into the same thing when I lived in the Regency downtown. I didn't get any results until I photographed the violations and sent a letter with the photos and the municipal codes that were in violation.

[okclee]

Was there a recent tv news story regarding Brown's Bakery and upcoming changes to their building?

[okclee]

broken windows have been repaired, Brown's bakery never looked better!

[soonergal]

Oh my! the power of this site