Level Apartments

[HangryHippo]

And even some of the Ph.D. in Neuroscience candidate types are mentally unstable. You never know who's dangerous.

[Just the facts]

And even some of the Ph.D. in Neuroscience candidate types are mentally unstable. You never know who's dangerous.

TruDat - but to be fair, some Ph.D. Neuroscience candidate types were on the verge of being homeless after their government grant ran out.

[Rover]

BTW - this is called 'eyes on the street' and what makes a populated urban neighborhood safer than a suburban neighborhood that is empty 9 hours a day.

Interesting spin. Even though statistics don't prove that out at all.

However you are correct in that IF everyone is vigilant and vocal we can all help keep crime down, whether in the core or in the suburbs. Crime is a metropolitan problem, not just downtown, uptown, suburbs, or exburbs. We all need to help keep it in check. Meanwhile, the original idea was correct...the ground floor apartments need to be careful about what they have on the patios and how it is secured. It is just smart.

[Just the facts]

Interesting spin. Even though statistics don't prove that out at all.

Not spin, it is just that the traditonal method for caluclating crime doesn't work well in areas where they daytime users far out number the full time residents. When you adjust for that the crime stats tell a different story than what you are used to seeing. When they calculate crime in downtown OKC do they do it based on the 2,000 people that live there or the 35,000 people that spend most of their day there but go somewhere else to sleep? Here is Jax they do it by the daytime population which makes downtown Jax one the safest neighborhoods in the entire city.

http://downtownjacksonville.org/Libr...INAL.sflb.ashx

The crime rate in Downtown is significantly lower than the Duval County crime rate. Crime in Downtown accounts for only 2% of the crime in Duval County. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Uniform Crime Report (UCR), the Duval County crime rate in 2009 was 58 per 1,000 population, while the UCR crime rate in Downtown in 2009 was 22 per 1,000 population (based on day time employment population1).

[Spartan]

Interesting spin. Even though statistics don't prove that out at all.

However you are correct in that IF everyone is vigilant and vocal we can all help keep crime down, whether in the core or in the suburbs. Crime is a metropolitan problem, not just downtown, uptown, suburbs, or exburbs. We all need to help keep it in check. Meanwhile, the original idea was correct...the ground floor apartments need to be careful about what they have on the patios and how it is secured. It is just smart.

What are you talking about? Statistics are pretty negative toward suburban neighborhood watches, but I don't know how urban ones play out tbh...

[wschnitt]

Last picture is the Native Roots Space.

[LockeDown42]

REALLY liking those signs. Very nice touch

[Pete]

Thanks for the photos.

Look all the little design details at Level.


Native Roots should move fast now, as they have announced the closing of their Norman store so they'll just be moving their fixtures and inventory to this site.

[wschnitt]

Thanks for the photos.

Look all the little design details at Level.


Native Roots should move fast now, as they have announced the closing of their Norman store so they'll just be moving their fixtures and inventory to this site.

WHAT!?!?! they are closing their Norman store to move it up to OKC? I do not feel good about that.

[kevinpate]

WHAT!?!?! they are closing their Norman store to move it up to OKC? I do not feel good about that.

They didn't feel good about the increased level of competition arising in Norman, so they decided to focus on the OKC location and shut down the Norman location.
http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=31271

[LandRunOkie]

That should show just how bullish they are on the demand for a downtown grocer. To just pick up and move after becoming sort of the name brand alternative grocery in Norman take some guts.

[Pete]

It does stink for Norman but it seems like they will soon have tons of options.

Not sure they would have made it even if they weren't going forward with this new downtown location.

And of course, it's always nice to see a suburbs-to-urban move.

[kevinpate]

It does stink for Norman but it seems like they will soon have tons of options.

Not sure they would have made it even if they weren't going forward with this new downtown location.

And of course, it's always nice to see a suburbs-to-urban move.

Norman will be fine. Existing folks have already upped their game some. New arrivals will spur that further along as well. Looking forward to seeing who fills the space they are vacating (though I suspect the residents above the space are far more curious than I am.).

[Spartan]

I didn't realize there was increased competition in Norman, especially considering that Forward Foods is no longer there, either. I guess you can chalk them up to another local operation that scooted up north. Although ironically, FF is now in much more danger of competition..

[metro]

Forward Foods IS still in Norman Sparty, still on Main St. Just closer to I-35

[Spartan]

I wonder why Downtown Norman is no bueno for small independent grocery business. Native Roots' current space in the Magnolia Building was fantastic, they were the first tenants after the building was immaculately restored, and it was actually a pretty good-sized space on an active stretch of Main. I dated a girl who was an artist with an apartment above there, and I really just dated her for the apartment I think...

*On a side note, back to LEVEL, I am pleasantly surprised to see that the Deep Deuce bikeshare rack has been the most popular as I've noticed. The bays are all modular so they will be able to re-arrange them as needed around downtown to fit ridership patterns. I would predict Deep Deuce getting more of the bike capacity.

[BoulderSooner]

I wonder why Downtown Norman is no bueno for small independent grocery business. Native Roots' current space in the Magnolia Building was fantastic, they were the first tenants after the building was immaculately restored, and it was actually a pretty good-sized space on an active stretch of Main. I dated a girl who was an artist with an apartment above there, and I really just dated her for the apartment I think...

*On a side note, back to LEVEL, I am pleasantly surprised to see that the Deep Deuce bikeshare rack has been the most popular as I've noticed. The bays are all modular so they will be able to re-arrange them as needed around downtown to fit ridership patterns. I would predict Deep Deuce getting more of the bike capacity.

sprouts is going in just down the street ..

[soonerguru]

I wonder why Downtown Norman is no bueno for small independent grocery business. Native Roots' current space in the Magnolia Building was fantastic, they were the first tenants after the building was immaculately restored, and it was actually a pretty good-sized space on an active stretch of Main. I dated a girl who was an artist with an apartment above there, and I really just dated her for the apartment I think...

*On a side note, back to LEVEL, I am pleasantly surprised to see that the Deep Deuce bikeshare rack has been the most popular as I've noticed. The bays are all modular so they will be able to re-arrange them as needed around downtown to fit ridership patterns. I would predict Deep Deuce getting more of the bike capacity.

As I understand, FF moving was not an indictment of downtown Norman, and may have had to do more with the size of their space and challenges with their building. Also, apparently their customer base that truly spends money with them was not necessarily just in the central part of the city.

As for Native Roots, one would surmise they are calculating that they will make more money in the new location, and being a small business, operating two locations is probably more than they can handle. Furthermore, one of the challenges that all businesses in Norman face is the disappearance of the student customer during the summer, holidays, and even on weekends. I was always surprised how empty the dorms would get on weekends as students went home to Dallas, Tulsa, OKC, etc. The student business is simply very inconsistent.

Norman is moving very slowly in embracing the new urbanism. As a former resident, I find it surprising given how progressive Norman is that they have done so little to add density / housing in the urban core and downtown. Also, there is still no quality hotel within walking distance of the University / Campus Corner, etc. Norman is great, but it somewhat suffers from the fact that so many residents "like it just the way it is" and are somewhat fearful of development.

Another observation I've had over the years is that despite the city's liberal leanings, Norman's city council has always been very middle of the road and even somewhat conservative. And let's not even address Norman's strangely draconian and even hostile police force (all good officers notwithstanding).

So much could be done to enliven Norman's central core but there are institutional barriers present that make the wheels of change grind very slowly.

Does Norman have curbside recycling yet? The fact they didn't for so long (if they even have it now) always surprised me given how liberal / progressive the community is.

Norman is simply complacent and behind OKC about 20 years on revitalizing its central core. Hopefully this inertia will pass and give way to more creative thinking.

[dankrutka]

Norman is moving very slowly in embracing the new urbanism. As a former resident, I find it surprising given how progressive Norman is that they have done so little to add density / housing in the urban core and downtown. Also, there is still no quality hotel within walking distance of the University / Campus Corner, etc. Norman is great, but it somewhat suffers from the fact that so many residents "like it just the way it is" and are somewhat fearful of development.

Another observation I've had over the years is that despite the city's liberal leanings, Norman's city council has always been very middle of the road and even somewhat conservative. And let's not even address Norman's strangely draconian and even hostile police force (all good officers notwithstanding).

So much could be done to enliven Norman's central core but there are institutional barriers present that make the wheels of change grind very slowly.

Does Norman have curbside recycling yet? The fact they didn't for so long (if they even have it now) always surprised me given how liberal / progressive the community is.

Norman is simply complacent and behind OKC about 20 years on revitalizing its central core. Hopefully this inertia will pass and give way to more creative thinking.

I agree with all of this. Norman has been very disappointing in many areas considering it's population. They did add curbside recycling 3 or 4 years ago though.

[Spartan]

Norman is great, but it somewhat suffers from the fact that so many residents "like it just the way it is" and are somewhat fearful of development.

Norman is simply complacent and behind OKC about 20 years on revitalizing its central core. Hopefully this inertia will pass and give way to more creative thinking.

Your whole post was extremely accurate and summed up my own thoughts as well, but these two points are really bull's eye.

[OKCisOK4me]

Any and all future talk of Native Roots, please post here:

http://www.okctalk.com/showwiki.php?...ry&redirect=no

Thanks!

[adaniel]

Norman is moving very slowly in embracing the new urbanism. As a former resident, I find it surprising given how progressive Norman is that they have done so little to add density / housing in the urban core and downtown. Also, there is still no quality hotel within walking distance of the University / Campus Corner, etc. Norman is great, but it somewhat suffers from the fact that so many residents "like it just the way it is" and are somewhat fearful of development.

Another observation I've had over the years is that despite the city's liberal leanings, Norman's city council has always been very middle of the road and even somewhat conservative. And let's not even address Norman's strangely draconian and even hostile police force (all good officers notwithstanding).

So much could be done to enliven Norman's central core but there are institutional barriers present that make the wheels of change grind very slowly.

Norman is simply complacent and behind OKC about 20 years on revitalizing its central core. Hopefully this inertia will pass and give way to more creative thinking.

Not to change to subject even further from LEVEL, but this puts in words what I feel about Norman but couldn't quite put my finger on.

Norman's approach to everything is so over the place, and it stems from a pretty deep identity crisis. Does it want to be a college town? A suburb? A run-of-the-mil Oklahoma county-seat town? Is it even a part of greater OKC?

In any event, I'm sure Native Roots will do very well in Deep Deuce.

[G.Walker]

Well it "looks like" Mckown's next development will be in Norman:

http://m.normantranscript.com/norman...tguid=RwGGEKxS

[soonerguru]

Well it looks like Mckown's next development will be in Norman:

http://m.normantranscript.com/norman...tguid=RwGGEKxS

Sounds like Norman is finally getting with the program. Good. The article you cite is rather vague, however, as to whether McCown will get the project.

[G.Walker]

Sounds like Norman is finally getting with the program. Good. The article you cite is rather vague, however, as to whether McCown will get the project.

True, thats why I said "looks like", but the title of the article suggests he is the one proposing the project.