Bricktown Shakeup

[Urban Pioneer]

^

Except none of the clubs are open on Thursday, right?

I just looked at my text messages. It was actually a Friday night.

[BG918]

Does anyone know where the Thunder Girls hang out?

Mickey Mantle's. Some of the players too.

[dankrutka]

I'm not sure why there's so much hostility in this thread because I actually think almost everyone has expressed the same sentiment regarding clubs in Bricktown:

Bricktown does not need to be a district where cheap clubs with a history of problems dominate, are concentrated together, or even exist at all. However, well run clubs, especially if they can open for more hours and include lunch and/or dinner, could add to the diversity of the district.

Can't everyone pretty much agree with that? If so, then the discussion should center around, what can the Bricktown and OKC communities do to encourage quality establishments? Once we get away from hyperbole, personal attacks, and binary arguments then I think most people here want, for the most part, the same thing, no?

[bchris02]

I'm not sure why there's so much hostility in this thread because I actually think almost everyone has expressed the same sentiment regarding clubs in Bricktown:

Bricktown does not need to be a district where cheap clubs with a history of problems dominate, are concentrated together, or even exist at all. However, well run clubs, especially if they can open for more hours and include lunch and/or dinner, could add to the diversity of the district.

Can't everyone pretty much agree with that? If so, then the discussion should center around, what can the Bricktown and OKC communities do to encourage quality establishments? Once we get away from hyperbole, personal attacks, and binary arguments then I think most people here want, for the most part, the same thing, no?

I agree. I think most people are arguing for the same thing when you get down to it.

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^^^

Absolutely.

And again, I think the future of the district includes MORE entertainment, not less. Saying that pushing a few low-end dance clubs out of the district makes it a corporate office park is alarmist and intellectually dishonest, sorry.

[warreng88]

^^^^^^^^

Absolutely.

And again, I think the future of the district includes MORE entertainment, not less. Saying that pushing a few low-end dance clubs out of the district makes it a corporate office park is alarmist and intellectually dishonest, sorry.

Sooooooo, sex shops?

[Pete]

And I will say once again this is less about the clubs themselves than it is the landlords who rent to them and take little responsibility for what happens in and around their properties.

[bchris02]

^^^^^^^^

Absolutely.

And again, I think the future of the district includes MORE entertainment, not less. Saying that pushing a few low-end dance clubs out of the district makes it a corporate office park is alarmist and intellectually dishonest, sorry.

It appears the next club to be targeted will be Club One15. If there is just one club that I think should remain in Bricktown it is that one. I would have no issue at all with them pushing out Candy or any of the other low-rent ones. Why they are going after the one nice club OKC has is beyond me and is representative of the binary thinking behind this entire issue. That is why it is slightly disturbing.

[RadicalModerate]

I'm not sure why there's so much hostility in this thread because I actually think almost everyone has expressed the same sentiment regarding clubs in Bricktown:

Bricktown does not need to be a district where cheap clubs with a history of problems dominate, are concentrated together, or even exist at all. However, well run clubs, especially if they can open for more hours and include lunch and/or dinner, could add to the diversity of the district.

Can't everyone pretty much agree with that? If so, then the discussion should center around, what can the Bricktown and OKC communities do to encourage quality establishments? Once we get away from hyperbole, personal attacks, and binary arguments then I think most people here want, for the most part, the same thing, no?

Quite Frankly . . . I can't understand the hostility at all.
Aren't we all attempting to approach the same goal?
(not counting the Lincoln Av with selfie?)

(Post #102 =)

[Rover]

It appears the next club to be targeted will be Club One15. If there is just one club that I think should remain in Bricktown it is that one. I would have no issue at all with them pushing out Candy or any of the other low-rent ones. Why they are going after the one nice club OKC has is beyond me and is representative of the binary thinking behind this entire issue. That is why it is slightly disturbing.

Who is it that is targeting and going after them?

[Urbanized]

Chamber junta.

[LakeEffect]

chamber junta.

::like::

[AP]

Chamber junta.

::like::

~*like*~

[pw405]

Urbanized - I had a friend that worked at Skky Bar and I remember him telling me that there is a "3 strikes" type of system in place for clubs/bars. Meaning, if there are too many drunken fights/etc/etc you can have your liquor license removed. Do you know about that?

[pw405]

Anybody know the details about that building on south 5th & Broadway that is a club? It is currently "Voodoo Lounge" - but I can recall it being named multiple things in the past. Perhaps some of the clubs will end up in that C2S area in the short-term?

As much as I am anti-City Walk now in my late 20's, there was a time when I was a young chap and had a few fun nights there (often full of dehydrated regret the following morning). I seem both sad and happy to see it go, but I can't help but think that the owners are just going home and missing out on what appeared to be a pretty generous revenue generating business. Much like Aubrey rising from the ashes, I have a feeling KJ103 will have some commercial promoting a new club... "From the team that brought you CityWalk comes "....."" Interesting times for sure.

[HOT ROD]

Urbanized, I assume your post was to me. No problem.

I know you have credentials and have been in brown since its evolution, I just disagree with you on the value of clubs to the younger 20 year olds and just want to help make a voice for them since they are the future or even present. You and I and probably most on here are old enough not to enjoy that scene but I do remember those days and the vibe clubs gave certain cities.

Nobody is advocating having a club row in brown anymore but we need to have a mix of the best to show off the city, be it brown or alley, fmarket, or elsewhere. Also, as I mentioned there are ways to bring daytime life to clubs AND solve the violence issue that don't involve throwing more police at it. I agree that Phil has some great ideas, but you, I Steve, and other 40+ olds need to listen and not be so one sided. Maybe it just comes off that way sometimes in the posts.

I think a handful of well designed, themed clubs that had varying music nights, that had a day use (such as restaurant or bar? as mandated by the city/district leadership), that had strict dress requirements and enforcement of patron behavior (kick them out if too much to drink, or start a fight, etc), where club officers would have visibility; I think a few of these scattered around downtown could indeed work. This would give OKC the urban vibe that those urbanites and hound singles a safe, modern option should they decide to go dancing, or don't drink, or want to follow the latest touring dj's, etc. My point is a healthy city has options, including dance clubs.

I hope we don't lose sight of that fact as Bricktown matures into its next evolution. The last thing I want is for tom ward or whoever to buy up buildings in Bricktown turning them into sterile offices busy by day and kicking out the night life (dance clubs). Imo, that would just trade daytime use but getting rid of night time activity - not something should happen to the big city.

[zookeeper]

The last thing I want is for tom ward or whoever to buy up buildings in Bricktown turning them into sterile offices busy by day and kicking out the night life (dance clubs). Imo, that would just trade daytime use but getting rid of night time activity - not something should happen to the big city.

Absolutely.

[HOT ROD]

Sorry everyone, I wrote my post above on my Surface - it word smith'd to death but I do pray you can understand my thoughts.

[Urbanized]

Urbanized - I had a friend that worked at Skky Bar and I remember him telling me that there is a "3 strikes" type of system in place for clubs/bars. Meaning, if there are too many drunken fights/etc/etc you can have your liquor license removed. Do you know about that?

Unfortunately there is no such mechanism. That might have been a bluff from management to staff to get them to watch things more closely..? If there were a 3 strikes system Rok would have not made it through an average weekend.

Go have a cold one at Drinkz sometime and talk with John, the owner. He will tell you that for entertainment every Friday and Saturday night he and his patrons would step out of his bar into the alley and watch the fights spill out of Rok/Social, especially close to closing time. EVERY weekend.

The word among Bricktown service industry staff regarding the recent murder at Social was that the innocent bystander who was murdered was there for his birthday that Friday night. Except his birthday was actually the NEXT night, Saturday. He and his friends made a conscious decision to go Friday instead, in an attempt to avoid all of the well-known violence on a typical Saturday night. Friday tended to be less violent... ...or so they believed.

[Urbanized]

Hot Rod, I hadn't directed a post at you, but I will respond to your thoughtful post above. I DO understand the appeal of nightclubs. I'm not some sort of prohibitionist. I personally spent MANY nights in clubs as a young and not-so-young adult. Pre-Bricktown it was in places like Quicksilvers and City Lights and Pandaemonium/Inertia. Early in Bricktown's life it was places like Pyramid, then Bricktown 54.

I've personally spent MANY nights at some of the clubs we're discussing, like Skkybar, City Walk, Venue, Rain, Pure, even Spyce (which had a mostly-undeserved bad reputation). I did stay away from Rok, as I knew well how sketchy it was. One of my favorite nights of all time was seeing a reunion concert from The Fixx at Skkybar. A couple of years ago I hung out with a Thunder player and mutual friends watching Rev Run at City Walk. That was a fun night. I GET the appeal. I'm not a tea toddler who finds them offensive.

What I am is a pragmatist. I understand that taxpayers and individuals have many tens of millions invested in the area and that it can't be allowed to fail just to make a few 21 year olds happy 2 nights a week. I understand that Bricktown needs to be lively more than a few hours each week. I understand that the violence that revolves around only a couple of places (in a district with dozens of other establishments) only a few hours each week gives an outsized and inaccurate bad reputation to the entire place. It's not right, or fair to the others.

Look, I love birthday cake too. But as a grown up I realize that too much birthday cake has consequences. If you're diabetic, if you have heart problems, you understand that you have to cut back on the birthday cake. When you are a grown up, you realize that it is a terrible idea to live on JUST birthday cake. Nightclubs are Bricktown's birthday cake. We need to cut back on the cake.

[HangryHippo]

How many nightclubs ("birthday cake") are there currently in Bricktown?

[bchris02]

Look, I love birthday cake too. But as a grown up I realize that too much birthday cake has consequences. If you're diabetic, if you have heart problems, you understand that you have to cut back on the birthday cake. When you are a grown up, you realize that it is a terrible idea to live on JUST birthday cake. Nightclubs are Bricktown's birthday cake. We need to cut back on the cake.

I agree 100%. I would like to see Bricktown get rid of the trashy, low-rent clubs but keep the better ones rather than simply going after all of them. Realize what I am arguing for is only one or two awesome clubs in the entire district rather than many crappy ones.

[CuatrodeMayo]

i'm not sure why there's so much hostility in this thread because i actually think almost everyone has expressed the same sentiment regarding clubs in bricktown:

bricktown does not need to be a district where cheap clubs with a history of problems dominate, are concentrated together, or even exist at all. However, well run clubs, especially if they can open for more hours and include lunch and/or dinner, could add to the diversity of the district.

can't everyone pretty much agree with that? If so, then the discussion should center around, what can the bricktown and okc communities do to encourage quality establishments? Once we get away from hyperbole, personal attacks, and binary arguments then i think most people here want, for the most part, the same thing, no?

[/thread]..

[Edgar]

This thread is better than watching a bad made for tv movie. Paranoia, naivety, sex and violence. It has everything but a good plot.

Given recent history, people in OKC have a right to be paranoid when hick oilies start hiring architects.

[Urbanized]

I knew we could count on you for insightful commentary, Edgar.