SoSA District

[Spartan]

Once again you are trying to speak for me and once again you are wrong. Randy is certainly documented as being against it, but there are a number of others who are against this particular name.

And you accusing others of losing their cool on an online forum is rich. "Losing your cool on an online forum" is your ENTIRE PERSONAL BRAND.

Just use specifics. I would love to agree with everyone on here, or certainly more than I usually do.

[Urbanized]

Urbanized sounds like a Republican... against everything, and for nothing. If you don't like the Cottage District what DO you like? This is a good a time as any to start promoting!

I vote for OompaLompaTown!

So if someone disagrees with your position, attack them personally...I see how it works now! Sorry, I didn't get the amended rules for the forum. I'll try to think up a good zinger that attempts to devalue your person rather than your stance on a topic. BRB.

On a serious note, it doesn't matter what I like. It matters what a consensus of stakeholders likes. Sorry if that's a foreign concept.

[Urbanized]

In all seriousness, what about something referencing the unique topography of the 'hood, like Hillside?

Actually, from what I understand that approach is one possibility that at least a few residents are in favor of.

[David]

Urbanized sounds like a Republican... against everything, and for nothing. If you don't like the Cottage District what DO you like? This is a good a time as any to start promoting!

I vote for OompaLompaTown!

Allow me to direct you to the proper subforum for that kind of comment.

[dwellsokc]

So if someone disagrees with your position, attack them personally...I see how it works now! Sorry, I didn't get the amended rules for the forum. I'll try to think up a good zinger that attempts to devalue your person rather than your stance on a topic. BRB.

On a serious note, it doesn't matter what I like. It matters what a consensus of stakeholders likes. Sorry if that's a foreign concept.

Good idea! Let's put it up for a vote right now! (I'd say everyone in this forum is a stakeholder.)

...Cottage District
...SoSA
...OompaLoompaTown
...Something Else

[DoctorTaco]

I vote for "The Oklahoma District."

I think this one has a good shot of sticking. I know for one Mayor Cornett will stand behind it.

[DoctorTaco]

...In all seriousness though I think the ship has sailed on SOSA, Urbanized. Now trust me that i have no dog in this fight AT ALL. But every single person I have ever had a conversation with about this particular neighborhood (who was familiar with it prior to the conversation) has called it SOSA. And this is a rather diverse collection of people I'm talking about.

Granted most people I encounter are unfamiliar with the district or its name, because they live in the sprawl somewhere.

Also granted this is just a collection of anecdotes.

[Architect2010]

There are obviously stakeholders in the area that like the SOSA name. It has also come to be known most by that moniker than any other name.

Here's my question. Why must the name be agreed upon by everybody? Why must there be an official name? Why don't we keep it the Cottage District, as is historically accurate, and use SOSA as it's well-known nickname? Why is it such a big deal to begin with? Are we agreeing upon a neighborhood name or satisfying the egos of people that have built within the neighborhood?

I don't like the name of my hood, so if I decide to coin a nickname for it that catches on, is that somehow innapropriate because some don't agree with it?

This is just an odd conversation honestly.

Oh and Spartan. There's more than one street with modern homes now. ;P

[mkjeeves]

Granted most people I encounter are unfamiliar with the district or its name,...

This is just an odd conversation honestly.

Like Sayre's law, the battle is so fierce because the stakes are so small.

[Urbanized]

I don't have a dog in the fight either. Nor do I have a preferred name. I just know that there are some people who don't care for a name that was imposed on their neighborhood, like it or not, by a single individual. And I know that there are some who hope to take a more thoughtful approach to naming the district than accepting an edict via blog post.

I think the thing that most rubbed me the wrong way is someone casually dropping a link to a Wikipedia page that he created himself, and trying to pass that off as evidence that something is official. Bad, BAD form.

[kevinpate]

Hmmmm, what about

HillhousesGotsEyes District

[mkjeeves]

I like 7-Up

the un neighborhood.

[dwellsokc]

...I think the thing that most rubbed me the wrong way is someone casually dropping a link to a Wikipedia page that he created himself, and trying to pass that off as evidence that something is official. Bad, BAD form.

...a couple comments about your edit of the SoSA definition: 1) Your first sentence is a fragment (Bad, BAD from)... and 2) You're right: the name SoSA was not accepted by a majority of the residents... neither were ANY of the proposed alternate names, including Cottage District! (Though as I recall, SoSA was in the top-tier of vote recipients.)

Sounds like you're just upset that the toothpaste can't be put back in the tube.

PS: I like 7-UP too... "The un-neighborhood!"

[Urbanized]

Mostly I'm just upset by subterfuge.

[OKCRT]

Just call the area Emerson. That school has been there a long time. I even went there at one time years ago. Although I don't see why anyone would be upset with SoSA

[Spartan]

Hmmmm, what about

HillhousesGotsEyes District

YESS!! My second favorite OKC-area subdivision name: Watchful Eyes

[betts]

SoSA makes sense and that's what I call it. I doubt I'll ever call it anything else even if they change it.

[Rover]

The residents can officially name it whatever they want for business purposes, but it will from here on be CALLED SoSa. Not only is it perfectly descriptive (SOuth of Saint Anthony), but is easily remembered... and cool, to boot. People like it. So, it has great branding identity, but let's not let that get in the way of a provincial name. At any rate, when something is naturally good, it is HARD to change it. SoSa will be what it will be identified as, like it or not.

[LakeEffect]

You're talking about Randy Floyd, who took her concerns to the public as she objected to the mod vision, and design review determined that modern infill was appropriate.

Actually, it didn't really. Staff hasn't been comfortable with all of the proposals - too many blank wells and turning away from the street, despite requirements and guidelines in the ordinance that require attention to the street. And Randy herself has done "modern" stuff now...

[Pete]

Actually, it didn't really. Staff hasn't been comfortable with all of the proposals - too many blank wells and turning away from the street, despite requirements and guidelines in the ordinance that require attention to the street. And Randy herself has done "modern" stuff now...

Randy is doing the house at 604 NW 7th, which is very modern and will be the largest single family home in the district.

It sits on a double lot just west of Emerson and I met the owners and took a tour last week. Even though only a shell, you can tell it's going to be *amazing*.

They are both devoted OKCTalk lurkers and when I jokingly mentioned they should host a future meet-up, they said 'Sure!'. Even after I told them I was joking, I was still told they want to do it.

[5alive]

I also have no dog in this fight...but I like Sosa. Hard to understand the uproar.

[Urbanized]

The "uproar" - at least in this thread - wasn't about the name so much as it was about dishonest posting. I actually use the name myself (in the absence of a better option), but was sternly corrected recently by someone connected to the district who resents the way it was foisted upon them by one guy. The origination of name - despite comments here to the contrary - is the OPPOSITE of organic.

Anyway, I've probably said enough on the topic for someone who isn't personally involved. I shed some light on an attempt to deceive a poster who was asking an honest question; hopefully someone here understands and appreciates that.

[bchris02]

The "uproar" - at least in this thread - wasn't about the name so much as it was about dishonest posting. I actually use the name myself (in the absence of a better option), but was sternly corrected recently by someone connected to the district who resents the way it was foisted upon them by one guy. The origination of name - despite comments here to the contrary - is the OPPOSITE of organic.

Anyway, I've probably said enough on the topic for someone who isn't personally involved. I shed some light on an attempt to deceive a poster who was asking an honest question; hopefully someone here understands and appreciates that.

I am not sure how I feel about the name SoSA. Did it originate here on OKCTalk? To me it sounds kind of cool but it also sounds like a ripoff of LoDo in Denver or NoDa in Charlotte. Furthermore, I don't think the neighborhood is far enough along at this point to have a well-established brand. Ask anybody where Bricktown or Deep Deuce or Midtown is and they can tell you. Mention SoSA and people who aren't invested in the community or who don't follow OKCTalk won't know what you are talking about.

[One Dot Less Than Nine]

This last week I've talked to several home and property owners in this area and they all call it SoSA.

Official or not, that name has taken hold.

In full disclosure I no longer have a dog in the fight as I sold my residence in the area a few years ago. When we started looking for lots in the area we referred to it as SoSA. When we listed the house for sale we referred to it being in the SoSA area. It was technically outside of the Cottage District so that didn't apply and calling it CBDII (or whatever the city zoning referred to it as) didnt make much sense either. I don't think anyone is on board with calling it Cottage district. I have heard some express that they didnt like the name SoSA but I also understand that not very many options were proposed that gained enough popularity to dethrone SoSA.

[LakeEffect]

I am not sure how I feel about the name SoSA. Did it originate here on OKCTalk? To me it sounds kind of cool but it also sounds like a ripoff of LoDo in Denver or NoDa in Charlotte. Furthermore, I don't think the neighborhood is far enough along at this point to have a well-established brand. Ask anybody where Bricktown or Deep Deuce or Midtown is and they can tell you. Mention SoSA and people who aren't invested in the community or who don't follow OKCTalk won't know what you are talking about.

It originates with Dennis Wells, an architect who used to live in the district (in a modern house he designed). He has since moved out (to an OKC historic neighborhood) but he still strongly promotes the name.