When people say that the biggest problem Downtown is parking...

[KayneMo]

I did downtown Tulsa:

[turnpup]

With respect to the issue of fear of walking downtown at night, I can say anecdotally that our family hasn't had any issues whatsoever. We ride our bicycles downtown at night at least 4 nights per week, and frequently will lock them up and set off on foot in various places like the Myriad Botanical Gardens. No one has ever bothered us at all. Yes, one will see quite a few homeless people, but they are generally very much to themselves. As in, asleep in a ball in a storefront, or sitting on a park bench staring into space. Those aren't (in my opinion and experience) the people committing crimes. Also, nowadays it seems like downtown is very populated at night, even on weeknights. Surprisingly. About the "worst" thing that has happened to us is a lady asked us for money. When we very politely told her we don't carry cash, she very nicely told us to have a good evening and then complimented me on what I was wearing.

Having said that, I'm not sure, as a female, I would be down there on foot alone at night. But that isn't because it's downtown. I probably wouldn't be alone on foot at night in any place where a random person driving by could easily accost me.

[riflesforwatie]

With respect to the issue of fear of walking downtown at night, I can say anecdotally that our family hasn't had any issues whatsoever.

My experience is the same. I walk all over the CBD, C2S, Midtown, and more, both day and night, and I've never had any issues or felt nervous. Honestly I would be more scared to walk along 4- and 5-lane arterials in far NW OKC, Edmond, or Norman because of the high-speed traffic and pedestrian-unfriendly infrastructure than I would be to walk anywhere near Downtown at night.

[Roger S]

As I said. It is a stigma that the CBD carries with those that don't frequent the area. I frequently make walks of more than a mile to Thunder games and have never had an issue. My experience walking in the CBD doesn't remove the stigma the area carries with those unfamiliar to it either.

I'm down there just about every day. I've seen the changes first hand. I now walk through areas at night I would have avoided 5 years ago.

My point was, and still is, that to those unfamiliar to the area. It may still carry a stigma of being unsafe. Especially when the media mostly reports when the occasional shooting or stabbing happens. Anyone remember why Thunder Alley was shut down?

[HangryHippo]

I did downtown Tulsa:

My god. That's unreal!

[Pete]

My experience is the same. I walk all over the CBD, C2S, Midtown, and more, both day and night, and I've never had any issues or felt nervous. Honestly I would be more scared to walk along 4- and 5-lane arterials in far NW OKC, Edmond, or Norman because of the high-speed traffic and pedestrian-unfriendly infrastructure than I would be to walk anywhere near Downtown at night.

Absolutely right.

Much more to fear crossing streets and from drivers not paying attention to pedestrians.

I walk all over the core pretty frequently and have never felt unsafe.

[Roger S]

Absolutely right.

Much more to fear crossing streets and from drivers not paying attention to pedestrians.

I walk all over the core pretty frequently and have never felt unsafe.

You are missing my point. I walk there too. You and I are not stigmatized by the CBD.

[turnpup]

OKBBQ, isn't it funny how threatening "downtown" is for those who do not frequent it? You're absolutely right that some people from beyond the core tend to think of it in these weird, scary terms. Tonight, a beautiful cool--but not cold--still night, with no wind, we were down at the ice rink having hot chocolate and watching the skaters. I overheard the people next to us lamenting how they couldn't eat at Zio's because they didn't want to pay $20 to park in the lot in Bricktown. What is that, 4 or 5 blocks away from where they were? I have no idea whether they were scared to walk, or maybe perceived that it was too far or what, but it was interesting to overhear in light of what we're discussing here.

[Roger S]

It really is... I usually park at my office for Thunder games. It's a 1 mile walk through Film Row to the Peake. Twice I've asked people I've invited if they minded walking the mile and both times they didn't mind walking the mile but the first question they asked was "Is that safe?" and there was a time I would not have made that walk myself. Today I have no problem with it.

I think eventually people thinking downtown is unsafe will go away but a lot of people still mistakenly associate downtown as a place where "drunks and vagrants" hang out.

[Bullbear]

People who I work with who live in the burbs always comment how unsafe it is downtown or in Bricktown or any part of the city really.. even in my neighborhood. some people just are conditioned for living in the city it seems. I have never felt unsafe in my neighborhood or in the CBD area.

[Ross MacLochness]

I think a lot of the feeling that downtown is unsafe for people to walk is a sense of alienation felt subconsciously because the design still favors cars over people. It is certainly more walkable than say memorial road, but memorial road makes no clain to be walkable and is designed exclusively for auto travel. Downtown on the other hand has a bit of an identity crisis. It is quazi walkable and is becoming more so all the time, but despite our best efforts, parking garages, parking lots, wide roads etc are still being built. There is almost always a parking garage within view no matter where you are. Even though we know that its ok to walk around Downtown, people with little downtown OKC experience wont immediately feel at home and comfortable walking because the environment communicates to them "don't walk here, this is for cars".

[dankrutka]

Even if most fears of walking in the core are unfounded, downtown should continue to feel safer and safer as more mixed use residential and hotel projects open up. These projects should put more eyes and people on the street that will create both a safer feel and probably even more safety.

[Urbanized]

People who I work with who live in the burbs always comment how unsafe it is downtown or in Bricktown or any part of the city really.. even in my neighborhood. some people just are conditioned for living in the city it seems. I have never felt unsafe in my neighborhood or in the CBD area.

The reality is that a crimetracker search would probably show more crime in their own neighborhood, and almost certainly would if adjusted on a per-capita user basis. I don't care if they live in Nichols Hills.

[TheTravellers]

People who I work with who live in the burbs always comment how unsafe it is downtown or in Bricktown or any part of the city really.. even in my neighborhood. some people just are conditioned for living in the city it seems. I have never felt unsafe in my neighborhood or in the CBD area.

Some people are just idiots - my mom, for example, actually said "I don't like leaving my car unlocked here" during the day while it was parked in front of our new house in Venice and there were about half a dozen people around our house helping us move. She made a point of locking her car while we could see her doing it. She lives in Edmond.

[pure]

My friends don't like paying for parking when they go downtown. It's usually $5-$10, sometimes I'll see a $20 sign near the arena on event nights, but it's typically not that much. I go to Chicago often and the price for parking there is usually around $6 for 30 minutes, so maybe it's just me to think that OKC parking prices are cheap as dirt.

[Teo9969]

My friends don't like paying for parking when they go downtown. It's usually $5-$10, sometimes I'll see a $20 sign near the arena on event nights, but it's typically not that much. I go to Chicago often and the price for parking there is usually around $6 for 30 minutes, so maybe it's just me to think that OKC parking prices are cheap as dirt.

It's not. They are.