Asian District

[BG918]

I live in the area. It is a great place to live for a 20 or 30 something year old with no kids. No crime, good neighbors. Just west of Edgemere park is a great place to live if you are in your 20s/30s or retired. Obviously if I had kids I would move to Edmond or far NW OKC however since I have no kids this area is perfect. It is diverse ethnically and near many good restaurants.

I cant say the same for the neighborhoods west of Western Ave, they get shady quick as you head toward Penn. I would say anything west of western is cool, however east of western gets ghetto until you get to Nichols hills on the north or mesta park on the south.

East of Western is ghetto? That's Crown Heights/Edgemere Park.

[edcrunk]

I lived in the Asian district for a long time and never had any problems. I have tons of friends that live all over that area. Bunches of my friends are all about some pho and are regulars at the restaurants. Greenhouse and prohibition room seem to be thriving and we average 400 people every Wednesday at kamp's... so there's starting to be some nightlife there as well.
But I agree with you, Spartan, in regard to them tearing down interesting, old brick buildings and slapping up cheap, EIFS covered ones.

[metro]

This is the oddest thread about the "Asian District" I've ever seen on here. Nothing but drivel.

[Architect2010]

And the south side would be more like the Asian District if people would leave the Latinos alone. Very similarly strong cultural values.

So incredibly true.

[metro]

Sun Moon Plaza is finally picking up some steam again, looks like Rent A Center will move in and be torn down soon. Also, T-Mobile is moving in to the round rotunda like suite on the SE corner of the complex.

[Rover]

Originally Posted by Spartan
And the south side would be more like the Asian District if people would leave the Latinos alone. Very similarly strong cultural values.

Spartan,
What are you referencing to when indicating the Latino businesspeople haven't been left alone? Have they tried to create a district and invest like the Asian district but some people or groups are stopping them?

[pickles]

So incredibly true.

I would hope I could be forgiven if I suggest that the industriousness and entreprenuerial vigor on display in most Asian immigrant communities has not been evident to quite the same degree in most of America's latino communities. I'm not sure what "cultural values" are being referred to by Spartan, but I suspect it has more to do with some romantic conception of family life than with the values that drive people to achieve and produce. There is no conspiracy to prevent development on the south side of Oklahoma City.

[bornhere]

There's a ton of Latino business development in OKC. It may not be as noticeable because it's more spread out, but it's definitely happening.

[Spartan]

Spartan,
What are you referencing to when indicating the Latino businesspeople haven't been left alone? Have they tried to create a district and invest like the Asian district but some people or groups are stopping them?

A business is not just reliant on good business owners, but it's reliant on the target demographic as well. HB 1804 caused a very marked decline (some experienced 30-50% decline immediately, and I don't know if that's been recovered, but there's been a little recession since then) in business in most Latino-owned businesses of the southside. If the legislature is successful in more Latino community-killing pieces of legislation (like Randy Terrill's new proposed "Arizona-Plus," if he can pull it off while under indictment), then obviously that's even worse for business. I don't want to get political at all, but it's hard to not note the ramifications these and other things have for revitalizing the Latino part of OKC.

And this isn't directed at you Rover, but at a few others, that I won't respond to purely political replies...

[Rover]

And this isn't directed at you Rover, but at a few others, that I won't respond to purely political replies...

Thanks for your explanation. I didn't take it as a personal response. I just thought I had missed something, but now you have clarified.

Regardless of the politics, it would seem to be wise for the Latino community to focus on a fairly compact area as the center of their community and develop from that point out. I would assume Capital Hill to have the most potential to do that. That way, regardless of political action and consequences, the core will stand and development radiate from there and the question will be "how far". If the Latino business community can come together that is something they can build on, but if their efforts are scattered over a wide area with disjointed agendae then the kinds of population degradation will undermine any ethnic oriented efforts.

[Spartan]

All I know is before Latinos arrived in Oklahoma, the south side was largely abandoned and vacant. Now that they're here, houses have been fixed up and become occupied. There is a community where there used to be a vacuum. A world of difference.

Good post, by the way.

[Larry OKC]

And in some neighborhoods the houses they have moved into have fallen into more disrepair, cars parked on the grass (my dads next door neighbor even had the nerve to park on his grass and tear up the lawn when he ran out of room on his own property). Graffiti has become widespread and once where you felt safe walking down to the local convenience store or Braums after dark, well, lets just say not any more. Guns being fired on New Years and other holidays...etc.

[Rover]

And in some neighborhoods the houses they have moved into have fallen into more disrepair, cars parked on the grass (my dads next door neighbor even had the nerve to park on his grass and tear up the lawn when he ran out of room on his own property). Graffiti has become widespread and once where you felt safe walking down to the local convenience store or Braums after dark, well, lets just say not any more. Guns being fired on New Years and other holidays...etc.

Well, many old neighborhoods go through the same, regardless of ethnicity. Neighborhoods age, some decay and the low cost then brings in a level of resident that may be unsavory. Then, when superceding dynamics occur there is a value placed on the area not by current demand but by future demand due to location, expanding other areas, etc. Then there is acquisition and improvement. If the Latino business community is forward thinking and gets a head start on profiting from the location value of Capital Hill with its views and proximity to the new park, downtown, etc., then it can create a vibrant area with ethnic highlights and create long term value for their community. What you describe actually might open the door to the reclamation by making acquisition affordable for risk takers.

[NWOKCGuy]

Asian District listed as one of 10 must see, previously blighted neighborhoods on MSN.

http://realestate.msn.com/10-neighbo...es?gt1=35006#8

Slide 8 of 12.

[MustangGT]

If the blight that is the old KAMPS market would burn down as that is an eyesore in its current ownership/management.

[Doug Loudenback]

Thanks, NWOkcGuy. Pretty cool.

[Skyline]

Love the Asian District!

Has anyone tried out the New Car Wash?

It looks to be very nice, fully automated.

[Architect2010]

If the blight that is the old KAMPS market would burn down as that is an eyesore in its current ownership/management.

How so? It's a nice old building. Not to mention, KAMPS is one of the more popular youth-oriented clubs; and clean on the inside too. Please, don't let it burn down for the sake of the building and decent night-life that isn't concentrated in the 21+ zone of Bricktown. All because of "management."

[metro]

Also, Sun Moon Plaza is shaping in nicely, Tmobile opened awhile back, Rent a Center moved in and tore down their old metal warehouse type building, and the Super Buffet is undergoing a major facelift.

[oakhollow]

Kamps is for sale btw....

[Architect2010]

Let's hope they get a good buyer willing to invest some TLC into the exterior.

[Rover]

If one drove Classen from 23rd to 36th a few years ago and again now they would be mightily impressed with the turn-around. It was a rotting street and surroundings that is now dotted with new structures and cleaned up and reinvigorated new ones. Local owners have shown faith in themselves and their community and it looks like it will pay off. I think OKC is much better because of the Asian district advances.

I hope Kamps makes it...it has a lot of memories in it.

[Spartan]

If the blight that is the old KAMPS market would burn down as that is an eyesore in its current ownership/management.

Are you serious?

The construction along Classen just needs to stop including enormous setbacks. That is frustrating, I am totally opposed to spending a dime on public improvement if it is only going to be a catalyst for adding more parking. I want to see more sustainable or at least more attractive development as a return on the public investment.

[metro]

are you serious?

The construction along classen just needs to stop including enormous setbacks. That is frustrating, i am totally opposed to spending a dime on public improvement if it is only going to be a catalyst for adding more parking. I want to see more sustainable or at least more attractive development as a return on the public investment.

this ^

[Skyline]

This reminds me a little of Bricktown. The public tax dollars were spent to spark private dollar investing, and it has worked. But once the first few new construction projects got started with less than desirable design aspects, it is now time to up the criteria for new developments in the Asian District.

Again much like Bricktown has done. Lower quality and design was allowed to be built initially, but later the standards changed and are now more stringent as to the design and sustainability.

It will be interesting to see the project that is to be built at NW 30th & Classen, were the fire destroyed building once stood.