Midtown

[bluedogok]

I get that - but I still wonder when they will reach the point where leaving it idle becomes more expensive than taking the plunge to redvelop the place.

Don't take the plunge if you don't have access to all the funding you need if you want to do the job right. Otherwise you end up with something half-assed and needing to be replaced in a few years. I have had both of those type of projects, I would rather work on something the owners want done right instead of someone trying to do something on a shoestring in the hopes of creating enough cash flow to do future work. Those projects are a pain and never seem to ever end up performing well, a big project requires a big commitment. I have known the owner for 40+ years, he wants to do it right.

[CaptDave]

That is good - better to be patient and "do it right" rather than 1/2 arsed like so many other things we have discussed here. I am not meaning to be overly critical of the guy - mainly curious about what would prompt him to find some other way to implement this plan he has. But the owner has got to know the area is rapidly evolving and the theater will represent a loss in the opportunity cost category eventually.

[bchris02]

That is good - better to be patient and "do it right" rather than 1/2 arsed like so many other things we have discussed here. I am not meaning to be overly critical of the guy - mainly curious about what would prompt him to find some other way to implement this plan he has. But the owner has got to know the area is rapidly evolving and the theater will represent a loss in the opportunity cost category eventually.

Couldn't agree more. Developments like Lower Bricktown and Belle Isle have shown that quick and easy development for development's sake causes more harm than good in the long run and once something is built its very difficult to "fix" it. Uptown and Midtown are OKC's opportunity to finally get it right.

[GaryOKC6]

Group Fly is opening a store called "The Hanger" in Midtown on September 7th. Looks cool. GRP FLY Clothing - We Are Building

[catch22]

Awesome!

[ljbab728]

Pop-Up shops coming in Midtown for the holidays. This should be fun.

Holiday Pop-Up Shops to return in Oklahoma City's Midtown | News OK

[betts]

Now I know where I'm getting my Christmas tree. I'm still missing Horns, because they delivered, Christmas tree stand and all. This sounds like fun!

[BoulderSooner]

very cool ..and a great location

[Spartan]

I like lining this location with temporary structures. Very nice indeed.

[bluedogok]

Now I know where I'm getting my Christmas tree. I'm still missing Horns, because they delivered, Christmas tree stand and all. This sounds like fun!

I did that during the 1984 Christmas season, almost always brought a smile to everyone's face when we rang the doorbell.

[ljbab728]

The old Wesley Hospital building has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

http://www.cardcow.com/images/set235/card00333_fr.jpg

[UnFrSaKn]

October 3 2013

[warreng88]

October 3 2013

You don't realize how much empty space Midtown has until you see a pic like this. Thanks Unfrsakn.

[Teo9969]

You don't realize how much empty space Midtown has until you see a pic like this. Thanks Unfrsakn.

This certainly does a great job of showing...but Google Maps does a really good job as well. Every time I look at Google Maps of midtown I just think to myself "how in the world is this thing ever going to come together"

[bchris02]

This certainly does a great job of showing...but Google Maps does a really good job as well. Every time I look at Google Maps of midtown I just think to myself "how in the world is this thing ever going to come together"

I agree. I mean no offense against Midtown when I say this, but coming from a more gentrified city Midtown is currently the most underwhelming of the supposed up and coming districts of OKC. I say that from a Charlotte perspective, not a perspective of what Midtown used to be before the gentrification began. That doesn't mean I don't see the potential there though. Like Uptown 23rd, Midtown screams with untapped potential. However, it is not yet anything close to comparable to the Blue Dome district in Tulsa. Now, there is a lot in the works and in five years it could be, but today, if I was showing somebody OKC for the first time I probably would not take them to Midtown. My hope is that things really start to pop after Dust Bowl/Fassler Hall opens. Not only housing, but more bars and restaurants to really bring the district to critical mass. With St Anthony's being a 24-hour operation, Midtown would be the perfect location for some 24-hour businesses.

In my opinion, I think this is an example of what Midtown could be 10-15 years from now considering the economy doesn't fall apart and growth remains steady.

South End Charlotte

[Teo9969]

I agree. I mean no offense against Midtown when I say this, but coming from a more gentrified city Midtown is currently the most underwhelming of the supposed up and coming districts of OKC. I say that from a Charlotte perspective, not a perspective of what Midtown used to be before the gentrification began. That doesn't mean I don't see the potential there though. Like Uptown 23rd, Midtown screams with untapped potential. However, it is not yet anything close to comparable to the Blue Dome district in Tulsa. Now, there is a lot in the works and in five years it could be, but today, if I was showing somebody OKC for the first time I probably would not take them to Midtown. My hope is that things really start to pop after Dust Bowl/Fassler Hall opens. Not only housing, but more bars and restaurants to really bring the district to critical mass. With St Anthony's being a 24-hour operation, Midtown would be the perfect location for some 24-hour businesses.

In my opinion, I think this is an example of what Midtown could be 10-15 years from now considering the economy doesn't fall apart and growth remains steady.

South End Charlotte

Was just in the Blue Dome last week and honestly...I just don't see it. There's plenty of surface parking, and nothing more than 2 stories in the area, as well as a lack of street-scape and people. To be sure, I was there on, I believe, a Wed. night, so I didn't expect it to be hoppin', but I also expected to see some sort of life. It's certainly nothing close to Bricktown.

It's really only barely ahead of Midtown right now, and if The Edge puts in any restaurant/bar in their retail space, it's really not going to be close. If the Blue Dome is ahead, it has about 15 months left of that. By the end of next year the following projects will be completed:

The Osler - which will include another restaurant plus a Rooftop Bar which will be top notch (to go with a top notch hotel)
The Edge - which will likely bring over 500 residents to the area in addition to the Osler's continual flux of hotel guests.
FH/DB - which will also incorporate retail, but will bring better versions of the Blue Dome concepts to OKC.
St. Anthony's 6 story addition - Though it won't bring the same sort of interactive element to the area as the above, it will help the general feel of the area as a vibrant district.

Those 3 very major entertainment developments will be in addition to:

- Louie's
- 1492
- Stella
- Waffle Champion
- Cafe Do Brasil
- Bosa Nova: Which with a rooftop view of downtown OKC, is arguably a nicer setting than anything in the Blue Dome
- Irma's
- McNellie's
- Kaiser's
- GoGo Sushi
- Saturn Grill

I wouldn't be surprised if some of these restaurants extended their hours with the influx of residents that will come from the Edge, an increased presence of St. Anthony's, a Hotel present in the area, the continued popularity of Downtown and the Core, increased interest in Mesta/HH. It would be great if several of them extended their hours on the weekends to 12:00 serving food the whole time.

[cferguson]

I have to respectfully disagree with you that the Blue Dome district is more happening than midtown. I was in tulsa last weekend for a concert and stayed at the Aloft in downtown Tulsa. We ventured into the blue dome district to check it out. We stopped by dwelling spaces and walked around and kept saying how empty it felt. It was a really cool area but it lacked density. I could be wrong, but there seemed to be no residential and there was a lot of empty space. It looked like construction was going on so maybe there will be more in the future. We thought the brady district (you need to go to chimera's here - amazing restaurant) and Cherry St were much better places with more life than the blue dome district. Midtown has much more residential and feels more dense to me. With the addition of Fassler Hall and Dust Bowl, Midtown will blow past the blue dome district. The one thing I like about all of these areas were the patios on the front/to the side of the restaurants. The districts in OKC need to get in the patio game!

[bchris02]

I have to respectfully disagree with you that the Blue Dome district is more happening than midtown. I was in tulsa last weekend for a concert and stayed at the Aloft in downtown Tulsa. We ventured into the blue dome district to check it out. We stopped by dwelling spaces and walked around and kept saying how empty it felt. It was a really cool area but it lacked density. I could be wrong, but there seemed to be no residential and there was a lot of empty space. It looked like construction was going on so maybe there will be more in the future. We thought the brady district (you need to go to chimera's here - amazing restaurant) and Cherry St were much better places with more life than the blue dome district. Midtown has much more residential and feels more dense to me. With the addition of Fassler Hall and Dust Bowl, Midtown will blow past the blue dome district. The one thing I like about all of these areas were the patios on the front/to the side of the restaurants. The districts in OKC need to get in the patio game!

That can make a HUGE difference when it comes to making an area feel vibrant. I think that's part of the reason for the perception that Tulsa's urban districts are more vibrant than OKC's.

As for Midtown, I like where the district is going. Once gentrification overtakes the blight south of 10th St it will make a huge difference. For an out of town resident though, I would be more likely to take them to Bricktown and Auto Alley at this time. That could change in a few years.

[dankrutka]

Blue Dome is a good district, but definitely needs residential and density to take the next step itself. The Brady District, Cherry Street, and Brookside are all far more dense and better urban districts in general.

[ljbab728]

I agree. I mean no offense against Midtown when I say this, but coming from a more gentrified city Midtown is currently the most underwhelming of the supposed up and coming districts of OKC. I say that from a Charlotte perspective, not a perspective of what Midtown used to be before the gentrification began. That doesn't mean I don't see the potential there though. Like Uptown 23rd, Midtown screams with untapped potential. However, it is not yet anything close to comparable to the Blue Dome district in Tulsa. Now, there is a lot in the works and in five years it could be, but today, if I was showing somebody OKC for the first time I probably would not take them to Midtown. My hope is that things really start to pop after Dust Bowl/Fassler Hall opens. Not only housing, but more bars and restaurants to really bring the district to critical mass. With St Anthony's being a 24-hour operation, Midtown would be the perfect location for some 24-hour businesses.

In my opinion, I think this is an example of what Midtown could be 10-15 years from now considering the economy doesn't fall apart and growth remains steady.

South End Charlotte

I tried to click on your link and my computer blocked it as a "malicious website".

[bchris02]

I tried to click on your link and my computer blocked it as a "malicious website".

It works fine in Chrome for me.

[Teo9969]

Chris, is there a Charlotte forum that is anything comparable to OKCTalk in terms of information, pictures, maps, diagrams? It would be cool if we could reference more of the things you bring up in discussion. I probably never would have pegged it as a place I wanted to visit until you got here and started comparing it to OKC.

[ljbab728]

It works fine in Chrome for me.

I was in Chrome when I tried it.

[PWitty]

Chris, is there a Charlotte forum that is anything comparable to OKCTalk in terms of information, pictures, maps, diagrams? It would be cool if we could reference more of the things you bring up in discussion. I probably never would have pegged it as a place I wanted to visit until you got here and started comparing it to OKC.

I would be interested in checking out ANY other forums of this caliber on other cities. I was talking to my buddy about this site the other day and I made a joke that I almost feel like I know as much about OKC as I do about KC (where I'm from) because of the information I see on this site. It makes me so much more aware of new developments and areas in OKC that even my friends who are FROM OKC don't know about.

[bchris02]

City-Data is about the best it gets for Charlotte. They don't have a forum on the caliber of this one for OKC. Urbanplanet.org also has quite a bit on the developments there and a lot less on newcomers relocating.