The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

The discussion of the changes at 15th and Utica and Utica Square and the posts by people of old photos of the same made me think of other areas of town that have seen profound changes. Obviously, the more rapid the changes, the more exciting it is. So - what areas have seen the greatest changes?

My entry is Boston and Brady:

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1587293,-95.9924271,3a,90y,27.59h,87.34t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sohAdNblqVYPi0oP4sCE9ew!2e0!7i3328!8i1664 (https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1587293,-95.9924271,3a,90y,27.59h,87.34t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sohAdNblqVYPi0oP4sCE9ew!2e0!7i3328!8i1664)

In 2007 there was no Guthrie Green, no Channel 6, no art museums in the Matthews Warehouse, no AHHA, no hotel/Laffa, no Tribune II (whatever its called), no OneOK field, no streetscaping.

Others?

Unreal changes in the Brady.

The transformation of Brady/Greenwood is nothing short of astonishing.

One of my favorite hobbies.

My entry: https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1563519,-95.982668,3a,75y,247.61h,86.67t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s0e180dJOBtxfAE1aAQwXBg!2e0!5s20071101T000000!7i3328!8i1664!6m1!1e1 (https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1563519,-95.982668,3a,75y,247.61h,86.67t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s0e180dJOBtxfAE1aAQwXBg!2e0!5s20071101T000000!7i3328!8i1664!6m1!1e1)


Everything from the Brix building down to Hodges Bend.

Look a the tragic loss off all that surface parking!  Also interesting is how the Brady looks like a ghost town.  Must have been early on a Sunday.

Based on the sun, it looks close to noon.

The ghost town aspect is what I found most striking. In Blue Dome, that is one of the biggest differences:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.155977,-95.9869054,3a,75y,128.05h,90.79t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s6unKtLzSE5Tr3EKVjDZXtQ!2e0!5s20160301T000000!7i3328!8i1664 (https://www.google.com/maps/@36.155977,-95.9869054,3a,75y,128.05h,90.79t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s6unKtLzSE5Tr3EKVjDZXtQ!2e0!5s20160301T000000!7i3328!8i1664)

It is funny, in 2007 I really thought downtown was up and coming, but looking back it was pretty deserted. I remember thinking downtown took a big turn around 2012 when it was as busy on weekdays as it had been on weekend years before.

Now, it is busier on weekdays than it ever was in 2007 and 2012 for the most part (except big events).

It will be interesting to try this again in 2020. I think we will clearly see a difference. (Pun intended  8) )

I wish Dust Bowl and Dilly Diner had stuck with the unpainted brick. But they're not my businesses...

I noticed this too exploring google maps around Brady! It is a great example of the progress there.

Looking south at Main & Brady and Main & Cameron is also interesting.
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.158392,-95.9937224,3a,75y,115.07h,94.63t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1su8SvUPUink88TaWc-ypudA!2e0!5s20160301T000000!7i3328!8i1664 (https://www.google.com/maps/@36.158392,-95.9937224,3a,75y,115.07h,94.63t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1su8SvUPUink88TaWc-ypudA!2e0!5s20160301T000000!7i3328!8i1664)

I thought that too but I have to admit they look really good. The lime green isn't my favorite but it's kind of quirky and adds character.

The new trend of painting brick (popular on a lot of cottage style houses now) looks good for now. It adds another element of maintenance not currently necessary so if they don't keep up, it could look a lot worse in the long run. If a brick cottage goes into the wrong hands, it used to be just the trim suffered mostly (and the house can still look pretty good).. but if the whole thing starts chipping away? I wonder if the paint can be removed from brick and how costly that would be?

Yeah but the NW corner of the intersection is still the same. What's up with that place anyway?

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1582546,-95.9938373,3a,75y,310.93h,78.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1shyU_Nv9V0I6ZJGDi6BDuNg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 (https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1582546,-95.9938373,3a,75y,310.93h,78.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1shyU_Nv9V0I6ZJGDi6BDuNg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)

Sand blasting, but if someone doesn’t know what they are doing, they can damage a lot of that old mortar.

Y'all need this app.  It's awesome!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tulsa-then-now-mapping-the-bfc/id513402859?mt=8

Solid entry! Even more impressive if you back up to the intersection and can spin around to the East End. 9 years isn't that long!

I was trolling around the Brady trying to figure out what time of day or if it was a weekend or what when the November 2007 picture was taken, and noticed outside there is a group of people camped outside of Cain's:

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1608815,-95.995037,3a,75y,96.14h,76.23t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sd9qBNUCAVRdxy7hURI3Zjg!2e0!7i3328!8i1664 (https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1608815,-95.995037,3a,75y,96.14h,76.23t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sd9qBNUCAVRdxy7hURI3Zjg!2e0!7i3328!8i1664)

Wonder what that was for?

That bar where Dilly Diner is now was skeezy!  I also remember Bad Girls during the Coyote Ugly craze.  I think it was where El Guapo is now.  It was even worse.  Man we've come a long way.

Hey look, they're adding new windows!  These lofts will be really nice when completed in 2008!

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1567084,-95.9880862,3a,75y,162.81h,117.6t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sGSVKoeEPXUkG3ajPl80mow!2e0!5s20160301T000000!7i3328!8i1664 (https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1567084,-95.9880862,3a,75y,162.81h,117.6t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sGSVKoeEPXUkG3ajPl80mow!2e0!5s20160301T000000!7i3328!8i1664)

This is not to discount the impressive changes the Brady, Blue Dome, and East Villages have gone through, but before we hang our hat on the "ghost town" evidence, we need to know what time of day, and which day those pictures were taken. Maybe it was a Sunday morning?

In 2007 mode, the First Pres parking lot looks full. But it's the ghost town in 2016 mode.

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1491702,-95.9874362,3a,75y,11.82h,83.18t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sBIA85MZX3mWZZ0lbUcBIcw!2e0!5s20071101T000000!7i3328!8i1664 (https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1491702,-95.9874362,3a,75y,11.82h,83.18t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sBIA85MZX3mWZZ0lbUcBIcw!2e0!5s20071101T000000!7i3328!8i1664)

Just as I say that though, I noticed this fun example. Here are four images of the parking lot between 8th and 9th, Main and Boston, taken from the same vantage point. 

2007 - totally empty (https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1487974,-95.9879561,3a,75y,171.09h,80.04t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1szHarhonJtG3uWgVrOUn1Ow!2e0!5s20071101T000000!7i3328!8i1664)

2011 - less than half full (https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1487971,-95.987957,3a,75y,171.09h,80.04t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s1vDXyRkETXs1FPBkNrEqhw!2e0!5s20110701T000000!7i13312!8i6656)

2014 - almost full (https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1487944,-95.9879649,3a,75y,189.67h,88.18t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sJMdXnk95v598YnSpW-SFvA!2e0!5s20140401T000000!7i13312!8i6656)

2016 - packed! (https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1487971,-95.987957,3a,75y,166.27h,87.41t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sKwKnQy7GXPcAYNuSF9EGHQ!2e0!5s20160301T000000!7i13312!8i6656)

google street view is fun

The church lot full pretty much confirms it is Sunday and the sun looks like it is close to noon.

In the Blue Dome or Brady, even on Sunday mornings/early afternoon there are far more cars than what the 2007 street view had. I never realized how desolate the Brady District used to be but I guess I didn't really consider the Brady District until after it started picking up steam.