Describe Tulsa

[nathanm]

Your second sentence nailed it entirely.

Tulsa: Not quite flat chested.

Awesome. Let's pitch that to the chamber.

[GG]

I do this a lot lol.

  Tulsa is a nice, small city. Dont look at those big skyscrapers and let that fool ya we are a very small, but lucky, city of only 380,000. We have been through some rough times in the recent past, but things are getting better.

We have some nice stuff here from the old oil boom era "grand old mansions, beautiful neighborhoods, stunning downtown architecture, museums, etc.". Right now there is some excitement about what is happening around town; new Arena, new Ballpark, new trails and amenities on the beautiful river parks, old buildings downtown being rehabbed, more urban housing coming in downtown, neat areas like Brookside and Cherry Street growing, great new developments across the river in Jenks, colleges expanding, and all kinds of other things. Tulsa is a young city and doesn't have a lot of the amenities that larger, older cities have, but we are starting to finally get there.  There is a lot of potential and opportunity here. Carpe diem!

   

Nice description

[waterboy]

I've held off till my attitude improved. Here goes. Tulsa is a an amalgam of 5 little towns that have little in common with each other and often work against each other. That stems from several different origins. Different growth spurts it experienced during different time periods, racial discrimination, wealth disparity and class. We're more or less like boroughs. They are: North, South, East, West, and the Central or commonly called Midtown. One might also add NorthWest because of the bifurcation of Owen Park by 244 and Far South which is just short of Jenks and Bixby. I don't include Downtown as a town of its own since it has no real permanent population. Its a town in the making.

North is a blue collar racially mixed town where people know each other pretty well because of their churches and the neglect by the rest of the city for most of the last century. Great barbeque and a nationally honored high school are sources of pride for them. Nearby Northwest Tulsa includes lovely Owen Park and Gilcrease Museum. Reservoir Hill and Tulsa Country Club have the best views of the downtown skyline. The farther north you go the more dangerous life becomes.

South town starts at I-44 and is mostly white bread middle to upper class. Southern Hills was its crown in the sixties and still has a certain panache. This town was fueled by white flight, evangelism and consumerism. Starting to age now. Oral Roberts University is its south and western anchor and Woodland Hills/169 marks its south and eastern zenith. Far South runs therafter towards Jenks/Bixby. Fast food, new car dealership and chain restaurant center of the universe. Ever seen Irving, Denton, Grapevine or Arlington? Edmond?

East is the carcass of sixties to seventies expansion that petered out as South Tulsa became dominant. It starts at Memorial and becomes increasingly Hispanic the farther east you travel. North boundary is the Airport and south boundary is 41st street. Rapidly deteriorating and crime ridden.

West is a town separated from the rest by the river. Its the most identifiable as a small town since it has everything a small town needs including natural boundaries. Westsiders have their own shopping, mountains (well hills actually),  river and manufacturing. It stretches from Chandler Hill on the north to Turkey Mtn on the south. 

MidTown is the growth spurt started by the oilies in the roaring twenties and ending in the seventies for the most part. It contains the only concentration of Democrats in the city and not many of those. Its the closest thing to a cross section of our country though, containing places of worship for Christians, Jews, Blacks, Hispanics and Unitarians. Gays welcome, as long as they love to shop Brookside and the Square, Cherry Street and the Pearl. Besides the seat of local government in nearby downtown, it contains several Hospitals and a University or two. The venerable Utica Square is its flag bearer though it actually is centered more around Southroads at 41st & Yale. The term "Midtown Elite" pays homage to the concentration of wealth and power found in several of its neighborhoods.

Tulsa is this dissimilar collection of towns each with a different personality.

[Double A]

Tulsa is a city that governs by the golden rule...  those who have the gold make the rules.

It's too bad really, because there are more trusting, friendly, generous, people here than most places. Unfortunately that very quality might be what allows Tulsans to so often be taken advantage of by their own government.

[Chicken Little]

Tulsa is a city that governs by the golden rule...  those who have the gold make the rules.

It's too bad really, because there are more trusting, friendly, generous, people here than most places. Unfortunately that very quality might be what allows Tulsans to so often be taken advantage of by their own government.

Aside:  Saw a interview with Karen Armstrong, freelance monotheist, mainly about the REAL golden rule...Reciprocity.  Lot's of conversation about Islam, one of her areas of expertise.  Very interesting if you have an hour.

[sauerkraut]

Tulsa is a "training bra" city.  Not quite flat chested.  Not quite fully endowed.

It's where people from small towns move to "the big city."  And where people from Tulsa leave for "the big city."

It's the city version of a TU basketball coach's career...a stepping stone on the way to a more prestigous place.

Tulsa in training to become another OKC? -Or a stepping stone to overcome OKC? 

[Cats Cats Cats]

Tulsa in training to become another OKC? -Or a stepping stone to overcome OKC? 

OKC is Tulsa's older sister who started hanging out with the wrong crowd.
It was unfortunate.

[TheArtist]

Tulsa in training to become another OKC? -Or a stepping stone to overcome OKC? 

I would rather us become another Denver, if we have to pick a larger, local city to emulate. Most people I know from Tulsa do not move to OKC they move to Dallas or Austin or larger cities. If your gonna move, really move, OKC would hardly be worth the effort. Its better in some ways right now, but not significantly so.  And you dont have to be "bigger" to be better. Doing your own thing and going for high quality is perfectly fine.  As long as our incomes are steadily up, quality of life up, better amenities, etc. Slow, manageable, population growth can be perfectly fine.  Also wouldnt mind if the urbanized areas of the city actually got smaller and we infilled more.

[carltonplace]

I think waterboy is on point. People who live in one part of Tulsa rarely go to the other parts, and when they are there they can't wait to get back to their familiar setting. I've lived in South Tulsa, but I wouldn't want to again. I find it bland and car-centric, new development is everywhere and it makes you think that the only thing to do there is to shop. Southies find mid-town and down town old and worn out. North Tulsa has great views, a great mix of people and tons of potential..but due to misplaced fear of the unknown most people think it's scary though they've never been.

Everywhere you go though, Tulsans are friendly and considerate. If you are going to describe Tulsa you have to speak to how nice it's people are.

[sauerkraut]

The large cities (like Dallas) have alot more to offer than Tulsa so we have to take Tulsa for what it is.. The D/FW MetroPlex has everything and anything anyone could want- from fancy restaurants to musiums to a major airport to finding a hard to get car  part to keep your old heap running, If it exists it's somewhere in the MetroPlex.  The MetroPlex for the most part is one huge city of 5 million peple. Tulsa is the ball game with cities like Wichita, Kansas- Omaha, NE  the focus should be there.