The Pink Elephant

[custosnox]

Actually 71st between Garnett and Mingo is a perfect example of what you just said we don't have.  However, it's awful gridlock that I don't even go to.  There's easily 200 restaurants within a 2 mile radius of the Renaissance and no idea how many movie screens and retail establishments.  It's actually the sort of area someone from Dallas, KC, Atlanta, Houston, etc. would relate to.

The enclave of hotels and national chain restaurants at 31st & Memorial does make it look like we segregate our visitors as there's nothing else for shopping or serious entertainment right there.

One can't argue there's a severe lack of guest rooms to serve Utica Square, Cherry St., and Brookside though they aren't all that far from downtown and there are a couple of B&B options in Brookside as well as a small hotel near 6th & Peoria (the name escapes me at the moment).  With the two medical centers in either direction as well as Cherry St. the vacant lot off the SW corner of where the BA intersects Utica would be a great place for a hotel, especially if they could get the lots to the south of that plot.  That seems like such a no-brainer for business visitors as well.  They are close enough to Downtown to take a shuttle for business and are within a safe walk of the night life on Cherry St.

Don't forget that there is now a Marriot Courtyard right next to Woodland Hills mall, so that could be extended to Memorial, though the lack of highway for a mile and a half might hinder things a bit.

[bacjz00]

Actually 71st between Garnett and Mingo is a perfect example of what you just said we don't have.  However, it's awful gridlock that I don't even go to. 

Hmmm, I'm pretty sure I said CONVENIENT.  Even by your own admission, it's so INCONVENIENT that you as a Tulsan won't even go.  You guys crack me up.  Do you all actually ever leave Tulsa?

[custosnox]

Hmmm, I'm pretty sure I said CONVENIENT.  Even by your own admission, it's so INCONVENIENT that you as a Tulsan won't even go.  You guys crack me up.  Do you all actually ever leave Tulsa?

Actually, yes, and compared to area's in some of the larger cities where everything is pushed in together, the traffic on 71st is a cake walk.

[ZYX]

Dear 71st Street whiners:

First off traffic is not that bad. It really only gets backed up on weekends. It is a convenient place to go for those of us who are stuck out south. Now, if you live in midtown/downtown, you live in a WAY cooler part of town, and please support your local businesses. But, for those of us down here, midtown is a very long drive to go shopping. So if you ever need to come down here, don't worry. The light will turn green soon, and you will resume movement...

[bacjz00]

For the record, I don't have a problem with 71st Street...I'm just surprised so many of you think that's the best we should be offering out of towners.

[ZYX]

Oh, I'm definitely not saying it's the best we have to offer.

[custosnox]

For the record, I don't have a problem with 71st Street...I'm just surprised so many of you think that's the best we should be offering out of towners.

Never said that, just saying that an area such as you suggested does exist.  Could we have better areas for out of towners? Without a doubt.

[Conan71]

Hmmm, I'm pretty sure I said CONVENIENT.  Even by your own admission, it's so INCONVENIENT that you as a Tulsan won't even go.  You guys crack me up.  Do you all actually ever leave Tulsa?

Depends on what your definition of convenient is, Mr. President  

It's about as convenient an area as I can think of though not easily walkable, but neither are areas I'm thinking of in Dallas, KC, Houston, etc.  My main issue with the area is what I perceive as heavy traffic.  I live near 31st & Yale so any stop light that's more than 15 or so deep looks like congestion to me  

I simply avoid high density retail areas unless it's a necessity, it's not my thing. I do agree it's not ideal, but it's what we've got for now.  I'm very much in agreement more rooms in mid town would be great.

[dbacks fan]

The unfortunate thing is, where is there a truly walkable area in Tulsa? You can say Utica Square, which once you get there is walkable, but some areas near there there is no place to walk without walking on the street or through someones front yard. And that can be said of a vast majority of Tulsa. When you get to Cherry Street, Blue Dome, Brady, BOk, and Brookside there are walkable areas. But as the former Mrs. pointed out on a visit there, you cant walk through Swan Lake, Terwilliger, Woodward Park or even mid town areas just to see the homes and walk down the streets. Most of Tulsa has very little basic pedestian friendly areas, and as others have pointed out, the bus system needs to be revamped to make it user friendly. And I totally agree that there is a lack of hotel rooms in the midtown area, and that is mainly because everything up until the last few years was built around highway interchanges, along I-44, ORU, or the Woodland Hills area. Other than the old H&P location, and the area around the BA and Utica, there dosen't seem to be any place for that.

I'm have been trying to get back to Tulsa for sometime, and haven't been able to hit the right combination of timing, but I will be there in July for my 30th Reunion, but there is no place that I can really think of to stay. The weekend of the Drillers have a home stand against the Travelers, the reunion is at Meadowbrook, and I have friends and family that I will visit as well.

Sorry just got on a rant. I get all of it, just wish I knew an answer to get things going in the right direction. BTW I will be planting my donkey at the Blue Rose, and taking a cab ride to and from wherever I'm staying.

[inteller]

last time I checked, there are sidewalks all up and down 71st st.  I see more and more people walking, especially since you can park somewhere in the moddiel and get places faster than driving end to end on weekends.  FOr those that advocate parking 10 mins away from the BOk center downtown this should not be much of a stretch.  In fact, next time you go to 71st st, try parking around the Barnes & Noble area and see how many things you can hit by just walking.

[DTowner]

On my admittedly infrequent trips down 71st the only people I see on the sidewalks are holding large signs advertising a liquidation sale at one of the businesses along 71st.