"Living in HiFi" Lortondale Home Tour | June 13th

[hoodlum]

http://www.moderntulsa.net/2009/05/31/living-in-hifi-lortondale-home-tour-june-13th/

The Modern Tulsa Committee of the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture announces it's first ever "Living in HiFi" Modern Home Tour.

"Living in HiFi" will be an annual modern home tour hosted by the Modern Tulsa committee of the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture. Focused on mid-century modern residential architecture, the tour will seek to promote an awareness and the preservation of this oft-overlooked and dismissed style of architecture.

"Living in HiFi" will premiere June 13th in the historic Lortondale Neighborhood.
Designed and built in 1954 by Tulsa duo Donald Honn (architect) and Howard Grubb (builder), the Lortondale Neighborhood was the recipient of a multitude of national design awards. The neighborhood was featured in an array of magazines including House and Home and Better Homes and Gardens.

In recent years Lortondale has experienced something of a rebirth. A new generation of homeowners, interested in modern design, are snapping up the houses just as fast as they come on the market. After decades of neglect, many of the houses in the neighborhood are being restored to their former modern glory. Most importantly, the Lortondale Community is experiencing the same restoration.

This year's tour seeks to convey the energy that is the Lortondale Neighborhood today. Featured are 6 houses in various stages of completion. From the beginning stages of a restovation to a virtually complete example of HiFi-modern bliss, this tour of Lortondale will show you what all the buzz is about.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 day-of. The tour will take place from 5:30 - 8:30 with an after party lasting from 8:30 -?

Tickets are available for purchase at the following locations:

Dwelling Spaces
119 South Detroit

Urban Furnishings
3636 South Peoria

Ida Red Boutique
3346 South Peoria

Tulsa Foundation for Architecture
2210 South Main

hope to see you there!

Shane

[Conan71]

It will be well worth it.  Naturally, I might be biased. 

[Ihearttacos]

I can't wait and what I mean by that is I have two days to help a friend get his kitchen tile up before the event....See you there!

[jne]

I may try to make this.  Where does the tour begin/meet (assuming I can get a walk up ticket there)?

[Conan71]

Just curious who all else from here made the tour?  It was a great tour, they picked great homes for it, all the way from a modern re-make to one with original woodwork and fixtures and one which shows some of the not-so-great '80's updates and how people are going about renovating the houses.  All the houses really stood out, probably the two most memorable kitchens were the one with the complete custom bar work and the one with metal cabinets and boomerang countertops.

It was great to meet so many of the new neighbors.  I'm glad it was a success!

[TURobY]

I made it. I loved and appreciated the work that went into all of the houses.

I walked between all the houses and was surprised by the lack of sidewalks throughout the neighborhood. Any particular reason for that?

[Townsend]

I made it. I loved and appreciated the work that went into all of the houses.

I walked between all the houses and was surprised by the lack of sidewalks throughout the neighborhood. Any particular reason for that?

I live across Yale from Lortondale and we have no sidewalks either.  I also wonder why there are none on Yale from 31st to 21st.  Not trying to highjack but I was thinking about that yesterday as I drove down Yale.

[Steve]

I made it. I loved and appreciated the work that went into all of the houses.

I walked between all the houses and was surprised by the lack of sidewalks throughout the neighborhood. Any particular reason for that?

Builder Grubb had intended to construct sidewalks in Lortondale, but when he announced he was about to do this, the property owners at the time did not want it and threatened to take him to court over the matter.  I read an article in the Tulsa World/Tribune archives office years ago about the matter, "Battle over Sidewalks in Lortondale Development" from the mid 1950s.  I don't recall the residents' exact reasons for not wanting sidewalks, but they didn't and so they were not installed.  They probably did not want more concrete invading their brand new suburban lawns.  Other suburban developments of the time such as Ranch Acres do not have sidewalks either.

It's never been an issue for me, but sidewalks down Yale between 21st-41st, that would surely be a big improvement.

I love the curvature of the streets in Lortondale and the way the vista slowly expands and changes as you drive down the street.  Very attractive.  I wonder why they didn't do this in Lortondale 2, and used a basic box grid instead.  Probably was a topography and cost issue so they could carve out more building lots from the available land at the least cost.  The lots in Lortondale 2 are slightly smaller than those in Lortondale.

[Conan71]

I live across Yale from Lortondale and we have no sidewalks either.  I also wonder why there are none on Yale from 31st to 21st.  Not trying to highjack but I was thinking about that yesterday as I drove down Yale.

I had no idea, I will have to have you and the missus over for one of the Sunday suarez's at the 71 estate.

[Townsend]

I had no idea, I will have to have you and the missus over for one of the Sunday suarez's at the 71 estate.

We shall dress in our finest and I will keep her from spitting inside your home on this special occasion.

[Steve]

Builder Grubb had intended to construct sidewalks in Lortondale, but when he announced he was about to do this, the property owners at the time did not want it and threatened to take him to court over the matter.  I read an article in the Tulsa World/Tribune archives office years ago about the matter, "Battle over Sidewalks in Lortondale Development" from the mid 1950s.  I don't recall the residents' exact reasons for not wanting sidewalks, but they didn't and so they were not installed.  They probably did not want more concrete invading their brand new suburban lawns.  Other suburban developments of the time such as Ranch Acres do not have sidewalks either.

It's never been an issue for me, but sidewalks down Yale between 21st-41st, that would surely be a big improvement.

I love the curvature of the streets in Lortondale and the way the vista slowly expands and changes as you drive down the street.  Very attractive.  I wonder why they didn't do this in Lortondale 2, and used a basic box grid instead.  Probably was a topography and cost issue so they could carve out more building lots from the available land at the least cost.  The lots in Lortondale 2 are slightly smaller than those in Lortondale.

For those that may be interested, another Lortondale home hit the market today.  4965 East 26 Street.  This is one of the 4 homes that backs up to our neighborhood pool and has an extra large, deep lot.  Keller-Williams Realty.   

[hoodlum]

Thanks to all who came. The tour was a great success with over 160 people in attendance. While next years tour will be moving out of the Lortondale area, look for another Lortondale tour coming up soon.

[Steve]

Thanks to all who came. The tour was a great success with over 160 people in attendance. While next years tour will be moving out of the Lortondale area, look for another Lortondale tour coming up soon.

The Lortondale Pool cannot open next year without a $3,000+ retrofit of the drain equipment to comply with federal law.  I can't think of a more worthy cause for ANY future Lortondale home tour than the Lortondale neighborhood common ammenties, namely the pool and its infrastructure, Tulsa's historic first private neighborhood pool circa 1956.  Private in the sense that membership is required, but membership is open to all.