The Deco District

[TheArtist]

There is a pretty good chunk of Art Deco to be found in the area, more than most other cities would have in a similar sized area.  And some really stellar examples of it too. (and then consider that we tore a good chunk of it down) Then add to that many of the buildings were built in the Deco Era.  Deco District in my mind also evokes an era, not just one style but the lifestyle, the music, clothing, cars, etc. the period and context. And too, many buildings had an art deco flair on their insides at one time.  Ever seen images of the Marine Grill at the Mayo? And even now the Mayo has added a bit of contemporary deco to its decor thus adding to the Deco District.  Ever looked inside the lobby of the Sinclair Building? Deco.  As an aside, though its not in the Deco District, the Brady Theater at one time had an Art Deco interior.  Then as the moniker catches on, perhaps we will continue to add to it like Miami has done.   Most of the art deco they have now is new lol. They took what they had and kept playing it up. Our new downtown bus depot is a great example of "deco echo". could have done small things like adding streetlights that were deco.  Benches, signage (which we have done) interiors and window displays with a deco flair, new buildings with a touch of deco here and there, and so on.

One other thing.  Sad to say it, but a lot of young people do not know about Tulsa and its "oil capital of the world" moniker.  Often when I mention it to people they instantly start to argue and say its Houston lol.  I say, NO in the past, not now. And it just goes downhill from there lol.

Then to an ever growing number of people the word "oil" itself caries a negative connotation.  Its not something we are used to living here, but I have had people point it out to me.  Oil, climate change, hellooo.  Oil, sprawling car culture, helloooo. Oil, environmental disaster, is "old energy not new green energy" get over it, the middle east and its problems, etc..  To ever more people around the world oil is old, dirty and a bad word.  Not so much here lol, but I have run into that attitude from a number of people.  I don't think we should run from it, it was a reality of our history and did a lot of great things for us, just pointing out that little negative undercurrent that does exist.

[waterboy]

My opinion is that its a stretch to refer to downtown as "Deco Tulsa". Tulsa is, was and always will be an oil town, an energy town, but not a deco town even though we have lots of deco to crow about.

I am persuaded by DS Jeff that Magic Empire, Oil Capital whatever is okay, but "Deco Tulsa" is contrived. We already exude a champagne image with a beer reality. No use puttin' on airs.

[PonderInc]

If we want to be really accurate, we could just name the entire downtown the "Surface Parking District..."

[Conan71]

Certainly there's been quite a bit of deco lost over the years along with a lot of the oil tycoons.  Deco District is a catchy name. 

Calling it a misnomer It's sort of like saying that the Blue Dome District should not be called the Blue Dome District because only one building in the district has a Blue Dome on it.  Why is the Brady District the Brady District when it's one street name out of several in that area and the Brady Theater is the only building down there bearing the name?

Those of you who don't like "Deco District" it don't have to call it that.  From now on I'll simply refer to the Blue Dome as the 2nd & Elgin District or Eliot Nelson/Sager District since that's a far more honest and accurate description.

[dsjeffries]

Certainly there's been quite a bit of deco lost over the years along with a lot of the oil tycoons.  Deco District is a catchy name. 

Calling it a misnomer It's sort of like saying that the Blue Dome District should not be called the Blue Dome District because only one building in the district has a Blue Dome on it.  Why is the Brady District the Brady District when it's one street name out of several in that area and the Brady Theater is the only building down there bearing the name?

Those of you who don't like "Deco District" it don't have to call it that.  From now on I'll simply refer to the Blue Dome as the 2nd & Elgin District or Eliot Nelson/Sager District since that's a far more honest and accurate description.

Conan, you're missing the point, and your argument doesn't have legs. The Blue Dome is a unique focal point, an identifiable landmark, an icon, that defines the area. There wasn't a name "Blue Dome" before there was actually a building with a blue dome. Similarly, the Brady District isn't named solely because there happens to be a Brady Street, but because of the neighborhood's long association with the Brady name, beginning with the Brady Hotel and the Brady Theater (and the Brady Mansion up the road). Like the blue dome, the Old Lady on Brady serves as an icon for the area and has since it opened in 1909 (though the original name was Convention Hall). In fact, the Brady Hotel was host to important historical events for Oklahoma. In March 1907, the makers of the Oklahoma Constitution held their first meeting after completing the Constitution, and it was here at that time, that Gov. Haskell, Oklahoma's first governor, announced his candidacy. It was also at the Brady Hotel that Gov. Haskell ordered the state capitol moved from Guthrie to Oklahoma City. So, the Brady name has been attached to the neighborhood since at least 1907.

Moving on to the yet-to-be-named district, what is an identifiable landmark or icon? What storied histories are contained within the walls of those beautiful buildings? The story isn't art deco. It's pioneers, big dreams, a boomtown, an oil town, and elegance, design and quality in architecture was an absolute must. Tulsa's pioneers had high hopes for this city, and within 30 years of its founding had turned it into one of the most beautiful, dense, bustling cities in the nation. They had created a veritable Magic Empire.

Art deco is not the one defining feature of the yet-to-be-named district. There is no one defining feature except mostly older, historic buildings, many of which are 8-10 stories, some of which are 20 to 30 or 40 stories. I took a walk through the area yesterday, and I did find a small, recurring similarity. Regardless of the style of architecture (and trust me, art deco is not the prominent style of the area), most of the buildings incorporate some use of terra cotta. Whether it's ornate and extensive, as is the case with the Mid-Continent (Cosden) Tower, or a simple crest or dentil molding, a lot of the buildings put terra cotta to use in some way.

If I had never been to Tulsa, but had heard of a "Deco District", I'd think that there was an area (however big or small) that had a huge concentration of art deco. I'd believe that if I got off in the middle of that district, I'd be surrounded by mostly, if not all, art deco. This just is not the case. Yes, there are wonderful examples of art deco, but calling it the Deco District, while catchy, is misleading at best. I wish we had an art deco neighborhood, some place we could call the Deco District. Alas, we don't.

I'm not advocating "Oil Capitol District", but I think "Deco District" is also the wrong choice. Sometimes it's not just Idea A vs. Idea B, but instead, A, B, C, D, E, F, etc. We shouldn't limit ourselves to just two possibilities. So, that being said, why don't we think of some names together?

[Renaissance]

Moving on to the yet-to-be-named district, what is an identifiable landmark or icon? What storied histories are contained within the walls of those beautiful buildings? The story isn't art deco. It's pioneers, big dreams, a boomtown, an oil town, and elegance, design and quality in architecture was an absolute must. Tulsa's pioneers had high hopes for this city, and within 30 years of its founding had turned it into one of the most beautiful, dense, bustling cities in the nation. They had created a veritable Magic Empire.

Welcome to every city in the United States. 

[Conan71]

Conan, you're missing the point, and your argument doesn't have legs. The Blue Dome is a unique focal point, an identifiable landmark, an icon, that defines the area. There wasn't a name "Blue Dome" before there was actually a building with a blue dome. Similarly, the Brady District isn't named solely because there happens to be a Brady Street, but because of the neighborhood's long association with the Brady name, beginning with the Brady Hotel and the Brady Theater (and the Brady Mansion up the road). Like the blue dome, the Old Lady on Brady serves as an icon for the area and has since it opened in 1909 (though the original name was Convention Hall). In fact, the Brady Hotel was host to important historical events for Oklahoma. In March 1907, the makers of the Oklahoma Constitution held their first meeting after completing the Constitution, and it was here at that time, that Gov. Haskell, Oklahoma's first governor, announced his candidacy. It was also at the Brady Hotel that Gov. Haskell ordered the state capitol moved from Guthrie to Oklahoma City. So, the Brady name has been attached to the neighborhood since at least 1907.

Moving on to the yet-to-be-named district, what is an identifiable landmark or icon? What storied histories are contained within the walls of those beautiful buildings? The story isn't art deco. It's pioneers, big dreams, a boomtown, an oil town, and elegance, design and quality in architecture was an absolute must. Tulsa's pioneers had high hopes for this city, and within 30 years of its founding had turned it into one of the most beautiful, dense, bustling cities in the nation. They had created a veritable Magic Empire.

Art deco is not the one defining feature of the yet-to-be-named district. There is no one defining feature except mostly older, historic buildings, many of which are 8-10 stories, some of which are 20 to 30 or 40 stories. I took a walk through the area yesterday, and I did find a small, recurring similarity. Regardless of the style of architecture (and trust me, art deco is not the prominent style of the area), most of the buildings incorporate some use of terra cotta. Whether it's ornate and extensive, as is the case with the Mid-Continent (Cosden) Tower, or a simple crest or dentil molding, a lot of the buildings put terra cotta to use in some way.

If I had never been to Tulsa, but had heard of a "Deco District", I'd think that there was an area (however big or small) that had a huge concentration of art deco. I'd believe that if I got off in the middle of that district, I'd be surrounded by mostly, if not all, art deco. This just is not the case. Yes, there are wonderful examples of art deco, but calling it the Deco District, while catchy, is misleading at best. I wish we had an art deco neighborhood, some place we could call the Deco District. Alas, we don't.

I'm not advocating "Oil Capitol District", but I think "Deco District" is also the wrong choice. Sometimes it's not just Idea A vs. Idea B, but instead, A, B, C, D, E, F, etc. We shouldn't limit ourselves to just two possibilities. So, that being said, why don't we think of some names together?

Bit snippy today, are we?   

I simply used your original logic of there not being enough quantifiable examples to justify calling a district by a certain name.  Your original argument was that there was not a high enough concentration of Art Deco architecture in the Deco District to justify naming it that.  It's about the highest concentration you will find in Tulsa or surviving in any other city and there are multiple examples of this iconic Tulsa style within the district.  But if we need a single iconic example then why not call it the Philcade or Philtower district?

Certainly oil is the big story in Tulsa's early history and energy remains a driving force in the economy, but we are not near as associated with the Oil Capital image as we were 30 to 40 years ago.  The "stories behind the walls" of people who no longer live here (nor are living) are not as easily identifiable nor a draw to a visitor as the architecture which contained the stories.  Oil Captial District also isn't as compelling a name as an attraction for food and entertainment.  From a pure marketing standpoint (which is what I've basically done my entire professional career of 25 years) Deco District is catchy and has a good ring to it.

That said, it's more important to the merchants and property owners in the district to come up with a name they are comfortable with than it is for us to debate the issue ad nauseum. 

[swake]

Conan, you're missing the point, and your argument doesn't have legs. The Blue Dome is a unique focal point, an identifiable landmark, an icon, that defines the area. There wasn't a name "Blue Dome" before there was actually a building with a blue dome. Similarly, the Brady District isn't named solely because there happens to be a Brady Street, but because of the neighborhood's long association with the Brady name, beginning with the Brady Hotel and the Brady Theater (and the Brady Mansion up the road). Like the blue dome, the Old Lady on Brady serves as an icon for the area and has since it opened in 1909 (though the original name was Convention Hall). In fact, the Brady Hotel was host to important historical events for Oklahoma. In March 1907, the makers of the Oklahoma Constitution held their first meeting after completing the Constitution, and it was here at that time, that Gov. Haskell, Oklahoma's first governor, announced his candidacy. It was also at the Brady Hotel that Gov. Haskell ordered the state capitol moved from Guthrie to Oklahoma City. So, the Brady name has been attached to the neighborhood since at least 1907.

Moving on to the yet-to-be-named district, what is an identifiable landmark or icon? What storied histories are contained within the walls of those beautiful buildings? The story isn't art deco. It's pioneers, big dreams, a boomtown, an oil town, and elegance, design and quality in architecture was an absolute must. Tulsa's pioneers had high hopes for this city, and within 30 years of its founding had turned it into one of the most beautiful, dense, bustling cities in the nation. They had created a veritable Magic Empire.

Art deco is not the one defining feature of the yet-to-be-named district. There is no one defining feature except mostly older, historic buildings, many of which are 8-10 stories, some of which are 20 to 30 or 40 stories. I took a walk through the area yesterday, and I did find a small, recurring similarity. Regardless of the style of architecture (and trust me, art deco is not the prominent style of the area), most of the buildings incorporate some use of terra cotta. Whether it's ornate and extensive, as is the case with the Mid-Continent (Cosden) Tower, or a simple crest or dentil molding, a lot of the buildings put terra cotta to use in some way.

If I had never been to Tulsa, but had heard of a "Deco District", I'd think that there was an area (however big or small) that had a huge concentration of art deco. I'd believe that if I got off in the middle of that district, I'd be surrounded by mostly, if not all, art deco. This just is not the case. Yes, there are wonderful examples of art deco, but calling it the Deco District, while catchy, is misleading at best. I wish we had an art deco neighborhood, some place we could call the Deco District. Alas, we don't.

I'm not advocating "Oil Capitol District", but I think "Deco District" is also the wrong choice. Sometimes it's not just Idea A vs. Idea B, but instead, A, B, C, D, E, F, etc. We shouldn't limit ourselves to just two possibilities. So, that being said, why don't we think of some names together?

Good luck finding cherry trees, or a street called "Cherry" in the Cherry Street area, and while there is a brook in Brookside it's actually called Crow CREEK and it's kinda shoved off to one side and ignored. And where exactly are all those wooded hills in the Woodland Hills area?

[dsjeffries]

Welcome to every city in the United States. 

Please, Floyd, enlighten me. In the 1920s and 30s, Tulsa was the 3rd most densely populated city in the nation, and its population grew faster than any other city in the nation at the time. It was already well-known for its stunning architecture and beauty, and was (at the time) one of the most progressive cities in the nation. Albuquerque, Amarillo, Boise and Paducah can't exactly claim those things.

Back to the point: What are the icons in this yet-to-be-named district? There's much more to it than a smattering of art deco buildings.

[dsjeffries]

Good luck finding cherry trees, or a street called "Cherry" in the Cherry Street area, and while there is a brook in Brookside it's actually called Crow CREEK and it's kinda shoved off to one side and ignored. And where exactly are all those wooded hills in the Woodland Hills area?

Cherry Street: The name "Cherry Street" appeared on the plat for the Orcutt Addition, laid out in 1908. In the late 1910s, city street names were standardized and Cherry Street became an extension of 15th Street.

Brookside: Brook (n): a small stream; synonym for 'creek'.

Woodland Hills area: Hmm, what huge icon sits on several blocks at the northeast corner of 71st & Memorial? Perhaps it's the largest mall in the state of Oklahoma.


No one yet has offered a suggestion for the no-name district.

[waterboy]

It will name itself I believe. No offense to the fledgling effort to build the Art Deco familiarity that Franklin and others are championing. Its a fine thing but its just not downtown. Yes, Conan, we could market it that way and draw people but the content is just not there. Sort of like products "as seen on TV", they usually are well marketed but just don't work, otherwise Proctor and Gamble or J&J would own them.

Once something really different or having great impact makes itself known in the downtown area, the name will attach itself easily.

Anyone watch the Oklahoma City A-Z on Discover Oklahoma last night? It was really good and creatively made OKC look good without pimping what it is not (which is Tulsa). Have to give them credit. We need that kind of marketing and that kind of enthusiasm for growing where we're planted. PLEASE, NO OKC HATER REPLIES!

[Conan71]

No one yet has offered a suggestion for the no-name district.

Deco district.

[dsjeffries]

Deco district.

Conan...

[dsjeffries]

It will name itself I believe. No offense to the fledgling effort to build the Art Deco familiarity that Franklin and others are championing. Its a fine thing but its just not downtown. Yes, Conan, we could market it that way and draw people but the content is just not there. Sort of like products "as seen on TV", they usually are well marketed but just don't work, otherwise Proctor and Gamble or J&J would own them.

Once something really different or having great impact makes itself known in the downtown area, the name will attach itself easily.

Agreed.

[Townsend]

Deco district.

or how about "Jesus Christ"?  That way there'd be a reason to call it a "christmas parade" and the business owners could advertise "have a drink on Jesus Christ".

"Where'd you get that cool sweater?"  "Jesus Christ"

It works in so many ways.