The Pink Elephant

[Hoss]

No it hasn't....However, Tulsa hosted NCAA tournament games five times, all at the Mabee Center on the campus of Oral Roberts University, between 1974 and 1985.

Yep..guess that's doing your research FAIL...

He might be referring to the Conference USA tourney that was here last year.

[TurismoDreamin]

No it hasn't....However, Tulsa hosted NCAA tournament games five times, all at the Mabee Center on the campus of Oral Roberts University, between 1974 and 1985.

You're right. I was thinking of the Conference USA tournament. I went to it and it wasn't very impressive. I think they usually hold it in Memphis where it does better. Sorry about that...late night brain cells misfired.

[bacjz00]

But after time, you just learn to roll your windows up and make sure air recirculating mode, not fresh air mode, is on.

Unfortunately, our visitors won't be here long enough to "learn" anything.

In talking to a friend on the phone yesterday, it's become quite apparent that Tulsa has never really embraced the idea of creating a city where visitors feel welcome.  Which is not to say that we as Tulsans are not overly friendly and accomodating, just that our city doesn't lend itself well to outsiders.   As kitchy as it sounds, we still don't have a "one-stop shop" area for visitors to go to where they can have their dining, shopping and accomodations in one convenient area.   Granted, most would argue that wouldn't be providing an authentic Tulsa experience to some folks, but let's face it...authentic Tulsa right now is a sprawling mess of poorly planned strip malls and pothole filled, grid-locked surface streets and of course highways as far as the eye can see that lead you to mile after mile of 3BR/ 2BA filled subdivisions.

Tulsa, probably more than any other city I've seen is very keen on making the city a nice place to LIVE, but NOT a nice place to visit.   Look at our major areas for dining & shopping.   Utica Square, Brookside, Cherry Street...how many hotels are there nearby any of those areas?   ZERO.   NIMBY crowd probably wouldn't have it, but you're basically turning your back to gads of visitors who would check in to those kinds of accomodations by the truckload and infuse our city with tax dollars by eating and shopping nearby.  Why do you think Utica Square shuts down every night at 6:00 p.m.??  Because the only people they are targeting are folks who work all day and are with their families at night.

Downtown is slowly changing that, but even there we're heading down a very long winding road to critical mass by developing in all corners of the downtown area instead in one concentrated area.   Sorry to be so negative, but I'm afraid that we've opened up our house way too soon with this NCAA tournament.  Yes we have a bright shiny car in the driveway (see the BOK Center) but I'm terrified of what folks will see when they actually step inside the front door. 

   

[DTowner]

Unfortunately, our visitors won't be here long enough to "learn" anything.

In talking to a friend on the phone yesterday, it's become quite apparent that Tulsa has never really embraced the idea of creating a city where visitors feel welcome.  Which is not to say that we as Tulsans are not overly friendly and accomodating, just that our city doesn't lend itself well to outsiders.   As kitchy as it sounds, we still don't have a "one-stop shop" area for visitors to go to where they can have their dining, shopping and accomodations in one convenient area.   Granted, most would argue that wouldn't be providing an authentic Tulsa experience to some folks, but let's face it...authentic Tulsa right now is a sprawling mess of poorly planned strip malls and pothole filled, grid-locked surface streets and of course highways as far as the eye can see that lead you to mile after mile of 3BR/ 2BA filled subdivisions.

Tulsa, probably more than any other city I've seen is very keen on making the city a nice place to LIVE, but NOT a nice place to visit.   Look at our major areas for dining & shopping.   Utica Square, Brookside, Cherry Street...how many hotels are there nearby any of those areas?   ZERO.   NIMBY crowd probably wouldn't have it, but you're basically turning your back to gads of visitors who would check in to those kinds of accomodations by the truckload and infuse our city with tax dollars by eating and shopping nearby.  Why do you think Utica Square shuts down every night at 6:00 p.m.??  Because the only people they are targeting are folks who work all day and are with their families at night.

Downtown is slowly changing that, but even there we're heading down a very long winding road to critical mass by developing in all corners of the downtown area instead in one concentrated area.   Sorry to be so negative, but I'm afraid that we've opened up our house way too soon with this NCAA tournament.  Yes we have a bright shiny car in the driveway (see the BOK Center) but I'm terrified of what folks will see when they actually step inside the front door. 

   

While those are valid points, I think you are being overly pessimistic towards Tulsa compared to other NCAA cities.  Anyone staying dowtown is well within walking distance of a number of eating/drinking options (and I assume most visitors for the NCAA will stay downtown).  With the shuttles that will be running, even walking will not be necessary. 

To me the one glaring bad optical is the large surface parking lot directly across the street from the BOK - I wish the planned mixed-use development was brand new and open for business.  Oh well, at least all those people who drive down from Kansas to watch KU will have a convenient place to park!

[SXSW]

While those are valid points, I think you are being overly pessimistic towards Tulsa compared to other NCAA cities.  Anyone staying dowtown is well within walking distance of a number of eating/drinking options (and I assume most visitors for the NCAA will stay downtown).  With the shuttles that will be running, even walking will not be necessary. 

To me the one glaring bad optical is the large surface parking lot directly across the street from the BOK - I wish the planned mixed-use development was brand new and open for business.  Oh well, at least all those people who drive down from Kansas to watch KU will have a convenient place to park!

They should put up a big sign at 3rd & Denver with a rendering of the One Place development and Coming Soon.  So visitors know it won't be a parking lot for much longer.

[Conan71]

   As kitchy as it sounds, we still don't have a "one-stop shop" area for visitors to go to where they can have their dining, shopping and accomodations in one convenient area.   Granted, most would argue that wouldn't be providing an authentic Tulsa experience to some folks, but let's face it...authentic Tulsa right now is a sprawling mess of poorly planned strip malls and pothole filled, grid-locked surface streets and of course highways as far as the eye can see that lead you to mile after mile of 3BR/ 2BA filled subdivisions.

Tulsa, probably more than any other city I've seen is very keen on making the city a nice place to LIVE, but NOT a nice place to visit.   Look at our major areas for dining & shopping.   Utica Square, Brookside, Cherry Street...how many hotels are there nearby any of those areas?   ZERO.   

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.

[SXSW]

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.

The long rumored hotel/condo tower on the H&P site at 21st & Utica would serve midtown well and would still be only a mile from the heart of downtown.

[DTowner]

The long rumored hotel/condo tower on the H&P site at 21st & Utica would serve midtown well and would still be only a mile from the heart of downtown.

The Utica Sq./St. John area jumps out as undoubtedly the area most in need of a hotel.  The rumor of a hotel on the old H&P building site has been around a long time, but nothing happens. 

I don't see a big demand for hotel space in Brookside - maybe a boutique hotel, but not a typcial chain size.  Peoria and I44 would be a great location for a hotel, just don't make it look like a castle or let a cult set up shop there....

[Conan71]

The Utica Sq./St. John area jumps out as undoubtedly the area most in need of a hotel.  The rumor of a hotel on the old H&P building site has been around a long time, but nothing happens. 

I don't see a big demand for hotel space in Brookside - maybe a boutique hotel, but not a typcial chain size.  Peoria and I44 would be a great location for a hotel, just don't make it look like a castle or let a cult set up shop there....

Well-played on that last sentence.

Those two locations are further from the epicenter of nightlife, but those hotels can provide shuttles which solves that problem.

[dbacks fan]

I don't see a big demand for hotel space in Brookside - maybe a boutique hotel, but not a typcial chain size.  Peoria and I44 would be a great location for a hotel, just don't make it look like a castle or let a cult set up shop there....

What is the status of the land behind the Food Pyramid at 41st and Peoria, and then there is another parcel behind the Arby's at 42nd and Peoria, that if you could acquire the land that Arby's and the small office building are on could be viable for something small/boutique hotel space in the area.

[DowntownDan]

I've always wondered why Cherry Street and/or Brookside and/or Utica Square have no hotels, while hotels are sprouting up all over the outskirts of town isolated from any activity.  When I travel, I like to stay near things.  If a business travler has a choice to stay at one of those hotels at 91st and 169 surrounded by highway ramps, or a hotel off of Cherry Street, it just makes sense to stay on Cherry Street, if anything, so that you can get a good meal nearby without a taxi.  There has to be something preventing that from happening.  I would agree a hotel on the corner of the BA and Utica would be great.  Easy shuttle to downtown and entertainment for the evenings.  I would hate to have to take a business trip to Tulsa right now.  The only place I would want to stay would be the Hyatt downtown being walking distance to blue dome and brady.

[Townsend]

I've always wondered why Cherry Street and/or Brookside and/or Utica Square have no hotels, while hotels are sprouting up all over the outskirts of town isolated from any activity.  When I travel, I like to stay near things.  If a business travler has a choice to stay at one of those hotels at 91st and 169 surrounded by highway ramps, or a hotel off of Cherry Street, it just makes sense to stay on Cherry Street, if anything, so that you can get a good meal nearby without a taxi.  There has to be something preventing that from happening.  I would agree a hotel on the corner of the BA and Utica would be great.  Easy shuttle to downtown and entertainment for the evenings.  I would hate to have to take a business trip to Tulsa right now.  The only place I would want to stay would be the Hyatt downtown being walking distance to blue dome and brady.

Man, I'm with ya.

31st and Memorial?
I44 and Yale?  (in construction)

[Red Arrow]

If a business travler has a choice to stay at one of those hotels at 91st and 169 surrounded by highway ramps, or a hotel off of Cherry Street, it just makes sense to stay on Cherry Street, if anything, so that you can get a good meal nearby without a taxi.  There has to be something preventing that from happening. 

Rental cars.

[Conan71]

Man, I'm with ya.

31st and Memorial?
I44 and Yale?  (in construction)

31st & Memorial is great if you like Cracker Barrel, McDonald's, Village Idiot, or IHOP.

[SXSW]

The Utica Sq./St. John area jumps out as undoubtedly the area most in need of a hotel.  The rumor of a hotel on the old H&P building site has been around a long time, but nothing happens. 

I don't see a big demand for hotel space in Brookside - maybe a boutique hotel, but not a typcial chain size.  Peoria and I44 would be a great location for a hotel, just don't make it look like a castle or let a cult set up shop there....

In addition to a large highrise hotel next to Utica Square and St John that could also serve Hillcrest, TU and downtown, I think something on the river would be nice for a smaller, second 'boutique' hotel in midtown.  Maybe it could be part of the Crow Creek apartments redevelopment Kaiser is involved in at 31st & Riverside.  A smaller hotel in that area would be next to the river trails, a couple miles south of downtown, and within walking distance of Brookside and Philbrook.