The "this has nothing to do with Tulsa" mega-post

[Laramie]

OKC's 30 story SandRidge Energy Tower to sell for $35.5 million

Sources have told The Oklahoman the tower purchase is tied to House Bill 2840, which calls for the Department of Environmental Quality to sell its building at 707 N Robinson Avenue, and for the agency to move into an unspecified property along with --Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, the Oklahoma Tax Commission, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, the Oklahoma Department of Labor and the Department of Mines.--Oklahoman, Steve Lackmeyer: Monday, May 18, 2020

[Laramie]

BancFirst Tower's external renovation



This will be a beautiful blue structure when the project is finished.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma Skylines



Bartlesville, Oklahoma


Enid, Oklahoma


Oklahoma City, Oklahoma


Tulsa, Oklahoma



Thackerville, Oklahoma

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City ASA Hall of Fame Stadium


Live stream ASA Hall of Fame Stadium construction:  https://youtu.be/DD40KgTFMbc

[heironymouspasparagus]

We got to spend the day in OKC area yesterday and did a small drive through of downtown, and areas south.  SO MUCH stuff going on there!  It has escalated since I quit the daily travel there a couple years ago.

I think I have pinpointed the two most significant things that highlight the differences between OKC and Tulsa and are likely the big reasons there is so much difference between the two.

Del Rancho
Grandy's

OKC has several of each!  Tulsa has none.  OKC is cruising along at high speed.  Tulsa is doing ok, but not as energetic or enthusiatic.   We need the Steak Sandwich Supreme and Grandy's Sinnamon rolls to get some energy back into the area!   We keep focusing on and obsessing about getting a "big win" like Tesla, when we haven't even thought about the critical infrastructure needed as baseline functionality!   If we get a couple of each (at least) we will then have the critical ingredients necessary to fuel our progress well into the century!

[Laramie]

I hear ya, heironymouspasparagus

Del Rancho and Grandy's are two of my favorite places.  I think we're down to 3 Del Ranchos and  3 Grandy's, all three are close to one another.  Those steak sandwiches at Del Rancho and Grandy's killer cinnamon rolls and taste of garlic in their chicken is addictive...

Also, the next time you're in OKC visit Chuck House at 4430 NW 10th Street (east of NW Meridian Avenue) open 7 days a week, Oklahoma City, OK 73107 · 405-942-0852.  They have huge steak sandwiches that almost cover your plate.

Have to limit myself to one visit every two weeks--unless my amnesia kicks in accidentally on purpose.

[Laramie]

If you like BBQ smoked ribs:

Suggest you try these joints:

King's Corner Market 1800 N Martin Luther King Ave, 8 blocks north of Douglass High School

George's Happy Hog Bar-B-Q   712 Culbertson Drive near Oklahoma State Capitol Building and OU Health Science Center.  Also a variety of chopped pork & sliced beef

If you like Fried or steamed Fish:

Cajun King 5816 NW 63rd St, Oklahoma City

Poe Bouyz House 3500 Interstate 35 Service Rd, Oklahoma City,
 Odd looking place near N. E. 36th Street of the I-35

[heironymouspasparagus]

If you like BBQ smoked ribs:


If you like Fried or steamed Fish:

Cajun King 5816 NW 63rd St, Oklahoma City

Poe Bouyz House 3500 Interstate 35 Service Rd, Oklahoma City,
 Odd looking place near N. E. 36th Street of the I-35

I think I have tried King's Corner and George's.   Would have lunch meetings at work...when I had to work...lol.  And would get carry out.   Got it from both of those places I was told,  and it was good!    Got to say, though, we got them beat.   Smokies out in Broken Arrow, and Albert G's in an old gas station on Harvard, Tulsa, both are better. 

Still looking for a good fried catfish place.  The catfish trough in Moore closed a few years ago and haven't found a suitable replacement!   Doesn't Cajun King have one out in Midwest City, too?  If so, have been there and it was great!   (Usually I have to go to Dallas for the Cajun fix.... Pappadeaux.)

Poe Bouyz I have seen a LOT going up and down 35 and always wanted to stop, just never  got the chance!   May have to have another short road trip!   I am planning to build a small office building and the motif will be the 'crooked little man' from the kids fairy tale.   No, not Trump...different crooked little man!   Not just doors and windows, but walls and roof, too.

[Laramie]

Smokies and Albert's G's, I will definitely try them out.  

Plan to visit sometime this year, preferably December to visit the burial site (Memorial Park Cemetery) of Sam Kinison, one of my favorite actors and noise boxes. The dude still cracks me up to this very day.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Smokies and Albert's G's, I will definitely try them out.  

Plan to visit sometime this year, preferably December to visit the burial site (Memorial Park Cemetery) of Sam Kinison, one of my favorite actors and noise boxes. The dude still cracks me up to this very day.

Sam was pretty funny sometimes.  Just one more case of how we take drunk driving so lightly - 1 year of probation for murdering someone with a car...

Side note about Del Rancho;   I visited with the lady taking orders for a while as I waited.  Asked how things were...if they were getting back to anything close to normal.   No, they are not.  She said they have been extremely busy since they closed indoor dining.   As in business is almost double what it was before.  Whew!   Guess they are doing just fine!

[Laramie]

There are businesses holding up with take out orders.  People here seem cautiously optimistic about reopening; many seem to be handling the Covid-19 restrictions well.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City's BancFirst Tower update via OKCTalk.com



Can't wait to see this project once 80% of the glass exterior is installed; very slow process.

[Laramie]

                                       City - 655,057                                                                                                                     Metro - 1,408,950

 
Oklahoma City is now the 25th largest city in the United States, according to the latest annual population estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The new figures show Oklahoma City has moved up six spots in the the population rankings from the 31st spot it occupied in 2010, when the last 10-year census was done.

Oklahoma City's population has grown by more than 12 percent since that time, enabling it to pass Louisville, Memphis, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Portland and Las Vegas in the population rankings.

Oklahoma City now has an estimated 655,057 people.

"To have finally arrived in the top 25 is obviously a major milestone for our city," said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt. "People vote with their feet and your population growth is sort of the ultimate judgment of how well you're doing as a city — whether you're a place where people to desire to live in and work in.

"We've been moving in the right direction for a good two decades now, and it's always nice for us when these numbers come out because it's usually a validation that what we're doing is working. People want to live here and they're moving here."

Every 10 years the U.S. Census Bureau conducts a thorough count of the nation's population. That 2020 census is not yet complete, but the bureau has completed its annual estimates of city populations.

Those estimates, which are as of July 1, 2019, were the numbers released Thursday and they contained some interesting revelations.

For example, they show Edmond has surpassed Lawton to become Oklahoma's fifth largest city.

Edmond now has an estimated 94,054 residents, which is an increase of more than 15 percent over the 81,405 residents reported by the official April 2010 census.

That makes Edmond the fastest growing city in Oklahoma with a population of at least 50,000 and the 108th fastest growing city in the nation in that category.

"That's great news," said Sherry Jordan, president and CEO of the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce. "While that's great news, it's not necessarily surprising given our reputation for great schools and a high quality of life here in Edmond.

"We have shopping, dining — pretty much everything you want to do, you can do here without leaving our city limits. We have a low cost of living and a high quality of life here."

Jordan said Edmond officials remain hopeful the city will pass the 100,000 mark when the the 10-year census count is completed.

Oklahoma City, Norman and Moore have all grown more than 12 percent since 2010, the Census Bureau reported. It listed Norman's updated population as 124,880 and Moore's population as 62,055.

Lawton's population has dropped about 4 percent since 2010 and is currently estimated to be 93,025.

The Census Bureau now lists Tulsa's population as 401,190, up more than 2 percent from 2010, and Broken Arrow's population at 110,198, which was an increase of more than 11 percent during that same time period.

Meanwhile, the state's population has grown from 3,751,351 to 3,956,971, an increase of nearly 5.5 percent.  
Oklahoman, Randy Ellis, May 21, 2020

Pics via OKCTalk.com

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City is the 25th Largest City in the United States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population#Census-designated_places

[heironymouspasparagus]

There are businesses holding up with take out orders.  People here seem cautiously optimistic about reopening; many seem to be handling the Covid-19 restrictions well.

This afternoon, took one of the great grandkids to Captain D's for some shrimp - he loves their grilled shrimp skewers.  I kinda like them too, even though they could use just a touch more seasoning...

Anyway, talked to the kids running the show, asking how their business was doing.  Drive through only.  They said it was very busy most of the day.  Didn't really compare to before shutdown, but got the impression it was at least as good as the dine in.  They are very busy today anyway.

Would not be surprised to see some convert to drive through and take out after all this.  Hasn't hurt some and certainly would cut costs.  One of the Pizza Huts here did that a couple years ago and they still are in business.  Not sure why, cause they are so horrible!