Tulsa approaches 1 million

[pfox]

Tulsa approaches 1 million

Not that this is news, but a quote in the article made me spit coffee all over my screen.

quote: We're busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger or a cranberry merchant the day before Thanksgiving," said Dorsey, the sales manager of Concept-Builders.

The Sand Springs company has never been busier in its 30 years, but the growth is mostly outside of Tulsa in towns such as Broken Arrow, Skiatook and as far as Verdigris.

"It's the green-acre syndrome," Dorsey said. "Everyone is wanting a little piece of America. They're tired of living in midtown Tulsa with the police sirens and helicopters."

Is he serious?

[TheArtist]

You know, We on here know how great living in a urban, walkable, mixed use, close knit "urban village" environment can be.  When areas are done that way they are quite desirable.  

A.  We should definitely do more to educate people and promote that attitude.

B.  Make sure that downtown and mid-town developers know what they are up against.  They need to be on the same bandwagon to help mid-town have good examples of those "urban villages".  

We are competing with those developers who build those homes in the suburbs.  They of course are going to be out there selling the green acres idea, and extolling the misery of living in mid-town. So we need to be out there doing the opposite.  

They are selling one dream, we should be selling ours as well.

I know in one fashion we are selling to different demographics.  But unfortunately perception plays a biiig part in peoples descisions as well. Mid-town, urban villages, can be just as wonderful to a young family raising children as the suburbs can. If not more so.

We keep hearing so many examples of this attitude, (that preacher on the radio the other dayfor example) and I am tired of hearing it. Lets get OUR view out there.

I ran across the term "Urban Village" on a website from Seattle I think.   I liked the term.  It seemed to sum up what we are promoting in a desirable way. Brookside, the Utica Square area, Cherry Street, The Pearl District, Brady, etc. are all nascent examples of Urban Villages.  Close knit communities with unique identities, wakable, mixed use, enjoyable to live in and near.  Urban Villages, has a nice ring to it and sums up the idea nicely.  I think that should be a key phrase for us to use in our conversations and educational/promotional material.

[tulsa1603]

quote:Originally posted by pfox

Tulsa approaches 1 million

Not that this is news, but a quote in the article made me spit coffee all over my screen.

quote: We're busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger or a cranberry merchant the day before Thanksgiving," said Dorsey, the sales manager of Concept-Builders.

The Sand Springs company has never been busier in its 30 years, but the growth is mostly outside of Tulsa in towns such as Broken Arrow, Skiatook and as far as Verdigris.

"It's the green-acre syndrome," Dorsey said. "Everyone is wanting a little piece of America. They're tired of living in midtown Tulsa with the police sirens and helicopters."

Is he serious?

Probably.  That is probably my only complaint about living in midtown - noise.  It's never truly peaceful.  Police helicopters, life flight helicopters, those damn motorcycles on Peoria, and sirens of all sorts.  But the tradeoff is worth it to be in the heart of town where there are actually things to do.  I think most people are moving outside of Tulsa for the percieved value - you can get more house (size) for you money.  But the level of appreciation is laughable, the commute is not enojoyable, and the communities lack character and style.

[pfox]

I will admit, those motorcylces are obnoxious.  Ironically, most of them are driven by people who live in the suburbs.

[Double A]

quote:Originally posted by tulsa1603

quote:Originally posted by pfox

Tulsa approaches 1 million

Not that this is news, but a quote in the article made me spit coffee all over my screen.

quote: We're busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger or a cranberry merchant the day before Thanksgiving," said Dorsey, the sales manager of Concept-Builders.

The Sand Springs company has never been busier in its 30 years, but the growth is mostly outside of Tulsa in towns such as Broken Arrow, Skiatook and as far as Verdigris.

"It's the green-acre syndrome," Dorsey said. "Everyone is wanting a little piece of America. They're tired of living in midtown Tulsa with the police sirens and helicopters."

Is he serious?

Probably.  That is probably my only complaint about living in midtown - noise.  It's never truly peaceful.  Police helicopters, life flight helicopters, those damn motorcycles on Peoria, and sirens of all sorts.  But the tradeoff is worth it to be in the heart of town where there are actually things to do.  I think most people are moving outside of Tulsa for the percieved value - you can get more house (size) for you money.  But the level of appreciation is laughable, the commute is not enojoyable, and the communities lack character and style.

Some friends and long time residents moved out of their apartment next to the B.A. out to a house in Coweta. They were back in their apartment in less than a week. They couldn't sleep, it was too quiet. I love living in the city.

[jdb]

I miss the trains.

Neighbors still smile and wave so they must not hate my motorcycle too much.

Anyone ever known a one-armed paper hanger?
jdb

[tulsascoot]

nobody hates my scooter...I think

[TheArtist]

Why are some of those motorcycles so loud?  I know they can make them quiet, I have seen quite ones.  Does it cost too much to make them quiet? Is it just the cheap or old ones that are louder or what?

[AVERAGE JOE]

quote:Originally posted by TheArtist

Why are some of those motorcycles so loud?  I know they can make them quiet, I have seen quite ones.  Does it cost too much to make them quiet? Is it just the cheap or old ones that are louder or what?

On the contrary, some of these posers spend extra money to make them louder.

I couldn't live in the country. I appreciate rural America and enjoy spending time there, but you couldn't pay me to live there. And the suburbs... forget it. I ain't living in Beigeville, USA.

What I see as a problem in Tulsa is that we're so hesitant about doing something all-the-way urban, that we always stop short of what would really make a place work on an urban level. We always end up putting in too much parking or too much landscaping or too many curb cuts and never enough functional sidewalk. So we end up with this middle ground which never quite works right. If we'd get over our fears and go all-out urban in the right places, those places would be better for it.

There's a reason why 70% only gets you a C in school.

[tulsa1603]

quote:Originally posted by TheArtist

Why are some of those motorcycles so loud?  I know they can make them quiet, I have seen quite ones.  Does it cost too much to make them quiet? Is it just the cheap or old ones that are louder or what?

Ditto what Average Joe said.  It actually costs MORE for them to be that loud.  I've never understood it, either.

[cannon_fodder]

I was planning on getting one of those giant antimufflers for my Nissan so it sounds like an underpowered race car.  Then lower it such that I cannot pull into most driveways.  Also I want to add a fin that is way to large but at a ridiculously thin angle and would serve no purpose at any speed.  Finally, I need to spend twice the cost of the vehicle on some wheels and some graphix with a huge sticker in the window to tell people I drive a Nissan.  If I have any money left over I might actually make it so my car runs correctly.  After that, its ritual suicide in the back seat because I would be so cool I'm not really mortal anyway.

[jdb]

"I've never understood it, either."

Obviously you don't ride two wheels, year round, as your sole means of transpo.

Cages pull out in front of me every day.
I've been running them down right afterwards for a year+ now.

"Oh I didn't see you...."
"I didn't hear you..."
"I was talking on the phone..."

I ponied up, under protest, and fit some D&D pipes on my sled and now that I can be heard over stereo's and cell phone conversations, the daily number of "event's" have been cut in half, maybe.

Sure, my pipes rumble through the walls of people's home's, but when they stop pulling out in front of me, or simply pay more attention to the road then their phone conversation, I will gladly re-fit my stock pipes.

A short moment of rumble vs. the end of my life or my ride?

Simply, Loud Pipes Saves Lifes.

[TheArtist]

quote:Originally posted by jdb

"I've never understood it, either."

Obviously you don't ride two wheels, year round, as your sole means of transpo.

Cages pull out in front of me every day.
I've been running them down right afterwards for a year+ now.

"Oh I didn't see you...."
"I didn't hear you..."
"I was talking on the phone..."

I ponied up, under protest, and fit some D&D pipes on my sled and now that I can be heard over stereo's and cell phone conversations, the daily number of "event's" have been cut in half, maybe.

Sure, my pipes rumble through the walls of people's home's, but when they stop pulling out in front of me, or simply pay more attention to the road then their phone conversation, I will gladly re-fit my stock pipes.

A short moment of rumble vs. the end of my life or my ride?

Simply, Loud Pipes Saves Lifes.

Oh now thats nice.  Purposefully be a nuisance to everyone because a few people don't see you.   I wonder what I could attach to my bike to make sure people know I am around?  Oh, wait a minute, I KNOW I am smaller and thus not as likely to be seen as a semi, so I am AWARE that I must ride accordingly, looking out for those who may not see me.  Heaven forbid you driving around having to put all that effort into paying attention and looking out for yourself. Its so unfair and apparently, completely suprising that they arent as likely to see you as a Hummer. I mean goodness is it really more difficult for you to be aware of one of those BIIIG cars that might pull out in FRONT of you? Perhaps they need to, I don't know, automatically shoot off a flare before they pull out so that you will know they are there?  Simply put  "Flares save lives"

People don't pull out in front of me when I am driving my car, rarely anyway. And I am sure they are on the phone and listening to loud music just as much as they are when you are around. why is it they seem to pull out in front of you so often?  Does size perhaps have SOMETHING to do with it?

So if its at all plausible that its because your smaller and less likely to be seen than a car.  Wouldnt it be wise to understand that, and drive accordingly?

Option 1... Drive more carefully, looking out knowing that others are less likely to see you.

Option 2... Drive like you would in a car, but be super loud and annoy everyone, even those that do notice you and or aren't even driving at all.  

Its your choice, just as it is for all those other people who don't choose to drive super loud motorcycles, bikes, vespas, tiny cars, etc.

But remember this, if someone steals from someone, they don't then have much ground to stand on to complain if someone steals from them.  If you were to hit me and I reach my hand up to hit you back, you couldnt then reasonably holler, "No! its wrong to hit people."  If you have chosen to be rude and treat EVERYONE else like crap with your loud vehicle, you then have no reason to complain when others treat you poorly. I never pulled out in front of you, so if you treat me like sh@t, its purely up to my good graces as to whether I treat you with any respect.  If I or anyone else treats you like crap, remember, you have chosen to do that to others, so you have no right to then complain, without being a hypocrite.