Intern Gig In Tulsa this Summer

[txsooner803]

Hello Tulsa Now,
I am an OU student who just accepted an internship offer with a bank in Tulsa. I am looking forward to coming to your fine city this summer. I was wondering a few things. Does anyone know where a can get a cheap place to live with only a three month lease, preferably furnished (I REALLY don't want to move up all my furniture)? Also, what are some of the neat things to do in Tulsa for a college aged student with a little disposable income for a change[]?

I guess I'll give a little info about myself. I was born in OKC, moved to Plano, TX were I spent most of my life and am now back in OK, hence the screename txsooner. My academic background is in both petroleum and finance. I interned in the land department of  a major oil company in Houston last summer. Great job, AWFUL city[xx(]. So I am really looking forward to being in a place where I won't have to spend 90 minutes driving 17 miles!

[Dana431]

Welcome!

[inteller]

College Park partments off 10th street do that.  You get to enjoy swanky 70s Mod decor and a decent view to boot.

hopefully by the time you get here most of the street construction madness will be done.

as far as things to do, there is an adult theater at 4th/Elgin then you can walk up the street and get drunk at one of the many watering holes, then head down to the Hive to get shot or beat by a homeless person.

[TheArtist]

I think we should all track down inteller, dress like homeless people, and then beat him.

Oh and welcome to Tulsa txsooner803. What kinds of things do you like to do? There is a little bit of everything here for everyone. What months in the summer? There are different events that go on during different parts of the year. Perhaps you will hit D-Fest.

[cannon_fodder]

Out of curiosity, what bank (PM me, or just ignore me if you prefer)?

Do you want a roommate or are you determined to fly solo?  I might be able to find a friend that wouldn't mind a roommate for a summer, at least I could check.  

As for what to do... all the standard stuff I suppose.  All things you can do for free or on the cheap:

- If you are in to the bar scene find a place near Brookside (Peoria between 31st and 41st) or one of the downtown districts so you can stagger home (Brady, Blue Dome, or Boston's).
- There are a good number of lakes nearby if you have a boat (else meet someone with one, or PM me and I'll take you out fishing or on my little Hobie sometime - but I can't ever find any fish and I suck at Sailing), or a float down the Illinois river some weekend.  
- Hiking trails and camping of course.  Plenty of shows drift in to town; Broadway, concerts, ballet, or otherwise.  Summer is kind of a down time for sports really (yes, there is baseball but...)
- Museums are a good way to kill some time (free at many for students)
- Catch Mayfest and The Blue Dome arts festival
- Dfest is a mini-version of SXSW (it is actually a gathering and learning experience for musicians that happens to also be a greats how)
- Go to the center of the universe

There is plenty to do, it just depends on what you are looking for I suppose.

and welcome to Tulsa Now!

[guido911]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Out of curiosity, what bank (PM me, or just ignore me if you prefer)?

Do you want a roommate or are you determined to fly solo?  I might be able to find a friend that wouldn't mind a roommate for a summer, at least I could check.  

As for what to do... all the standard stuff I suppose.  All things you can do for free or on the cheap:

- If you are in to the bar scene find a place near Brookside (Peoria between 31st and 41st) or one of the downtown districts so you can stagger home (Brady, Blue Dome, or Boston's).
- There are a good number of lakes nearby if you have a boat (else meet someone with one, or PM me and I'll take you out fishing or on my little Hobie sometime - but I can't ever find any fish and I suck at Sailing), or a float down the Illinois river some weekend.  
- Hiking trails and camping of course.  Plenty of shows drift in to town; Broadway, concerts, ballet, or otherwise.  Summer is kind of a down time for sports really (yes, there is baseball but...)
- Museums are a good way to kill some time (free at many for students)
- Catch Mayfest and The Blue Dome arts festival
- Dfest is a mini-version of SXSW (it is actually a gathering and learning experience for musicians that happens to also be a greats how)
- Go to the center of the universe

There is plenty to do, it just depends on what you are looking for I suppose.

and welcome to Tulsa Now!

Just stay away from mid-town (especialy the Ranch Acres area). I hear there is a bad element.  If I were you, I would move to south Tulsa--near 101st and Memorial.

[cannon_fodder]

Bah!  Now your just being mean.  [!]  Sure there are some bad elements (::raises hand sheepishly:, but then again people like my wife live in Ranch Acres.  Plus, we got The Colony.

There is a long running debate between people in the city and people in the suburbs (or suburban parts of the city).  You REALLY don't want to get involved.  Well, not yet anyway.  []

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by guido911
[brJust stay away from mid-town (especialy the Ranch Acres area). I hear there is a bad element.  If I were you, I would move to south Tulsa--near 101st and Memorial.

when he locates permanently that's not a bad idea.

[joiei]

If you want to repeat one of those horrible commutes through terrible bumper to bumper traffic then look for someplace to live in the southern suburbs of Tulsa,  If you want to be able to maybe ride your bike to work then close in Midtown is the place to look.  PLus, you would be closer to most of the college age hangouts in town.  Down south, it is all a bunch of married wannabes.  

Mostly joking.  BUt bring your bike,  the are reworking the riverside trails and there is turkey mountain.  Plus you can go rock climbing in Chandler park over on the west bank.  Hiking in the ancient forest out by Keystone lake.  The museums, Gilcrease and Philbrook are outstanding.  For cool indie and foreign movies, you have two choices, The Circle Cinema and Southroads AMC.  Gardiners is a great used bookstore.  There is some decent dining that doesn't require a bank loan.  

Welcome to Tulsa.

[inteller]

Give me a ****ing break.  There is no comparison to commutes in Tulsa and Houston.  If I drove 90 minutes here I could be in OKC or Northwest Arkansas.

Married wannabes?  pancakes?  That doesn't even make any sense.

[guido911]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Bah!  Now your just being mean.  [!]  Sure there are some bad elements (::raises hand sheepishly:, but then again people like my wife live in Ranch Acres.  Plus, we got The Colony.

Just kidding.....I just took a shot that you were a ranch acres denizen

[txsooner803]

Wow, thanks for all of the responses! I wasn't really thinking I would get this many. As for the bank I'm working for, I don't want to say their name just because you know never know who's googling you, but I will say they are putting their name up on a new event center in Bixby, if you get my drift. I'm pretty sure I'll be working in their headquarters off 18th street. Because I'm already having a somewhat bad experience with a roomate here in Norman, I would like to "fly solo" just at least for this summer while I can actually afford it. I'll be here in Tulsa from the last week in May to the first week in August? Is this when Dfest and Mayfest are going on? Oh, and as far as the bar scene is concerned, I'm really not interested in getting slammed every night. I got that out of my system when I turned 21. I just want to go to a nice litttle bar where I won't break the bank. I've heard Brookside is very similar to Campus Corner here in Norman. Is that true?

As far as a place to live, I was actually looking at living with a friend of mine in Broken Arrow. No the traffic here doesn't compare to Houston at all, but considering what gas prices will be this summer I wouldn't mind living a litle closer to work.

Sorry if I'm bombarding you all with questions, but I wouldn like to know as much as I posibly can about the area. I was in Tulsa for this past January and I must say I was quite impressed with the city.

[perspicuity85]

txsooner803,

I'm 23 years old, and I find Broken Arrow to be perhaps the lamest place on earth.  I grew up in Southeast Tulsa, on the Tulsa/Broken Arrow line, so I can tell you from experience.

I'm in college now myself, sticking around a little bit longer than originally planned due to the fact that I switched majors during my junior year, and decided to double major in my senior year.  My two best friends are from Midtown, so our places to go out are usually the Blue Dome, Cherry St, or Brookside areas.  Also there are a couple of places around 18th/Boston Ave, that are pretty cool- this part of town is called "Uptown."  There is also The Brady District, which contains two of Tulsa's most famous concert venues: the Brady Theatre and Cain's Ballroom.  I personally would absolutely recommend The Brook, Brookside's signature night spot.  It's not too expensive, and has a relaxed yet vibrant atmosphere on the weekends.  If I were living in Tulsa for the Summer, I would try to find a rent house in the Brookside area.  Some of these houses are very expensive, and others are not at all.  The price difference does not necessarily correspond to the quality of the house.  The three month lease may be hard to come by.

As a college-aged student who also has little disposable income- here are my recommendations, as well as a list of my favorite places in T-town:

Check the Urban Tulsa Weekly for bar specials- you can find this newspaper at most restaurants/bars in Midtown.

Go to The Brook/Brookside.  Besides The Brook, there is a place simply called Brookside Bar that has ridiculously cheap Blue Moon on tap.

Check out Tulsa Driller's games on $1 beer night and 25 cent hot dog night. They are a minor league baseball team that plays at 15th/Yale Ave.

Go to DFest: last year's was headlined by a great Flaming Lips concert.  DFest is a downtown concert festival in which city blocks are blocked off and you can walk to different live music locations all around, going on at the same time.

Go to MayFest: A good excuse to walk around with an open container.  Mayfest has live music and many art displays.  I don't find it nearly as fun as DFest, but it depends on your interests.  DFest certainly has a more of a college-aged feel, although Mayfest is still worth attending.

Cain's Ballroom: Considered one of the top concert venues in the country.  You can check http://edgetulsa.com/events/concerts.shtml for a good list of local concerts at Cain's and other area venues.

For the shopping experience- try Woodland Hills Mall or Utica Square for the most trendy stores, and also try Chrome Clothing Co. on Cherry St.  There is another mall in Midtown: Tulsa Promenade, that is okay, but not very nice for north Dallas standards.  Brookside and Cherry St. also have some unique stores.  You will find that the shopping in Tulsa is actually more upscale than OKC.  I can't afford most of the stuff, but it's nice to know it's there.

Coffee, etc: Starbuck's has pretty much invaded the city, but there are also some great local places including Shades of Brown on Brookside and DoubleShot at 18th/Boston (Uptown).

Movies: 3 mega-plexes: AMC 20, Cinemark, and Dickinson StarWorld.  Also, check out the Circle Cinema in Midtown if you're into Indie films.

Parks/Outdoors: Lafortune Park and Woodward Parks are my favorites.  I like to take kung pao chicken from Fortune Chef (31st and Yale) to Woodward Park and hang out/play catch, etc. One of my best friends lives in the neighborhood adjacent to Woodward Park, so it's an ideal place for us to hang out on a Saturday afternoon.  If you like running/cycling, RiverParks has the best trails.  

The best hamburgers: Claud's on Brookside, and Ron's, which is a local chain.  These places are great when I feel like giving myself a heart attack.  Also, I can't forget Goldie's (small local chain).  Goldie's is kind of a Tulsa tradition.

Coney Islander: this is also a Tulsa tradition.  It's the best coney I've ever had- although I have to eat about five of them to fill up.  There's locations all around the city.  Highly recommended if you're looking for some excellent unhealthy food.

Pizza: The Hideaway (Cherry St. as well as a couple of South Tulsa locations) has just about every type of pizza you could ever want.  Also try Mario's NY Style Pizza on 51st/Harvard.

If you like sushi, try Fuji or In the Raw- both on Brookside.  I'm no sushi expert, so if they're not authentic I'm sorry.  My sushi taste is admittedly largely Americanized.

Best Mexican/Latin American:  I like El Tequila at 81st and Memorial, and Casa Laredo, 51st and Sheridan.  Casa Laredo is owned by a native Argentinean, which gives it a little different flavor.  You might also try El Guapo in Downtown's Blue Dome District, I've never tried the food, but it does have a rooftop bar that features an outstanding view of the skyline.  El Guapo also has 40 different kinds of tequila.

Asian food: Fortune Chef on 31st/Yale has outstanding take-out.  Also try Ri Le on 91st/Yale for Vietnamese food.

BBQ: Elmer's, Albert G's, and Billy Ray's are the best in town.

Date restaurant: Tucci's on Cherry St.  My girlfriend was thoroughly impressed with the food and exceptional service.  Also try The Chalkboard in the Uptown area.  Tucci's is much less expensive than The Chalkboard in my experience.  For a bar date, try the Continental, which is right next door to McNellie's.  The Continental (smoke free) is a little pricy for me, but I really enjoy the atmosphere- live jazz and blues music.  El Guapo (Blue Dome dis.) could also be a potential date bar; the rooftop view of the skyline makes for a good atmosphere.

Best place for different kinds of beer: McNellie's, in Downtown's Blue Dome District.  They have every beer you could ever imagine.  My dad's company takes business execs. from Chicago to McNellie's and they are always very impressed.

Random stuff to do: I have no idea what your interests are, but I have a very nerdy deep appreciation for architecture- which is perfectly served in Tulsa.  If I'm completely bored on a Saturday afternoon, I might talk my friends or my sister into taking a walk around downtown and looking at all of the Art Deco.  The Atlas Grill is a cool place to eat in the Atlas Life Building- one of Tulsa's most famous Art Deco buildings.  Also, I have a great time just driving/walking around all of the mansions south of Utica Square.  There's some really cool luxury homes around Midtown that might remind you of Highland Park.  You could also try the Zoo, Aquarium, or Air & Space Museum if you're into that sort of stuff.  Some people outgrow that stuff and some don't.

If you get homesick, drive on 71st Street.  71st looks like a street in a north Dallas suburb, and has all of the same chain places.  My friends from Dallas also eat at Whataburger religiously at 2 a.m. on Friday nights, so if you're one of those you can take comfort in the fact that there is a Whataburger one block north of Cherry St. that is open 24 hrs.

That's about all I can think of for now.  In Tulsa, you really have to know where to go.  It's one of those cities that can come off as extremely cool or incredibly lame depending on where you go and who you talk to.

[dsjeffries]

quote:Originally posted by perspicuity85
The best hamburgers: Claud's on Brookside, and Ron's, which is a local chain.  These places are great when I feel like giving myself a heart attack.  Also, I can't forget Goldie's (small local chain).  Goldie's is kind of a Tulsa tradition.

I'd replace Ron's with Weber's... Other than that, that's a great list.  Yet it proves that we really need to work on some kind of comprehensive guide.  While we need one for downtown, as was brought up at the AM, I think we also need one for the whole community.  We can't rely on the Chamber to do their job for us [].

[just_like_new]

Like perspicuity85 I am a college student, temporarily out of town for school, but returning for summer.  The is so much to do in Tulsa.  

A couple of things that haven't been mentioned yet:  

-If you are worried about gas, the bus is surprisingly do-able depending on where you live.  This is especially true if you are working downtown.  I rode the bus to work and back about half the time last summer.  You can get a month long pass and it is way cheaper than gas.  

-These two may have been mentioned, but McNellie's is a great downtown pub-style bar/restraunt.  It is pretty low key, but a great crowd of young professionals.  They have a 3 dollar burger night every Wednesday.  There is usually a crowd.  Also, El Guapo's (owned by the same guy) is across the intersection and has fabulous margaritas and roof-top dining to enjoy them from.  

-I also really like Blue Dome Diner for a downtown lunch.  They make almost everything from scratch (but don't get the oddly sweet gravy).  

-Enjoy Tulsa!  Welcome.