Owen Park Neighborhood - Revival or Destruction?

[izmophonik]

Can anyone give me some opinion/guidance/anecdotes about the Owen Park neighborhood?  My family are thinking about moving there to get into a house with more space.  The problem is not the Gilcrease Museum up the road, the Tulsa Country Club across the street or the beautiful Owen Park...it's the seemingly sketchy neighborhood.  Some houses have been lovingly restored, some are ok, and most have been neglected for some time.  Any thoughts?  We're not in it for the investment rather than quality of life.  Is this neighborhood in the midst of a revival or downswing?

[sgrizzle]

I think someone whose name rhymes with "PICO" might have some insight...

[izmophonik]

Rico....Suuuaavvvee

[waterboy]

I have followed that hood for a couple decades and it has always been described as in revival. But to me it seems in stasis. Its negatives are just about equal to its positives. I love it though and it seems worth the risk. If I were young and childless it would work for me.

[izmophonik]

I like the proximity to the new arena, downtown etc.. but the jail is much closer...ahhh the agony.

[Renaissance]

Yes.  That was dumb.  Coulda been a great stadium spot.  Or great spot for anything other than a huge jail.

[izmophonik]

We're not quite young and childless.  We have four ranging from 5 months to 13 years.  We have a tin can of a house in Swan Lake and we just need space.  I've heard several people say it's worth the risk.  I think some of my hope is clinging to downtown revival maybe boosting this area but maybe I'm really way off base.  I think most folks will say the downtown revival will help Pearl Dist. and Cherry more than the West/North side of downtown.

[jtcrissup]

quote:Originally posted by izmophonik

We're not quite young and childless.  We have four ranging from 5 months to 13 years.  We have a tin can of a house in Swan Lake and we just need space.  I've heard several people say it's worth the risk.  I think some of my hope is clinging to downtown revival maybe boosting this area but maybe I'm really way off base.  I think most folks will say the downtown revival will help Pearl Dist. and Cherry more than the West/North side of downtown.

Thought about Tracy Park?  It is probably closer to upswing potential (i.e. already there but not too expensive yet).  I like the idea of Owne Park and Brady Heights skyrocketing into big property value swings, but I have looked at it with the wife and decided neither are gonna happen anytime soon and we are gonna stay put...we are in the Swan Lake 'hood as well.  You going to the neighborhood meeting this Saturday?

[izmophonik]

Possibly, if it doesn't conflict with the Marquette School "Boots N BBQ" fundraiser.  I've never been to one of those meetings.

[cannon_fodder]

quote:Originally posted by Floyd

Yes.  That was dumb.  Coulda been a great stadium spot.  Or great spot for anything other than a huge jail.

+1

The jails, bail bondsmen, and homeless shelters in the area frightened me away.  I really don't know what impact they have nor how close they are to the home you are looking at, but the proximity was close enough to give me pause. For example, one of the benefits I considered was the ability to walk/bike to the Brady and/or work downtown - but having to pass by the junk turned me off of the idea.

It's like our planners considered the area a wasteland and tried to condemn it to be so.

[jtcrissup]

quote:Originally posted by izmophonik

Possibly, if it doesn't conflict with the Marquette School "Boots N BBQ" fundraiser.  I've never been to one of those meetings.

Don't know about Boots N BBQ, but the neighborhood meeting is from 10-1130 at Marquette's Fletcher Hall.  Doubt they would schedule conflicting events...

[izmophonik]

I agree.  That whole block of North Denver just got shat on by the local govt.  Brady Heights suffers the most too.  I think I might go talk to the local neighborhood assn. or talk with the preservation commission about this.  According to the TPD Crime stats it has no more/no less crime than Swan Lake has.  I was surprised by that.

[waterboy]

Idle questions:

*One wonders if the simple construction of the jail that uses pre-fab type cells would enable it to be dismantled and moved to say...land across from the refinery? Or somewhere else?

*Same with the shelter. Why not just move them to another part of the county and recapture that now valuable land? Would greatly benefit both downtown development and Owen Park area.

*And, although its probably useless, whose idea was it to put it in the current location?

[Samalicious]

quote:Originally posted by izmophonik

Can anyone give me some opinion/guidance/anecdotes about the Owen Park neighborhood?  My family are thinking about moving there to get into a house with more space.  The problem is not the Gilcrease Museum up the road, the Tulsa Country Club across the street or the beautiful Owen Park...it's the seemingly sketchy neighborhood.  Some houses have been lovingly restored, some are ok, and most have been neglected for some time.  Any thoughts?  We're not in it for the investment rather than quality of life.  Is this neighborhood in the midst of a revival or downswing?

[Samalicious]

I have lived in the neighborhood for about 5 years. Quality of residents and upkeep of homes has improved quite a bit, but some properties are are still dicey, mainly because of absentee landlords. Not any more crime than when I used to live at 19th and Cincinatti. The jail and bailbonds places on Denver are pretty gross, I just never go that way and use the two other ways to get to the neighborhood, down Charles Page Blvd or Sand Springs Epwy to Gilcrease Museum Road. Not too many houses for sale, and those that do go up for sale are not on the market for very long. IMO you could do worse.