Downtown OKC

Finally, a thread at OKCTalk that left me inspired, a bit teary eyed and boasting a heart filled with civic pride.

We're Oklahoma rising,
Brighter than the sun
Stand up and sing about her,
Let the world know who we are
* * *
I'm an Okie and I'm proud
When you call me an Okie
Man, you better say it loud

Doug is right. Great lyrics by hometown boys Vince Gill and Jimmy Webb.

OKC is leaving an indelible mark on those who have passed through our town, only to leave for other destinations.

First, this from OKC Pulse:
I've been living in Texas for over ten months now. And I've learned a lot, as well as realized a few facts of life. But I'll discuss that later.

My wife and I just returned from a trip last weekend (Oct. 13-15) to Oklahoma to visit an ailing relative. I have already been to Oklahoma City once this year over summer (got to see Patrick, Keith and Todd), but even though this return visit was swift, exhausting and under not-so-good circumstances, it was a wonderful weekend. You'll never realize what was a part of you for so long until you feel its absence... in another state.

It's good to see people here on OKCTalk debate, critique and hold high standards for what we want to see happen in OKC. Keep that up, because it's very valuable for Oklahoma. But I also see people here getting frustrated and giving up hope when things go slow or proposals disappear in the wind. When that happens, I go back to what makes OKC mean so much to me to begin with... and why I still proudly proclaim myself to be from Oklahoma City.

To me, it's the magic that Oklahoma City holds... the feeling of home. I found myself doing the things I enjoyed so before I moved. Like going to 7-Eleven on Saturday mornings to grab a paper. Going to Stevie's Bargain Liquor, saying hello to Stevie and grabbing an Oklahoma Gazette along with my case of Molson Ice. I drove by Lake Hefner, remembering the countless warm spring days and summer mornings jogging for four miles while watching the sailboats and bikers drift by. I passed the Ford Center, reminiscing the days of Blazers games, screaming at the top of my lungs watching our team beat the crap out of teams that didn't stand a chance against us.

Then there were those days of hitting Bricktown for Independence Days. I know Bricktown has taken some wrong turns for our standards, but there are things about Bricktown that still make the place fun. I coasted along Lake Hefner, remembering those Saturday afternoon drives my wife and I would take.

In the middle of all the memories, I noticed a change in Oklahoma. People weren't bad-mouthing the state the way I remember. There seemed to be a new pride in our state. This may not be a big deal, but I noticed ODOT now stamps the state shapes into the concrete of Oklahoma's bridges. The new state highway signs are nice. It's a symbol of pride. Like it or not, that's what it is. And I noticed a big difference in Oklahoma and Texas, and that is cohesivesness. Everyone was wearing their OU clothing for the game, and while to some that may be overkill, to a new out-of-stater, you get the feeling that everyone is on the same page. And somehow you want to be a part of it all.

I know we are all frustrated that Oklahoma City hasn't yet seen the high-rise development we all hope for, but I have this sneaking suspicion that our city's big date with huge high-rise developments is not far down the road. Look at Dallas. The city went more than a decade without any new downtown high-rise construction, and today, there are eight new towers under construction in downtown Dallas that didn't happen until after the American Airlines Arena was complete. Most of those new towers appear to be reisdential, but nice developments. It will happen for Oklahoma City. You wait. Just like I new in 1993 that MAPS completely redefine OKC, I know that this will soon come to pass. And it will happen with a vengeance.

And this from a St. Lous resident known as "Y H":
I came to Oklahoma City in 1990 to attend OCU law school (on the recommendation of a cousin from St. Louis who had graduated from there and decided to stay). I was fresh out of college, having just graduated from the University of Missouri at Columbia. I grew up just 30 miles away in Jefferson City, so I really didn't count my four undergrad years as truly living away from home - OKC was indeed my first real experience living on my own. For the first year and a half I had an apartment at Warwick West out on NW Expressway and got to know that part of town quite well. I used to enjoy killing what little free time I had at Penn Square Mall and 50 Penn Place, grocery shopping at Crescent Market and Friday night happy hours at the Varsity with my law school cohorts. On Saturdays my study group would spend 6-8 hours working on our course outlines and then cap the day off with cocktails and dinner at the Metro. This was a Saturday ritual that lasted for over two years. In the spring and early fall when the weather was still warm it wasn't unusual for a group of us to cut out for an extended lunch on the patio at Doc's (which I'm told is now Irma's) or, if we had the rare luxury of time, we'd head out west to Bunny's for an infamous onion fried burger or my personal favorite, the Frito Pie. During the winter we'd warm ourselves at the Split T (R.I.P.) with a bowl of Texas Red and their incredible handcut fries.

At school I was impressed by the diverse background of the faculty. We had a number of professors from the east coast, California, Texas, Florida and Chicago. All of them had chosen to make their homes in Oklahoma City and they all had wonderful things to say about it.

During the second half of my time at law school I lived out in the Stonebridge Cove development right outside of Yukon. Sure, there was a bit more of a commute involved with getting to classes every day but it was worth it. I enjoyed the experience of living in the Bethany-Yukon area and getting to know the people and businesses in that area as well. This was also just about the time when the Blazers came (back) into being. Having grown up a hockey fan, I was ecstatic at the prospect of being able to watch pro hockey at an affordable price. That first season was a really fun time even though the hated Oilers wound up winning the playoff championship. Another business opened up my final year in OKC - a little coffee shop on Western called the Yippee Yi Yo Cafe. That establishment became the official hangout of my circle of law school friends - we'd congregate there in the early morning before classes and often wind up there on weekend nights, especially on "Sinatra Saturdays" when we'd sit out on the front porch with our coffee and cigars (a smug, obnoxious - but well mannered, mind you - bunch we were), listening to Ol' Blue Eyes. Ah, good times.

So, here it is, thirteen years past my departing OKC as a resident and twelve years past my last visit, but yet I still feel tied into the community. Why? For me I just think that Oklahoma City is a terrific place to live. It's extremely affordable; the people are as nice as can be; the city is very clean and there's an abundance of activities to suit just about everyone's interests. It's also a very easy city to navigate; there's lots of diverse and interesting neighborhoods and commercial districts and (as you can certainly divine from my reminiscences above) plenty of great places to eat! Oklahoma City combines Midwestern values, Southern hospitality and a cosmopolitan aura without pretense. It is quite simply a great place to be.

As I've mentioned in a number of other threads in this community, I'm coming "home" for a visit in a couple of weeks and I can't wait. My best friend from law school and I are going to spend the better part of four days revisiting old friends and seeing all that's new from the last dozen years since we last made our pilgrimage. We intend on making it an annual event.

So, for those of you lucky enough to reside in the OKC area, don't get bogged down in what isn't working right now. Focus on your strengths and work up from there. You're living in one of the finest places to be in America as far as I'm concerned - more of the good stuff will come once others get attuned to the OKC vibe. That's why I suggested in another thread that the city make more of an effort to put folks on the payroll who do nothing but focus on two core missions - cultivating potential growth businesses from within and actively recruiting outside businesses to consider OKC as a new home or outpost. It shouldn't be hard to sell OKC once people spend time here. Had I not had preexisiting commitments in St. Louis, I certainly would have liked to have stayed after law school. So for now I'll have to make do with annual visits.