Ever spend way too much time dreading something only to have it turn out to be completely fine? Or even good? This happened to me last month when I visited Oklahoma City for the first time. My preconceived notions were so wrong. That City has been working really hard at redevelopment. And I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw.
First of all, the Omni hotel where I stayed downtown was well designed, with a great sense of place. Tall vertical landscapes dominated by sky and dramatic clouds lined the hallway leading to my room. A pencil drawing of a buffalo hung in the bathroom, and the gold mirror’s edge looked like rope. Several small open-air shelters lined the side of the rooftop pool bar, each with its own set of comfy seating and a disco ball.
Across the street was sprawling Scissortail Park, with an amphitheater that faces a large grassy lawn, a giant playground, pollinator gardens and ponds, and a cute little lunch spot with shaded outdoor seating.
Next to the hotel is the arena where the Thunder play (that’s basketball for those of you without a sports-obsessed child to fill you in), as well as OKC’s new convention center. It was built after the federal highway department decided to relocate the freeway that previously ran right through downtown, leaving about 800 acres of empty space in its wake.
The convention center too was beautifully done and thoughtfully designed. One of the architects who worked on the project described how they took influence from the area’s history and natural assets. Here in Oklahoma, he said, the sky is our nature. When he showed photographs of a wolf and a fawn next to grey and brown building materials, I suddenly understood the color palette I’d been seeing throughout the convention center and the hotel—and appreciated it all the more.
I ran past Scissortail Park on my way to the river, which had a beautifully paved path next to it. I kept going until I was directly across from the Ferris wheel on the opposite side of the river, which I later learned was the starting point for a housing development and bikeable community known as Wheeler District. The development group that built the community installed a previously-owned Ferris wheel (I swear they said they got it on eBay, but don’t hold me to it) on a former downtown airpark to generate interest in the project before anything was built.
Next they started holding cycling races on the old runways. Meanwhile, they surveyed actual people in the area to find out how they really wanted to live. They asked people where they would move if they could go anywhere. The fact that people named places like Portland helps explain the rainbow houses. Now every Tuesday night there is a bike crit that runs through the community. New homeowners get little cow bells in their welcome packets so they can cheer on the cyclists every week. Talk about establishing a sense of place using what you have.
The other project I learned about and had to go see involved turning the Fred Jones building, formerly used by Ford Motor Company, into a boutique art museum hotel called 21c.
When I mapped the route to walk there, I realized I could walk right through a 15-acre botanical garden that was just across the street and down a block from my hotel.
That place felt like a secret garden full of tiny discoveries…sculptures, a teepee, growing sheep, a huge water-misting sculpture, all tucked in next to tall city buildings.
Koi swam with swans in the pond. Little kids climbed on 3D letters and older kids arrived to skate.
And even though the overall space is large, it felt like so many distinctly different spaces in one. The plantings were native and well developed, in a way that felt very organic.
And then there were these giant sculptures, bold and unexpected after the calm of the garden.
I was shocked by how much this City integrated art at every turn.
Below is the entrance to 21c. It’s part of a series of hotels located across the country, which the owners started because their personal art collection got out of hand. I feel very glad they did.
There was quirky place-appropriate art throughout the large downstairs space, and it was free to walk around and check it out. The woman who approached me and asked me to sign a waiver for taking photos told me that OKC is a like a big small town. Everyone knows each other, she said. I always like the sound of that.
Apparently there’s original art in all the rooms too. This little restaurant looked quite enticing, and out back and to the side I spotted a pool bar. Not sure you can go wrong with that concept.
I found this “Always Onward” slogan interesting. It has a hint of the underdog in it, I think. Combined with a strong resolve. The folks in OKC seem to have their fair share. From what I saw, they’re moving forward in really nice ways.
