[soonerfever]

This thread is for those of you who have no idea about Oklahoma City. OKC seems to get a bad wrap for its history in the past 20-30 years. All of that has changed. Just take a look. The future is really bright for OKC.

(These are my own personal photos)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1313/1431196420_702d84d48e_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1345/1431196510_5d594c988d_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1011/1434367908_7d8ff5a4ef_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1239/1434367860_f26e492c67_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1134/1433496331_73ce1e1211_o.jpg

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http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1112/1434369832_23787f1100_o.jpg

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http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1391/1430319923_f8c9826b76_o.jpg

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[S.A.]

Those are some great pictures. I really like the last picture with the fireworks.

[KevinFromTexas]

Nice. I really like the lighting scheme for the Chase Tower. Very simple, but it looks good. Photographers in Oklahoma City should capitalize on that! :)

[Major AWACS]

Kevin the colour is changed on that building often, much like the Devon energy sign.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,
Capt-AWACS, Io sono il capo di tutti capi

[Hot Rod]

very good lookin pics, and city!!. Thanks!! :)

[bombermwc]

And notice how much more clear our air is than most of the other cities people make a big fuss about? We breathe clean air in Oklahoma City thank you very much. Nice pretty clear BLUE (not gray) skies.

[KevinFromTexas]

Gray skies have nothing to do with pollution, at least in most American cities. It has more to do with weather, as in clouds. The humidity levels in Oklahoma City are no doubt lower than they are in Houston. So blue skies wouldn't be a surprise.

Other factors contribute to it also. In Austin every May our air fills with smoke and the skies turn a disgusting gray. At real bad times you can actually see it moving through the air and smell it. This is because of agricultural burns down in Mexico. Farmers down there burn off the nuisance vegetation to plant their crops. With the sea breeze moving up from the gulf all that smoke is blown into Texas.

[Major AWACS]

And notice how much more clear our air is than most of the other cities people make a big fuss about? We breathe clean air in Oklahoma City thank you very much. Nice pretty clear BLUE (not gray) skies.

Letscleartheair.org might disagree (and having flown over OKC with a temp inversion about 200 timese over 5 years I'veseen it firsthand). OKC's air is not as good as you make it out to be but most cities in Texas have worse (some due to the things Kevin notes).



Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,
Capt-AWACS, I'm Capt-AWACS and I approved this message

[worthy cook]

are we really having an air quality debate?

[DrewDizzle]

The problem, you see, is that it is in Oklahoma.

[Major AWACS]

True, Oklahoma is not known for bad air and luckily letscleartheair.org in OKC is doing a job. I will land in OKC at 8pm tonight, too late to get a good look at the air but this time of year the views a very nice. High summer is the worst, while in Texas the pollution season is much longer, sadly.


Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,
Capt-AWACS, you've mistaken me with someone who cares ma'am

[shane453]

We certainly have our hazy days. But the flat terrain and steady stream of winds keeps us cleaner than we should be for the amount of auto traffic and industry. So any clean air compared to peers in OKC is due to geographical advantages more than environmentalist precautions.

[Major AWACS]

True, and when I left OKC on the train this morning, the low pressure had brought in slow clouds but clear visibility. It was a good view the whole trip to Fort Worth.

Ciao,
AWACS

[KRH75]

I was just in OKC this past weekend and I was pleasantly surprised by lower bricktown. I know that some forumers can't stand the asthetics of some of the buildings but the infill looks better than big empty lots. I also can't wait until I-40 is moved because that elevated freeway almost shook my car apart.

[Hot Rod]

lol ^, yep I-40 Crunch-town Expressway!!!

[BG918]

Nice pics.

It will be so nice once the I-40 project is finished and the new blvd. constructed. Hopefully that will be in 2012 if we don't see delays. I've seen the plans for the new blvd. and it will be great, 6 lanes but with a landscaped median and heavily landscaped sidewalk areas on each side, plus a lane for parallel parking on each side. The requirement for all development along the new blvd. will be for good urban design i.e. buildings coming straight up to the sidewalk and no curb cuts in between major avenues.

Initial plans for the blvd. as they relate to the Core to Shore project (of which the I-40 relocation is the first part) will be for it to come off of a completely reconfigured I-40/I-35/I-235 interchange just east of Bricktown and come down to grade at the intersection with Oklahoma Ave. That will be a good 'gateway' into the heart of the Bricktown district and will have to be built as such (goodbye U-Haul). Buildings like Harkin's theater and Bass Pro won't have blvd. frontage, which is good! The blvd. will then head west under the tracks all the way to Classen. The new OKC convention center plans on having frontage between Shields and Robinson, a new convention hotel is planned for the corner of the new blvd. and Robinson, a large park is planned for the 8 block area south of the new blvd. from Robinson to Walker down to 7th St., and a mixed-use retail district is planned for the northside of the blvd. across from the park up to Myriad Gardens on Reno. In the latest plans the current convention center is replaced by a new arena for the...Sonics! :D

[Major AWACS]

In the latest plans the current convention center is replaced by a new arena for the...Sonics!

Why? The Ford Center was built NBA and NHL ready.

And would Harkin's not want blvd access? Movie theatres are good things to give access to..

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,
Capt-AWACS, I was told there would be not math

[BG918]

Harkins may want blvd. access but they're not going to get it, their frontage will be on ramp that will come down from I-35/I-235. The first at-grade intersection will be at Oklahoma Ave. a block to the west.

And I agree the Ford Center is fine, but in the world of the NBA it definitely is not. A new arena will have to be built eventually. The Ford Center, while a perfectly functional NBA arena, is just not NICE enough. I've been in their locker rooms and suites and college arenas have better...

IF the Sonics do come to OKC, expect plans for a new arena on the Cox site within the first few years of them being here and expect it to be part of a MAPS-type bond...

[Architect2010]

hmmm, well the ford center is definitely ok enough to support an NBA Team,
and doesnt the city have sum money set aside to upgrade the facility a bit functionally and aesthetically??? Yes I do agree, The Ford Center idnt exactly beautiful or attention grabbing. I really like Tulsa's arena and the new sprint center. Those are great!!! Oh and in the Core To Shore design concepts, there like 5 new skyscrapers!!!

Heres the link to anyone curious about Core To Shore.... Core To Shore...OKC (http://okc.gov/planning/coretoshore/documents/092607Public%20Meeting.pdf)
Id recommend you open and look, has some great renderings and such of the new downtown-river area that is going to be wondeful!!!!!!

[BG918]

This is a really great shot BTW. Now if we could just get more landscaping and trees planted along the river, and add a few more towers to the skyline. I keep hearing rumors about Devon Energy wanting a new tower downtown, hopefully they build something tall.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1185/1431196102_a90af146d5_o.jpg

[Tex1899]

You do realize that you live on the wrong side of the Red River, don't you? :tup:

Nice pics.

[bluedogok]

Well, the Ford Center was meant to be built on a budget, and it was for around $100 million at the same time that others were being built in the $250-350 million range. It also didn't have the debt of an American Airlines Center hanging around its neck and was debt free when it opened. For the money, it is a great building but I expect it to get upgraded and eventually be replaced if the Sonics move there.

Nice pics, some good shots of the building that I did (JDM Place) in there.

[verbl]

That looks great. But I can't help my jealousy, yet another smaller city has a way better skyline than SA! OKC's skyline is very nice indeed

[Top Of The Park]

....and growong skyline. Good pics.

[verbl]

TULSA's skyline is also very nice ps OKC looks like a very clean city as well

[Architect2010]

Well, The Sonics are now OKLAHOMA CITY'S!!!
Clay Bennett announced it today.

Yes^^^ indeed, our skyline is going to start growing soon...

oh and for those of you who havent seen the Core to Shore Development.
I recommend you do, to get an idea of what OKC will look like in 20 years.Core to Shore (http://okc.gov/planning/coretoshore/documents/092607Public%20Meeting.pdf)

Theres 5 new skyscrapers in that plan alone.