Nearby Neighborhoods and Community Organizations

MIDTOWN shares their interest in urban revitalization with a number of strong residential neighborhoods and community organizations. By sharing their vision for a renewed inner city and creating opportunities for win-win collaborations, MIDTOWN can build strong ties that will provide long term benefits as the district seeks investors, new residents, customers and project supporters.

Neighborhoods

HERITAGE HILLS

Located immediately north of MIDTOWN, Heritage Hills was Oklahoma City’s first Historic Preservation District. The area’s stately homes and mansions were built primarily between 1902 and 1930 in varying architectural styles, including Mission, Georgian Revival, Chateauesque, and Prairie School. Heritage Hills was home to many of Oklahoma City’s pioneers, including Dr. G.A. Nichols. Largely known for developing Nichols Hills, Dr. Nichols was also involved with many other neighborhood developments including Gatewood and Crown Heights. He lived at 1815 N. Hudson Ave.

Robert S. Kerr was another prestigious resident of Heritage Hills. Kerr was elected governor of Oklahoma in 1942. In 1948 he was elected to the United States Senate, a position he held until his death in 1963. Kerr purchased the house at 327 NW 18th Street in 1946.

The Heritage Hills neighborhood association is Historic Preservation, Inc., a strong and very active organization supporting many worthy activities aimed at restoring and preserving the inner city.

MIDTOWN will benefit from maintaining close relationships with residents in Heritage Hills who will be natural candidates for board positions, event participants, and future retail customers.

MESTA PARK

Platted as “University Addition” in 1902 by Anton Classen, Mesta Park features Prairie School homes and Craftsman homes built in the 1910s and 1920s. The curve at the intersection of N.W. 18th St. and Shartel Ave. can be attributed to a streetcar line, the Oklahoma Railway Company, that once served this neighborhood. Streetcars would travel along Shartel Ave., turn onto N.W. 18th St., and then connect with another line that ran along Classen Blvd.

Mesta Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 1994, the neighborhood was designated a Historic Preservation District. This designation preserves buildings that reflect the area’s cultural, social, political, and architectural history.

The Mesta Park Neighborhood Association actively promotes the benefits of living in their neighborhood and hosts numerous events and community activities. Though Mesta Park is farther north than the MIDTOWN area, the participants in the organization share a common interest in inner city living and should be developed as allies and friends wherever possible.

MIDTOWN Redevelopment Corporation finds it beneficial to consciously observe the ways that both Heritage Hills and Mesta Park promote the benefits of living in their communities. As funds allow, MIDTOWN considers supporting the work of these organizations as an event sponsor while receiving increased recognition in this target population. By participating and seeking opportunities for co-sponsored activities, MIDTOWN will become known as an active participant in downtown life.

AUTOMOBILE ALLEY

This early commercial area along Broadway was a popular retail district in the 1920s and home to most of Oklahoma City’s car dealerships. The area declined with the rest of Downtown Oklahoma City in the 1970s and 1980s, but has benefited from a consistent redevelopment effort over the last ten years. Located on MIDTOWN's eastern border, Automobile Alley is a Main Street success story and has transformed numerous automobile showrooms and storefronts into upscale lofts, art galleries, and offices.

Though they are no longer affiliated with the Oklahoma Main Street Program, the leadership and commitment of a number of dedicated individuals sustains the work of this organization. As an organization that actively promotes the benefits of downtown living, the board and volunteers working with Automobile Alley are natural allies who will support the changes MIDTOWN is working to make.

Participating in the highly successful Automobile Alley promotional events and creating opportunities for hosting the organization's leadership at MIDTOWN events can create new connections with individuals supporting downtown revitalization and new opportunities for the future projects of MIDTOWN.

THE DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT

Located south of MIDTOWN in west downtown Oklahoma City, the area now known as the Arts District is home to the Civic Center Music Hall, the new Oklahoma City Museum of Art, the Myriad Gardens, Stage Center for the Performing Arts, the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, and several local theaters.

Like MIDTOWN, a benefit of locating in the Arts District is proximity to the principal cultural attractions in downtown Oklahoma City. The Arts District actively promotes the benefits of its location and its proximity to many upscale condos and apartments. In connection with the level of activity created in the Arts District, there are more condos planned in the near future.

With key leadership from the Oklahoma Museum of Art, the Arts District has done an outstanding job of increasing the demand for downtown arts events. Utilizing e-news promoting all downtown activities and up-to-the-minute communications, the museum has led a successful effort to create “the place to be and be seen” with their dining, exhibition openings, film series and roof-top sunset cocktails. By creating events designed for their target market, the museum maintains a focused but effective outreach effort and engages their audience while promoting their mission and organization.

As MIDTOWN develops new places and activities to engage residents from the surrounding communities, the organization can use a similar approach to create “times” and “places” where urban dwellers “want to be.” An example used by Automobile Alley was regular Friday night gatherings over pizza and beer-hosted by the association, creating relationships, friendships and a sense of community among those associated with the district. Partnerships with Brown’s Bakery or Café do Brazil will find MIDTOWN area residents meeting for coffee on Saturday mornings while sharing news of upcoming MIDTOWN events.

Urban Neighbors

Urban Neighbors. For information about Urban Neighbors, visit their Web site. Click here to go to the Web site for Urban Neighbors.