Striking it rich in city of surprises
By Hillary Speed |
March 23, 2013, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AS an Oklahoma transplant - a native New Englander who moved here for love - I've had fun getting to know the Sooner State. I also host the occasional out-of-town visitor, so I'm always on the hunt for colorful history, interesting art, quirky shopping and a great meal. I have found it all, plus some surprises, in Oklahoma's second-largest city: Tulsa.
Tulsa was initially occupied by Native American tribes forced to relocate here from their home territories by the Indian Removal Act of 1830. But the modern city was built from oil money in the early 20th century. There was already a railroad station here serving the cattle industry when oil was discovered in nearby Red Fork in 1901, so Tulsa became the logical place for oilmen - from tycoons to middlemen to so-called wildcatters looking for the next big well - to settle.
What you find here now is an eclectic mix of new and old: artsy hangouts that show off Tulsa's thriving hipster culture as well as well-preserved historic gems that harken back to the oil boom of the early 1900s. As somebody who seeks out both highbrow art and underground subculture, I love this about Tulsa.
Downtown architecture
Downtown Tulsa can seem quiet and a little rugged. But if you know where to go and you practice the art of looking up at the buildings instead of down at your feet, you'll find a great display of Art Deco architecture and other turn-of-the-century styles.
Tulsa was a "young city ... experiencing unprecedented growth and prosperity in the Roaring Twenties, just as the Art Deco movement came into vogue," according to the Tulsa Preservation Commission's website. "Flush with oil money, prominent Tulsans started building the skyscrapers that would spur one of the pre-eminent Art Deco collections in the United States."
The most striking example of Tulsa's Art Deco treasures might be the Boston Avenue Methodist Church, 1301 Boston Avenue S. You can't miss its 79-meter tower at the city's southeastern edge. Somehow the building, erected in 1929, manages to look like a church and a skyscraper all at once.
Straight down Boston Avenue from the church sits another beauty: the Philtower Building, 427 Boston Avenue S., which was commissioned by prominent oilman Waite Phillips and opened in 1928. Look for the gargoyles above the Boston Avenue entrance, and look way up to see the colorful tiled roof, a splash of strange, lovably outdated hues that floats above the city.
Also worth a look are the Atlas Life Building, 415 Boston Avenue S.; the Mayo Hotel, 115 Fifth Street W.; and the Philcade building, 509 Boston Avenue S.
For more information, visit www.tulsapreservationcommission.org.
In search of fine art
Tulsa also boasts two wonderful major art museums.
Ten minutes northwest from downtown, Gilcrease Museum, 1400 Gilcrease Museum Road N., houses an expansive collection of art from the American West and an array of Native American artifacts, such as glass-beaded moccasins, feather headdresses and leather clothing.
Grown out of the private collection of Tulsa oilman Thomas Gilcrease, the museum is home to more than 10,000 paintings, prints and sculptures from American artists such as Frederic Remington and Thomas Moran.
Meanwhile, 10 minutes south of downtown, the Philbrook Museum of Art, 2727 Rockford Road S., houses an equally magnificent collection in what was once the 72-room private villa of Waite Phillips' family. Perhaps even more impressive than the fine artwork displayed at this renowned Tulsa attraction is the sprawling 9-hectare garden behind the museum.
Shopping, music and food
The shopping in Tulsa, like everything else, can be fancy or casual. I always like to browse through the luxury home-goods store TA Lorton, 1343 15th Street E., on a bustling street known locally as Cherry Street.
For a store with lower prices and an edgier flair, I recommend Dwelling Spaces, 119 Detroit Avenue S., in the Blue Dome District, a small but bustling corner of downtown that attracts artists and others with a bohemian bent.
Dwelling Spaces sells quirky handmade items such as T-shirts, decorative pillows and posters that tend to feature offbeat local designs.
My favorite casual spot for eating is El Rio Verde, 38 Trenton Avenue N., an authentic Mexican restaurant in the otherwise unassuming region northeast of downtown. Must-try items include the wet burrito and a glass of horchata (a traditional rice drink).
For higher-end fare, I've been blown away by the new but amazing Juniper Restaurant and Martini Lounge downtown, 324 Third Street E. Chef Justin Thompson is getting a lot of buzz for his local-focused, seasonal menus featuring items such as bison burgers and pork belly eggs benedict.
The historic Cain's Ballroom, built in 1924 and known as the regular performing venue of Bob Wills, the "King of Western Swing," now draws a steady stream of big acts, 423 Main Street N.
The Brady Theater, likewise, has been around since the early 1900s - 105 Brady Street W. - and continues to draw the hottest performers.
Tulsa was initially occupied by Native American tribes forced to relocate here from their home territories by the Indian Removal Act of 1830. But the modern city was built from oil money in the early 20th century. There was already a railroad station here serving the cattle industry when oil was discovered in nearby Red Fork in 1901, so Tulsa became the logical place for oilmen - from tycoons to middlemen to so-called wildcatters looking for the next big well - to settle.
What you find here now is an eclectic mix of new and old: artsy hangouts that show off Tulsa's thriving hipster culture as well as well-preserved historic gems that harken back to the oil boom of the early 1900s. As somebody who seeks out both highbrow art and underground subculture, I love this about Tulsa.
Downtown architecture
Downtown Tulsa can seem quiet and a little rugged. But if you know where to go and you practice the art of looking up at the buildings instead of down at your feet, you'll find a great display of Art Deco architecture and other turn-of-the-century styles.
Tulsa was a "young city ... experiencing unprecedented growth and prosperity in the Roaring Twenties, just as the Art Deco movement came into vogue," according to the Tulsa Preservation Commission's website. "Flush with oil money, prominent Tulsans started building the skyscrapers that would spur one of the pre-eminent Art Deco collections in the United States."
The most striking example of Tulsa's Art Deco treasures might be the Boston Avenue Methodist Church, 1301 Boston Avenue S. You can't miss its 79-meter tower at the city's southeastern edge. Somehow the building, erected in 1929, manages to look like a church and a skyscraper all at once.
Straight down Boston Avenue from the church sits another beauty: the Philtower Building, 427 Boston Avenue S., which was commissioned by prominent oilman Waite Phillips and opened in 1928. Look for the gargoyles above the Boston Avenue entrance, and look way up to see the colorful tiled roof, a splash of strange, lovably outdated hues that floats above the city.
Also worth a look are the Atlas Life Building, 415 Boston Avenue S.; the Mayo Hotel, 115 Fifth Street W.; and the Philcade building, 509 Boston Avenue S.
For more information, visit www.tulsapreservationcommission.org.
In search of fine art
Tulsa also boasts two wonderful major art museums.
Ten minutes northwest from downtown, Gilcrease Museum, 1400 Gilcrease Museum Road N., houses an expansive collection of art from the American West and an array of Native American artifacts, such as glass-beaded moccasins, feather headdresses and leather clothing.
Grown out of the private collection of Tulsa oilman Thomas Gilcrease, the museum is home to more than 10,000 paintings, prints and sculptures from American artists such as Frederic Remington and Thomas Moran.
Meanwhile, 10 minutes south of downtown, the Philbrook Museum of Art, 2727 Rockford Road S., houses an equally magnificent collection in what was once the 72-room private villa of Waite Phillips' family. Perhaps even more impressive than the fine artwork displayed at this renowned Tulsa attraction is the sprawling 9-hectare garden behind the museum.
Shopping, music and food
The shopping in Tulsa, like everything else, can be fancy or casual. I always like to browse through the luxury home-goods store TA Lorton, 1343 15th Street E., on a bustling street known locally as Cherry Street.
For a store with lower prices and an edgier flair, I recommend Dwelling Spaces, 119 Detroit Avenue S., in the Blue Dome District, a small but bustling corner of downtown that attracts artists and others with a bohemian bent.
Dwelling Spaces sells quirky handmade items such as T-shirts, decorative pillows and posters that tend to feature offbeat local designs.
My favorite casual spot for eating is El Rio Verde, 38 Trenton Avenue N., an authentic Mexican restaurant in the otherwise unassuming region northeast of downtown. Must-try items include the wet burrito and a glass of horchata (a traditional rice drink).
For higher-end fare, I've been blown away by the new but amazing Juniper Restaurant and Martini Lounge downtown, 324 Third Street E. Chef Justin Thompson is getting a lot of buzz for his local-focused, seasonal menus featuring items such as bison burgers and pork belly eggs benedict.
The historic Cain's Ballroom, built in 1924 and known as the regular performing venue of Bob Wills, the "King of Western Swing," now draws a steady stream of big acts, 423 Main Street N.
The Brady Theater, likewise, has been around since the early 1900s - 105 Brady Street W. - and continues to draw the hottest performers.
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