Of course, I didn’t see American Airlines Arena on the horizon, either.

I figure that the challenges facing an entertainment district are sort of like that facing a restaurant chain. Changing tastes and industry trends require restaurants to change their look and their menu on an almost ongoing basis. Maybe it has to happen even in an historic entertainment district.

The cool thing about Bricktown is that while some clubs and restaurants have faltered, others seem to be willing to give it a try and bring in something else new and exciting.

I guess I’m saying that all the constant changes in Bricktown keep it from getting stale.

The West End had competition, in the beginning, from Deep Ellum. Now, it’s moved to Uptown and the Victory Park (where the American Airlines Center is) area. Almost from the time Planet Hollywood was built, the area was known basically as a tourist destination. Because of its proximity to Dealey Plaza, the area was a natural extension for those tourists to keep them downtown. Yet for residents, well, there’s just so many Dallas Cowboy t-shirts or Lone Star souvenirs one wants to buy.

From my trips to Bricktown, I’ve been impressed with the development and venues that appeal to Everyone and not just visitors. To keep everything within walking distance of one another is a big draw and something that seems to be a trend advantage with people these days given the cost of gas.

Though I know the parking situation is still irritating to some Oklahomans who visit Bricktown, it’s still a bargain to Dallasites who have to fork over $12-15 for parking in a lot.

And for what it counts, West End is seeing the possibility of coming back alive with recent redevelopment proposals. It may have been down and out but it’s still always a part of Dallas’ resurgence. Oklahoma City’s resurgence could be anything. Bricktown could be anything. But one thing is for sure: Bricktown is not the only show in town, and it can not afford to rest on its laurels for one day because there are a half dozen other potential hotspots nowadays ready to take its limelight.

Certainly, Bricktown needs more retail, and a “cool” kind of retail … such as the Red Dirt Emporium, a very nice development along the canal.

Back to topic … it is a very good thing to remember that an area’s “popularity” can be a fleeting and fanciful thing … so that Okc is vigilant not to take the same path that the West End did. I don’t think that we will and such vivid and graphic contrasts help to keep “what COULD happen” in the forefront of our minds.

You’re off to a great start with this blog, by the way. Reminds me of the venerable “The Downtown Guy,” now silent but who/what I consider to be the grandfather of Okc downtown blogs, and he set a high standard in his time. Maybe he will read this and think about getting cranked up, once again, too!

It’s hard to consider what might happen in the future to Bricktown- extremly hard to imagine a situation where Bricktown could collapse. To me, at least.

The only thing I can think of, that might lead to a decline in Bricktown, is Midtown. Midtown is giving Bricktown a run for its money already as far as good, local restaurants and businesses. If Midtown becomes the place locals want to go, we’ll have to keep increasing the amount of tourist traffic from conventions etc in Bricktown.

Dang, I’m trying to think about Bricktown dying, but I just can’t imagine it. It seems to have a monopoly on centralized entertainment districts in the state, and Midtown isn’t really going toward clubs and nightlife, just restaurants. I don’t know…