Perspective
At OKC Talk, there is a discussion about Deep Deuce and MidTown. The basic gist is an excitement over how Deep Deuce is becoming a truly walkable, mixed-use downtown neighborhood, while the same folks are disappointed about how much empty and undeveloped land persists in MidTown.
Now, for some perspective with the help of some photos. Remember, Deep Deuce development got started in 2000. MidTown development got started in 2006. Bricktown, by the way, was started way back in 1979.
Deep Deuce 1998.
Deep Deuce 1998.
Deep Deuce 1999.
Bricktown 1996.
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Comments
It would be fun to see some side by side photos showing those same viewpoints today. Exciting changes have taken place–no doubt.
Joe, there are a lot of photos of Bricktown from that era in my book “Bricktown” (you can find it at most libraries and it’s still being sold in area bookstores)
Bricktown and Deep Deuce are much older developments than Midtown. Midtown and its porponents need to be patient and not so pushy. Their time is coming.
For maybe the first time, I agree with Mike N. Let’s look at Midtown in another 6 years. Nice plug for your book, Steve.
Too bad I-235 provides a barrier between Deep Deuce and HSC, it would have been cool to see the day when Deep Deuce/Triangle Development bled over into HSC, it would have felt like one big urban area, like:
Downtown>Deep Deuce>HSC instead of Downtown>Deep Deuce>I-235>HSC
but I am sure the street car route will help with the connection…and do you think they should expand/upgrade Harrison Ave with pedestrian connections?
Matt, I hesitate to do it because I don’t want to be seen as hawking books. So let me even more clear – DON’T BUY MY BOOK! INSTEAD, GO TO THE LIBRARY AND ENJOY IT FOR FREE! (For the record, the Bricktown book in particular was a labor of love and netted me $400 in royalties to date).
Steve, while I agree that progress has been made on these areas, there is still a huge lack of any real urbanism. Most of what is redeveloped does not match the density from the 1940′s. All I see is a disjointed area with too many surface parking lots. A real study of progress might show images of the areas from 1900′s till now. I think you will find that we are just now getting back to par.
It’s your blog, we contribute, but it is your blog. If I were you, I would have a giant advertisement at the top about your books.
FYI, $400 sounds pretty good right now. Did you get that all at one time, or did you get a bunch of $5 checks?
Trust me Matt, for the time spent, $400 was a pittance. And that’s fine. Labor of love. Not trying to hawk books – just letting the poster know there is a book filled with these photos out there I think he’d enjoy.
No problem. I’ve actually thumbed through Second Time Around at the library a couple of times—nice work by you and Money! I saw a few nice photos from 1989 or so, which is when I first became aware of Bricktown. I just forgot what it looked like when downtown was gasping in the period just before the bust.
I bought both your books. Redevelopment too can be a labor of love, taking decades. Witness Paseo. I spoke some time back to a guy who lives in Memphis, which is by most accounts an example of urban renaissance. He was a native and said even after 30 years of progress, there is much to be done. Patience is indeed a virtue.
A vast improvement, to be sure. Can I be frank (if obvious)? That last, overhead shot of Bricktown really makes the area look like crap. I can’t believe that this is the site that even then was a destination.
Got any shots of Bricktown from 1979 or thereabouts?