Modern Tulsa

News on 6 recently contacted me and asked to do an interview about moderntulsa. So, here I am!

Could”L” be for Lortondale? or “U” for the University Tower downtown? Watch to find out!

What makes Tulsa so special? Jack Frank shows you many of the things (in alphabetic order of course) in this new and somewhat zany documentary. From the Admiral Twin, the city’s last remaining drive-in, to the Indy 500 race cars built by Tulsan Jack Zink, the show is jammed with tidbits about Tulsa and its colorful past. The show stops at Route 66 icons, including the Meadow Gold sign and the old 11th street bridge. It also visits timeless eateries like Nelson’s and White River Fish Market. There are also fun stories about icons such as the Golden Driller, the IPE Building, the Perryman Cemetery, Council Oak Tree and the Ole Lady on Brady. Also included is some history about the naming of Tulsa streets. Even if you’ve never stepped foot in Tulsa, you’ll love learning more about it.

The Tulsa A to Z one half-hour version will air Monday, November 30th at 7:30 pm on Channel 6.

The complete hour-long version will air Wednesday, December 2nd at 7 pm on OETA Channel 11.

Tulsa A to Z is proudly sponsored by SpiritBank.

for more information visit:

http://www.tulsafilms.com/our-films/tulsa-a-to-z/

shane

Go Lee Anne! Director of the TFA, Lee Anne Zeigler votes for several “modern” buildings as architectural treasures in this recent Tulsa World article. I think it is great she chose to include these before some of the more publicized Art Deco buildings around town.

by: JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer – Tulsa World
Thursday, October 08, 2009

Tulsa is a city known for its architecture — from nationally known landmarks such as the Boston Avenue United Methodist Church to the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home known as “Westhope,” from the gleam of Oral Roberts University’s various facilities to the Art Deco stateliness of the Mid-Continent Building.

These are works of brick-and-mortar splendor that even the residents of Tulsa recognize as important. But what about those architectural treasures that are hidden in plain sight — buildings whose historic or aesthetic properties are just as impressive as the more famous edifices around town?

For the answers, we turned to the executive director of the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture, Lee Anne Zeigler, and asked her to name five of Tulsa’s under-appreciated architectural gems.

Warren Petroleum Corp. Headquarters
1350 S. Boulder Ave.

“This is maybe my all-time favorite.” It was designed for the Warren Petroleum Corp. in 1957 by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, one of the leading U.S. firms. It now goes by the name International Plaza.

“This is a shining example of the ‘modernist/international’ style of architecture, and the building itself has just reached that 50-year benchmark, which is when we start to consider something historic.”

The Sophian Plaza
1500 S. Frisco Ave.

This 1926 apartment building was built by Harry J. Sophian, who built a similar building in Kansas City. “The Tulsa Sophian is a little smaller — it has one less floor than its sister building, and the facade of the Tulsa one is a little less elaborate. But it is one of Tulsa’s most distinctive addresses, because it’s so wonderfully nestled in a lovely neighborhood and offers outstanding views of the Arkansas River and downtown.”

Lee Anne Zeigler is a fan of the Sophian Plaza. STEPHEN PINGRY / Tulsa World

Bank of Oklahoma Tower / One Williams Center

“Tulsa, like a lot of cities, has a pretty sad history when it comes to urban renewal. And while it was terrible to lose so many buildings to make way for what was originally called the Williams Center, Tulsa did end up with a very nice example of a built work that is likely to stand the test of time.”

The BOk Tower — like the Tulsa Performing Arts Center next to it — was designed by world-class architect Minoru Yamasaki, who created the tower in a style similar to his most famous buildings, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.

Christ the King Church
1520 S. Rockford Ave.

“It’s something that can easily be overlooked in the pantheon of Tulsa’s churches due to its location in a sedate, historic neighborhood and its more modest size relative to the larger downtown churches. But the architect, Francis Barry Byrne of the Chicago architectural firm Byrne and Ryan, was engaged by Tulsa’s Bishop Kelley to ‘make Christ the King something both modern and authentic to Catholic worship.’ ”

Tulsa Community College’s Center for Creativity
10th Street and Boston Avenue

“This building is significant because it’s one of the sure signs that our downtown is making a comeback. It’s really an inviting and exciting addition to the city.”

The just-opened building was designed by Selser Schaefer Architects and features shaded pedestrian areas, large exterior display panels and landscaped areas that connect the existing and future campus developments.

See more pics of the TCC Creative Center.

Join Modern Tulsa Wednesday, August 26th at 7:30 as we celebrate the El Rancho Grande neon sign restoration. Come meet and mingle with other Modern-Junkies as we enjoy 1/2 price margaritas and appetizers. El Rancho Grande is Tulsa’s only remaining authentic Route 66 eatery. In the same location since 1953, its iconic neon sign has faithfully advertised “Tulsa’s Grandest Tex-Mex Tradition”.

Come find out about upcoming Modern Tulsa events and how you can get involved. Hope to see you there!

The River’s edge I still miss but am beginning to think the replacement may be pretty sweet. I am really liking the design of this place. Hopefully it comes to form in similar fashion. What do you guys think?

By Emory Bryan and NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK — The Blue Rose Café is returning to Tulsa, but this time it will be built on the bank of the Arkansas River.

The River Parks Authority staff recommended to the Authority’s board of directors Thursday morning that it negotiate a deal with Swamphouse Partners, LLC. The company’s Senior Managing Member is Tom Dittus, who founded the original Blue Rose Café on Brookside in 1991.

“We’re so honored to have been selected,” said Tom Dittus, Blue Rose Café.

Tom Dittus says he’s excited to get back in the restaurant business and even more excited to get a prime location.

“We’re going to bring back the Blue Rose Cafe and put it down on the river,” said Tom Dittus, Blue Rose Café.

Dittus closed down the Blue Rose Cafe in Brookside seven years ago. It was a bar and restaurant with an outdoor patio that was a popular stop. Now, he wants to build a new restaurant in RiverParks, near the now closed River’s Edge building, but further out towards the water.

“But the view of the river is going to be great. It’s going to be beautiful,” said Tom Dittus, Blue Rose Café.

The plan for the new Blue Rose is a building that projects over the water. The architect designed it with lots of windows and a two level deck. It’s designed to work with the changing levels of the river, both now and after new low water dams are built.

The plan calls for the building to have as little impact on the river trails and parks as possible. Part of the solution is to put much of the parking underneath an on-ramp. There’s room for 100 cars and it wouldn’t even be visible from Riverside Drive.

“That’s the idea, we’ll actually be on piers, you can see them here and you can see we’ll nudge out over the patio right there,” said Tom Dittus, Blue Rose Café.

Dittus plans for the new restaurant to have a similar menu and entertainment as the old one, hoping to recreate the feel of a Tulsa favorite in one of Tulsa’s favorite places. Dittus says it will take at least a year to open the restaurant. It will be the first built from the ground up in RiverParks.

Dittus also founded the former Steamroller Blues BBQ restaurant at 18th and Boston, and managed both Eskimo Joe’s and Mexico Joe’s in Stillwater for thirteen years.

Dittus and his backers beat out Elliot Nelson, the owner of El Guapo’s and McNellie’s.

The new restaurant will be called the Blue Rose Café at River’s Edge, and will be built on the east bank of the river at 19th & Riverside.

The restaurant will seat 116 people on the inside and another 100 outside.

Dittus told the board his plans include an outdoor amphitheatre, a bike and bait shop, a dog park and a sand volleyball court.

He also would like to include a “jog up” window where park users could buy water or energy bars without having to go inside the restaurant.

The proposal submitted to the board includes an opening date of September, however no firm date was discussed at Thursday morning’s meeting.

Tulsa is near the top of the list on Forbes.com recent list of “America’s Most Livable Cities”. In fact, they rated our city #5, right before Oklahoma City, based on metropolitan area statistics. While it may not have accounted for natural beauty or architecture it appears the study was very formulaic when comparing metro regions on five-year income growth per household and cost of living from Moody’s Economy.com, crime data and leisure index from Sperling’s Best Places, and annual unemployment statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Get ready for a huge tourism boom. My bet is people will be flocking here once they see this!

5. Tulsa, Okla.

Metro Area: Tulsa
Metro Population: 910,000
Income Growth: 4.9% (No. 50 of 379)
Cost of Living Index: 90.6 (No. 171 of 379)
Culture Index: 72 (No. 105 of 379)
Crime per 100,000: 4,462 (No. 250 of 379)
Unemployment: 5.6% (No. 21 of 379)

Read the article @ forbes.com