Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is the capital and principle city of the state of Oklahoma in the United States of America. It is the county seat of Oklahoma County. With a population as of the 2000 census of 506,132 and more than 1.2 million residents in the metroplex, there is plenty to do and see.
The city is comprised of a dynamic urban core with sprawling residential suburbs out toward the fringes of the metroplex. Most of the big city attractions are located in the inner city districts, as is the case with most major US cities.
Oklahoma City is the home of the Oklahoma RedHawks minor league baseball team, the Oklahoma City Blazers minor league hockey team, the Oklahoma Storm USA Basketball team, and Remington Park racetrack.
The city is served by Will Rogers World Airport and Amtrak has a terminal in downtown Oklahoma City.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,608.8 km² (621.2 mi²). 1,572.1 km² (607.0 mi²) of it is land and 36.7 km² (14.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.28% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 506,132 people, 204,434 households, and 129,406 families residing in the city. The population density is 321.9/km² (833.8/mi²). There are 228,149 housing units at an average density of 145.1/km² (375.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 68.41% White, 15.37% African American, 3.51% Native American, 3.48% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 5.28% from other races, and 3.89% from two or more races. 10.15% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 204,434 households out of which 30.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% are married couples living together, 13.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% are non-families. 30.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.41 and the average family size is 3.04.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $34,947, and the median income for a family is $42,689. Males have a median income of $31,589 versus $24,420 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,098. 16.0% of the population and 12.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 23.0% are under the age of 18 and 9.2% are 65 or older.
Major Attractions
The Bricktown Entertainment district http://www.bricktownokc.com/ is the fastest growing entertainment district in the Southwest and is one of the city's most popular destinations. The historic area has been revitalized over the last 10 years, and is now bustling with restaurants, dance clubs, live music venues, retail shops, lofts and condos, and will soon boast a movie complex (among other coming development). The Bricktown Canal stretches one mile through the district and runs down to a park and past the Oklahoma Land Run Monument.
Oklahoma City has the largest asian population in the state and is home to a growing cultural district simply called, the Asia District, as it encompasses Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Korean, filipino, and Japanese cultures and cuisines. Centred primarily along Classen Blvd from 22nd Street to NW 30th, the district has a multitude of restaurants, asian oriented retail, asian supermarkets, and attractions.
The Capitol Hill district is due south of downtown and is the centre of latin oriented commerce in the city. The Eastside district is home to the state's largest African American community and is experiencing a renaissance of its own. Once a perfect example of urban blight and stereotypical undersight, the Eastside now boasts numerous development and an African American museum is currently in the works.
Surprise, Oklahoma City has a vibrant, thriving gay community. Yes, I said, OKC has a gay community - the state's largest! And in this city that embraces (ok sometimes rather blindly as is the case here) its diversity, there is a very thriving Entertainment District for so called alternative sexually oriented participants principally along NW 39th Expressway between Pennsylvania and May Aves. The district rivals Bricktown in terms of sheer volume of nightlife yet the city leaders usually do not actively promote the district as a tourist venue. http://www.gayokc.com/ , http://www.gayly.com/
The Paseo Arts District was built in 1929 as the first commercial shopping district north of downtown Oklahoma City. This little Spanish village with it's stucco building and clay tile roofs is the home of Oklahoma City's artists' community, the only such district in the state. Located along the Paseo Drive at roughly N. Walker Ave and NW 28th Street, the district is home to a number of chic' bars and restaurants and hosts an arts festival in the spring. http://www.okclive.com/paseo/location.htm/
Located at the Agnew Exit South of I-40 to Exchange Ave, Stockyards City is home to the home of the largest stocker/feeder cattle market in the world. Stockyard City recaptures the architectural flavor of the earlier part of this century, with gaslights and wooden storefronts. Many of the businesses in Stockyards City date back to the early 1900s when the area was home to the major meat packing companies. The district still has weekly cattle auctions as well as the venerable Cattleman's Steakhouse. A number of special events have sprung up as well, including Longhorn Cattle Drive each December, sidewalk sales between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the Stockyards Stampede the first weekend each June. http://www.stockyardscity.org/ , http://www.cattlemensrestaurant.com/
Other Attractions
Besides the skyscrapers that cluster in the central business district, one of the more prominent landmarks of downtown is the Crystal Bridge at the Myriad Botanical Garden http://www.myriadgardens.com/ . Inside the Crystal Bridge is a tropical conservatory that contains foliage more akin to the Amazon River basin than the Great Plains of America. The park has several ampitheatres where live theatre and concerts can be seen and heard in the summer. There is also a lake in the middle of the gardens lined with large goldfish and waterfalls that add life-giving oxygen as well as an added surprise to visitors. The Myriad Botanical Garden is one of the more creative downtown parks in the nation and the city's most romantic. The park is also home to the city's top festivals, including the annual Festival of the Arts in April and the July 4th Celebration.
The Oklahoma City Zoo http://www.okczoo.com/ is one of the top 10 in the country and is the oldest zoo in the Southwest US. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum http://www.cowboyhalloffame.org/ has galleries full of priceless western art and treasures.
Omniplex http://www.omniplex.org/ is one of the largest Science Centers and General Interest Museums in the country and is home to the Omnidome Imax theater http://www.omniplex.org/html/omnidome_theater.html . Known as the Smithsonian museum of the SW, Omniplex houses many informative exhibits on space travel, photography, pioneer life, and more.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial http://www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/ in north downtown was created to honor the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were changed forever on April 19, 1995 when the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was bombed. The outdoor Symbolic Memorial, can be visited 24 hours a day for free, and the Smithsonian-quality Memorial Museum can be entered for a small fee.
Among the other new attractions, include a new downtown home for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art http://www.okcartmuseum.com/ . There are numerous state and federal museums as well. The capitol building's dome was recently finished http://http://www.oklahomadome.com/ , and was one of the few state capitol buildings that did not have a dome atop the structure.
Upscale shopping is available at Penn Square Mall, 50 Penn Place, Belle Aisle Shopping Centre, Quail Springs Mall http://www.quailspringsmall.com/ , and the suburbs of Nichols Hills and Edmond. Crossroads Mall http://www.shopcrossroadsmall.com/ , the largest mall in the state, is located in South Oklahoma City, at the I-240 and I-35 junction.
Walking trails line beautiful Lake Hefner in the northwest part of the city and downtown at the canal and the N. Canadian River. Lake Stanley Draper, the city's largest and most remote, offers more of an excape from the big city and has a more natural feel. The city is implementing a new trail system that will be akin to a bicycle freeway system, allowing residents to access all of the natural beauty of the region and still be within stomping distance to city attractions.
Noteables
Oklahoma City has an exciting history that began in one day with the 1889 Land Run, and after hard times over the years, the city has turned itself around and made itself a lively, attractive place to live and to visit.
Sadly, on April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh and his accomplices bombed the Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 in the worst Terrorist Attack on American soil until the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington (see Oklahoma City bombing)
External Links
- http://www.visitokc.com/
- http://www.okcchamber.com/
- http://www.digitalcity.com/oklahomacity/
- http://www.oktourism.com/
- http://www.ci.okc.ok.us/
