I’ve called Tulsa my home for eighteen years. I can remember all the drives from Grand Lake when I was a child and the Saturday Farmer’s Markets on Cherry Street. I love walking into the same, neighborhood restaurants where everyone knows your name and your grandma’s name. I can’t fully describe the all-encompassing warmth of cold, late night stargazing parties, cuddled up by a crackling fire on your back porch with Swiss Miss hot cocoa, gooey s’mores, and a faint citronella candle burning bright against the stark darkness of a starry night.
I loved every minute of it. The alluring atmosphere created by this growing metropolis. I can’t tell you what it means to drive past my downtown on I-244 to realize that I watched it grow as I, too, matured in conjunction. I see the Tulsa County Courthouse where I fought as a lawyer in Mock Trial on numerous occasions; I knew who I wanted to be one day. I see the IDL Ballroom and prom memories flood in from high school. I spot the flashing lights of Cain’s Ballroom and the Brady Theater where I’ve seen some of the best concerts I could have ever imagined. I fell in love with music and writing. The two venues are quaint, intimate settings where you can truly understand where an artist has been, and quickly understand what they will become.
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Aly and AJ concerts accompanied by a blossoming young Jonas Brothers clan soon turned into seeing Eli Young Band on Valentine’s Day, Hunter Hayes with an old childhood friend, or Jim Gaffigan’s comedic extravaganzas. I remember late nights ending at the Center of the Universe, dates to the Philbrook Museums concluding with picnics at Woodward Park or Swan Lake, picking up boutonnières at Stem’s, and plays at the Performing Arts Center. I grew up in Tulsa’s cornerstones, and all the memories are inlaid forever.
Then, the BOK Center became the nucleus of our downtown scene. We attracted the big name artists like Mumford and Sons, The Black Keys, Coldplay, Bruno Mars, Michael Bublé, and Taylor Swift. We made our name known in appearances on shows like Nashville because of the BOK. In 2010, Oneok Field blossomed and proved itself to be a key facet to the downtown economic growth of Tulsa. The Guthrie Green allowed an area for live performances in many forms. Currently, the Brady District is experiencing what the Tulsa World calls a “renovation rush.”
We’ve always been an arts hub, with Mayfest at our core. The downtown revitalization created an opportunity for Friday Night Art Crawl, established in 2007; thus, on the first Friday of every month, year-round from 6-9 pm, visitors are immersed in visual art and performances in Downtown Tulsa’s Brady District. We also have major museums such as Philbrook and Gilcrease. Interested in Contemporary art? Check out this list of the top ten galleries in Tulsa for the Contemporary; I couldn’t have said it better myself. Key galleries include 2012 opened Hardesty Arts Center, the M.A. Doran Gallery on Peoria, and 108 Contemporary. Needless to say, the arts scene is currently better than ever in Tulsa.
Utica Square and Woodland Hills are our stomping grounds in regards to shopping and leisure. Tulsa boasts major department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Dillard’s contrasted with one-of-a-kind boutique, trendy stores like On a Whim or The Dolphin.
I grew up with the pretense that Tulsa was the beacon of dependability. I didn’t truly grasp everything that Tulsa meant to me and did for me until I left for college on an incomprehensible, mind-boggling adventure to New York City. To understand what Tulsa means and what we stand for, you have to live it. We aren’t the typical pastoral landscape that people imagine when they hear Tulsa. When you say you’re from Tulsa to college friends, the first thing they think of is Chandler moving to Tulsa for his job on Friends. We know its so much more than that for those who call Tulsa home. There’s a warmth you feel as a member immersed into Tulsa, and its been proven time and time again.
With all that being said about the place I call my home, if you are planning to visit Tulsa or are interested in how to spend your time here on a business trip, here are just a handful of my favorite parts (in no particular order):
Woodward Park
The ideal place for a picnic. Facets of Woodward Park are amongst the New Deal project, including the rock and rose gardens.
In the Raw
The best sushi in all of Tulsa, hands down. With two locations in Tulsa, I’d suggest making a full day and shopping in the Brookside area and visiting the location on Peoria Avenue.
On a Whim
While shopping on Brookside, visit On a Whim, a trendy boutique with two locations in Tulsa. The store is of name brands like Ray Ban, Kate Spade, and Nest; On a Whim will make and gift wrap the perfect present for any occasion! Also, make an appointment at Jara Herron, my favorite salon and spa.
Polo Grill
Polo Grill is my favorite restaurant in Tulsa and boasts the best Sunday brunch option. Spend a day browsing through Midtown’s most prominent shopping district, Utica Square. Go visit the afore mentioned Dolphin boutique, showcasing Nest candles, gemstone-shaped soaps, and gorgeous bedding.
Philbrook Museum of Art
Frequently used as a backdrop for senior portraits and family photoshoots, Philbrook proper is a beautifully designed former home of powerful Oil tycoon, Waite Phillips. With a collection including beautiful Navajo saddle blankets and one of my favorite paintings by Benjamin West, the museum makes a great day-trip. In the words of artist Benjamin West, “Art is the representation of human beauty, ideally perfect in design, graceful and noble in attitude,” and Philbrook is the perfect testament to West’s sentiments.
