When drillmen struck black gold at the turn of the 20th century, Tulsa took the title “Oil Capital of the World.” In the glory days, oil money led to a flurry of Art Deco construction, giving several buildings an elegant air, as industry profits helped the city stay afloat during the Great Depression. Petroleum production took a dive in the 1960s, but the Golden Driller — the 76-foot-tall statue of a burly man resting his arm on an oil derrick — still stands at attention in front of the Tulsa Expo Center. As river parks and trails come to life in the area, the boomtown history still echoes throughout Oklahoma’s second-largest city, now home to 410,000 people. Meanwhile, popular suburbs like Broken Arrow and Norman draw in families with highly rated schools and downtown areas of their own. "It has that big city feel, but it doesn't cost you like most cities will," says Stephen Hester, host of "Stephen Talks Oklahoma" on YouTube. "It's like a big city on a budget."
At the turn of the 20th century, the Tulsa oil boom led to a flurry of Art Deco architecture
The Tulsa Driller near Mid Tulsa is an icon of the city, welcoming guests to Expo Square
Downtown Tulsa is a community that celebrates diversity.
Downtown Tulsa offers residents amazing living in Tulsa.
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Boutiques and local bites in the Cherry Street district
Straddling the South, the Southwest and the Midwest, Tulsa combines all three, with splashes of Native American and cowboy cultures alongside the ashes of a once bustling Black Wall Street. Today, Downtown Tulsa serves as the financial and business district, while upscale neighborhoods fill the Midtown district. Apartment and condo complexes pair with retail outlets in the southern areas, and wilderness reserves and oil refineries take up large parcels of land west of the Arkansas River.
Locally owned restaurants, antique shops and boutiques lend a burnished sheen to the Cherry Street district in Midtown, a collection of streets well-suited for a weekend bar crawl, Sunday brunch or a family outing. It's also close to Mother Road Market, an indoor food hall on old Route 66. Nearby, flower gardens, fountains and statues accent the upscale shops and restaurants in Utica Square. The Brookside district is another trendy shopping and dining destination close to River Parks and the Gathering Place. Tulsa's central downtown has more of a business-district vibe, but many restaurants have devoted local followings. Woodland Hills Mall, a two-story shopping center chock-full of chain retailers and department stores, is a retail mecca, while the Tulsa Hills Shopping Center is east of the river near the suburb of Jenks.
In 1921, the Greenwood neighborhood — known at the time as America's Black Wall Street — was decimated in the Tulsa Race Massacre. Aftershocks of racial violence continue to reverberate, but political changes and economic development are changing the trajectory. “After the massacre of Greenwood, one of the things that the government did was rezone a large portion of north Tulsa for manufacturing,” says Vanessa Hall-Harper, city councilor for District 1 in Tulsa.
The Black Wall St Mural painted by Donald "Scribe" Ross is a call to remember the Tulsa Massacre
Feed your cravings at Mother Road Market in Terrace Drive.
Cherry Street comes to life at night for dining and entertainment near Maple Ridge.
University Park has many historic sites and new ways to commemorate the history of Black Wall St
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A Gathering Place for all Tulsans
Most Tulsa recreation and entertainment centers on the Arkansas River, as festivals like Oktoberfest and Tulsa Tough take advantage of the city’s waterside locale. In fact, the River Parks Authority maintains 70 miles of green space and public trails along the river. The Gathering Place, Tulsa’s premier public park, spans over 65 acres on the eastern bank. Its impeccably maintained paths wind through groves of mature trees alongside small lakes and beaches, past uniquely themed playgrounds and gardens. “That park is funded for the next hundred years to be serviced by employees keeping it clean and maintained,” says Adriana Fout, broker and owner of Elevate Realty.
Tulsa is sometimes called “the buckle of the Bible belt,” and most of its residents identify as Christian. Notable houses of worship include Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, an impressive structure that exemplifies Tulsa’s Art Deco architecture. The city is also home to Holy Family Cathedral, the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa.
People in The Big Dam Party event navigate their raft through the river.
Gathering Place is an iconic park in the heart of Tulsa.
Gathering Place Skate Park is the best and largest in Tulsa.
Holy Family Cathedral in downtown Tulsa is a religious and architectural icon.
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Theater and baseball in the Arts District
Tulsa offers a rich cultural scene, with theaters, museums, art galleries and live music venues cropping up across the city. "Tulsa reminds me of a smaller Austin or Nashville," Hester says. "We have lots of great music here." Fans of the performing arts can choose between ballet, opera, orchestra and musical theater. The Philbrook Museum of Art presents world-class exhibits in a historic home with 25 acres of gardens. The downtown Arts District, one of the oldest areas in the city, is home to the Tulsa Theater and ONEOK Field, home of the Tulsa Drillers double-A baseball team. A roster of festivals and special events colors in the rest of the cultural calendar. Saint Francis Tulsa Tough, a popular cycling event, rides into town in early June, billing itself as a “three-day party on wheels.” Tulsa’s Oktoberfest is one of the largest outside Munich.
The Tulsa Performing Arts Center is a cultural hub with theater, music, live comedy and more
The Tulsa Theater is a historic venue bringing in nationally touring acts to Tulsa.
The BOK Center books arena tours and sporting events in the city of Tulsa.
OneOK Field is close by Charles Page, hosting minor league baseball or soccer in season.
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Historic homes from bygone oil days
Tulsa’s early days as a prosperous oil town fueled the construction of elegant homes, many in the uptown and Midtown areas. North of downtown, investment properties and fixer-uppers dot the landscape, while riverside neighborhoods to the south are dominated by condos and apartment complexes. The median home price for the city is $225,000 — far below the national average of $407,000 — with an average sale price is $312,000, up 10 percent the past year. Investment properties in North Tulsa and small riverside condos in neighborhoods like South Peoria might sell for $40,000 to $80,000, and move-in ready starter homes are priced from $135,000 to $175,000. Homes in the southern and eastern neighborhoods might cost $250,000 to $450,000, although historic homes in Midtown and new builds in desirable suburbs like Jenks and Broken Arrow can fetch prices from $500,000 to $800,000.
Find historic Tudor-style condos along the Arkansas River in Tulsa.
Harwelden Mansion is a historic home that is now a luxury bed and breakfast in Maple Ridge.
Cozy neighborhood streets lined with homes in Shadow Mountain
Kendall-Whittier has an eclectic mix of historic homes and new construction.
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School choice in Tulsa Public Schools
Most Tulsa students attend schools in the Tulsa Public Schools district, which has a Niche grade of B-minus. “Tulsa Public Schools are unique in that you can send your kid to whichever one you want, as long as you can get them there,” Fout says. “What also makes it unique is that kids can go to high school and get college credits, and it costs them nothing.” Southeast of downtown, the Union Public Schools district earns an A-minus from Niche, with particularly impressive ratings for its high schools. Suburbs like Jenks, Bixby, Broken Arrow and Owasso have their own highly ranked school districts, and many families choose to settle in these areas for that very reason. The city is also home to several colleges, including the University of Tulsa, Tulsa Tech and Oral Roberts University, which offers a “spirit-empowered Christian education” that focuses on training students to become leaders in the business world.
Nathan hale is a part of Tulsa Public school district.
Education flourishes at Union High School, a cornerstone of knowledge in Tulsa.
The Praying Hands at Oral Roberts University are a popular tourist stop in Kensington.
The University of Tulsa sits on the Southeastern edge of Kendall-Whittier.
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Traveling around Tulsa on major highways
A star-shaped network of highways radiates from Tulsa, making for straight shots to outlying suburbs and Oklahoma City, about 100 miles away. Route 66, the best known of the bunch, cruises past landmarks like the world’s largest hair tonic bottle and the Golden Driller statue. Interstates 244 and 444 make up the central beltway known as the Inner Dispersal Loop, funneling traffic in and out of the city, while Route 64 offers a straight shot to Broken Arrow and Route 75 leads to Jenks. Bus routes in the Tulsa Transit system also service nearly 200 square miles, including several suburbs. Downtown and the Arts District rank among the city's most walkable areas, and bike lanes run alongside many streets downtown and along the river.
Tulsa International Airport only serves domestic destinations but earns an international designation due to its customs and border patrol facilities. Several aerospace companies and machine shops operate near the airport, helping make the aerospace industry one of the city’s major employers. Transportation and manufacturing also provide numerous jobs in the area, and health systems like Hillcrest HealthCare and Ascension St. John employ over 13,000 people.
The Inner Dispersal Loop transports Tulsa residents to areas around downtown Tulsa.
Discover the world's largest Liquid Life bottle, a landmark in Plain View Heights.
See the massive tribute to the Mother Road in Layman-Van Acres.
Take the Aero by Tulsa Transit from Kensington to the greater Tulsa metro.
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Higher crime risk and other considerations
According to FBI data, Tulsa has property and violent crime rates above the national average. Reports also suggest the risk of violent crime in Tulsa is roughly two times higher than in other parts of Oklahoma. In response, the Tulsa Police Department is deploying location-based micro-units within the Inner Dispersal Loop. Launched in 2014, the teams patrol high-risk areas to communicate safety and provide rapid assistance to residents, businesses and visitors. Additionally, because Tulsa sits squarely within Tornado Alley, homeowners insurance premiums can be relatively high.
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