Oh you have got to be kidding .. have you ever been to a real big city? That part of town is fine. Yes, you are in a city and should watch out for yourself, but it's nothing like you described one bit.

There are much worse parts of OKC than that area, even the area that my parents live by is probably worse and I know it is further west of them on NW 10th Street in the area where the pizza delivery driver was killed. I would have no issues buying a home in either area east or west of Classen by that Homeland.

OMG... I was just at the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market ar 23rd and MacArthur.... talk about gross!!! Just had to point out that not all Wal-Marts are shiny!

right exactly why city council needs to stop giving them the ok. The grocery's in that area they ran out of business were much better kept up.

When that one first opened it was pretty nice, now it looks about the Wal-Mart store that was in there before it moved to I-40 & MacArthur.

That neighborhood market didn't run anybody out, the Homeland at 23rd & Ann Arbor was doomed by management, Snyders was very good until ownership changed, Crest in there is better than the Snyders.

I shop that Wamart quite frequently, and its no more gross than Homeland.

You drive over to 23rd and MacArthur from J-Park?

I was in the 18th & Classen Homeland at 8 am getting some last minute cooking things this morning and met Brian Davis, TV announcer for the Thunder! I told him that I thought he was doing a good job and welcome to Oklahoma City. He was very friendly and gracious. No homeless or worrisome people were observed.

__________________
Doug
http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtownOKC.htm
http://www.dougloudenback.com/oklahomacity.htm
http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/

My bad. This Homeland is usually compared to the nieghborhood market at 23rd and Penn. I didn't read that post very well =)

I'd just like to echo the sentiments about the safety of the Homeland at 18th and Classen. I, too, shop there quite a bit and I have never been asked for change or even approached by anybody that I can remember. Safety is never an issue for me at that store. Sure, maybe everyone doesn't look or dress like me, but I don't take that as a reason to feel unsafe.

It can definitely use some sprucing up though. Most of our shopping is split between there, the Wal-Mart neighborhood market, and the Homeland on 39th and Penn. I think if any one of them upped their game a little bit, they could easily become the only place I shop.

I thought so. On the contrary, the 23rd & Penn Neighborhood Market is shockingly nice, clean, and not overrun with people like every other Walmart.

i regularly hit up the neighborhood market at 23rd and penn quite a lot! i usually stroll in around 2 or 3 in the morning... and it's always quick and easy.

I saw an old friend tonight who is one of the higher ups with Homeland and he said they have no plans to put in a new store downtown and when I asked why, he chuckled and said very matter of factly, crime.

He's also told me in the past that they have no interest in pushing for wine and view it as more trouble than it would be worth.

There's less crime downtown than at 18th and Classen or 39th and Penn.

Well hopefully, Central Market or Tom Thumb or WF will come into the OKC market and put Homeland out of business. When I lived in OKC, Homeland had some of the most gross, disgusting stores around. I just find it hard to believe that a higher up from Homeland would make such a narrow minded ignorant statement that wine would be to much trouble? Sounds like a typical, lazy minded idiot that does not want to have OKC progress into the 21st century. The liquor laws in Oklahoma are archaic and even my Texas friends are amazed how ignorant and dumb they are. Even though I wish OKC the very best it will always have to play second fiddle to a more pro business, progressive state like Texas.

Homeland isn't keeping anybody out of Oklahoma. Walmart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets are. Walmart now has a sixty percent market share of the grocery business in the state.

Texas's progressive liquor laws include dry counties still in the Dallas Metroplex.

Close, most of the dry counties are out in the panhandle area around Lubbock. Dallas is wet/dry by voting district, so you could have three corners wet and one corner dry. That is why there are a bunch of liquor stores on Greenville just south of Royal Lane because the wet/dry line is on the creek that is just north of there. Most of the rest of Texas is just fully wet or dry.

The fact of the matter is, most states have some screwy liquor laws because those that do not want liquor to be available tend to have a large hand in writing the access laws. Oklahoma is unique because of the private package store lobby is so strong. In Boston, the Whole Foods did not have beer/wine as it is only sold in package stores.

Maybe your friend is not in the know. I heard this from a very credible source as has Steve Lackmeyer and he did a post on his blog about it.

Just another thought on the downtown grocery store. What about the SE corner of 3rd and Walnut? There is that church just south, but all of the other surrounding areas are residential. It would be walking distance for Deep Deuce, Brownstones, Maywood Lofts, The Leslie and close enough for Block 42 as well. According to the OKCA, it is owned by the City of OKC.

"I saw an old friend tonight who is one of the higher ups with Homeland and he said they have no plans to put in a new store downtown and when I asked why, he chuckled and said very matter of factly, crime."

Metro is right. Your friend may be a higher up, but he's clearly out of the loop.

I have a lot of respect for you Steve and know you wouldn't report something like this without a good source.

My friend talked like he was very certain and he is on the risk management/store security side of the business.

I should see him again in the next week or so and I'll press him further.

If your source is correct, when do you expect an announcement?

If memory serves right, this is the site they proposed to Braums a few months back. Braums wasn't interested in the downtown market. Not surprised with their backwards way of thinking on so many issues.

Metro, I don't think Braum's was uninterested. The considered it but ultimately decided they didn't want to be the first to take the risk downtown.

I wouldn't think the leisurely, nevah evah hurry pace that I tend to encounter in Braum's wouldn't gell well with a vibrant on the go area.

Could be wrong, but but even a turtle lover like me finds the pace slow, it's slow.

Thanks Southside. Again, I have no doubt as to what your friend is saying. But based on what you're saying, he's not privy to the talks that have been underway since September. Is it a done deal? No, so I can't say if there will be an announcement. But this interest is, according to some very, very good sources, on both sides. As for the crime issue, not sure how that's being calculated for NW 18 and Classen, but downtown residents like Metro might take issue with the perception downtown is any less safe or secure than the suburbs.