Hi Ya'll! This is Jen from Airports - now JenX67 - because I have started my own virtual PR firm, Zenobia Public Relations. (This primarily means I get asked to do pro bono work by all my friends and change diapers all day along while listening to the musings of my 10-year-old.) Seriously, it's great to have more time with my children after 20 years of going to work every day and 10 years of daycares and summer camps.

ANYHOO!! I am stopping by to gripe about 23rd and Classen. When I was in college, I love-love-loved going to Rainbow Records. I bought a pink Springsteen record (ROUND LICORICE) there in 1987. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THAT BUILDING? I didn't think it could look worse than it has over the past few years, but it does. It is now brimming with vacuum cleaners in the windows and vacuum cleaner parts. It's such a great building and that is such a high volume area. I can't believe everyone driving through that intersection everyday has to look at ALL THAT JUNK.

True story friend, I was thinking just the other day how a sandwich or coffee shop would go nicely there, but alas, all the people with vision are the same people without money!

There's no parking.

It's at a bus stop, so a convenience store/liquor store might do okay there.

That gas station at Western and 23rd (like 50 yards away) does pretty good business as a gas station/convenience store, and there are two pharmacies there as well, so a convenience store might be over doing it for that corner, but who knows.

ANYHOO!! I am stopping by to gripe about 23rd and Classen. When I was in college, I love-love-loved going to Rainbow Records. I bought a pink Springsteen record (ROUND LICORICE) there in 1987. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THAT BUILDING? I didn't think it could look worse than it has over the past few years, but it does. It is now brimming with vacuum cleaners in the windows and vacuum cleaner parts. It's such a great building and that is such a high volume area. I can't believe everyone driving through that intersection everyday has to look at ALL THAT JUNK.

Is the building you are referring to out of business? I've always assumed the building was abandoned because it looks like total crap.

The building is owned by the Parkers, they run a vacuum repair business that offices on the north side of the block.

The store has been vacant since Rainbow sold several years ago. There are three diagonal slots on the east side, approaching from Classen if you are headed South. The remainder of the parking is parallel to 23rd next to the store and dance studio.

The church parking is off limits to the space, and now with Walgreens there, I can't imagine anyone wanting to park there and cross the street.

Alas, it has limited retail use. It is fairly spacious and could be good for a creative office, such as an art studio, architect, web firm, et al.

The storefront is nice and has potential aesthetic value, but yes, the shabbyness is apparent.

well said LordGerald. It' spersonally a nice aesthetically pleasing building and somewhat historic. I too wish a creative firm could purchase it for adaptive reuse.

pics?

for us expats.

well said LordGerald. It' spersonally a nice aesthetically pleasing building and somewhat historic. I too wish a creative firm could purchase it for adaptive reuse.

The place just looks awful. I can't believe a building that has that much streetfront presence on such a busy intersection could look so dilapidated. I'm just curious as to why no other business hasn't gobbled that property up since it has such a great location.

pics?

for us expats.

http://www2.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/632353cf23b6b788f1402e606d1055995g.jpg (http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=uyombqipy2m&thumb=4)

pics?

for us expats.

http://www4.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/fb2fb22bc4fefb5beec8e646d0ecbf195g.jpg (http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=biy5rp1emqz&thumb=4)

The building is owned by the Parkers, they run a vacuum repair business that offices on the north side of the block.

The store has been vacant since Rainbow sold several years ago. There are three diagonal slots on the east side, approaching from Classen if you are headed South. The remainder of the parking is parallel to 23rd next to the store and dance studio.

The church parking is off limits to the space, and now with Walgreens there, I can't imagine anyone wanting to park there and cross the street.

Alas, it has limited retail use. It is fairly spacious and could be good for a creative office, such as an art studio, architect, web firm, et al.

The storefront is nice and has potential aesthetic value, but yes, the shabbyness is apparent.

Again, very well said. There are about three parking spaces on the south side of the building about maybe two on the east side of the building. If you were to park on the east side of the building, you wouldn't be able to see where you are going when backing up which would be dangerous. I could see someone buying the entire building (including the dances studio and the empty space to the west of it) and redoing the whole thing to me more aestetically pleasing. But, like was said previously, I can't think of anything that would be a perfect fit for that area besides a personal studio or an office built for two.

oh wow. That is a very nice building.

Hopefully somebody will come in with something nice!!

Like was said earlier there is no real parking. The biggest problem was always the traffic coming south on Classen. If the light is green, they make the curve around at a high rate of speed. If the light is red, traffic is backed up.

23rd street on the north side of the building is the same way, as far as fast traffic, but there is not a lot of parking along 23rd.

If there was a lot of walking traffic it would be pretty nice, being at the entry into the Asian District.

It has a great view of the Gold dome on the other corner.

Years ago, when it was still Rainbow, the parking was dangerous and limited. If the right thing moved in, people would figure out a way to navigate to it. We always got to Rainbow -- the obscure lables made it worth the risk. LOL. But, honestly, the vaccum cleaners in the windows - it just has to go -- or put up some blinds or something.

True story friend, I was thinking just the other day how a sandwich or coffee shop would go nicely there, but alas, all the people with vision are the same people without money!

Its probably the other way around

This item is pretty tough all the way around. The Hoover repair shop on the north side apparently owns the property, and unless I'm mistaken, the Hoover shop is a "mom & pop" entity and is probably just hanging on by its teeth. Aside from that, and has been said, parking at the NW corner of Classen & 23rd is almost nil. That limits commercial opportunities, big time. So, despite the superficially great location, it is virtually inaccessible to drivers in any direction, and I'd suppose that wouldn't change until the "mom & pops" Hoover store on the north side closes its doors and something else comes in.

That said, I'm absolutely not advocating that the Hoover's shop close down at all in the short term. It's hard enough for shops like the Hoover's store which have been at its location for years to survive without having internet urban planners hasten their demise. That time will probably come but down the line and in due course.

Urban "looking good" is not all that there is, and is sometimes the lesser of other important considerations.

Rainbow was bought by a friend of mine and moved to 36th & Western. I believe he sold it and it is now called "Guestroom Records" Right next to the Cock-O-The-Walk.

IMHO, guestroom is the best record store in the city

"That said, I'm absolutely not advocating that the Hoover's shop close down at all in the short term. It's hard enough for shops like the Hoover's store which have been at its location for years to survive without having internet urban planners hasten their demise. That time will probably come but down the line and in due course.

Urban "looking good" is not all that there is, and is sometimes the lesser of other important considerations."
__________________ Bingo!!!!

:bright_id guys, I just thought of the PERFECT business for this prime commercial location: A bookstore and/or coffee house!

With OCU a few blocks down and the Asia District right beginning - a bookstore/coffee house would be perfect for this location. You wouldn't ONLY have to consider vehicle traffic - such a business would CREATE pedestrian traffic, especially given OCU is close and there really isn't a true Campus Corner/University District for students to study/hang-out at. And, like was said - people who want/need to drive WILL find parking as long as the bookstore/coffee house is good. We could construct an internet cafe at the windows where people would sit, surf, and drink their coffee - in view of the outside (which would be HUGE FOR MARKETING purposes).

also, to address other concerns - the vacuum store could still exist or co-exist, just in a smaller portion of the establishment. If I understand correct, this is even the case today with the Vacuums just sitting in the storefront windows but the shop is already out back.....

Imagine a Borders bookstore or even Starbucks/Tully's coffee; or even better a local variant of the aformentioned. It would get HUGE business that would be consistent due to the students - I think this is DIRELY needed and would be HUGE investment. Hmmm.?

Other business ideas I could think of is absorb all of that corner into the Asia District and use the Rainbow location to house the Oklahoma City Asian Association OR an Asian Museum. They could post important things or cultural items in the windows and this would also create its own pedestrian traffic (not to mention become a tourist attraction).

As you can see, there are many great options which dont solely rely on today's automobile-centric OKC. And, we can redesign the intersection to make it more pedestrian friendly too, so Im not concerned about today's traffic situation.

Now, whom do we 'visionary internet urban planners' need to give our ideas to?

Hot Rod, where would the cars go?

It's not within easy walking distance of the dorms and I guess I'm a bit of a snob, but I don't really have any desire to mingle with the folks who hang out in front of htat storefront waiting on the bus.

Rainbow was bought by a friend of mine and moved to 36th & Western. I believe he sold it and it is now called "Guestroom Records" Right next to the Cock-O-The-Walk.

Guestroom opened in a different space than where Rainbow was (other side of COTW) and did not buy Rainbow.

The bldg on 23rd and Classen is a nightmare location. Nice exterior, but nothing else going for it.

How did it ever get built without parking? It's not like this was ever a pedestrian-heavy area.

I'm guessing there used to be a trolley line going through there? Maybe a stop?

Oh true.

Hot Rod, where would the cars go?

It's not within easy walking distance of the dorms and I guess I'm a bit of a snob, but I don't really have any desire to mingle with the folks who hang out in front of htat storefront waiting on the bus.

What's wrong with people who ride buses?

guys, we can bring the trolleys back.

And there's nothing wrong with people who ride the bus. I suspect that there will be increases of people doing such.

Also, I think we can change OKC's culture by opening GOOD BUSINESSES that are not auto-centric. I think the Asia District/OCU is the best candidate for it outside of downtown, since you need to get out anyways.

I think it is a great candidate for an urbanized hoppin' joint.

I dunno.. OCU is a pretty insular place.

Those kids don't seem to get out much.

Midtowner, do you think that's by choice or by lack of options around campus? I'm wondering if that entire culture would be different if there were ever good options within walking distance of campus.

I agree, Asian District and OCU area need more walkable options to have a cool local culture. There are enough young professionals living in the area that would easily support it. Tom & Jerry's restaurant comes to mind.


Saberman, NW 23rd does not face the north side of the old Rainbow Records building but the south side of the building instead.

Guestroom opened in a different space than where Rainbow was (other side of COTW) and did not buy Rainbow.
Yeah it's in a different location, and didn't buy Rainbow, but I believe they bought most of the Rainbow inventory. I could be wrong though.