Twelve years ago, Craig Travis opened his gift shop Craig's Emporium, now at 3004 Paseo Drive, and to this day, he remembers being the only business in the area with an open door.

"Most of the artists kept their doors locked,” he said.

While his business didn't necessarily suffer from it — Travis said he's always had a wide customer base — Oklahoma City's historic arts district was a virtual ghost town, he said.

Most artists were using the old storefronts as work spaces, and few kept regular hours, making it difficult for retailers to get much traffic.

"It just wasn't conducive to people doing what Paseo means, which is to take a stroll,” Travis said.

Today, things are different. In just over a year, the Paseo has welcomed a handful of new restaurants and retail businesses ranging from a yoga studio and hair salon to a fine dining restaurant and a full-service coffee shop that also serves pizzas and handcrafted ales. At the same time, a growing number of artists have chosen to maintain regular hours to help stimulate street traffic, making it clear that the Paseo is no longer reserved for just artists and art collectors.

With new businesses that cater to everyone from the college-age crowd to Oklahoma City's upper-crust, Paseo tenants say the area has once again been restored to the intentions of its founder G.A. Nichols, who built the arts district in 1929 as Oklahoma City's first shopping district north of downtown.

"It's more of an upscale crowd now,” said Tom Lee, president of the Paseo Art Association and photographer at Old Trinity Gallery, 3000 N Lee Ave. "Artists are innovators in that they usually discover the interesting places and are the first to move in. Whether it's Soho in New York or Santa Fe or the Paseo in Oklahoma City, artists tend to find the neat places. They're the first ones to move in, and then everybody else kind of catches up. Now, we're to the stage where everybody's catching up.”

Kathy Jacobsen, owner of the ladies' boutique Kathy's on Paseo, 2909 Paseo Drive, moved into her shop in 2000 and noticed the same dead business environment as Travis, who also is her son. But in her eight years there, Jacobsen said the area has come a long way, and the result has been beneficial for both retailer and artist.

"I was busy all along, but there weren't that many retail businesses when I came down here,” she said. "(My son) Craig was here, but people would just drive up and shop and leave. Now they'll walk around, and more of the artists are staying open, not all of them like they should, but there's more of them that are.”

Sue Moss Sullivan, a fiber and mixed media artist, is one of four artists who since 1994 have lived in Studio Six, 3021 Paseo Drive, and kept regular hours, which has contributed to the area's communal aspect and benefited the retailers at the same time.

"It's what we choose to do as our business and our studio and how we choose to work,” she said.

Sullivan said there always have been businesses in the Paseo besides the artists, but the past few years have marked a period of growth that has also affected the old neighborhoods that surround the Spanish-inspired adobe villa.

"The number of young people buying houses and redoing them in this area has changed,” she said.

"It's really become a neighborhood again, I think, so that's huge for us.”

Lee said back in the 1980s the Paseo had a high vacancy rate because of the oil bust, which caused many people to go bankrupt, but now occupancy is close to 100 percent.

Today, the Paseo has about 60 artists in 17 galleries or studios and about a dozen businesses at any given time.

Lee added that most of the people who are buying homes in the Paseo neighborhood are young professionals and single mothers.

"I think that's very interesting,” he said. "You wouldn't necessarily think that, but we have a lot of nice bungalow-style homes around 1,000- to 1,500-square-foot range that have a lot of character that you just can't get in new construction. People are attracted to being centrally located and living in a neighborhood that has some charm, not just a nameless subdivision.”

Lesley Rawlinson, one of the owners of the Paseo Grill, 2909 Paseo Drive, which opened just over a year ago, said the area's restaurants also have contributed to its changing demographics because they each attract different customers.

"There's really a mix of neighborhoods around here from upper to lower end, and I think we really filled a niche a little bit on the upper end for Crown Heights, Heritage Hills, those kind of neighborhoods where we get a lot of regular clients,” she said.

Rawlinson added that the addition of Sauced, 2912 Paseo Drive, a coffee shop, pizza cafe and late-night bar that opened earlier this year, has attracted a younger crowd — a group that previously found the area popular. "It's just kind of this rebirth, and people are rediscovering it,” she said.

"I think for that (50- to 60-year-old) age group, it's been a pleasant surprise to come back to this area again. I definitely think the businesses coming in here have helped that.”

Merchants and artists also credit the area's growth to the Paseo Art Association's involvement, which has added events like the First Friday and Saturday Gallery Walks to showcase studio owners' work and manage the annual Paseo Arts Festival. The festival, one of the state's largest, attracts close to 40,000 people over Memorial Day weekend. Next year will be the festival's 32nd year.

But no matter how many businesses open, Lee and other Paseo tenants said the area is first and foremost an arts district, and that will never change.

"I think the landlords realize the artists are the draw for the Paseo,” Lee said. "You don't want to kill the goose that laid the golden egg.”

If the Paseo district spent even a fraction of the marketing money that the folks on Western spend, it'd be covered up in people.

It could even be elevated to the status of a tourist attraction if marketed well -- and all I mean by that is put some brochures at those Oklahoma tourism centers and at area hotels.

Well, we have to keep something to ourselves. Not everywhere needs to be a tourist trap. I kind of like the Paseo's off-the-map status...

I agree.

I absolutely agree with BDP.

There's something to be said about "Hidden Treasures." The Paseo is OKC's hidden gem, which I'm certain only makes it that much more intriguing to those tourists who are lucky enough to discover it.

What was the name of the old pizza restaurant that was in the paseo district? Where you made your own pizza and they showed old B&W cartoons?

That was the Spaghetti Factory. I still have a polaroid of me and my high school friends that was our souvenir from the night we went there. Good times.

You know I took a date there a few weeks ago for the Art Walk and the place just really needs some work. The whole area looks pretty beat down. I was disappointed that there were only 3-4 studios open for some reason. And other than us there were literally two other people there, excluding the people working.

The main art walk is the First weekend of the month. It is from 6-10 and often amazing. All the storefronts are open and you will find many people on the streets and in the stores. Possibly you were there on an off weekend. Try again. Oct. 4th is the next one.

Panel approves proposal to renovate Paseo building
BY STEVE LACKMEYER
Published: March 26, 2010

The former Spaghetti Factory in The Paseo — for years an empty big white box in the middle of a colorful Spanish-style retail strip — is set to boast a new look and lots of colors by late summer.

MultimediaPhotoview all photos The property at 3010 N Paseo was bought by veteran Paseo developer John Belt in December for $230,000. Belt’s project, however, required approval from the Urban Design Commission, which is new to overseeing The Paseo.

http://photos.newsok.com/2/showimage/892652/lead620/

Read more: NewsOK (http://newsok.com/panel-approves-proposal-to-renovate-paseo-building/article/3449253?custom_click=lead_story_photo#ixzz0jI2whJn 0)

It should pass with flying colors. That is a terrific design. Kudos to all involved. The Paseo is truly one of OKC's hidden treasures. Anything that can help develop that brand is a-okay with me.

it should pass with flying colors. That is a terrific design. Kudos to all involved. The paseo is truly one of okc's hidden treasures. Anything that can help develop that brand is a-okay with me.

A huge amen.

Word...

I love the Paseo area, I looked at a few properties in there before I moved to Austin and it is just an area that seems ready to blossom.

Finally! Something I can say "yeah" too. :congrats:

I certainly hope Mr. Belt is planning more than just galleries for the space. Paseo is livening up but needs more businesses that are open for business regularly -- instead of once a month on Friday night like most of the galleries are.

It truly is OKC's coolest area, but it needs a lot of help. Hopefully this is the first start.

night and day, in a good way

Sooner, John Belt's intent is to seek out tenants that will add to Paseo's vibrancy. I think all of you will be very happy with his search. This is a labor of love for Belt, not business.

Steve, could you remind me what else in the north side is now under the Urban Design Commission's oversight area? I remember they expanded that, right?

Very glad to see this. I was at Picasso's (former Galileo) Saturday night and it was hoppin'. Will be great to have something in that building finally.

Demo is underway

Moving quick!

Steve, could you remind me what else in the north side is now under the Urban Design Commission's oversight area? I remember they expanded that, right?

Asian District (Classen from 23rd to 30th), NW 23rd Street (Broadway to Villa), Plaza District (16th from Blackwelder to Indiana), Capitol Hill (SW 25th/Commerce from Broadway to Western), the Cottage District (but reviewed as Downtown Zoning), and now the Paseo (Tract 5 only - the commercial area).

Thanks cafebeauf. That's what I was wondering, was with the Paseo. It would be interesting if we could get make urban design approval required for all residential infills in the inner city, too--would that be worthwhile to pursue? The Paseo/J-Park already do a lot of historically-sensitive residential infill on their own it seems.

If I remember correctly, didn't that building used to be a swim club and then a private club of sorts? Wasn't it Sussy's at one point too? It has some great history if anyone knows the details.

I believe you are right.

It was the Paseo Plunge originally. There is a long conversation about it on another thread from a year or two ago. It REALLY is interesting and there are a lot of pics on the thread.

They're really moving forward on this! Was down on the Paseo earlier today and they have made a lot of progress. Lots of windows boarded up. Scaffolding in the front of it. Very exciting.

Ate dinner at Picasso Cafe tonight and noticed a rather large building being renovated across the street. Does anyone have an idea of what is in store?

http://newsok.com/old-paseo-plunge-undergoes-another-transformation/article/3474390?custom_click=lead_story_title

Old Paseo Plunge undergoes another transformation

BY STEVE LACKMEYER Oklahoman Published: July 8, 2010


...Belt, who bought the building last year, started exterior renovations over the spring that added a tile roof matching those on surrounding buildings and a more colorful facade that included new window openings and the exposure of a long hidden deck. "The deck originally overlooked the (Paseo Plunge) swimming pool and it had a slide on it," Belt said. "We're just bringing it back."
...
Belt is hoping the property will once again add to the street, though he has no definite plan for how he will use the building. ...

Retro Metro OKC will be hosting a brown bag lunch at the downtown library at noon Monday. Our speaker will be John Belt, who is the man many credit with making Paseo what it is today. Quite by accident he got into buying and then renovating properties in Paseo in the mid-1970s and then helped turn the area into an artists' colony. John will share a history of the area, and maybe some photos. The engagement is free and open to all. We will be meeting in the Friends Room on the 4th Floor of the downtown library, noon to 1 p.m. Monday.
To keep up with what Retro Metro OKC is up to, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/retrometrookc

See you there, Steve.

That might interfere with lunch I had scheduled in the Paseo that day....

Is this on Retro Metro's pages ... if so, I missed it. Otherwise, but for this thread, I'd not have known to be at the library on Monday. Might want to send out some notices ... or reminders, Steve, in case I'm not alone in this.

Yes Doug, it's on our Facebook page. It's on our group's PBworks page. But you have been busy mixing software training with bbq. Not that there's anything wrong with that....

Well, I don't check Facebook very often and I don't remember seeing this in the PBworks stuff. Might be worth a separate e-mail, in case there are many do-dos like me. Now, back to BBQ and other tasty delights ...

American Planning Association Designates The Paseo One of Top 10 Great Neighborhoods for 2010

Commercial area sets apart revitalized historic neighborhood

Oklahoma City, OK – The American Planning Association (APA) today announced the designation of The Paseo as one of 10 Great Neighborhoods for 2010 under the organization’s Great Places in America program.

APA Great Places exemplify exceptional character and highlight the role planners and planning play in creating communities of lasting value. It is the first APA Great Places in America designation in Oklahoma.

APA singled out the neighborhood for its historic architecture, colorful and Spanish-influenced commercial area, affordable housing, and strong citizen engagement and civic participation including an active arts community.

“This significant designation is a result of years of dedication from local artists, entrepreneurs, investors, neighbors and people passionate about The Paseo,” Ward 2 Councilman Sam Bowman said. “This extraordinary architectural and artistic haven is the envy of cities across the country.”

Through Great Places in America, APA recognizes unique and authentic characteristics found in three essential components of all communities – streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces. APA Great Places offer better choices for where and how people work and live, and are defined by many things including planning, architectural styles, accessibility and community involvement.

Since APA began Great Places in America in 2007, 40 neighborhoods, 40 streets and 30 public spaces have been designated in 47 states and the District of Columbia.

“We’re very excited to name The Paseo as one of this year’s Great Neighborhoods,” said APA Chief Executive Officer Paul Farmer, FAICP. “The brightly colored architecture, vibrant street life in the Spanish Village, and thriving art scene help create a strong sense of place. City officials, business leaders, community activists and residents are to be commended for creating a place of such value and liveliness,” he added.

Contributing to The Paseo’s unique character and strong sense of place is the Spanish Village, the neighborhood’s core commercial district along Paseo Drive. Spanish Mission Revival architecture, with stucco buildings and red roofs, dominates and differentiates the area from adjoining areas. The Village, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, features more than a dozen art galleries and reflects the neighborhood’s investment in its arts community. Here, artists, businesses and residents support each other with a symbiotic relationship that has helped the area thrive.

Colorful, early 20th Century bungalows comprise more than 60 percent of the Paseo Neighborhood Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. These brightly painted homes compliment the neighborhood’s artistic ambiance and many of art galleries.

In response to the neighborhood’s rising property values and growing reputation as a coveted place to live or locate a business, the non-profit housing advocacy group, Positively Paseo, and Oklahoma City have sought to provide housing for low- and moderate-income households. Since 1999, for example Positively Paseo has used federal funds to rehabilitate or construct more than 20 homes including a four-plex, 13 renovated single-family houses, and seven new houses built on in-fill lots.

In addition to its residential and commercial areas, approximately one-third of the neighborhood is taken up by Fairlawn Cemetery. Home to some of Oklahoma City’s earliest mausoleums, the cemetery also functions as The Paseo’s public living room where residents feel safe walking or jogging.

The nine other APA 2010 Great Neighborhoods are: Downtown Frederick in Frederick, MD; Historic Ninth Street Hill in Lafayette, IN; Lower Downtown in Denver, CO; Back Bay in Boston, MA; Cathedral Historic District in Sioux Falls, SD; Frank Lloyd Wright Historic Neighborhood in Oak Park, IL; Historic John S. Park Neighborhood in Las Vegas, NV; Hyde Park in Cincinnati, OH; and Riverside Avondale in Jacksonville, FL.

For more information about these neighborhoods, as well as APA’s top 10 Great Streets, top 10 Great Public Spaces, and designations between 2007 and 2009, visit www.planning.org/greatplaces. This year's Great Places in America are being celebrated as part of APA's National Community Planning Month during October; for more about the special month, visit www.planning.org/ncpm.

The American Planning Association is an independent, not-for-profit educational organization that provides leadership in the development of vital communities. APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, are dedicated to advancing the art, science and profession of good planning -- physical, economic and social -- so as to create communities that offer better choices for where and how people work and live. Members of APA help create communities of lasting value and encourage civic leaders, business interests and citizens to play a meaningful role in creating communities that enrich people's lives. APA has offices in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, Ill. For more information, visit www.planning.org.

###

Very nice, Casey.

How do you guys rate Paseo against the Plaza District?

The Paseo has better architecture and would be cooler if there were more current, relevant, cool artists like the Plaza does... instead they have a bunch art galleries that are pointless to go browse because half of them need an appointment or aren't open when you go... and when you do the art seems 'old' for lack of a better word... unless its a temporary exhibit. I work in hotels and am reluctant to send guests there because they come back dissapointed often because they were only able to go to a few places.

... and Sauced is gone now so that royally sucks.

I really wish it would become more of a Canyon Road in Santa Fe.

How do you guys rate Paseo against the Plaza District?

Residentially above Plaza, commercially beneath Plaza. Paseo doesn't have a snazzy streetscape with a lot of fresh interest like Plaza..and it's taken Paseo MUCH longer to get where it is today.

... and Sauced is gone now so that royally sucks.

I really wish it would become more of a Canyon Road in Santa Fe.

Thought Sauced was coming back (or already is back)??

I think they're reopening it soon and expanding the menu, possibly?

Speaking of the APA and Planetizen (who if I recall, was involved in these rankings?), on Planetizen there's a really cool blog that does a great job of tracking innovations and trends in urbanism that can be applied to OKC..

And here are some more of the neighborhoods that Paseo was ranked alongside:

LoDo in Denver:
http://www.urban-photos.com/gallery/albums/city_galleries/denver/thumb_denver_09_8753.jpg

Back Bay in Boston:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/25/38009832_66649d2b97.jpg?v=0

Frederick, MD:
http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20060629parkap_230.jpg

Cathedral Historic District in Sioux Falls, SD: (really?)
http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/7181213.jpg

Oak Park (FLW District) in Chicago:
http://www.der.org/films/images/oak-park-stories.jpg

Historic John S. Park Neighborhood in Las Vegas: (really?)
http://www.milliefine.com/johnspark2.jpg

Ninth Street Hill in Lafayette, Ind.:
No photos can be found

Riverside Avondale in Jacksonville:
http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/803721093_MaVa2-M.jpg

Hyde Park in Cincy:
http://urbanqueer.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/hyde-park-square.jpg?w=450&h=338

I love Boston's density in The Back Bay, Rowhouses as far as The eye can see!Nice company for The Paseo to be in!Thanks for posting that Nick!

I love Boston's density in The Back Bay, Rowhouses as far as The eye can see!I fail to understand why it is good as it looks to me more like warehousing for humans

I fail to understand why it is good as it looks to me more like warehousing for humans

Well, the overhead shot doesn't really do the neighborhood justice. At the bottom of most of those row houses is some of the best shopping in the US. The neighborhood is beautiful, tree lined streets, gorgeous old buildings, GREAT restaurants etc. Also, it is sandwiched between the most desirable parts of the Boston metro. Across the river to the north is Cambridge, one of the greatest college towns in the world. To the west is the fens, home of the Boston Red Socks. On the east you have the beautiful Boston Common, and the CBD. To the south is Church of Christian Scientists, Copley, Prudential center. In short it is truly one of the best neighborhoods in the US. And honestly, if I could live anywhere in the USA it would probably be in a luxury brownstone in Backbay.

I fail to understand why it is good as it looks to me more like warehousing for humans

Well, if the Back Bay is "warehousing for humans" then any suburb could be a "cattle ranch for humans." lol

Well, if the Back Bay is "warehousing for humans" then any suburb could be a "cattle ranch for humans." lolWhy would that be bad?

I'd take the warehouse over the cattle ranch. I don't do well with desolation, isolation, and the lack of civil society. Most people don't. That's why we strive to build our cities with a sense of continuity and definition, because those things are comforting and reinforce how spaces are intended to be used.

Why would that be bad?

Why would that be good? o_O Incredibly wasteful of our precious land, strains our resources, enforces solitude and not connectivity. I'd also take a "warehouse for humans" any day.

Hell, I basically just repeated Spartan.

I love being repeated. It means I might be right for a change.

With all due respect

Then why have OKCitians fled the "Urban" ("warehousing for humans") for the Suburbs ("cattle ranch for humans")? Seems most prefer the breathing room instead of being crammed together, on top & bottom of each other. Isolation or connectivity? Have seen many an instance in Urban settings where people don't interact or know their neighbor any more than those in the burbs.

To each their own

My observation and experience is that social interaction and community is more easily achieved in practice in the less crowded, more rural areas. There the pace is often slow enough to meet friends at the local diner for coffee and conversation or to visit at the feed store or maybe just wave at neighbors while driving or maybe help with some chore or another.

On the other hand the pace of life seems to me to be more exaggerated in the larger, more densely populated places. In fact there seems to me to be an anonymous isolation that exists in the midst of multitudes that I have not observed elsewhere.

The Paseo does not seem that way at all to me but more resembles what I associate with smaller communities. Definitely does not feel like warehousing.

My observation and experience is that social interaction and community is more easily achieved in practice in the less crowded, more rural areas. There the pace is often slow enough to meet friends at the local diner for coffee and conversation or to visit at the feed store or maybe just wave at neighbors while driving or maybe help with some chore or another.

On the other hand the pace of life seems to me to be more exaggerated in the larger, more densely populated places. In fact there seems to me to be an anonymous isolation that exists in the midst of multitudes that I have not observed elsewhere.

The Paseo does not seem that way at all to me but more resembles what I associate with smaller communities. Definitely does not feel like warehousing.

You're making the comparison between urban and rural...not urban vs. suburban. Most would agree that rural life maintains a certain about of community-building and charm, not to mention the enjoyment of living the simple life in connection with the land. Suburbia, however, offers none of the charm of country living and none of the density/diversity/street life of the urban experience. Most of the neighborhoods mentioned on this list are urban...but not in the sense of "the projects." We're talking walkable neighborhoods built on a human scale with a mix of uses. In other words...the blueprint for great civic design since modern civilization began.

You're making the comparison between urban and rural...not urban vs. suburban. Most would agree that rural life maintains a certain about of community-building and charm, not to mention the enjoyment of living the simple life in connection with the land. Suburbia, however, offers none of the charm of country living and none of the density/diversity/street life of the urban experience. Most of the neighborhoods mentioned on this list are urban...but not in the sense of "the projects." We're talking walkable neighborhoods built on a human scale with a mix of uses. In other words...the blueprint for great civic design since modern civilization began.Ah. I said the Boston neighborhood images looked to me like warehousing for humans. Spartan replied that if that were the case then suburbia must be cattle ranch for humans. Knowing something about ranches I responded that I didn't see what was bad about ranches.

Spartan, joined by Architect2010, said it was because of desolation, isolation, and lack of civil society. Architect2010 then suggested it is also a waste of land and valuable resources.

Both expressed preference for human warehousing. I found nothing persuasive in either's discussion about why my opinion might be in error and did notice the condescension.

EBAH stated that the image of Back Bay failed to do justice in presenting the actual neighborhood area. That actually may be true. I've never been to Boston and have no other knowledge of the area except the image.

In particular though the image shows the same apartment building repeated over and over and over. It is really as depressing to me as many of the suburban and apartment developments I see. The trees make it a little better than Soviet style I suppose but it is just not for me an image of an inviting neighborhood. It does seem to me like warehouses.

It isn't like Paseo from what I know.

But it's merely my opinion of that one image.

WOW! Boston is a model of Urban excellence at it's best!if you are planning to create or build on a city you should want it to be The most sustainable it can be Example:Boston!The Back Bay is One of The most historical neighborhoods in America,it has a multitude of of ammenities that OKC could only dream of!

WOW! Boston is a model of Urban excellence at it's best!if you are planning to create or build on a city you should want it to be The most sustainable it can be Example:Boston!The Back Bay is One of The most historical neighborhoods in America,it has a multitude of of ammenities that OKC could only dream of!That may be true but why is the repetition of the same building any different than so called "cookie cutter" neighborhoods anywhere else?

That may be true but why is the repetition of the same building any different than so called "cookie cutter" neighborhoods anywhere else?

Because they are architecturally significant... not disposable architecture.

Because they are architecturally significant... not disposable architecture.What makes them architecturally significant?

Architect2010 then suggested it is also a waste of land and valuable resources.

How is it not wasteful? The more land used in a sprawling and unhealthy manner, the more wasteful. I'm sorry, but I was thinking by cattle ranch, we were talking about suburbia as well.

And the reason OKCitians as well as other people have "fled" the urbanity and density of other cities is because WE ARE WASTEFUL. "To each their own", but one of them is obviously the way smarter way to build, sustain, and connect. The other is a free-for all to consume our land and resources while connecting it all with expensive and expansive roads, and the big SUV's needed to travel the distances between. I will never understand why people think that is okay. It's the nature of our species I suppose. To destroy and want want want.