http://www.thepaseo.com/

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Creative life: Planned events, new merchants bring The Paseo arts district alive by Brian Brus
The Journal Record
8/16/2006

OKLAHOMA CITY – When visitors show up at The Paseo arts district in northwest Oklahoma City, the street is alive with open galleries, restaurants, shops, and even wine, hors d’oeuvres and music.

At least on the first Friday and Saturday of each month, that is.

“The artists, for the most part, haven’t been open in past years,” said Kathy Jacobsen, owner of the Kathy’s on Paseo clothing and accessories store. “And that’s been a problem when people come to the district to visit actual artists’ studios. I’ve heard the complaints myself. And then we have to apologize and try to explain on everyone’s behalf that they’re not open during the weekdays.”

So most weekdays are dead, and weekends iffy. But that’s changing, she said, with the advent of the first Friday open gallery events, which have proven “wildly successful.”

“The district hasn’t been what it could have been, but we’re getting much closer,” Jacobsen said.

The Paseo, built at the end of the 1920s as a commercial shopping district, runs along Paseo Drive about three blocks in length, beginning at NW 30th Street to the north and curving to the east to intersect with Walker at about 28th Street. The buildings that compose the district loosely adhere to a Spanish village motif with some stucco and clay tile, with a few exceptions over the years.

Advertised through a link to the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau as one of the city’s many “things to see and do,” The Paseo promises “painters, potters, photographers, writers, and actors. … You can visit a stained-glass works, a pottery studio, watch a painter at work, see a performance of a children’s theater group, have dinner, and shop.”

The district also boasts an annual arts festival every Memorial Day weekend, which packs the neighborhood streets with cars. The success of the festival alone almost justifies the district’s existence, some merchants said.

The district has taken huge strides in recent years to meet its goal of becoming a true magnet for those seeking art and nonchain restaurants and retail, shop owners said. The Paseo Artists Association steering group is even considering changing its name to include merchants, Jacobsen said. The street directory in The Paseo boasts 20 galleries and 15 businesses in the area.

The latest additions are the Art of Yoga studio and the Woodchuck Chop handmade furniture shop, with a new restaurant, Sauced – a cafe due to open in September on property owned and developed by John Belt.

That property, formerly Quality Cleaners, due to its nature, did nothing to promote the district’s creative focus, Belt said. The building has been empty for about two years as he worked to secure appropriate tenants.

“We’ve been working to develop an arts district there for the last 30 years, and it’s all been fun,” said Belt, who estimates he has an ownership or development interest in about two-thirds of The Paseo properties. His wife, Joy Reed Belt, has run an arts studio in the area for years. “The more artists we have, the more fun it is. We’re finally getting all the properties focused on the same ideas; it’s just taken a long time.

“It’s been a consistent mission, which is to have a true arts district in Oklahoma City,” Belt said. “We call the district near downtown the arts district because it’s got the (Oklahoma City) art museum, but there aren’t any working artists there. Our goal has always been an arts district where creative people worked with open shops, studios and galleries, to involve themselves in the process of the art, and those things that support such an environment.”

In a classic chicken-or-egg puzzle, however, those restaurants and merchants need artists to make street-wandering customers happy enough to return, while galleries need more customers to justify their open hours.

“In the early ’90s, it was beginning to shape up with the galleries, but they weren’t open on any particular days and people weren’t coming in,” said artist Jeanene Carver. She shares studio space with three other artists and has been a resident of The Paseo for about 11 years. “If I saw two visitors on a Saturday, I thought I was doing pretty well.”

It’s hard to tell how many resident artists run their galleries as a primary source of income and how many are open as a secondary interest. Carver said she’s working at her gallery most of the time anyway, so the front door might as well be open to visitors.

“Slowly, the association has been working to get people to stay open on certain days so we can advertise some kind of consistency,” she said. Response to the Friday evening events has been so strong that the association is considering expanding shop hours the following Saturday later into the night as well.

Is once a month enough?

“Right now it seems to be. But if we think it could work, we might be able to do a second weekend,” Carver said.

And at Paseo Pottery, owner Collin Rosebrook praised increased emphasis on street signs and district advertisements.

“Everything seems to have gelled. Those people who have come on board lately seem to be really excited about making the district work,” he said.

Rosebrook has been in The Paseo for about 16 years. He works clay in the back of his studio with the front door open to visitors.

“We’re seeing a growing consistency in the studios being kept open,” he said.

Carver said one of the key indicators of the district’s growth has been the shift in consumer quality of her visitors. Instead of people wandering through who might or might not have any appreciation for art, shop traffic now includes many more buyers and aficionados.

“All the artists here strive to put their best foot forward,” Carver said. “It would be nice if they could be open more often so that people could see that. I think everyone would benefit in the long run.”

I definitely praise the Paseo for its revival and thriving future. For this I am very excited. I do believe, however, the district can thrive much stronger if Oklahoma City leaders considered widening and resurfacing streets that lead to the Paseo. At this time, you have to dig a little deep to find the district. I know my wife and I did.

Yes, better promotion on behalf of the district's association would be appreciated as well as if the city would put up some way-finding signs.

I hang out in the paseo quite a bit actually. It has seem to pick up some speed lately, especially on the gallery walk nights.

Personally, I like that it's a little tucked away and harder to find. While I want the area to do well, I think that's what makes it unique and such a great place to hang out. Widening the street would only detract from its neighborhood feel. I think that's what makes it so rewarding. I don’t think that Edgemere Park would be too keen on it, either.

Way finding would be great. Signs at 23rd or 36th st. exit would be cool. They do have markers that also help without being too gawdy.

Agreed BDP. When you get there you feel like you've actually found a little jewel that no one else knows about and you don't feel like you're in OKC. Way finding would be okay, but widening streets would ruin its feel and make it feel like just another development.

The Paseo is a wonderful area in that rather dicey neighborhood. Hope the city pays more attention to it.

I am surprised that the NW 23rd stip is not more of a major commerical thoroughfare. yes, there are shops, but there should really be big name shops on this street. It's one of the bussiest in OKC.

I agree, okcmom. The paseo and 23rd are in the middle of some of Oklahoma City's best neighborhoods. I have complete faith that they will continue to get better. I think Paseo's status as an historic preservation district will help, but it will take some time... think Mesta Park. However, with the paseo it will probably take one or two committed investors to improve a lot of the properties. Mesta and parts of Heritage Hills had the advantage of larger properties that have bigger sale prices once renovated. However, the paseo offers a great opportunity in terms of ROI. You could probably double the house value easily, though I don't see any being worth as much as a single home in Mesta or Heritage.

Oklahoma City's spread out mentality will make it a slow going process. But I think as more young people move to the area and make it their home, it will begin to change, just like Edgemere and Mesta Park did. The Paseo's vitality will speed this up, I think.

I like the way it's kind of hidden away, yet getting very popular. I went to the Friday Night Walk with some friends a few weeks ago and it was a lot of fun. We ate at Irma's then went down there and walked around. It was really busy. After that we hung out at Galileo's for a couple hours. The Paseo is really hoppin' these days.

I like Paseo the way it is. There is not a lot of lee-way to widen the streets. You will take away sidewalk and bike paths that compliment Paseo and the neighborhoods around there. I live in the area and like the neighborhood feel. I've done too much work on my house and in my neighborhood to see it look more commercial. As to the comment about retail along 23rd Street... The Tower Theater and all the retail on that strip has been bought. They just got declared Historic and are taking bids to start renovating, beginning with the Tower Theater sign. Once that is lit up and things start to look better around there I think more business will start looking for space around there. I understand the building at 23rd and Robinson has a new owner as well. Hopefully things are looking up for that area. I know it is a bit dark and scary around there right now. The Tower sign will make a big difference.

As to the comment about retail along 23rd Street... The Tower Theater and all the retail on that strip has been bought. They just got declared Historic and are taking bids to start renovating, beginning with the Tower Theater sign. Once that is lit up and things start to look better around there I think more business will start looking for space around there. I understand the building at 23rd and Robinson has a new owner as well. Hopefully things are looking up for that area. I know it is a bit dark and scary around there right now. The Tower sign will make a big difference.
Yeah, there has been discussion on this as well. If you go to the Tower Theatre thread you will see what all has been discussed.

Paseo arts district sees renaissance
‘Good guys' help property values rise.

By John Estus
Staff Writer

In the past 12 years, Nedra Jones's street has changed from an empty, burned-out ghetto to what she calls the best street in the Paseo district.
Half the houses on NW 27 were empty and boarded up when she moved there in 1995. Once, she had to chase gang members from her house with a rake.

But she didn't leave.

Today, the inner-city neighborhood is thriving. People, young and old, are moving in. Paseo property values have more than doubled since 1999, according to the Oklahoma County assessor's office.

"This neighborhood didn't change until the good guys outnumbered the bad guys,” Jones said.

By good guys, she means residents who care about changing the neighborhood from blighted to blooming.


Little Haight Ashbury
In the 1960s and 1970s, Oklahoma City's bohemian culture boomed in the Paseo. Some called it Oklahoma's closest thing to San Francisco's Haight Ashbury district, the famed breeding den of American counterculture during that era.
But the neighborhood began to die along with the era. Art galleries turned into seedy dive bars. Residents moved out. Property values plummeted and crime skyrocketed.

In 1993, after two decades of decay, city officials targeted the Paseo for revitalization. It was Oklahoma City's first pilot project for revitalization.


How it happened
Cities often throw a slew of city ordinances, zoning changes and grants directed at revitalizing neighborhoods — Oklahoma City has done all that in the Paseo — but none of it works unless residents are willing to work, too.
In the Paseo, the "good guys” started reporting slumlords and other uncaring property owners to the city. They fixed up their own homes and encouraged neighbors to do the same.

They did as much on their own as they could.

"Then the city noticed us, when the cosmetics started to change,” Jones said.

Once the neighborhood started to look good again, others started caring about it, Jones said.


Fixer-upper
Jones never gave up on the Paseo, and it has paid off — personally and professionally.
As a Realtor, she's selling houses for tens of thousands of dollars more than she was just a few years ago, she said.

"This is a good market for restoration,” Jones said. "A lot of people want historic homes.”

The sounds of hammers and electric saws echo throughout the neighborhood on most days as contractors work to restore homes on nearly every street.

"We're changing things one house at a time,” said Lee Foster, who lives in the Paseo and has restored more than a half dozen properties there.

Jones said single women of different ages and races are buying more Paseo homes than anyone else.

One woman recently bought a 1,000- square-foot house for $92,500, a far cry from the $24,000 Foster paid for it just last year.


Still work to be done
Boarded up homes with trash-filled yards still stand on some Paseo streets. "We'll just keep turning them in,” Jones said.
It's difficult to tear down dilapidated buildings in historic preservation districts such as the Paseo because of historic building preservation laws. That's a catch-22 for residents: the historic preservation designation helped bring much-needed grant money and other aid to the area but proves troublesome when trying to rid the area of dilapidated structures.


Living, working in Paseo
Paseo has an atmosphere different than what is expected from an early 20th century Oklahoma neighborhood.
Once, Jones asked a client why they wanted to live in the Paseo.

"They said, ‘because I don't want to live in Oklahoma City,' ” Jones said.

Unlike some areas of the city, many people who work along Paseo Drive — a strip of art galleries, boutiques and restaurants — live nearby.

"They've made a big investment here,” Jones said. "It's like the Hotel California — you can check in, but you can't leave.”

http://static.newsok.biz/sites/newsok/images/home/a9home1.jpg

Paseo arts district sees renaissance
‘Good guys' help property values rise.

By John Estus
Staff Writer

In the past 12 years, Nedra Jones's street has changed from an empty, burned-out ghetto to what she calls the best street in the Paseo district.

Half the houses on NW 27 were empty and boarded up when she moved there in 1995. Once, she had to chase gang members from her house with a rake.

But she didn't leave.

Today, the inner-city neighborhood is thriving. People, young and old, are moving in. Paseo property values have more than doubled since 1999, according to the Oklahoma County assessor's office.

"This neighborhood didn't change until the good guys outnumbered the bad guys,” Jones said.

By good guys, she means residents who care about changing the neighborhood from blighted to blooming.

Little Haight Ashbury
In the 1960s and 1970s, Oklahoma City's bohemian culture boomed in the Paseo. Some called it Oklahoma's closest thing to San Francisco's Haight Ashbury district, the famed breeding den of American counterculture during that era.

But the neighborhood began to die along with the era. Art galleries turned into seedy dive bars. Residents moved out. Property values plummeted and crime skyrocketed.

In 1993, after two decades of decay, city officials targeted the Paseo for revitalization. It was Oklahoma City's first pilot project for revitalization.

How it happened
Cities often throw a slew of city ordinances, zoning changes and grants directed at revitalizing neighborhoods — Oklahoma City has done all that in the Paseo — but none of it works unless residents are willing to work, too.

In the Paseo, the "good guys” started reporting slumlords and other uncaring property owners to the city. They fixed up their own homes and encouraged neighbors to do the same.

They did as much on their own as they could.

"Then the city noticed us, when the cosmetics started to change,” Jones said.

Once the neighborhood started to look good again, others started caring about it, Jones said.

Fixer-upper
Jones never gave up on the Paseo, and it has paid off — personally and professionally.

As a Realtor, she's selling houses for tens of thousands of dollars more than she was just a few years ago, she said.

"This is a good market for restoration,” Jones said. "A lot of people want historic homes.”

The sounds of hammers and electric saws echo throughout the neighborhood on most days as contractors work to restore homes on nearly every street.

"We're changing things one house at a time,” said Lee Foster, who lives in the Paseo and has restored more than a half dozen properties there.

Jones said single women of different ages and races are buying more Paseo homes than anyone else.

One woman recently bought a 1,000- square-foot house for $92,500, a far cry from the $24,000 Foster paid for it just last year.

Still work to be done
Boarded up homes with trash-filled yards still stand on some Paseo streets. "We'll just keep turning them in,” Jones said.

It's difficult to tear down dilapidated buildings in historic preservation districts such as the Paseo because of historic building preservation laws. That's a catch-22 for residents: the historic preservation designation helped bring much-needed grant money and other aid to the area but proves troublesome when trying to rid the area of dilapidated structures.

Living, working in Paseo
Paseo has an atmosphere different than what is expected from an early 20th century Oklahoma neighborhood.

Once, Jones asked a client why they wanted to live in the Paseo.

"They said, ‘because I don't want to live in Oklahoma City,' ” Jones said.

Unlike some areas of the city, many people who work along Paseo Drive — a strip of art galleries, boutiques and restaurants — live nearby.

"They've made a big investment here,” Jones said. "It's like the Hotel California — you can check in, but you can't leave.”

It's like deja vu all over again...

Whoa, how did that happen??

Sorry metro, but I prefer Malibu's formatting. ;)

I live in the Paseo area behind the Paseo Grill and really enjoy it, great neighborhood! Sauced is a great place to relax outside and enjoy a beer and some sunshine (when we have it!).

I lived in the Paseo district for about 5 yrs before buying my first home last year. I would have loved to get a house there but found them either out of my price range or needing more upgrades then I could handle on my own. I miss the charm that area holds and the five min. commute.

That is really good to read. It sounds like the people living there are taking a lot of pride in the rejuvenated district. And it will only get better, that kind of thing is usually contagious. It's obviously not just a "keeping up the Jones'" thing either, it's a true pride and excitement about bringing that district back to life. The article has spurred me to take a drive-by this afternoon.

---------------

Misty, how do you feel about the safety in the neighborhood, especially after dark?

My neighbors are great, so I really don't worry at all. I've lived in rougher areas! I do walk to the restaurants at night, however I wouldn't walk or jog through the residential area alone at night. I haven't had any issues at all though, my caution is just based on what other people have told me. I've heard it was rough a few years ago but on 28th I haven't seen or heard of any problems whatsoever. Friendly neighbors, which always means a safer neighborhood.

I've been on the main strip at night and felt completely safe, but I wonder about the residential streets at night.

^ It definitely seems safer now than it did a few years ago, and that is mainly because of people moving into rundown homes and fixing them up and stabilizing the neighborhood. As this continues to happen it will become even more safe, as if it's not right now. The actual Paseo area is safe but certain areas surrounding it are a little dicey, like the neighborhoods just to the west.

Of course everywhere in the city has these issues. You have the mansions of Nichols Hills not far from some rundown areas of Warr Acres, etc. Probably the biggest area in midtown OKC that needs to be cleaned up and better policed is the neighborhood to the west of Classen around NW 10th to NW 23rd including the OCU area. For that area to really thrive that neighborhood needs to be stabilized, and a lot of that comes from people reinvesting there i.e. buying rundown houses and fixing them up, clearing out slum lords, increasing the police presence, etc. Overall it's not a bad area, and is MUCH better than it was just 5 years ago and light years ahead of where it was 10-15 years ago.

I liken the Paseo/NW 23rd area to Cherry Street in Tulsa, as both are pretty similar. Both are also near bad neighborhoods that are gentrifying. Cherry Street is now doing better than ever because "bad" neighborhoods to the north are becoming more stable. There is even a wave of modern lofts going up where rundown houses once stood north of Cherry Street. I'm surprised OKC hasn't seen this happen yet in this area, it's probably coming soon.