Maybe popular isn't the right word but for lack of a better or less succinct word I'll say popular.
Here's what I mean. Back in the 50s OKC was larger by population than Phoenix, but now Phoenix is exploding and is a major league city with the NFL. I know their team sucks, but that's not my point. I've never been to Phoenix so maybe their growth isn't all good...enlighten me.
I read one poster on these boards saying that early in the 20th century OKC was on track to be the big city, cultural center of the Southwest instead of Dallas. Why? What happened? Did Dallas make a smart move that we did not to garner that title?
With the talk of the Sonics moving here it's hard not to compare ourselves to Seattle. They have a lot of very prosperous companies that call their metro home. Was it just luck or were they doing something that we weren't?
Now don't get me wrong, I have no desire for OKC to be a Dallas Jr. or Seattle II. I like OKC and its metro and I like who we are as a metro and state. I actually think that that could be a selling point of OKC. Always when you see list of best places to live or best quality of living, it's not the big cities on the list, it's the smaller, sleepy ones because they have big city living without all the congestion and drawbacks of a Chicago or New York. I think we should still be OKC not something we aren't like some "progressive" anything goes city. We should embrace who we are but be the best OKC we can.
So what can we do to be a big league city with a small town atmosphere? How do we get major corporations to call this home? And I mean serious stuff that could concievably be done. Not pie-in-the-sky stuff like building the world's tallest sky scraper or building a completely glassed in airport on piers in the middle of a huge lake.
Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?
Drop some knowledge on me.
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