Most 'Must See' Street in Oklahoma City

[Kerry]

I am still wondering what the name of the new boulevard is going to be and while doing a little a research on famous street names and their origins I came across an intersting question: What is the "must see" street in your city?

http://famousroads.com/2007/06/16/wh...-in-your-city/

jaccho asked:

New Orleans has Canal St. and Bourbon St.; Memphis has Beale St., New York has Broadway, Atlanta has Peachtree St. What are some other world famous streets in your city?

What is the most 'must see' street in Oklahoma City. When I lived in Oklahoma in the early '80s it was Meridian Ave. Later it became Northwest Expwy. What is it today and why? Would it be Sheridan Ave (Devon, Cox, Renaissance Hotel, Bricktown)?

I can't begin to tell you if Jacksonville even has a 'must see' street. I guess since I don't know that means it doesn't. In Tampa it was Bayshore/Channelside Drive. When friends and family came to town and wanted to 'see' Tampa that is where we took them. East 7th Ave was a close second.

[jmarkross]

Something with a Gaylord in it...

[circuitboard]

Broadway?

[G.Walker]

Possible new boulevard names:

Cornett Blvd. (lol)
Oklahoma Blvd.
Myriad Blvd.
Rose Rock Blvd.
River Front Blvd.

[circuitboard]

Skyline Blvd
Tower Blvd
City Blvd
Core Blvd

[Stew]

Grand Blvd as a whole. (north and south)

[Kerry]

We can talk about possible names if you like but I would also like to know 'the street' in OKC.

As for the new street name - I don't want it named after any single person. I actually hate anything named after someone who became famous via an elected office (it should be illegal in my opinion - they spend other people's money and then take credit for it - shameless!). Ron Norrick should have said Thanks, but No Thanks when they named the library after him. OK - rant over.

I have toyed with several names but none of them capture the essence of what this new road means or what OKC embodies. That is why I was interested in the origins of other famous street names. Right now I am toying with the word 'Energy'. Granted OKC has several energy companies but the city itself is also full of energy and the city and state were founded during a boom.

Energy Ave
Energy Place
Energy Drive
or just plain Energy.

The name needs to allow development to play off of it. A residential tower could be called Residence at Energy, while a speculative office building could be Energy Tower. No one is going to live in the Ronald J. Norrick Memorial Residential Tower or go shopping at the Cornett Center

[G.Walker]

I personally like Myriad Blvd., since it will be close to Myriad gardens, and a residential condo called Myriad Place rings a bell. The name Myriad has a long history in Oklahoma City....

[Kerry]

I personally like Myriad Blvd., since it will be close to Myriad gardens, and a residential condo called Myriad Place rings a bell. The name Myriad has a long history in Oklahoma City....

That's not bad, not bad at all.

Does anyone know how the Myriad Convention Center got its name? Was it simply a dictionary use of the word or is there another reason?

[metro]

Must see in OKC.

Shartel Ave from NW 50th to Downtown
Robinson from NW 36th to Downtown.

[scootinger]

Northwest Expressway? Because miles upon miles of generic suburban sprawl is really that tour-worthy?

[Spartan]

I've always thought of Walker as the true architectural axis of OKC, from NW 50th to SW Grand Blvd.

I'm hoping the new boulevard is not any of the above names. I've always hoped for something commemorating Ralph Ellison, an underrepresented local icon. Ellison Avenue? Ellison Boulevard? Maybe something to do with the park it will be adjacent to? Commons Boulevard? Park Boulevard? (Park Ave is already taken) Festival Boulevard?

[Bunty]

Classen Blvd. for the history in the area as in the gold dome, along with some interesting side trips, such as the Paseo.

[Kerry]

Northwest Expressway? Because miles upon miles of generic suburban sprawl is really that tour-worthy?

Back in the early 80's Northwest Expwy was were everything new was being built. Memorial was still a 2 lane road back then, the Kilpatrick didn't exist, and no Lake Hefner Parkway (in fact, what would become LHP ended south of Baptist Hospital and there was a traffic light at NWExp. All the new office buildings, restaurants, apartments, upscale subdivsions, and power shopping centers were on NWExp. It was "the"
road in OKC during it heyday.

[Spartan]

Classen Blvd. for the history in the area as in the gold dome, along with some interesting side trips, such as the Paseo.

Oh man, Classen needs work almost more than any other street.

[bornhere]

I can't believe that anyone thought Meridian was a 'must see' street.

[leprechaun]

We have some great short stretches of streets, but most of them cease to be interesting outside of about a 1/4 of a mile. That is part of our problem, there's no main drag that will impress somebody from out of state. I don't really picture the boulevard as becoming the stretch that you take somebody from out of town anytime soon after it is built. There isn't much existing development in the new boulevard area which is significant that I know of. It is usually the older areas that are worth driving through. I would probably take somebody to The Paseo, head down to the Plaza District, and then work my downtown.

[skyrick]

Back in the early 80's Northwest Expwy was were everything new was being built. Memorial was still a 2 lane road back then, the Kilpatrick didn't exist, and no Lake Hefner Parkway (in fact, what would become LHP ended south of Baptist Hospital and there was a traffic light at NWExp. All the new office buildings, restaurants, apartments, upscale subdivsions, and power shopping centers were on NWExp. It was "the"
road in OKC during it heyday.

In the 80s it was, and still is, an ugly 5 mile long strip center

[ljbab728]

That's not bad, not bad at all.

Does anyone know how the Myriad Convention Center got its name? Was it simply a dictionary use of the word or is there another reason?

It was totally a dictionary use of the name. That was back before we had corporate names for arenas. A similar name was the Omni in Atlanta.

[Larry OKC]

That's not bad, not bad at all.

Does anyone know how the Myriad Convention Center got its name? Was it simply a dictionary use of the word or is there another reason?

The Convention Center's site gives credence to that theory:

A NEW ERA - back to top
In 1972, the Myriad became the heart of the new downtown. It offered facilities to fit every need. Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary defines the word myriad as both numerous and diverse; an appropriate name for the multi-purpose venue offering such an expansive variety of events and facilities.

Wikipedia says it was part of the Pei Plan so Steve or Doug may have more definitive info...

[Kerry]

Thanks Larry and ljbab728 - that is what I thought but I didn't know if it was like the Conncourse (the tunnels under and over OKC) which is a concourse named after Jack Conn. One name -two meanings.

[kevinpate]

In the 80s it was, and still is, an ugly 5 mile long strip center

nah, it's not ugly now ... it's down to fugly, at best

[Kerry]

In the 80s it was, and still is, an ugly 5 mile long strip center

Remember that in 20 years when Memorial becomes the new NWExpwy, and there is a new Memorial 5 miles further out. It is kind of like chasing a rainbow. The best strategy is not to start.

[metro]

I've always thought of Walker as the true architectural axis of OKC, from NW 50th to SW Grand Blvd.

I'm hoping the new boulevard is not any of the above names. I've always hoped for something commemorating Ralph Ellison, an underrepresented local icon. Ellison Avenue? Ellison Boulevard? Maybe something to do with the park it will be adjacent to? Commons Boulevard? Park Boulevard? (Park Ave is already taken) Festival Boulevard?

Architects are touting Harvey as the true architectural axis of OKC. That is what everything is based on from the National Memorial to C2S Park south of the river, no to mention, it's still a nice street further north into Heritage Hills, Mesta Park, Uptown, Paseo, etc. as well as to the south through Capitol Hill.

[Kerry]

OK, let's try this from a different perspective. You go to city X and you only have five minutes, what street do you go to?

Miami - Ocean Drive
Chicago - Michigan Ave
New Orleans - Canal Street
London - Oxford St
San Fran - Lombard St
New York City - Broadway
OKC - ?

I still think it is Sheridan.