Tulsa, Oklahoma

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Template:Infobox City

Tulsa is the second-largest city in Oklahoma. As of the revised 2004 census report, the city had a total population of 387,807, with 881,815 in the metropolitan area. Tulsa is the 45th largest city in the United States and the 93rd largest city in North America. It is the county seat of Tulsa County.

Contents

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History of Tulsa

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What was to ultimately become Tulsa was first a part of Indian Territory. The Lochapoka Creek settled the current Tulsa area between 1828 and 1836 after they had been driven from their native Alabama. Much of modern Tulsa is located in the Creek Nation, with parts located in the Cherokee Nation and Osage Nation.

In August, 1882, the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway, later called the Frisco, completed the extension of its line to Tulsa to serve the cattle business, the city's first industry. Tulsa, during this time, was referred to as "Tulsey Town."

Tulsa changed from a small Indian town to a boomtown with the discovery of oil in 1901 at Red Fork, a small community southwest of Tulsa. Wildcatters and investors flooded into the city and the town began to take shape. In 1905, the Glenn Pool oil field was discovered. This laid the foundation for Tulsa to become a world leader in oil and many oil and gas businesses.By the time Oklahoma achieved statehood in 1907, Tulsa had a population of 7,298.

By 1920 the population boomed to 72,000. The second surge of oil discoveries occurred between 1915 and 1930 firmly established Tulsa as the "Oil Capital of the World." Another community that flourished in Tulsa during the oil boom was Greenwood. Known nationally as "Black Wall Street," the neighborhood was a hotbed of jazz and blues in the 1920s. In 1921, the Tulsa Race Riot occurred, one of the nation's worst acts of racial violence.

Especially since World War II, the aviation and aerospace industries have also been an important part of the Tulsa economy.

Following the "Oil Bust" of 1982-84 the title of "Oil Capital of the World" was relinquished to Houston. City leaders worked to diversify the city away from a largely petroleum-based economy.

Many key families and people played important roles in the history of Tulsa including the Perryman Family, the Phillips family ((Frank Phillips, who founded Phillips Petroleum Company, and his brother Waite Phillips)), J. Paul Getty, William G. Skelly, the Warren family, the Murphy family, the LaFortune Family, the Bartlett family, Thomas Gilcrease, and Charles Page.

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Tulsa's districts and neighborhoods

Tulsa is a unique and beautiful city with many striking structures built in the 1920s and 1930s by oil barons. Downtown in particular has many landmark buildings. Tulsa is world renowned for its Art Deco landmarks, including the Philtower, the Mayo Hotel, Boston Avenue Methodist Church, Christ the King Catholic Church, and the Adams building. Known for a time as "Terra Cotta City", Tulsa hosted the International Sixth Congress on Art Deco in 2001.

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Downtown

Image:Downtown Tulsa OK.jpg Downtown Tulsa is in the northwest quadrant of the city and is ringed by an expressway system called the inner dispersal loop. Downtown's buildings include many large office towers. The BOK Tower (formerly One Willliams Center) is the tallest building in Oklahoma and was designed in 1975 by Minoru Yamasaki & Associates, the same architect who designed the World Trade Center in New York. This structure is very similar to a single tower from the WTC in looks and construction. Other notable buildings include the art deco Midcontinent Tower and the Tulsa National Bank buildings. Image:BostonAvenueMethodist.jpg

The Tulsa Performing Arts Center, occupies a half city block in Tulsa's historical downtown. The PAC is the design of Minoru Yamasaki, architect of the World Trade Center. It houses five theatres and a beautifully appointed reception hall. More than a quarter of a million people visit the Center each year to attend a performance from one of Tulsa's seven acclaimed musical and dramatic companies including the Tulsa Opera, Tulsa Ballet Theater, and a variety of symphonic groups. The PAC hosts a multitude of cultural events through the fall, winter and spring. Image:Tulsa Arena.jpg

Continuing its rich architectural history, in 2005 the City of Tulsa broke ground on a new 18,000 seat events center designed by renowned architect César Pelli. Tulsa-based BOK Financial has purchased the naming rights to the new facility and when completed, the arena will be known as the BOK Center.

Another unique local downtown landmark is the "Center of the Universe", an echo spot located on the arched pedestrian bridge, next to the old Tulsa Union Depot (the future home of the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame). To experience the acoustic phenomenon of the Center of the Universe, all one needs to do is to stand in the middle of the circle on the arch of the bridge and speak. This part of downtown is always fairly empty of people, especially at night, and is a good place for urban exploration. At the bottom of the steps, next to the train tracks, is a sewer grate which, as legend has it, leads eventually to Tulsa's defunct system of underground tunnels, which supposedly stretch throughout downtown.

Image:Tulsa Depot.jpg

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Brady Arts District

The Brady Arts District is located just north of the Center of the Universe and inludes most of the northern section of downtown Tulsa. The Brady District contains many of Tulsa's historic entertainment venues, including The Brady Theater, built in 1914. Known affectionately as the 'Old Lady on Brady', it is rumored to be haunted by the Ghost of Enrico Caruso, who performed there in 1920, and reportedly caught the cold that led to his death of pleurisy in 1921.

Image:CainsBallroom.jpg

North of the Brady on Main Street is the Cain's Ballroom, the home of Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys and the Light Crust Doughboys. To many, Cain's is the cornerstone of western swing music in the United States; it is also one of only two still-surviving venues from the Sex Pistols' infamous 1978 USA Tour. (They played at Cain's on January 12, 1978; the spectacle of the Pistols--playing in front of a hall lined with sepia-toned blow-up photographs of Bob Wills, Ernest Tubb, and other c/w legends--was one not to be forgotten by those in attendance at what was later termed the best performance of the Pistols' brief U.S. tour. Two days later at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, Johnny Rotten would walk off stage as a Sex Pistol for the last time). Today, Cain's leads a thriving existence by attracting an eclectic mix of country, rock, "jamband," jazz, and roots music. The district is also the location of many local artists' galleries, restaurants, and bars such as the popular Caz's, Gypsy Coffeehouse, and The Bowery.

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Blue Dome District

Another popular downtown entertainment district is the Blue Dome, named for a distinctive, domed building in the area in the eastern section of downtown. While some of the bars that opened there have since closed, current venues include Tsunami Sushi Bar, the Route 66 Diner, Arnie's Bar, McNellie's Public House, the Blank Slate, 3 Frogs Lounge, and 1974 Bar and Grill.

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Greenwood Historical District

The Greenwood Historical District is just north of downtown and east of the Brady District. In 1921, thirty-five blocks of businesses and residences were burned in this district during the infamous Tulsa Race Riot, the bloodiest racial riot in the history of the United States. The Oklahoma State Legislature passed laws in 2001 aimed at revitalizing Greenwood, setting up a scholarship fund for college-bound descendants of riot victims and appropriating $2 million for a riot memorial. As of 2004, two blocks of the old neighborhood have been restored and are part of the Greenwood Historical District. It is now home to the Greenwood Cultural Center, the Tulsa Race Riot Memorial, and the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, as well as Oklahoma State University - Tulsa and Langston University-Tulsa.

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Uptown

Uptown is the region just to the south of Downtown. Here you will find the Hotel Ambassador, a Tulsa landmark, which began life as a temporary housing facility for oil tycoons who were building their mansions. Functioning as a full-service hotel these days, it gives its guests a taste of the luxury of the glory days. The Sobo bar district in this area at 18th and south Boston is quite popular. Doubleshot Coffeehouse, Mercury Lounge, the Rehab Lounge, Dalessandro's Restaurant, and Vintage 1740 Wine Bar are popular destinations in SOBO.

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The Arkansas River

The Tulsa area boasts nearly 40 miles of river shoreline along the Arkansas River. River Parks lines more than 20 miles of that stretch, spread along the banks of the 1/4 mile wide channel. River Parks is a popular destination for outdoor recreation. Miles of asphalt-surfaced recreation trails weave past picnic areas, playgrounds, fountains and sculptures. The park's landscape ranges from manicured lawns to the rugged terrain of the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area. Recreation in River Parks includes fishing, rowing, kayaking, disc golf, hiking, biking and horseback riding.

During the spring, summer, and early fall concerts, festivals and the state's largest free fireworks display (on the Fourth of July) are popular draws to the river. The festival park on the river's west bank is the site of Tulsa's Oktoberfest, one of the oldest and largest in the U.S.

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Midtown

Midtown is a unique and largely residential district in the heart of the city. This area consists mostly of homes built in the early 1900's and has a wide variety of American styles ranging from the Craftsman bungalow to the ranch-style home to Greek Revival. The neighborhood is even home to a relocated saltbox home from colonial New England. Schools in this part of the city include Bishop Kelley High School, Cascia Hall Preparatory School, Edison High School, Eliot Elementary, Francis Scott Key Elementary, Robert E. Lee Elementary, Patrick Henry Elementary and Undercroft Montessori. Woodward Park, located in Midtown, is known for its azaleas and gardens and is a popular destination for photography and picnics. Other popular Midtown Parks include LaFortune Park, Darlington Park and Whiteside Park.

Utica Square is both a unique shopping center and another neighborhood built with lots of Oil Wealth. It's the most popular midtown shopping area and is mixed with locally owned retailers and national chains such as Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Local retailers include many clothing boutiques and Tulsa's oldest department store, Miss Jackson's. Several of Tulsa's most acclaimed restaurants are also located in Utica Square including the Polo Grille and the Wild Fork.

Located directly behind Utica Square is Tulsa's only Reform Jewish institution, Temple Israel. Temple Israel was founded in 1914 and currently has a membership of approximately 500 families. Temple Israel is a Reform Congregation affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), the national organization of Reform Judaism. Tulsa's conservative synagogue, B'nai Emunah is also in Midtown.

Some of the other major shopping centers in this part of the city include the Promenade Mall, Highland Park Shopping Center, Southroads, Ranch Acres, The Farm Shopping Center, and The Plaza. OU-Tulsa is across the street from the Promenade Mall at 41st and Yale, on the southern edge of Midtown.

In northeast Midtown, the Tulsa State Fairgrounds, now called Expo Square, is home to several unique Tulsa landmarks. In addition to the site being home to the minor league baseball Tulsa Drillers, the Art Deco Expo Square Pavilion (home court for the Tulsa 66ers NBDL team), the Fair Meadows horse racing track, and the annual Tulsa State Fair, it boasts the Expo Center, the largest clearspan building in the world, providing 354,000 square feet (33,000 m²) of column-free space under a cable-suspended roof. In front of the Expo Center is the Golden Driller, standing 76 feet (23 m) tall. Built in 1966 as a symbol for the International Petroleum Expo, the statue serves as a reminder of Tulsa's oily past.

The Expo Center is also home to the annual Darryl Starbird Rod and Custom Show. Held in early February, it is touted as 'The World's Largest Indoor Car Show' and often draws around 1,500 custom and classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Antique car auctions are also held here and draw many visitors from across the nation.

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Cherry Street

Image:SwanLake.jpg The Cherry Street District is set near downtown in the northern midtown area, defined by a portion of 15th Street dubbed "Cherry Street." Visitors to this neighborhood find great local restaurants, boutique shops, art galleries, antique shops, funky vintage stores, and even a scooter shop now filling old storefronts built in the 1920s & 1930s, as well as some fabulous old homes in the surrounding residential areas. Cherry Street is surrounded by three of Tulsa's designated Historic Districts: the Swan Lake, North Maple Ridge, and Yorktown neighborhoods. Other neighborhoods adjacent to Cherry Street are Florence Park and the Renaissance neighborhood.Image:Skellylg.jpg

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Maple Ridge and Sunset Terrace

The Maple Ridge Historic District is just south of downtown in Midtown. This neighborhood contains 'Black Gold Row', where the fabulous mansions built by the oil barons in the 1920s still stand, long after their original owners have gone.

Sunset Terrace is located adjacent to Maple Ridge on it's South Side, Terwilleger Heights on its East Side and the Arkansas River to the West. It is transversed by the grand Woodward Boulevard, which links Maple Ridge to Brookside. Sunset Terrace contains many mansions built in the 1920' and 1930's.

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Brookside

Brookside, like Cherry Street, is another popular shopping and entertainment district in Midtown. This area extends from the Arkansas River east to Peoria Avenue and south to 51st Street. Its defining strip is South Peoria between 31st and 41st Streets, where visitors find a variety of shopping delights, and is home to more than 35 restaurants and nightspots (many with patio seating), featuring everything from sushi to old-fashioned burger and root beer stands. There are also plenty of swanky boutiques, decor shops, and art galleries for window shopping. The atmosphere is chic and eclectic. Scenic Riverside Drive, which parallels the east bank of the river, and River Parks, the park that stretches along the riverbank, are also popular sections of Brookside.

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Terwilleger Heights

Terwilleger Heights is located immediately south and west of Utica Square bordered by 21st Street, 31st Street, Utica Avenue and Peoria Avenue. This area has early 1930's homes both grand and small, full grown trees, winding streets and is adjacent to the Philbrook Museum of Art and Woodward Park.

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Kendall-Whittier

To the east of downtown is Tulsa’s oldest suburban shopping area and is noted for its abundance of red brick. The artsy, historic, and recently restored Circle Cinema is located in this area. The Kendall-Whittier shopping area and surrounding neighborhoods are now popular with Tulsa’s rapidly growing Hispanic community. Just east of this area is the University of Tulsa.

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South Tulsa

South Tulsa is popularly considered to be south of 51st Street and north of 121st Street, bounded on the west by the Arkansas River, and on the east by Memorial Drive, hilly and secluded. Much of the more luxurious new home construction in the city has taken place within this area in the previous decade, though it is slowly moving southward into Bixby as the area is getting built up. As an affluent clientele has moved into the area, businesses tailored to such residents have also opened nearby. For example, the city's largest automotive dealer strip is located at about 95th and Memorial. The schools in the area are some of the state's best, but also among the state's largest (Jenks East Elementary enrolls over 1,600 students.) The major school districts of South Tulsa are Jenks and Union; Tulsa Public School District's Memorial High School is also located here.

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Southern Hills

Southern Hills is an exclusive neighborhood on the south side that is centered around the Southern Hills Country Club. Southern Hills Country Club has been the home to 13 major golf championships including four U.S. Opens. Many of the original homes in this neighborhood were sprawling suburban homes built in the ranch style.The campus of Oral Roberts University with its very distinctive futuristic architecture is in this area.

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71st Street Corridor/Woodland Hills

Woodland Hills is a both a region in the southeast part of the city and the state's largest shopping mall. The area around the mall is a massive shopping district with all the usual stores and traffic that reaches for miles along 71st Street from Tulsa into Broken Arrow. Most, though not all of the businesses in this area are chains, ranging from big box stores like BestBuy and CompUSA to restaurants like Krispy Kreme and Famous Dave's.

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East Tulsa

East Tulsa is a suburban-style area. Attractions in this part of the city include McClure Park, which is notable for its frisbee golf course, and the Carl Smith Athletic Complex. This region includes several growing multi-ethnic communities with booming Hispanic and Asian populations. The parts of East Tulsa that fall in Union and Broken Arrow School districts are increasingly attracting high-income professionals looking for suburban life within the city limits. Mayo Demonstration Academy, a magnet school of the Tulsa Public School system, is located in this area. Eastland Mall is also in this area. Also the area is home to Tulsa's hospitality district, where many hotels are located. Redbud Valley Nature Preserve is also located in this part of the city.

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North Tulsa

North Tulsa is home to a large percentage of Tulsa's African-American community. The area's Booker T. Washington High School, Tulsa’s African-American high school during the segregation era and now a magnet school, was recently judged to be the 58th best high school in the nation by Newsweek. Northwest of downtown, Gilcrease Museum, considered by many to be the finest Western American and American Indian art collection in the world, finds its home. Northeast of downtown, close to the Tulsa International Airport, are Mohawk Park, which includes the Tulsa Zoo and the Oxley Nature Center, and the new Tulsa Air and Space Center. This area is also home to the American Airlines maintenance facility, one of Tulsa's largest employers.

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West Tulsa

West Tulsa is another reminder of Tulsa’s oil-rich past. Two huge oil refineries remain in operation to this day on the west bank of the river. This large industrial area gives way to wooded and hilly neighborhoods. The classic art deco Webster High School is here, as is the popular train-themed Ollie’s Station Restaurant, sitting next to the Tulsa rail yard.

The Riverparks system, also here on the bank of the river, includes the Riverwest Festival Park, with its floating stage amphitheater overlooking downtown. Riverwest is home to such popular events as Tulsa's Oktoberfest, one of the largest of its kind in North America, and the Gatesway Balloon Festival.

Although not in Tulsa proper, the new Riverwalk Crossing development in Jenks features specialty shops and restaurants along the west bank of the Arkansas River. The center also features fountains and an outdoor amphitheater. Plans are in the works for Bell's Amusement Park to relocate from Tulsa's Expo Square to a parcel of land near the Riverwalk Crossing complex around 2007. The Oklahoma Aquarium is also located on the west bank, a short distance away from the new retail center. Tulsa’s general aviation airport, Jones Riverside Airport, is also located west of the river in Jenks.

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Geography and climate

Image:OKMap-doton-Tulsa.PNG

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Geography

Tulsa is located at 36°7'53" North, 95°56'14" West (36.131294, -95.937332)Template:GR in the northeastern corner of the state, some 99 miles Northeast of Oklahoma City.

Tulsa is the main city in the part of Oklahoma known as "Green Country" due to the dense green vegetation in the area. Tulsa is a heavily wooded city split by the Arkansas River, Tulsa has abundant parks and water areas including such local favorites as Woodward Park (where it is a local tradition to kiss one's sweetheart on the bridge), McClure Park, LaFortune Park, Florence Park and Chandler Park. Tulsa has an extensive trail systems much of it along the Arkansas River as part of the Riverparks system. Mohawk Park, location of the Tulsa Zoo, (in 2004 named America's favorite zoo in a national contest), contains 2,800 acres (11 km²) and is the largest park in Tulsa and one of the largest urban parks in the country. Tulsa is also near the heart of Tornado Alley, a region known to experience more tornadoes on average than any other area in the world.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 483.9 km² (186.8 mi²). 473.1 km² (182.6 mi²) of it is land and 10.9 km² (4.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.24% water.

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Climate

Tulsa lies along the Arkansas River at an elevation of 700 feet (213 m) above sea level. At latitude 36 degrees, Tulsa is far enough north often to escape protracted periods of heat in summer, yet far enough south usually to miss the extreme cold of winter. The influence of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico is often noted, frequently creating high humidity. Generally the winter months are mild, and although temperatures occasionally fall below -20°C (0°F), they seldom stay there for a very long period of time. Temperatures of 40°C (100°F) or higher are often observed from July to early September, but are sometimes accompanied by a good southerly breeze. The fall season is long with a number of pleasant, sunny days and cool nights. Primarily during the spring and early summer months, the Tulsa area is often subjected to thunderstorms, some of which contain large hail, damaging winds and an occasional tornado. The spring and early summer thunderstorm pattern also provides the area with a disproportionate share of its annual rainfall, which averages around 1000 mm (42 inches). Due to frequent periods of very heavy rainfall Tulsa has one of the most extensive flood control systems in the nation.

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Demographics

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Population

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 393,049 people, 165,743 households, and 99,114 families residing in the city. The population density was 830.9/km² (2,152.0/mi²). There were 179,405 housing units at an average density of 379.2/km² (982.3/mi²).

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Diversity

The racial makeup of the city was 70.09% Caucasian, 15.47% African American, 4.72% Native American, 1.82% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.45% from other races, and 4.40% from two or more races. At least 7.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race, with more unregistered living within the city.

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Family

There were 165,743 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 33.9% of all households are made up of only one person, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 people and the average family size was 2.98.

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Age

In the city, the population is spread-out with 24.8% of the population under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.

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Income

The median income for a household in the city was $35,316, and the median income for a family was $44,518. Males had a median income of $32,779 versus $25,587 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,534. 14.1% of the population and 10.9% of families were below the poverty line. 20.5% of those under the age of 18 and 8.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

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Tulsa Metro Area

The Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) consists of seven counties in northeastern Oklahoma and more than twenty outlying cities and towns.

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Counties

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Cities and towns

The Tulsa-Bartlesville consolidated metropolitan area (CMSA) is created by adding the Bartlesville, Oklahoma micropolitan area which consists of Washington County in northeastern Oklahoma.

Also nearby and part of Tulsa’s media market but not part of Tulsa’s CMSA is Muskogee, Oklahoma.

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Healthcare System

Healthcare in Tulsa is primarily serviced by two hospitals, St. John's and St. Francis, and are the most sophisticated and best-equipped in the state. Both hold numerous accolades, and are excellently-ranked nationally for numerous services.

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Saint Francis

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Saint Francis Hospital Network

  • Saint Francis Hospital
  • Children's Hospital at Saint Francis
  • Saint Francis Hospital at Broken Arrow
  • Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital
  • Warren Clinic
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Accolades and Awards

  • Tulsa's preferred hospital
  • "Nation's Top Hospitals", US News and World Report
  • First hospital in Oklahoma equipped with a large-bore diameter computed tomography (CT) scanner
  • "Outstanding Provder of Excellence" for Laureate Psychiatric Clinic
  • One of ten hospitals in the country chosen to participate in the first-ever government-funded genetic study of anorexia nervosa
  • Developped new treatment for compression fractures
  • "Nation's Top 100" for Orthopedic surgery
  • Laureate Psychiatric Clinic is ranked first for eating disorders in the nation.
  • Only nationally-accredited Level 1 Trauma Center in the state
  • Saint Francis' "Life Flight" service is the most sophisticated in Oklahoma, southern Kansas and Missouri, and Arkansas
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St. John's

St. John's hospital is a Solucient Top Hospital

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Accolades and Awards

  • Number 1 ranking in Oklahoma for cardiovascular surgery
  • One of the state’s top three cardiovascular programs
  • Five-star, highest possible rating for valve replacement and vascular surgeries
  • Top 10 percent in the nation for joint surgery
  • Best in eastern Oklahoma for overall orthopedic services
  • Five-star, highest possible rating for total knee replacement and hip fracture repair
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Business and economy

Tulsa, while no longer the Oil Capital of the World, is still an important energy center. Other important industries include aerospace, telecom, high tech, insurance, car rental companies, and river transportation.

Some of the major companies based in Tulsa include:

Other companies that have a significant presence or are large employers in the area:

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Transportation

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Air

Tulsa is served by Tulsa International Airport. Eleven commercial airlines and several charter airlines serve nearly 3 million travelers annually to almost 70 departures every day.

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Land

Important highways passing through Tulsa are:

  • Interstate 44 - Skelly Drive / Skelly Bypass (bypasses downtown to the South)
  • Interstate 244 - Martin Luther King Expressway - known by locals as Red Fork Expressway west of downtown and Crosstown Expressway east of downtown (serves downtown, loops back to I-44 at either terminal)
  • Interstate 444 - unsigned Interstate, but forms with I-244 the IDL (Inner Dispersal Loop) which surrounds downtown
  • US 412
  • US 64 - Broken Arrow Expressway to the east, Keystone Expressway to the west
  • US 75 - Okmulgee Beeline to the south, Cherokee Expressway to the north
  • US 169 - Mingo Valley Expressway (also called Pearl Harbor Memorial Expressway) bypassing downtown to the east
  • Oklahoma State Highway 11 - Gilcrease Drive (serves Tulsa Airport)
  • Oklahoma State Highway 51 - alternate designation for Broken Arrow Expressway
  • Creek Turnpike

It was also served by historic Route 66, and there are numerous reminders of this by the mid-20th century era, especially motels and restaurants along 11th Street and Admiral Place. Cyrus Avery, known as "The Father of Route 66," resided in Tulsa.

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Street Network

Tulsa follows a very systematic naming and numbering scheme for all streets falling within its municipal jurisdiction. Using Admiral Place as the east-west-running dividing line for "streets north" and "streets south", and using Main Street as the north-south-running dividing line for "west avenues" and "east avenues", one can locate a Tulsa address without much effort.

Avenues falling west of Main Street are named for US cities west of the Mississippi River for one run of the alphabet, after which numbered "west avenues" are assigned. Avenues falling east of Main Street are named for US cities east of the Mississippi River for approximately three runs of the alphabet, after which numbered "east avenues" are assigned.

Streets falling north of Admiral Place are labeled for important names in Tulsa's history for one run of the alphabet, after which numbered "streets north" are assigned. Streets falling south of Admiral Place are numbered, beginning with "1st Street" and continuing southward. Street names and numbers are consistent throughout the Tulsa jurisdiction, regardless if a particular street is contiguous/continuous.

Addresses reflect their associated hundred block from either Admiral or Main. There are usually 16 blocks per mile as counted by avenues, and there are 10 blocks per mile as counted by streets. Other right-of-way labels (such as Place, Court, Drive, Terrace, etc.) may be used to describe an intermittent street or avenue, but the actual name will usually be the same as the adjacent street or avenue (such as Knoxville Avenue and its neighboring Knoxville Place, both assigned as the 3600 block east).

As a general rule, land developers must use City-assigned street names for their developments. Deviations from the general methodology in this "Street Network" section do exist, but only as the exception and not as the rule.

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Water

East of Tulsa, in Catoosa, the Tulsa Port of Catoosa is the head of navigation for the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS), connecting barge traffic from Tulsa to the Mississippi River.

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Public Transportation

Citywide bus transit is provided by Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority, with its art deco-inspired Denver Avenue Station (c. 1998) transit center located at 319 South Denver Avenue.

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Education and science

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Public K-12

The largest Tulsa area school districts (those over 2000 students, as of Fall 2005) are:

  • Bixby Public Schools
  • Broken Arrow Public Schools
  • Catoosa Public Schools
  • Claremore Public Schools
  • Collinsville Public Schools
  • Glenpool Public Schools
  • Jenks Public Schools
  • Owasso Public Schools
  • Sand Springs Public Schools
  • Sapulpa Public Schools
  • Skiatook Public Schools
  • Tulsa Public Schools
  • Union Public Schools

Broken Arrow, Union, and Jenks public schools are statistically and by reputation the best in the metro area. Tulsa Public Schools is the largest school district in Oklahoma. Each of the public districts in the county has a single high school, except for Tulsa Public Schools, which has nine. Tulsa Public Schools also has several charter schools. Broken Arrow High School has the highest dropout rate in the state.

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Private K-12

There are multiple private elementary and middle schools in the Tulsa metropolitan area. Most are affiliated with a specific religion or place of worship. The best known are:

Other private schools in the Tulsa area include many parochial elementary schools, each affiliated with a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa. Such Diocesan schools differ from the privatetly owned, Catholic institutions of Cascia Hall and Monte Cassino. This list does not include Independent Catholic MDO/Preschools and Early Childhood Education Centers affiliated with parishes throughout the Diocese. These schools are:

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Higher learning

Tulsa is home to a variety of colleges and universities, including:

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Libraries

The Tulsa City-County Library system is the largest in the state of Oklahoma, containing 1.7 million volumes in 25 library facilities (map):

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Regional branches

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Tulsa Branches

  • Brookside
  • Central
  • Genealogy Center
  • Peggy Helmerich
  • Kendall-Whittier
  • Library @ 51st
  • Maxwell Park
  • Nathan Hale
  • Schusterman-Benson
  • Suburban Acres
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Suburban Branches

  • Bixby
  • Broken Arrow
  • Charles Page (in Sand Springs)
  • Collinsville
  • Glenpool
  • Jenks
  • Owasso
  • Pratt (in Sand Springs)
  • Skiatook
  • South Broken Arrow
  • Sperry

The Tulsa City-County Library is very active in the community, holding events and programs at most library locations, including free computer classes, children's storytimes, business and job assistance, and many others.

The library system provides access to dozens of online databases for reliable information on a variety of topics. Many of these are accessible from home with a valid library card number. There are many other research tools available, including an award-winning database of frequently-asked questions.

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Entertainment and attractions

With the city's interesting mix of Southern settlers, Northern oilmen, and Western ranchers and thanks to Tulsa's location in an area rich with Native American history and culture, the city and surrounding areas are home to many unique museums and attractions.

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Museums and cultural centers

Image:The Philbrook Museum of Art and formal gardens.jpg

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Parks, gardens and nature preserves

  • River Parks, a system of parks featuring extensive trails for walking, running, and biking, and the site of several of Tulsa's largest festivals.
  • The Oklahoma Aquarium, Jenks, which boasts a walk-through shark tank.
  • Oxley Nature Center
  • Tulsa Municipal Rose Garden at Woodward Park
  • Tulsa Parks, The City of Tulsa manages 140 parks covering roughly 6,000 acres.
    • Featuring nature centers, golf courses, 21 swimming pools, 156 sports fields, 115 playgrounds, 123 tennis courts, 25 water playgrounds, The River SkatePark, 60 picnic shelters, 14 community centers, fitness facilities, gymnasiums, meeting rooms and facilities, trails and more.
  • Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum, north of the city in Mohawk Park
    • Named in 2005 as "America's Favorite Zoo" by Microsoft Game Studios as a promotion for their "Zoo Tycoon 2" computer game.
    • Tulsa's Penguins on Parade public art display is a result of the addition of an African Penguin exhibit. The display is similar to those in Chicago, Seattle and other cities, and features whimsically decorated statues.
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Performing arts

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Festivals and Events

As a culturally diverse metropolis, Tulsa has a wide variety of events year-round. Two local Tulsa organizations maintain online events calendars, listing a wide variety of cultural events and entertainment in the local Tulsa area. See: YP Tulsa Event Calendar Tulsa Now Event Calendar A sampling of these festivals and events include:

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General

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Cultural

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Musical

  • Juneteenth Blues and Jazz Festival
  • Jazz on Greenwood Festival
  • Blue Grass and Chili Festival
  • Reggaefest
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Seasonal

  • MayFest in May
  • Blue Dome Arts Festival in May
  • During the December holiday season
  • Tulsa State Fair during the month of September.
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Food

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Amusement parks

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Sports

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Gaming

As a result of a recent compact with various Native American tribes, tribal gaming facilities that were previously limited to bingo have begun to offer table games and slot machines.

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Media and publishing

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Print

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Broadcast

All major U.S. television networks are represented in Tulsa. Cable television service in the area is provided by Cox Communications. As in most major American cities, local radio stations in the Tulsa area are controlled by a small handful of large broadcasting companies.

See Broadcast Media in Tulsa

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Faith and worship

Tulsa also has significant religious diversity, with Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, and others represented.

Popular places of worship include:

link title

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Tulsa in entertainment

Tulsa has also been featured or mentioned in books, film, songs, and on television.

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Books

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Movies

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Television

  • Friends, the character Chandler from the television series was sent to Tulsa for one season
  • Rodney, the ABC show is based in Tulsa and stars Tulsa comedian Rodney Carrington.
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Songs

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See also

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External links

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Template:Mapit-US-cityscale

Image:Flag of Oklahoma.svg

State of Oklahoma

Capital Oklahoma City
Regions Arklatex - Cherokee Outlet - Green Country - Little Dixie - Panhandle</font>
Largest cities Broken Arrow - Edmond - Enid - Lawton - Midwest City - Moore - Norman - Oklahoma City - Stillwater - Tulsa</font>
Image:Oklahomastateseal.jpg
Counties

Adair - Alfalfa - Atoka - Beaver - Beckham - Blaine - Bryan - Caddo - Canadian - Carter - Cherokee - Choctaw - Cimarron - Cleveland - Coal - Comanche - Cotton - Craig - Creek - Custer - Delaware - Dewey - Ellis - Garfield - Garvin - Grady - Grant - Greer - Harmon - Harper - Haskell - Hughes - Jackson - Jefferson - Johnston - Kay - Kingfisher - Kiowa - Latimer - Le Flore - Lincoln - Logan - Love - Major - Marshall - Mayes - McClain - McCurtain - McIntosh - Murray - Muskogee - Noble - Nowata - Okfuskee - Oklahoma - Okmulgee - Osage - Ottawa - Pawnee - Payne - Pittsburg - Pontotoc - Pottawatomie - Pushmataha - Roger Mills - Rogers - Seminole - Sequoyah - Stephens - Texas - Tillman - Tulsa - Wagoner - Washington - Washita - Woods - Woodward


Template:USLargestCitiesde:Tulsa es:Tulsa fr:Tulsa io:Tulsa, Oklahoma nl:Tulsa ja:タルサ (オクラホマ州) pl:Tulsa (Oklahoma) pt:Tulsa ro:Tulsa, Oklahoma sv:Tulsa

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