Downtown Tulsa has once again become a magnet for development and living. Now that urban lifestyle has become more accessible, many newcomers are finding their way to downtown Tulsa. All through downtown Tulsa, a chain reaction has been ignited.  You can see various stages of construction along 18th and Boston, Cherry Street and Brookside.  The loft industry has finally made its way to Tulsa.  This is a booming market in Dallas, Kansas City and other cities like them.  You can now find two- and three-story loft-style condos and townhomes all around downtown Tulsa.  Developers are claiming land around Tulsa as fast as they can.  Some current projects include the 18th Boston Lofts, the Lofts at Cherry Street, the Mayo Hotel Lofts, the First Street Lofts and Metro Lofts.  Many developers h... 07/21/2010

The Revitalization of Downtown Tulsa - next, the parking meters Although I live on the outskirts of downtown Tulsa, I venture downtown seldom other than to get my hair and nails done at The Salon at Philtower - a business I highly recommend. Owner of the salon, Amanda, has parking spaces available at 5th & Cincinnati for customers, but the last time I was there, no spaces were available and I had to park (parallel park, no less) on the street. I’m actually SKILLED at parallel parking, but was totally bewildered when I could find no parking meter in which to insert my quarters. I was parked at 5th & Boston and finally discovered a central parking meter in the middle of the block. Once I discovered that, I had to return to my auto to determine in which numbered spot I was parked - then re... 05/07/2010

The Salon at Philtower: Amanda and Ashley style the new within heritage of the old What better place for my friends Amanda Woolman Burn and Ashley Thompson to open their new salon, but in the lobby of the grand Philtower building - actually in the same corner where a “Barber Shop” existed for many years. Amanda is a nail technician, offering manicures and pedicures; Ashley is a hair stylist. The two have worked together in various shops over the years, but finally ventured out on their own in one of Tulsa’s finest and most renowned examples of architecture. Of course, their salon is called quite simply, “The Salon at Philtower.” Amanda and Ashley's patrons will follow wherever they go, and for some, navigating the one-way streets and downtown parking has been a challenge. But, once you ... 02/13/2010

As Tulsa continues its efforts to revitalize downtown, I thought it would be great to highlight some of the fantastic restaurants within the IDL.  Most of these great places are open late nights & weekends to accommodate patrons of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, Jazz Hall of Fame, and BOK Center which is set to open this fall.  Keep scrolling down for more photos and be sure to check out my other photo tours of Tulsa attractions. The Brady Arts District is home to some of my favorite hangouts including: Lola's at the Bowery 5 E. Brady Street 918-592-4995     Caz's Chowhouse 18 E. Brady Street 918-588-CHOW         Gypsy Coffee House 300 N. Cincinnati Avenue 918-95-2181                 Spaghetti Warehouse 221 E. Brady Street 918-587-4440         The Blue Dome District, also home to a n... 06/22/2008

To attract world-class entertainment you need a world-class facility.  Enter the BOK Center.  The 18,041 seat arena is the City of Tulsa's new $178 million dollar sports & entertainment venue scheduled to be completed September 2008.  The project is funded in part by Vision2025 and corporate sponsors such as OneOK and Bank of Oklahoma.  The facility in downtown Tulsa was designed by the internationally renowned architectural firm Pelli Clarke Pelli.  You can watch construction progress on the Vision2025 live web cam.  The BOK Center will be the new home of Tulsa Talons football and Tulsa Oilers hockey.  The Center's inaugural event will be Kenny Chesney with LeAnn Rimes on September 10, 2008.  Other events already scheduled include the final stop of the American Idol tour, Neil Diamond,... 06/02/2008

One thing that makes downtown Tulsa a beautiful place is the quality of architecture in the religious structures within the inner disperal loop (IDL).  Regardless of your faith or belief system, I think you can agree that these are some incredible buildings.  Keep scrolling down for more photos and be sure to check out my other photo tours of Tulsa attractions. Let's just start with one of the most recognizable buildings in Tulsa.   Boston Avenue Church is a wonderful example of art deco that was designed by architect Bruce Goff. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.                                           First Baptist Church                                    First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)                   First Church of Christ (Scientist) is celebratin... 06/01/2008

If you have even the slightest interest in music you don't want to overlook the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame.  Since 1988 the Jazz Hall of Fame has not only been preserving the history of jazz, blues, and religious music in Oklahoma, but also promoting its future.  It does this through on-going performances, cultural and education events, and the museum, of course. Formerly in the Greenwood District, the Jazz Hall of Fame moved downtown to the 45,000 square foot Union Depot, an incredible example of Tulsa's art deco collection, in the summer of 2007.  Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame111 E. First St., Tulsa, OK 74103918-596-1001okjazz.org View the post with all 30 Great Tulsa Attractions.  02/01/2008