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PrintTYPros Talk: Plenty to do in Tulsa
Those who say there's nothing to do in Tulsa need to take a look around.
There is nothing to do in this town.
This phrase is frustratingly muttered in my presence more than I care to admit. What bothers me the most is the inaccuracy of the statement. To be clear, I am not passing judgment on those who say these words. In fact, I am to blame as much as the next person. This phrase was practically my mantra in the mid-1990s. In hindsight, it wasn’t true back then and it certainly isn’t true today.
After being gone for nearly fifteen years, my first week back in Tulsa it was clear that there was a new energy to the city.
Nowhere was this more apparent than downtown. As I left the office, the streets were flooded with thousands of people.
Some tailgating outside the BOK Center before the Tim McGraw concert and others racing to catch the first pitch of the Drillers’ game at the new ONEOK Field. I even heard a couple complain that they couldn’t find parking. Imagine how difficult it would have been if the Performing Arts Center had one of their first-rate performances going on that evening. And all this from a town that has nothing to do.
I am not going to try and list every sports team, music venue or arts opportunity that Tulsa has to offer, but it’s safe to say that there is something to do every night. Restaurant options aren’t a problem either. It seems that a new establishment opens on a weekly basis. And don’t forget the amazing parks that Tulsa has to offer. Even when it’s hot outside you can still cool off in one of the fountains at QuickTrip Park on 41st and Riverside.
No matter how many options I list, however, there will still be those who feel that Tulsa lacks what other cities have. Take one of my friends for example. After weeks of hearing that the grass is greener in big cities, I asked her to make a list of the things that she felt Tulsa lacked. The list included items such as carriage rides (which you can actually do by bicycle) and midnight movies (check out the second movie of the double feature at Admiral Twin). I don’t know if the exercise truly changed her opinion, but she did admit that Tulsa does have the benefits of a bigger city without all of the stress, expense and commute that generally comes with it.
There is nothing to do in this town. This is true. … But only if you choose not to do anything.
