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Downtown Tulsa provides more to do now than it has in decades.
My dad turned 65 last week. That's a big one. If not in age, at least symbolically.
I called him up on the big day and we made plans to do lunch on Saturday. I went over to his house in the early afternoon and asked, “Where do you want to go for lunch?” His only response was, “Somewhere downtown.”
I know this doesn’t sound like anything important, but just a few years ago there would have been no way that he would have suggested such a thing. I don’t get over to my dad’s as much as I’d like to, but we hang out at least every other weekend. We usually go to a movie, get some lunch and just catch up generally.
My dad has lived in Tulsa for nearly 40 years. He arrived in a time when downtown was beginning its decline, and he has stayed around long enough to witness this resurgence. But there were a couple of decades there when he didn’t even think about downtown.
So a couple of years ago, when I started reintroducing him to the businesses, restaurants and overall feel of the “new” downtown, I could see that he was interested. Since that time, he has come to see the city in a new light and even has a sense of pride that didn’t previously exist. So when he says he wants to go “somewhere downtown” for lunch, he really is more interested in the location of the lunch spot than the actual restaurant. He wants to be down there, to soak up the feeling and to see the progress.
After a great talk and some fine grub at Joe Momma’s, we drove around for a bit. We made a swing through the Brady District and saw work going on for the new baseball stadium. He didn’t come right out and say it, but I could tell that he was excited to see this development. And as excited as I am to see this work, I am even more excited to see it bringing some pride and joy to the old man.
What are the biggest changes you have noticed downtown? And what do your parents think about Tulsa’s evolving urban core? Share your thoughts below.
