Downtown Tulsa is an area of approximately surrounded by an inner-dispersal loop created by

Interstate 244 Interstate 244 (I-244), also known as the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Expressway (in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.) since 1984, the Crosstown Expressway, and the Red Fork Expressway, is a east–west Interstate Highway bypass rou ...

US 64 U.S. Route 64 (US 64) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,281 miles (3,672 km) from Nags Head in eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route ...

and

US 75 U.S. Route 75 is a north–south U.S. Highway that runs in the central United States. The highway's northern terminus is located at the Canadian border near Noyes, Minnesota, at a now-closed border crossing. From this point, the highway ...

. The area serves as

Tulsa Tulsa ( ) is the second-most-populous city in the state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tul ...

's financial and business district; it is the focus of a large initiative to draw tourism, which includes plans to capitalize on the area's historic architecture. Much of Tulsa's convention space is located in downtown, such as the Tulsa Performing Arts Center and the Arvest Convention Center, as well as the

BOK Center BOK Center, or Bank of Oklahoma Center, is a 19,199-seat multi-purpose arena and a primary indoor sports and event venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. The two current permanent tenants are the Tulsa Oilers of the ECHL and the Tulsa Oiler ...

. Prominent downtown sub-districts include the Blue Dome District, the Tulsa Arts District, and the Greenwood Historical District, which includes the site of ONEOK Field, a baseball stadium for the

Tulsa Drillers The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club. Stadium The Drillers play at ONEOK Field (pronounc ...

opened in 2010. In 2010, the estimated population of downtown is 4,000. The daytime population is estimated to be 36,000.

Downtown districts

Tulsa includes many structures built during the Oil Boom in the 1920s and 1930s, including

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

buildings such as the Mid-Continent Tower,

Boston Avenue Methodist Church The Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, located in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma, and completed in 1929, is considered to be one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical Art Deco architecture in the United States, and has been placed on the Natio ...

, and the Exchange Bank Building (today known as the

320 South Boston Building The 320 South Boston Building (formerly known as the National Bank of Tulsa Building) is a 22-story skyscraper located in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was originally constructed at the corner of Third Street and Boston Avenue as a ten-story he ...

). Oilman

Waite Phillips Waite Phillips (January 19, 1883 – January 27, 1964) was an American petroleum businessman who created a fully integrated operation that combined petroleum producing, refining and marketing. With headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he also develo ...

, left a significant architectural impact on downtown Tulsa through the

Philtower The Philtower Building is a historic building located at 427 South Boston Avenue in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Description and history Completed in 1928, it was designed by Edward Buehler Delk and financed by renowned oilman and dedicated philanthropis ...

and Philcade buildings. Other notable Tulsa buildings include the Atlas Life Building, Holy Family Cathedral, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, and the

Mayo Hotel The Mayo Hotel is an historic hotel that opened in 1925 at 115 West 5th Street in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. History Early years The Mayo Hotel was built in 1925, designed by architect George Winkler, and financed by John D. and Cass A. Mayo.R ...

, the former of which once served as home to

J. Paul Getty Jean Paul Getty Sr. (; December 15, 1892 – June 6, 1976) was an American petroleum industrialist who founded the Getty Oil Company in 1942 and was the patriarch of the Getty family. A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, he was the son of pion ...

. Known for a time as "

Terra Cotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based Vitrification#Ceramics, non-vitreous ceramicOED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used ...

City", Tulsa hosted the International Sixth Congress on Art Deco in 2001. 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. At , the

BOK Tower BOK Tower (named for the Bank of Oklahoma; formerly known as One Williams Center) is a skyscraper in Downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. At in height, the 52-story tower was the tallest building in Oklahoma until it was surpassed by Devon Tower in 20 ...

(formerly One Williams Center) was the tallest building in any of the 5 "plains states" (

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

and

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

) until the Devon Tower in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

was completed in 2012. The BOK Tower was designed in 1975 by

Minoru Yamasaki was an American architect, best known for designing the original World Trade Center in New York City and several other large-scale projects. Yamasaki was one of the most prominent architects of the 20th century. He and fellow architect Edward ...

& Associates, the same architect who designed the

World Trade Center World Trade Centers are the hundreds of sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may also refer to: Buildings * World Trade Center (1973–2001), a building complex that was destroyed during the September 11 at ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. The Tulsa Performing Arts Center occupies a half city block in Tulsa's historical downtown. The PAC is also the design of

. It houses five theatres and a 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 Ballet Tulsa Ballet is a professional American ballet company located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The artistic mission of Tulsa Ballet is "To preserve the tradition of classical ballet, promote the appreciation of contemporary dance, create works of superior and ...

, Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, Tulsa Opera, and a variety of symphonic groups. The PAC hosts a multitude of cultural events through the fall, winter and spring. In 2005 the City of Tulsa broke ground on a 19,199 seat regional events center designed by

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

César Pelli César Pelli (October 12, 1926 – July 19, 2019) was an Argentine architect who designed some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. Three of his most notable buildings are the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Wo ...

. The arena was named the

(or Bank of Oklahoma Center) and opened on August 30, 2008.

Blue Dome District

Another popular downtown entertainment district is the Blue Dome, named for a distinctive, domed building at Second Street and Elgin Avenue, in the area in the eastern section of downtown. The building was originally constructed in 1924 as a

Gulf Oil Gulf Oil was a major global oil company in operation from 1901 to 1985. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the Seven Sisters (oil companies), Seven Sisters oil companies. ...

service station. It has been converted to an information desk/office for the district, and is about two blocks south of the OneOK field. The Blue Dome District is known for its local dining options, large art festival, and scenic Downtown Tulsa views. Every May, the Blue Dome Arts Festival allows families to enjoy local music and street vendors surrounding the historic dome. Further, there is no bad angle for pictures of Tulsa's infamous skyline in this district. With so many delicious restaurants and walkable views, it is no wonder that the Blue Dome District continues to bring its unique art scene to Tulsa.

Deco District

Tulsa boasts one of the nation’s most extensive collections of Art Deco architecture, which is most visible in the downtown Deco District. This region spans the area from 1st to 8th street, with borders at Boston and Cheyenne. This area is located in the heart of the skyscrapers of Downtown Tulsa and thus has many food, beverage, and fitness options readily available. The Bartlett Square at 5th and Main provides a unique European feel to this region, but the entire area is overflowing with Tulsa charm. The Philtower and Philcade buildings, the Atlas Life building, Tulsa Club, and Public Service Company of Oklahoma building are some of the most prominent displays of the Art Deco architecture style in Tulsa. Many tours of this region are readily available. Perhaps one of the more interesting facts about the Art Deco region are the tunnels which connect many of the classic buildings. They are now open for public tours, providing interested guests with a one of a kind Tulsa experience. Beyond the extensive variety of local shops and restaurants, this district annually hosts one of the largest festivals in Tulsa: Mayfest. Every May, the Deco District comes alive during Mayfest, where artists, vendors, and live musicians combine to create one of the largest street festivals in Tulsa. OKEQ Pride Street

East Village

East Village comprises 115 acres bordered by East 2nd and East 7th Streets, Detroit Avenue and Lansing Avenue, just inside the inner-dispersal loop. This area boasts an upscale martini bar, a hair salon, a pet day care, photography studios, lofts, a knitting room and living arts district, among others. The cornerstone of this neighborhood is the fifth largest

LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...

community center in the United States, the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, owned and operated by Oklahomans for Equality/OkEq (formerly Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights/TOHR), with further development being planned for more restaurants, residential lofts and retail. Oklahomans for Equality has hosted Tulsa Pride on the first weekend of June each year since 1982. The development in the East Village has provided Tulsans and visitors with many food and entertainment opportunities. With areas like the Bond Center for large events intertwined with luxurious apartment complexes, the feeling of community is particularly strong within this area. The Boxyard- a shopping complex made from repurposed shipping containers- has quickly become a popular destination for local shopping and eating within the East Village. The annual MOJO music fest occurs in this region, mixing live music with local craft beers and food trucks. Regardless of interest, the East Village District has something for everyone in Downtown Tulsa.

Greenwood Historical District

The Greenwood Historical District is just north of downtown and east of the Brady District. It was once one of the most affluent African-American communities in the United States and referred to as Black Wall Street. In 1921, thirty-five blocks of businesses and residences were burned in this district during the infamous

Tulsa Race Massacre The Tulsa race massacre was a two-day-long white supremacist terrorist massacre that took place in the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, between May 31 and June 1, 1921, when mobs of white residents, some of whom had been appointed as ...

, the bloodiest massacre in the history of the United States. The

Oklahoma Legislature The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate are the two houses that make up the bicameral state legislature. There are 101 ...

passed laws in 2001 aimed at revitalizing Greenwood, setting up a

scholarship A scholarship is a form of Student financial aid, financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, Multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion, athleti ...

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 Langston University (LU) is a public land-grant historically black university in Langston, Oklahoma. It is the only historically black college in the state and the westernmost four-year public HBCU in the United States. The main campus in Lan ...

-Tulsa. Because of its rich history, the Greenwood Historical District provides visitors with one of the most unique cultural experiences in Tulsa. The John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park details the relationship between African-Americans and the state of Oklahoma throughout history with an emphasis on the Tulsa Race Riot. The Mabel B Little Heritage House takes visitors back to the 1920s with its classic furnishings and information about the Riots. The Greenwood Cultural Center strives to educate on the unique history of the Greenwood District, with a focus on jazz and the blues as well. Alongside these important landmarks in the Greenwood District lies a growing retail district bordering OneOK Field on the east. With an ever-increasing number of food and dessert options in the region, Greenwood Historical District is a great stop to learn about Tulsa's history and refuel.

Tulsa Arts District

Formerly known as the Brady Arts District, the Tulsa Art District is located north across the Santa Fe Railroad tracks from the central business district and centered at Main Street & Brady Avenue. The Brady District is one of Tulsa's oldest areas, characterized by two-story brick warehouses. The

Brady Theater The Tulsa Theater (formerly known as the Brady Theater, Tulsa Municipal Theater, and Tulsa Convention Hall) is a theater and convention hall located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was originally completed in 1914 and remodeled in 1930 and 1952. The build ...

, built between 1912 and 1914, was originally designed to serve as the city's municipal auditorium and was simply called "Convention Hall" for the first forty years of its life and was one of three internment camps where African Americans were detained after the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot. In 1952, major additions were added and the building was renamed Tulsa Municipal Theater. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Supplanted as the city auditorium in 1979 by construction of the Performing Arts Center in downtown, "the Old Lady on Brady" continues to be used today for a wide variety of concerts and theatrical productions. North of the Brady on Main Street is the

Cain's Ballroom Cain's Ballroom is a historic music venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma that was built in 1924 as a garage for W. Tate Brady's automobiles. Madison W. "Daddy" Cain purchased the building in 1930 and named it Cain's Dance Academy. In 2021, Pollstar ranked ...

, formerly the garage of the Brady family and the home of

Bob Wills James Robert "Bob" Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although Spade C ...

and his band, the Texas Playboys. The district is also the location of many local artists' galleries, restaurants with late night hours, bars and dance clubs. It is also an emerging gay neighborhood, with several gay or gay-friendly bars and numerous supportive shops and restaurants. A few blocks southeast of Cain's Ballroom lies one of the gems of the Downtown Tulsa area- the Guthrie Green. This urban park is a cross between a garden and an amphitheater with events ranging from movie nights to workout classes hosted there. With family friendly concerts, food truck Wednesday's, and fountains to play in, the Guthrie Green has become a central point for the Tulsa Arts District. In fact, on the first Friday of every month, local businesses in this area center their First Friday Art Crawl around the Green, with exhibits at Philbrook Downtown, 108 Contemporary, and the Hardesty Arts Center (AHHA) which border the park. This monthly event brings the community together to enjoy the best food, drinks, and entertainment that the Tulsa Arts District can provide. Today, the Tulsa Arts District is one of the most diverse areas in all of Tulsa. It hosts restaurants, clubs, museums, and businesses and is a prime example of urban living. There is presently construction which will more than double the number of permanent residents in this artistic conclave. On its present path, the area will continue to develop as a hub of the community welcoming all people as it acknowledges its past while looking to a vibrant and inclusive future.

Economy

Major employers in Downtown Tulsa include the corporate headquarters of

Williams Companies The Williams Companies, Inc. is an American energy company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Its core business is natural gas processing and transportation, with additional petroleum and electricity generation assets. A Fortune 500 company, its commo ...

and ONEOK. BOK Financial is headquartered there as well.

Media

The ''

Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is an American daily newspaper. It serves the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. The printed edition is the second-most circulated newspaper in the sta ...

'' and This Land Press have their headquarters in Downtown Tulsa.

Gallery

"> File:Downtown Tulsa.jpg, Downtown Tulsa File:Tulsa Municipal Building.jpg, Tulsa Municipal Building File:Tulsa Oklahoma Downtown Buildings.jpg, Looking North along Boston Avenue from 6th Street File:Oneok building.jpg, ONEOK File:AtlasLifeBuildingTulsa.jpg, Atlas Life File:Williams Technology Center and skyway.jpg, Williams Technology Center File:BOK Center 061.JPG,

File:Downtown Tulsa.jpg, Downtown buildings File:320 S. Boston Building, Tulsa. OK.jpg, 320 S. Boston Building File:First National Bank Building and First Place Tower.jpg, First National Bank Building and First Place Tower File:Bartlett Square.jpg, Bartlett Square at 5th and Main

References

External links

*https://web.archive.org/web/20131207090629/http://tulsadowntown.org/index/1011/home {{Tulsa Neighborhoods in Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa metropolitan area