Tag Archives: Walking

Lunch Breaking in Downtown Tulsa – Sights, Mysteries, and Discoveries

I assure you that our buildings in Tulsa do not lean to the left.

I’m one of those guys who has to get outside for at least a little bit every day regardless of the weather. So many of my coworkers over the years just stay inside, and surf the net or work or whatever. I couldn’t stand that. I have to get out. Over the course of a month or so I tramp all over downtown. I always take my camera.

The old Sun Pipeline Building.

I’m not satisfied with just one photo of something and then I’m done. Nope, there always different sides to things. The weather is different. The surroundings are different. I’m always amazed how much things change.

I like to visit old sights. These windows for instance. If I wont the lottery, which I won’t because I won’t spend the money on a ticket, but if I did. I would have bought this former AT&T building and put in a room with big comfy couches right under these windows. I don’t have to worry about it now. A church bought the building. I hope that these windows are put to good use. I’ll keep you posted;.

Here is a recurring mystery. This little lookout has been here for years. What is it for? Guarding and empty parking lot? Perhaps. I’d like to have a little look out, especially with air conditiooning. Wouldn’t you?

And old vintage gas station now an Avis dealer. I love old buildings put to good use.

I find remnants of Tulsa being the “Oil Capital of the World” such as this divider of some sort made out of oil well casing pipe.

And I found where somebody has started up a lending library of sorts in the East Village area.

What about you? Do you like to explore, tell me about it.

Kind of a Wordless Wednesday – One Day’s One Hour Urban Hike

Dennis R Neil Equality Center

Centennial Park

American Legion

Former Adah Robinson Residence in Tracy Park. Designed by #BruceGoff and Robinson with Joseph Koberling #artdeco #Tulsa #Oklahoma #architecture #tracyparkhistoricdistrict

Adah Robinson Residence – Early Day Tulsa Architect

I guess he ran out of paint. Or maybe he got ran out.

It is amazing, if you look closely, how many people sleep outside in and around downtown.

Pondering the Future of Libraries

During my lunch hour it is my habit to take a walk for a little bit regardless of the weather. If I have the time sometimes I’ll make the several block walk to the temporary library downtown that has been set up in an old Safeway store.

I like walking by Holy Family Cathedral. A huge Catholic facility that has an ancient feel to it. It has all sorts of side entrances and mysterious stairs. I’m into stuff like that.

I make my way over to Denver Avenue, home of the widest sidewalk in Tulsa.

Denver is home to some newish apartments. I say newish because they are new to me but have actually been there for over a decade I think. Long enough to need updating apparently. At work, a lot of our younger employees live downtown. The pattern is that they do it for a little while and then realize that they can get bigger apartments for less money away from downtown.

I wonder about this entrance. Why does the small structure take twelve columns to support it? It looks a bit unbalanced to me.

I pass by Plaza of the Americas. Today there were no spice addicts passed out here. This used to be a gathering place for them late in the day where they would wait for their connection to show up. Enough people have complained I guess that they have been dispersed. I know they found another spot.

And here I am!

The old Safeway store. I stop in and use the wifi for my Ipod and check Words With Friends and Instagram.

I really miss the big open grocery stores that Safeway used to have.

I’m a big fan of libraries. The new thing seems to be not oriented around books but focused on computers and internet access. Since most people have that at home now what you end up with for clients is pretty rough sometimes. Rough enough to have two security guards on duty who sometimes intercept people who appear to have been banned from the facility. The main library is undergoing a leisurely mostly unfunded renovation that will cost about fifty million dollars that will not be done until next year, if ever, and appears to continue the trend away from books toward computer terminals. I know that libraries are moving away from stacks of books toward other services but I’m wondering about the wisdom of making huge internet cafe’s where people do not feel totally safe.

Of course, not everybody is as cynical as me. Here is an interesting, if a little dated (2013) Infographic from Open-Site.Org on the future of libraries.

What do you think about libraries?

A Long Time Ago, When the Sun Shined

Earlier this week, when the son still shined, I took a little longer walk than usual. I mean you have to when the sun is shining right?

I’m sure glad that I took that walk that was a little longer than usual because the sun decided to go on a New Year’s Holiday.

It may have gone to Hawaii or I don’t know where. I just know that it is not in Oklahoma. It has been cold, wet, and miserable here. So I hadn’t got out to take any other pics.