City Escapes - Oklahoma City, and a Giveaway

Today's City Escape post is by one of the most fashionable and stylish couples in the blog world. Jeremy and Kathleen from Jeremy and Kathleen and J&K: what we wear put together a fabulous tour of their incredible cultural city through their eyes. Take a look for your self, I still can't get over the spectacular modern home. Who would have thought, Oklahoma was home to so many different styles of Architecture.... and yes guys, you're definitely cool. I'm definitely sold on this City and I can't wait to visit one day. Now, could you transport a home just like yours to Miami for me to live in.


I hope you'll enjoy this virtual tour of Oklahoma City!



Thanks Yansy for choosing Oklahoma City as one of your City Escape features. I am approaching this article not as a tourist guide highlighting the typical "go-to" places but what I love about OKC on a very personal level.

First off, I love Oklahoma City. I grew up in the suburbs just south of Oklahoma City and had this preconceived notion that OKC was kind of dirty and lacked refinement. But after graduating college I landed an art director/design job at an advertising agency in historical Bricktown, the heart of OKC, and I quickly realized that Oklahoma City has a lot of culture and character to offer. I was still making a 30 minute (1 hour in rush hour traffic) commute both ways from the suburbs. I eventually left the safety net of the suburbs and moved to a duplex in an urban historical neighborhood 3 minutes from my job. It took living in OKC to really appreciate the pulse of this city.

So here are little pieces of OKC that I have fallen in love with:


OKC Farmers Market
{Insert farmers market pic}
Every Sunday my husband and I hit up the Oklahoma City Farmers Market for locally grown and imported produce. There are a few stands open every day of the week - even in the winter. This building holds events year round such as the Girly Show {Link to:http://www.thegirlieshow.net/about.php}, a yearly art show event featuring badass female artists from around OKC.


Buildings with Character
I think it's the buildings that don't get a lot of attention - that are peppered throughout a city - that really make up a city landscape. Here are some of my favorites.


201 E Main
This building is located down the block from my office and in the early morning light the colors just POP.


Vacuum Repair Shop
I adore this Hoover shop. Everything from the beat up signage to the boarded up door ooze personality - the kind of character you don't get from new-builds. Buildings like this make me nostalgic for an era I never experienced.


Import Wholesale Supermarket
I think this storefront, that could be considered an eyesore, is just fabulous. It is a vibrant little patch in the middle of the crazy quilt that is 23rd street in OKC.

Bricktown
Mercantile Building, Bricktown
This rainy-day shot was captured of my office (an old warehouse built in 1919) located in Bricktown, OKC. Just a decade ago this area of town was considered seedy and dangerous but with the help of a few development projects and businesses like the one I work at moving into this area it has been revitalized.


Graffiti
I know landlords probably hate it but I love graffiti. We don't have the most refined graffiti artists here in Oklahoma City - but this tag definitely caught my eye. This kind of "I was here" statement is not found in the 'burbs and I think it definitely has it's place in a real city.


The Boulevard Cafeteria
My dad takes me to lunch here about once a week and it is one of my favorite places in Oklahoma City - and would you look at that signage!?

Oklahoma City is Home
Oklahoma City houses some modern homes (see we're cool!) and historical mansions - full of character and life.
The place I call home.
I plan on traveling the world but will always be happy to settle back down in the roots of my home in Oklahoma City.

I hope you enjoyed my little slice of Oklahoma City life!

Kathleen
jeremyandkathleen.blogspot.com

Thanks again, Yansy!

Thanks again guys for your lovely tour. When I find myself in your city, I will be calling you guys for some delish vegetarian dishes.
______________________________________________________

I promised you a giveaway and I shall deliver. It took me a while to come up with something that you wonderful ladies can enjoy as well as find useful. One of you lucky ladies will have the chance to win a set of four fabulous placemats by Simply Envogue, a set of four napkins by the Premium Hotel Collection and a milk glass dish from my private collection. I put this giveaway together in the spirit of the coming up holidays. The winner will be chosen by random.org. For a chance to enter twice, write a post on your blog with a link to this post and make sure to let me know, I will then allow you to enter a second time. Good Luck to all of you, the winner will be announced on Tuesday, September 15th.


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and make some time to explore your city!



P.S If you are interested in participating in The City Escapes Series, please send me an email.


xo,

Yansy