Oklahoma City

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Oklahoma City ( ), often abbreviated to OKC , is the capital and largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county of Oklahoma, the city ranks 27th among US cities in the population. The population grew following the 2010 Census, with the population expected to increase to 643,648 by July 2017. By 2015, the Oklahoma City metropolitan area has a population of 1,358,452, and the Shawnee Oklahoma City Joint-Stock Statistic District has a population of 1,459,758 (Chamber of Commerce) population, making it the largest metropolitan area in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma City's borders extend to Canada, Cleveland and Pottawatomie, although most areas outside the core region of Oklahoma County are suburban or rural (watershed) areas. The city ranks eighth as the largest city in the United States by land area (including consolidated cities, this city is the largest city in the United States by land area after Houston, whose government is also not consolidated with a county or territory).

Located in the Great Plains region, Oklahoma City has one of the largest livestock markets in the world. Oil, natural gas, petroleum products and related industries are the largest sectors of the local economy. The city is in the midst of an active oil field and an oil crane at the point of the capital. The federal government employs a large number of workers at Tinker Air Force Base and Mike Monroney's US Space Center (these two spots serve the offices of several Federal Aviation Administration Offices and Enterprise Service Center of the Department of Transportation, respectively).

The city has been home to the Oklahoma City Thunder National Basketball Association since the 2008-09 season, where several famous players have played, including Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony. The team plays its home game at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Oklahoma City is at I-35 Corridor, which is one of the main travel corridors south to neighboring Texas and Mexico and north to Wichita and Kansas City. Located in the state of Frontier Country, the northeastern part of the city is located in an ecological area known as Cross Timbers. The city was founded during the Land Run of 1889, and grew into a population of over 10,000 within hours of its establishment. This city was the bombing of the Federal Building Alfred P. Murrah on April 19, 1995, where 168 people died. It was the deadliest terror attack in US history until the September 11, 2001, attacks and remains the deadliest domestic terrorist act in US history.

Since weather records are kept, Oklahoma City has been hit by thirteen strong tornadoes; eleven tornadoes are rated F4 or EF4 on Fujita and Enhanced Fujita scale, and two are rated F5 or EF5.

Video Oklahoma City

Histori

Oklahoma City was completed on April 22, 1889, when an area known as "Unwanted Land" was opened to settlements in an event known as "The Land Run". About 10,000 farmers live in areas that will be the capital of Oklahoma. The city grew quickly; population doubled between 1890 and 1900. Early leaders of urban development included Anton Classen, John Shartel, Henry Overholser, and James W. Maney.

By the time Oklahoma was accepted in the Union in 1907, Oklahoma City had surpassed Guthrie, the territorial capital, as the center of population and the new commercial center of the country. Soon after, the capital was transferred from Guthrie to Oklahoma City. The city of Oklahoma is a great stop on Route 66 during the early part of the 20th century; This is mentioned clearly in Bobby Troup's 1946 jazz classic, "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" made famous by artist Nat King Cole.

Before World War II, Oklahoma City developed a large warehouse, withdrawing jobs and previous revenues in Chicago and Omaha, Nebraska. With the discovery of oil in 1928 within the city limits (including under the State Capitol), Oklahoma City became a major center of oil production. Postwar growth is accompanied by the construction of the Interstate Toll Road System, which makes Oklahoma City the main crossroads as the convergence of I-35, I-40 and I-44. It was also aided by the development of the Tinker Air Force Base federal.

In 1950, the Census Bureau reported city dwellers as 8.6% black and 90.7% white.

Patience Latting was elected Mayor of Oklahoma City in 1971, becoming the first female mayor of the city. Latting is also the first woman to serve as mayor of the US city with more than 350,000 residents.

Like many other American cities, the city's population declined in the 1970s and 1980s as families followed newly constructed highways to move to new housing in the nearby suburbs. The urban renewal project in the 1970s, including the Pei Plan, eliminated the old structure but failed to spark a lot of new development, leaving the city filled with vacant lots used for parking. Noteworthy exceptions are the construction of the city of Myriad Gardens and Crystal Bridge, a modern botanical garden and conservatory in the heart of the city center. The architecturally important architectural historic buildings lost due to permission are Criteria Theater, Baum Building, Hales Building, and Biltmore Hotel.

In 1993, the city passed a massive rebuilding package known as the Metropolitan Area Project (MAPS), which is intended to rebuild the city core with civilian projects to build more activities and life into the city center. The town added a new baseball park; central library; Renovations to civilian centers, convention centers and fairgrounds; and water canals in the Bricktown entertainment district. Water taxis carry passengers inside the district, adding color and activity along the canal. MAPS has become one of the most successful public-private partnerships undertaken in the US, exceeding $ 3 billion of private investment in 2010. As a result of MAPS, the population living in urban housing has increased exponentially, along with the demand for additional housing and retail facilities, such as grocery stores, services, and shops.

Since the completion of the MAPS project, the downtown area has undergone further development. Some of the downtown buildings are undergoing renovations/restorations. Notable among these was the restoration of the Skirvin Hotel in 2007. The famous First National Center is being renovated.

Oklahoma City residents suffered heavy losses on April 19, 1995 when Timothy McVeigh detonated a bomb in front of the Murrah building. The building was destroyed (the remnants that had to explode in the controlled destruction of the end of the year), more than 100 buildings nearby suffered severe damage, and 168 people were killed. This site has been commemorated as the Memorial and National Museum of the City of Oklahoma. Since it opened in 2000, more than three million people have visited. Every year on April 19, survivors, family and friends return to the memorial to read the names of every lost person. On June 11, 2001, McVeigh was executed with lethal injection.

The "Core-to-Shore" project was made to relocate the I-40 a mile (1.6 km) south and replace it with a highway to create an entrance to a beautiful city. It also allows the central part of the city to expand to the south and connect with the coast of the River Oklahoma. Some elements of "Core to Shore" are included in MAPS 3 proposals approved by voters at the end of 2009.

Maps Oklahoma City

Geography

Oklahoma City is located on one of the main corridors to Texas and Mexico, and is a three-hour drive from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The city is in the Frontier Country region of the state center, making it an ideal location for state government.

According to the US Census Bureau, the city has a total area of ​​620.34 square miles (1,606.7 km ² ), where 601.11 square miles (1.556.9 km ² ) is the mainland and 19.23 square miles (49.8 km ² ) is water.

Oklahoma City is located in the Sandstone Hills area of ​​Oklahoma, known for its 250 to 400 feet (120 m) hills and two oak species: blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) and post oak (Q. stellata). The northeastern part of the city and its eastern suburbs fall into an ecological area known as Cross Timbers.

The city is roughly split by the Northern Canadian River (recently renamed the Oklahoma River within the city limits). Northern Canada once has sufficient floods every year, causing devastation in the surrounding area, including the central business district and the original Oklahoma City Zoo. In the 1940s, dams were built in rivers to manage flood control and reduce their levels. In the 1990s, as part of a city revitalization project known as MAPS, the city built a series of low water dams, returning water to the part of the river that flows near the city center. The city has three large lakes: Hefner Lake and Overholser Lake, in the northwest part of the city; and the largest, Lake Stanley Draper, in the sparsely populated southeast of the city.

Population density is usually reported for the City of Oklahoma using the limits of the city can be misleading. The urbanization zone covers about 244 m² (630 km ² ) resulting in a density of 2,500 per square mile (2013 est), compared to the larger rural riverfront area established by the city, which includes 377 remaining. sqÃ, mi (980Ã, km ² ) from the city limits.

Oklahoma City is one of the largest cities in the country pursuant to the Clean Air Act.

Tallest building

Nearby Areas

The Oklahoma City environment varies greatly; a rich and neat historic neighborhood lies next to a district that has not fully recovered from the economic and social decline of the 1970s and 1980s.

The city is split geographically and culturally by the Canadian River North, which basically divides the City of North Oklahoma and the City of Southern Oklahoma. The north side is characterized by a very diverse and fashionable urban environment near the city center and the expansive suburbs to the north. Southern Oklahoma City is generally more blue-collar working class and significantly more industry, growing around the Stockyards and meat packing plants at the turn of the century, and is the center of the fast-growing Latino community in the city.

Downtown Oklahoma City, which has 7,600 inhabitants, is witnessing an influx of new private investment and large-scale public works projects, which have helped to awaken the central business district left behind by Bust Petroleum in the early 1980s. The downtown center is the newly renovated Crystal Bridge and Myriad Botanical Gardens, one of several elements of Plan Pei to be completed. In 2021, a large new central park will connect the gardens near the CBD and a new convention center to be built just south of Canada's North River, as part of a major work project known as the "Core to the Beach"; the new park is part of MAPS3, a collection of civil projects funded by a sales tax increase of one cent (seven years).

Climate

The city of Oklahoma has a humid subtropical climate (KÃÆ'¶ppen: Cfa), featuring hot and humid summers, and cool winters with occasional snowfall. Drought is prolonged and severe (sometimes causing forest fires around it) as well as very heavy rain that causes flash floods and floods to occur with some regularity. A consistent wind, usually from the south or south-southeast during the summer, helps warm the warmer weather. A consistent north wind during winter can intensify the cold period. Severe ice storms and snowstorms occur sporadically during the winter.

The average temperature is 61.4 Â ° F (16.3 Â ° C), with a monthly daily average ranging from 39.2 Â ° F (4.0 Â ° C) in January to 83.0 Â ° F (28.3 Â ° C)) in July. The extremes range from -17 Â ° F (-27 Â ° C) on February 12, 1899 to 113 Â ° F (45 Â ° C) on August 11, 1936 and August 3, 2012; the last reading of zero-zero (-0 Â ° F) is -3 Â ° F (-19 Â ° C) on January 7, 2017. The temperature reaches 100 Â ° F (38 Â ° C) at 10.4 days a year , 90 Â ° Ã, Â ° F (32Ã, Â ° C) in nearly 70 days, and failed to rise above freezing in 8.3 days. The city receives about 35.9 inches (91.2 cm) of rainfall annually, of which 8.6 inches (21.8 cm) is snow.

The report "The Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the US National Climate Assessment" (NCA) from 2013 by NOAA, projects that parts of the Great Plains region can expect up to 30% (high emission scenarios based on CMIP3 and NARCCAP models) increase on extreme precipitation by mid century. This definition is based on days that receive more than an inch of rainfall.

Extreme weather

The city of Oklahoma has a very active weather season from March to June, especially during April and May. Being in the middle of what is often referred to as Tornado Alley, prone to frequent and severe tornadoes, as well as very severe hail and sometimes derechoes. Tornadoes have occurred in every month of the year and smaller secondary peaks also occur during the fall, especially in October. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area is one of the world's most tornado-prone cities, with about 150 tornadoes striking the city limits since 1890. Since the time weather records have been kept, Oklahoma City has been beaten by thirteen mean tornadoes, eleven F/EF4 and two F/EF5s.

On May 3, 1999, parts of Oklahoma City and surrounding communities were affected by tornadoes. It was the last US tornado rated F5 on the Fujita scale before Fujita's improved scale replaced it in 2007. While the tornado was around Bridge Creek to the southwest, the 318 mph (510 km/h) wind speed was estimated by cellular Doppler radar, wind speed the highest ever recorded on Earth. The second top-of-the-scale tornado occurs on May 20, 2013; Southern Oklahoma City, along with Newcastle and Moore, was hit by an EF5 tornado. The tornado was 0.5 to 1.3 miles (0.80 to 2.09 km) wide and killed 23 people. On May 31, less than two weeks after the May 20 incident, another outbreak affected the area of ​​Oklahoma City. In Oklahoma City, the system spawned EF1 and EF0 tornadoes, and in El Reno in the west, an EF3 tornado occurred. This last tornado, heading toward Oklahoma City before it was scattered, has a width of 2.6 miles (4.2 km), making it the largest tornado ever recorded. In addition, wind & gt; 295 mph (475 km/h) was measured, one of the two highest wind records for a tornado.

With 19.48 inches (495 mm) of precipitation, in May 2015 is a record-breaking month The city was carried by the wind since records began in 1890. Across Oklahoma and Texas in general, there are flood records in the latter part of this month.

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Demographics

According to the 2010 census, the Oklahoma City racial composition is as follows:

• White: 62.7% (56.7% Non-Hispanic White)
• Black or African Americans: 15.1%
• Native Americans: 3.5%
• Asia: 4.0% (1.7% Vietnam, 0.7% India)
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
• Some other races: 9.4%
• Two or more races: 5.2%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 17.2% (14.2% Mexico, 0.7% Guatemala)

In the 2010 census, there were 579,999 people, 230,233 households, and 144,120 families living in the city. Population density is 956.4 people per square mile (321.9/km ²). There are 256,930 housing units with an average density of 375.9 per square mile (145.1/km²).

Of 579,999 people of Oklahoma City, 44,541 live in Canada County, 63,723 live in Cleveland County, 471,671 live in Oklahoma County, and 64 live in Pottawatomie County.

There are 230,233 households, 29.4% of whom have children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% are married couples living together, 13.9% have a housewife with no husband present, and 37 , 4% is not family. One household accounts for 30.5% of all households and 8.7% of all households have a single person aged 65 or older. The average household size is 2.47 and the average family size is 3.11.

The average income for households in the city is $ 48,557 and the average income for families is $ 62,527. The per capita income for the city is $ 26,208. 17.1% of the population and 12.4% of families are below the poverty line. Of the total population, 23.0% of those under the age of 18 and 9.2% of those aged 65 and older live below the poverty line.

In the 2000 Census, Oklahoma City's age composition was 25.5% below the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there are 95.6 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there are 92.7 men.

The city of Oklahoma has experienced a significant population increase since the late 1990s. Since the official Census in 2000, Oklahoma City has grown 25 percent (raw increase 125,214) according to Bureau estimates. The 2016 estimate of 638,367 is the largest population ever recorded in Oklahoma City. It is the first city in the state to record a population of over 600,000 inhabitants. It is also the first city in the Great Plains region to record a population of over 600,000 inhabitants. It is the largest municipal population in the Great Plains region (Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota).

Metropolitan statistical area

Oklahoma City is the main city of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistics region composed of eight areas in Central Oklahoma and is the largest urban area in the state. By 2015, the metropolitan area is the 41st largest in the country by population.

Crime

Oklahoma City law enforcement claims have traditionally been the Cartel's renowned Cartel region, but the Sinaloa Cartel has been reportedly trying to build a foothold in Oklahoma City. There are many rival gangs in Oklahoma City, whose headquarters have been established in the town, Southside Locos, traditionally known as SureÃÆ'Â ± os.

The city of Oklahoma also has a violent crime section, especially in the 1970s. The worst happened in 1978, when six employees of Sirloin Stockade's restaurant on the south side of the city were killed in execution style in the restaurant freezer. An intensive investigation followed, and three people involved, who also killed three others in Purcell, Oklahoma, were identified. One, Harold Stafford, was killed in a motorcycle accident in Tulsa shortly after the assassination at the restaurant. The other, Verna Stafford, was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole after being given a new court after she was sentenced to death. Roger Dale Stafford, regarded as the brain of a murderous spree, was executed with a deadly injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in 1995.

Oklahoma City Police Department has uniformed forces of 1,169 officers and 300 more civil servants. The department has a central police station and five substations covering 2,500 police reporting districts with an average size of 1/4 square mile.

On April 19, 1995, the Federal Building Alfred P. Murrah was destroyed by a fertilizer bomb produced and detonated by Timothy McVeigh. Catastrophic explosions and destruction killed 168 people and injured more than 680. A shockwave explosion destroyed or damaged 324 buildings within a radius of 340 meters, destroying or burning 86 cars, and breaking glass at 258 nearby buildings, causing at least an estimated $ 652 million million damage. McVeigh was found guilty and then executed with a deadly injection on June 11, 2001.

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Economy

Oklahoma City's economy, once a regional powerhouse of government and energy exploration, has since diversified to include the information technology, service, health and administration sectors. The city is headquarter for two Fortune 500 companies, Chesapeake Energy Corporation and Devon Energy Corporation, as well as being home to Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores, which ranks thirteenth in the list of Forbes private companies.

In July 2014, the top fifteen employers in the city were:

Other large companies with a large presence (over 1000 employees) in Oklahoma City include Dell, The Hertz Corporation, United Parcel Service, Farmers Insurance Group, Coca-Cola Great Plains Bottling Company, Cox Communications, Boeing Company, Deaconess Hospital, Johnson Controls, MidFirst Bank, American Fidelity Assurance, Rose State College, and Continental Resources.

Although not in the city limits, other major employers in the Oklahoma City MSA include the United States Air Force - Tinker AFB (27,000); University of Oklahoma (11.900); University of Central Oklahoma (2,900); and Norman Regional Hospital (2,800).

According to the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, the economic output of metropolitan areas grew by 33 percent between 2001 and 2005 primarily due to economic diversification. Its gross metropolitan product was $ 43.1 billion in 2005 and grew to $ 61.1 billion in 2009. By 2016, GMP has grown to $ 73.8 billion.

In 2008, Forbes magazine named Oklahoma City "the most recession-intensive city in America". The magazine reported that the city is experiencing unemployment, one of the strongest housing markets in the country and solid growth in energy, agriculture and manufacturing. However, in the early 1980s, Oklahoma City had one of the worst jobs and housing markets due to the bankruptcy of Penn Square Bank in 1982 and then a post-1985 crash in oil bust prices.

In 2013, Forbes rated Oklahoma City No. 8 on the list of "Best Places for Business and Career".

In 2014, Forbes rated Oklahoma City No. 7 on the "Best Places for Business" list.

In 2017, WalletHub rated Oklahoma City No. 1 on the list of "Best Big Cities to Start a Business".

Business district

Business and entertainment districts (and to a lesser extent local neighborhoods) tend to maintain their boundaries and character through the implementation of zoning regulations and enhancement of district businesses (districts where the property owner approves the additional cost of property taxes to support additional services for the community). Through zoning regulations, historic districts, and other special zoning districts, including coating districts, have been well established. Oklahoma City has three business improvement districts, including one that includes the central business district.

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Culture

Museums and theaters

Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center is the new downtown home for the Oklahoma City Art Museum. The museum features exhibits visited, original selections from its own collection, a theater featuring foreign, independent, and classic movies each week, and a restaurant. OKCMOA is also home to the world's most complete Chihuly glass collection including the 55-foot-tall Eleanor Blake Kirkpatrick Memorial in the atrium Museum. The Art Deco Civic Center Music Hall, which was completely renovated in 2001, has performances from Oklahoma City Ballet, Oklahoma City Opera, Oklahoma City Philharmonic and also Broadway concerts and performances.

Other theaters include the Lyric Theater, Jewel Box Theater, Kirkpatrick Auditorium, Poteet Theater, Oklahoma College Community College Bruce Owen Theater and the 488-seat Petts Recital Hall, on the campus of Oklahoma City University. The university also opened Wanda L Bass School and auditorium in April 2006.

The Science Museum of Oklahoma (formerly Kirkpatrick Science and Air Space Museum at Omniplex) features exhibits on science, aviation and IMAX theaters. The museum used to have an International Photography Hall of Fame (IPHF) that exhibits photographs and artifacts from a large collection of cameras and other artifacts that preserve the history of photography. IPHF honors those who have made significant contributions to the art and/or science of photography and moved to St. Petersburg. Louis, Missouri in 2013.

The Museum of Osteology has over 300 skeletons of real animals. Focusing on the shape and functionality of the skeletal system, this 7,000m² museum features hundreds of skeletons and skeletons from around the world. Exhibits include adaptation, mover, classification and diversity of vertebrate kingdoms. The Museum of Osteology is the only one of its kind in America.

National Cowboy & amp; The Western Heritage Museum has a western art gallery and is home to the Hall of Great Western Performers. In contrast, the city will also be home to the American Cultural Center and Museum of American History which began construction in 2009 (although completion of the facility has been postponed due to insufficient funding), on the south side of Interstate 40, southeast of Bricktown.

Oklahoma City National Memorial in the northern part of Oklahoma City was created as a writing at the eastern gate of the Memorial which reads, "to honor the survivors, the survivors, the savior, and all that changed forever on April 19, 1995"; the memorial was built on land formerly occupied by the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building complex prior to the 1995 bombing. The Outdoor Symbolic Memorial can be visited 24 hours a day for free, and the nearby Memorial Museum, in the former building of the Journal Record damaged by bombing, can be entered for a small fee. The site is also home to the National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, a non-partisan, non-profit think tank dedicated to the prevention of terrorism.

The American Banjo Museum in the Bricktown Entertainment district is dedicated to preserving and promoting the music and heritage of the banjo. The collection is worth $ 3.5 million, and the interpretive exhibit tells the evolution of the banjo from its roots in American slavery, to bluegrass, to folk and to the music world.

The Oklahoma History Center is the Oklahoma State history museum. Across the street from the governor's house at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in northeast Oklahoma City, the museum opened in 2005 and is operated by the Oklahoma Historical Society. It retains Oklahoma history from prehistory to the present day.

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Sports

The city of Oklahoma is home to several professional sports teams, including the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association. The Thunder is the second major "permanent" professional sports franchise of the city after the now defunct AFL Oklahoma Wranglers and is the third premier league team to call the city home while considering temporary hosting from the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets for 2005-06 and 2006 -07 NBA season.

Other professional sports clubs in Oklahoma City include Dodgers Oklahoma City, Triple-A affiliates of Los Angeles Dodgers, Oklahoma City Energy FC from United Soccer League, and Crusaders from Rugby Rugby Football Club AS. The city of Oklahoma Blazers, the name used for decades of city hockey teams in the Central Hockey League has been reborn as a Junior A team playing in the Western Hockey League.

The downtown Chesapeake Energy Arena is the city's premier multi-purpose arena, concerts, NHL exhibits, and many pro sports teams. In 2008, Oklahoma City Thunder became the main tenant. Nearby in Bricktown, Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark is home to the town's baseball team, Dodgers. "The Brick," as it is known locally, is considered one of the best small league parks in the country.

Oklahoma City is the annual host of the Big 12 Baseball Tournament, Softball World Cup, and the annual NCAA Women's College World Series. The city has hosted NCAA Men's Basketball First and Second round 2005 and hosted the Big 12 Men and Women's Basketball Tournament in 2007 and 2009. Major universities in the area - Oklahoma University, Oklahoma City University and Oklahoma State University - often schedule matches big basketball and other sporting events at Chesapeake Energy Arena and Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, although most home games are played at their campus stadium.

Other major sporting events include the Thoroughbred racing circuit and the Quarter Horse at Remington Park and many horse and horse events that take place at the state fairs each year. There are many golf courses and country clubs scattered around the city.

Soccer high school

The state of Oklahoma has a very competitive high school soccer culture, with many teams in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The Oklahoma Middle School Activity Association (OSSAA) organizes high school soccer into eight different classes based on the size of school enrollment. Starting with the largest, the classes are: 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, A, B, and C. Class 6A is divided into two divisions. Oklahoma City Regional Schools in this division include Edmond North, Mustang, Moore, Yukon, Edmond Memorial, Edmond Santa Fe, Norman North, Westmoore, Southmoore, Putnam City North, Norman, Putnam City, Putnam City West, US Grant, and Midwest City.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA) has been calling Oklahoma City since the 2008-09 season, when owner Clay Bennett moved the franchise from Seattle, Washington. The Thunder play a home game at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in downtown Oklahoma City, which is warmly known in the national media as 'Peake' and 'Loud City'. Thunder is known by several nicknames, including "OKC Thunder" and only "OKC," and the mascot is Rumble the Bison.

Upon arrival to Oklahoma City for the 2008-09 season, Oklahoma City Thunder secured a spot (8) in the 2010 NBA Playoff the following year after boasting its first 50-win season, winning two first-half games against the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2012, Oklahoma City made it to the NBA Finals but lost to the Miami Heat in five games. In 2013 the Thunder reaches the Western Conference semi-finals without All-Star guard Russell Westbrook, who were injured in their first-round series against the Houston Rockets, only to lose to the Memphis Grizzlies. In 2014 Oklahoma City again reached the Western Conference Finals of the NBA but eventually lost to the San Antonio Spurs in six games.

Oklahoma City Thunder has been regarded by sports analysts as one of the elite franchises of the NBA Western Conference and that it is the media's favorite as the league's future. Oklahoma City has earned the Northwest Division title every year since 2009, until 2017, and has consistently improved its winning record to 59-wins in 2014. Thunder is led by third-year head coach Billy Donovan and anchored by Russell Westbrook's All-Star point guard. Hornets

After Hurricane Katrina, the NBA New Orleans Hornets (now New Orleans Pelicans) moved temporarily to the Ford Center, playing the majority of home games there during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. The team became the first NBA franchise to play regular season games in the state of Oklahoma. The team is known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets while playing in Oklahoma City. The team eventually returned to New Orleans full time for the 2007-08 season. The Hornets played their last home game in Oklahoma City during the exhibition season on October 9, 2007 against the Houston Rockets.

Current pro-team metro area

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Parks and recreation

One of the city's most famous buildings is the Crystal Bridge at Myriad Botanical Gardens, a large urban park in the city center. Designed by I. M. Pei, Crystal Bridge is a tropical conservatory in the area. The park has an amphitheater, known as the Water Stage. In 2007, after the stage renovation, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park was moved to Segudang Park. The Myriad Gardens will undergo a massive renovation along with the newly built Devon Tower to the north.

Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens are home to many natural habitats, WPA-era architecture and landscaping, and hold major touring concerts during the summer at the amphitheater. Oklahoma City also has two theme parks, Frontier City Park and White Water Bay water park. Frontier City is an amusement park themed 'Old West'. The park also features a recreational western shootout in the 'OK Corral' and many shops lined the main street of the "West" city. Frontier City also hosts a national concert circuit in the amphitheater during the summer. Oklahoma City also has a racetrack combination and casino throughout the year, Remington Park, which hosts the Horse Quarter (March - June) and Thoroughbred (August - December).

A walking trail along Hefner Lake and Overholser Lake in the northwestern part of town and downtown on the canals and the Oklahoma River. Most of the east coast is taken by parks and trails, including a dog park without a new dog and the postwar Stars and Stripes Park. Lake Stanley Draper is the largest and most remote lake in the city.

The city of Oklahoma has a major park in every city quadrant, returning to the first garden masterplan. Will Rogers Park, Lincoln Park, Trosper Park, and Woodson Park were once connected to the Grand Boulevard circle, some of which are not there anymore. Martin Park Nature Center is a natural habitat in northwest Oklahoma City. Will Rogers Park is home to the Lycan Conservatory, Rose Garden, and Butterfly Garden, all built in the WPA era. The city of Oklahoma is home to the American Banjo Museum, which houses a large collection of well-decorated banjo from the early 20th century and exhibits on the history of banjo and its place in American history. Concerts and lectures are also held there.

In April 2005, Oklahoma City Skate Park at Wiley Post Park was renamed to Mat Hoffman's Action Sports Park to recognize Mat Hoffman, a resident of the Oklahoma area and a businessman who plays a role in skate park design and is 10 times BMX World Champion Vert. In March 2009, the Hoffman Mat Action Sports Park was named by the National Geographic Society Travel Guide as one of the "Top Ten."

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Government

The City of Oklahoma City has been operating under the council-manager form of city government since 1927. David Holt took over the Mayor's office on April 10, 2018 after being elected two months earlier. Eight board members represented each of the eight areas of Oklahoma City. City Manager Jim Couch was appointed in late 2000. Couch is an assistant city manager, plan director and utility director of the Metropolitan Area Projects Plan (MAPS) prior to his office as city manager.

Politics

Similar to many American cities, Oklahoma City is politically conservative in its suburbs, and a liberal downtown. City has asked residents to choose sales tax-based projects to revitalize parts of the city. Bricktown District is the best example of such an initiative. In a recent MAPS 3, the city police fraternity orders criticized the project proposal for not doing enough to expand police presence to keep pace with population growth and increased commercial activity. In September 2013, Oklahoma City state lawyer David Slane announced he would take legal action relating to MAPS3, claiming several projects that made the plan violate the country's constitutional laws that limit voter issues to a single subject.

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International relations

Consulate

Twin towns - Twin cities

Oklahoma City has seven twin cities, as defined by Sister Cities International:

• Haikou, China
• Puebla, Mexico
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Tainan, China Republic (Taiwan)
• Taipei, China Republic (Taiwan)
• Ulyanovsk, Russia
• Yehud-Monosson, Israel
• Kigali, Rwanda

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Education

Higher education

The city is home to several colleges and universities. Oklahoma City University, formerly known as Epworth University, was founded by United Methodist Church on 1 September 1904 and is known for performing arts, science, mass communication, business, law, and athletic programs. OCU has its main campus in the north-central part of the city, near the Chinatown area of ​​the city. OCU Law is located in the Midtown district near the city center, in the High School building.

The University of Oklahoma has several higher education institutions in the city and metropolitan areas, with OU Medicine and the University of Oklahoma Center for Center for Health Sciences east of downtown in the Oklahoma Health Center district, and the main campus in the southern suburb of Norman. OU Medicine becomes the center of one-state trauma center. The OU Health Sciences Center is one of the largest independent health centers in the country, employing over 12,000 people. OU is one of only four major universities in the country that operates six medical schools.

The third largest university in the state, University of Central Oklahoma, is located north of the city on the outskirts of Edmond. Oklahoma Christian University, one of the state's private liberal arts institutions, lies to the south of the Edmond border, within the borders of Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City Community College in southern Oklahoma City is the second largest community campus in the state. Rose State College is located east of Oklahoma City on the outskirts of Midwest. Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City is in the "Furniture District" at Westside. Northeast of the city is Langston University, the country's black history university (HBCU). Langston also has an urban campus in the eastern part of town. Southern Nazarene University, founded by the Nazarene Church, is a university in suburban Bethania, surrounded by Oklahoma City's city limits.

Although technically not a university, Simon Monroney Aviation Center FAA has many aspects of higher education institutions. His FAA Academy is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) has a medical education division that is responsible for general aeromedical education as well as aviation medical examiner education in the US and 93 other countries. In addition, the National Academy of Science offers an Associate Research Program for scholarships and other grants for CAMI research.

Primary and secondary

Oklahoma City is home to the state's largest school district, Oklahoma City Public Schools. High School Secondary Schools from High School Study and Harding Preparatory Schools have a high ranking among state schools nationwide in accordance with the formulas that look at the number of Advanced Placements, the International Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge exams taken by the school students divided by the number of graduates senior. In addition, the Belle Isle Enterprise Middle School OKCPS was named a high school in the state based on the Academic Achievement Index, and recently received the Blue Ribbon School Award, in 2004 and again in 2011. KIPP Reach College Preparatory School in Oklahoma City received the 2012 National Blue Ribbon along with its school leader, Tracy McDaniel Sr., was awarded the Terrel H. Bell Award for Leading Leadership.

Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics, school for some of the most talented math and science students in the state, also in Oklahoma City.

Due to explosive growth in Oklahoma City, parts of several suburban districts extend to the city, including Putnam City School District to the northwest, Moore Public School in the south, and Mid-Del School District in the southeast. The city also has a number of private schools and parishes. The Casady School and Heritage Hall School are examples of private college prep school with strong academics who are among the top in Oklahoma. Providence Hall is a Protestant school. Two prominent schools in the archdiocese of Oklahoma City include Bishop McGuinness Secondary School and Mount Saint Mary High School. Other private schools include Crossing Christian School.

CareerTech

Oklahoma City has several career education and public technology schools associated with the Department of Education Career and Technology Oklahoma, the largest of which are Metro Technology Center and Francis Tuttle Technology Center.

Personal career and technology education schools in Oklahoma City include Oklahoma Technology Institute, Platt College, Vatterott College, and Heritage College. Dale Rogers Training Center in Oklahoma City is a non-profit vocational training center for individuals with disabilities.

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Media

Print

The Oklahoman is Oklahoma City's main daily newspaper and is the most widely circulated in the state. NewsOK.com is Oklahoman's online presence. Oklahoma Gazette is Oklahoma City's independent news every week, featuring staples like local commentary, feature stories, restaurant reviews and movie listings as well as music and entertainment. The Journal Record is a daily business newspaper of the city, and okcBIZ is a monthly publication covering business news affecting those living and working in Central Oklahoma.

Many international communities and newspapers serve municipal ethnic mosaics, such as The Black Chronicle, headquartered in Eastside, OK VIETIMES and the Oklahoma Chinese Times, in the Asian District, and numerous publications Hispanic community. Campus is a student newspaper at Oklahoma City University. Gay publications include The Gayly Oklahoman .

Upscale lifestyle publications called Slice Magazine are circulated throughout the metropolitan area. In addition, there is a magazine published by Back40 Design Group called The Edmond Outlook . It contains local commentary and human interest pieces sent directly to over 50,000 Edmond residents.

Broadcast

Oklahoma City is home to some pioneers in radio and television broadcasting. WKY Radio in Oklahoma City is the first radio station to radiate west of the Mississippi River and the third radio station in the United States. WKY received a federal license in 1921 and continued to broadcast under the same summons since 1922. In 1928, WKY was bought by E.K. Gaylord's Oklahoma Publishing Company and affiliated with the NBC Red Network; in 1949, WKY-TV (channel 4) aired and then became the first independently owned television station in the US to broadcast in color. In mid-2002, WKY radio was purchased directly by Citadel Broadcasting, which was purchased by Cumulus Broadcasting in 2011. The Gaylord family previously sold WKY-TV in 1976, which has experienced ownership succession (what is now KFOR-TV owned by Tribune Broadcasting per December 2013).

The major US broadcast television networks have affiliates in the Oklahoma City market (ranked 41 for television by Nielsen and 48 for radio by Arbitron, which includes a 34-county area serving central, north-central and central-central Oklahoma portions); including NBC KFOR-TV affiliates (channel 4), ABC KOCO-TV affiliate (channel 5), CBS KWTV-DT affiliate (channel 9, award-winning local Griffin Communications), PBS KETA-TV station (channel 13, flagship of network of state-run OETA members), Fox KOKH-TV affiliate (channel 25), CW KOCB affiliate (channel 34), independent KAUT-TV station (channel 43), MyNetworkTV KSBI-TV affiliate (channel 52), and Ion Television owned and operated KOPX-TV station (channel 62). The market is also home to several religious stations including TV stations owned and operated by TBN, KTBO-TV (channel 14) and stations operated and operated by Daystar, KOCM (channel 46).

Despite the geographical size of the market, no English-language commercial affiliates in designated market areas of Oklahoma City operate full power satellite stations covering the northwest part of the state (requires cable or satellite to view them), though KFOR-TV, KOCO-TV, KWTV- DT and KOKH-TV each operate a low-power translator in that part of the market. Oklahoma City is one of several markets between Chicago and Dallas to have affiliates of two or more of the major Spanish-language broadcast networks: Telemundo KTUZ-TV affiliate (channel 30), Univision-based affiliate Woodward KUOK 35 (whose translator is KUOK- CD, channel 36, serving direct Oklahoma City area), Azteca KOHC-CD affiliate (channel 45) and Estrella TV KOCY-LP affiliate (channel 48).

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Infrastructure

Fire Department

Oklahoma City is protected by the Oklahoma City Fire Department (OKCFD), which employs 1015 paid professional firefighters. The current Department Head is G. Keith Bryant, the department is also ordered by three Deputy Chiefs, who - together with department heads - oversee the Operational Services, Prevention Services, and Support Services bureaus. OKCFD operates from 37 fire stations across the city in six battalions. OKCFD also operates a fleet of fire equipment from 36 machines (including 30 paramedical machines), 13 stairs, 16 brush patrol units, six water tankers, two hazardous materials, one Technical Rescue Unit, one Air Supply Unit, six Arson Investigation Units, and one Rehabilitation Unit. Each machine is equipped with a driver, officer, and one to two firefighters, while each company is equipped with a driver, officer, and one firefighter. Minimum staff per shift is 213 personnel. Oklahoma City Fire Department responds to more than 70,000 emergency calls every year.

Transportation

Highway

Oklahoma City is an integral point in the United States Interstate Network, with three major interstate highways - Interstate 35, Interstate 40, and Interstate 44 - dividing the two cities. Interstate 240 connects Interstate 40 and Interstate 44 in southern Oklahoma City, while Interstate 235 spurs off Interstate 44 in the north-central Oklahoma City to downtown.

Major state toll roads through the city include Lake Hefner Parkway (SH-74), Kilpatrick Turnpike, Airport Road (SH-152), and Broadway Extension (US-77) continuing from I-235 connecting Central Oklahoma City to Edmond. Lake Hefner Parkway runs through northwest Oklahoma City, while Airport Road passes Oklahoma City and leads to Will Rogers World Airport. Kilpatrick Turnpike revolves around north and west of Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City also has several major national and state highways within its city limits. Shields Boulevard (US-77) continues from E.K. Gaylord Boulevard in downtown Oklahoma City and the walk to the south eventually connects to I-35 near the suburbs of Moore, Oklahoma. The Northwest Expressway operates from North Classen Boulevard in the north-central Oklahoma City to the northwest suburbs.

Oklahoma City is traversed by the following main roads:

• Interstate 35
• Interstate 40
• Interstate 44
• Interstate 235/Broadway Extensions
• Interstate 240
• SH-74 Hefner Parkway Lake
• SH-152 Airport Road
• Kilpatrick Turnpike

Air

Oklahoma City is served by two major airports, Will Rogers World Airport and much smaller Wiley Post Airport (incidentally, two honorary deaths in the same plane crash in Alaska) Will Rogers World Airport is the country's busiest commercial airport, with just under 4 million passengers served in 2017, a historic record.

Tinker Air Force Base, southeast of Oklahoma City, is the largest military air depot in the country; major maintenance and deployment facilities for the Navy and Air Force, and the second largest military institution in the state (after Fort Sill at Lawton).

Rail and bus

Amtrak has a train station downtown, with daily service to Fort Worth and the national rail network via Heartland Flyer. The city of Oklahoma used to be a crossroads of several rail passengers between countries, but service at that level has long ceased. The shipping service is provided by BNSF and Union Pacific.

Greyhound and several other intercity bus companies serve Oklahoma City at Union Bus Station downtown.

Public transit

Embark (formerly METRO Transit) is a municipal public transportation company. The main transfer terminal is downtown on NW 5th Street and Hudson Avenue. Embark maintains the limited coverage of the main city road network using the hub-and-spoke system of the main terminal, making many trips impractical as the number of bus routes on offer is quite small and that most trips require transfer to the city center. The city has recognized transit as a major problem for the rapidly growing city and urbanization and has started some research in recent times to improve the existing bus system starting with a plan known as the Fixed Guideway Study. The study identifies some potential commuter transit routes from the suburbs to OKC city centers as well as feeder and/or railway bus routes across the city.

Although Oklahoma City does not have light rail or commuter services, city residents identify transit improvements as one of their top priorities and from the fruits of the Permanent Guide and other studies the city leaders are keen to include urban rail transit into future transportation plans in the region.. The larger Oklahoma City metropolitan transit plan identified from the Fixed Guideway Study includes trams in the downtown section that will be fed by improved suburban bus services and suburban commuter trains including Edmond, Norman, and the Midwest City. There is a significant boost to the commuter train line connecting downtown OKC to the eastern suburbs of Del City, Midwest City, and Tinker Air Force Base. In addition to the commuter trains, the short inheritance rail line that will run from Bricktown just a few blocks away from the Amtrak station to the Adventure District in northeastern Oklahoma City is under reconstruction.

In December 2009, Oklahoma City voters passed MAPS 3, a $ 777 million (7-year 1-cent tax) initiative, which would include funding (around $ 130M) for an estimated 5 to 6 miles (8.0 to 9.7 dollars). km) of the modern tram in downtown Oklahoma City and the establishment of a transit center. Construction at Oklahoma City Streetcar has begun and is scheduled to start service by 2018.

On September 10, 2013 the federal government announced Oklahoma City will receive a $ 13.8 million grant from the US Transportation Department TIGER program. This is Oklahoma City's first grant for rail-based initiatives and is considered a turning point by city leaders who have applied for grants only to continue to be rejected. Believed the city will use the TIGER grant along with about $ 10M from the Transit MAPS 3 budget to revitalize the city Amtrak station into the Intermodal Transport Hub, taking over the role of the transit center on NW 5th/Hudson Ave.

Walkability

A 2013 study by Walk Score rated Oklahoma City the most passable forty-three of the 50 largest cities in the US.

Health

The city of Oklahoma and the surrounding metropolitan area is home to a number of special health care facilities and hospitals. In the MidTown district of Oklahoma City near the city center, there is the state's largest and largest hospital, St Anthony Hospital, and Physicians Medical Center.

OU Medicine, an academic medical institution on the campus of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, is home to the OU Medical Center. OU Medicine operates the only one-level trauma center at the OU Medical Center and the only one-level trauma center for children at Children's Hospital in OU Medicine, both located in the Oklahoma Health Center district. Other medical facilities operated by OU Medicine include OU Physicians and OU Children Physicians, OU College of Medicine, Oklahoma Cancer Center and Edmond OU Medical Center, the latter on the northern Edmond Edge.

INTEGRIS Health has several hospitals, including INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center, Oklahoma INTEGRIS Cancer Institute, and Southwest INTEGRIS Medical Center. INTEGRIS Health operates hospitals, rehabilitation centers, doctor clinics, mental health facilities, self-employment centers, and home health agencies throughout Oklahoma. The INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center is named in AS. News & amp; World Report ' 2012 list of Best Hospitals. INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center is ranked highly in the following categories: Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery; Diabetes and Endocrinology; Ear, Nose and Throat; Gastroenterology; Geriatrics; Nephrology; Orthopedics; Pulmonology and Urology.

Midwest Regional Medical Center is on the outskirts of Midwest City; Other major hospitals in the city include the Oklahoma Heart Hospital and Mercy Health Center. There are 347 doctors for every 100,000 people in the city.

In the annual ranking of the American College of Sports Medicine of the 50 most populous metropolitan areas in the United States based on public health, Oklahoma City took the last place in 2010, falling five places from the 2009 ranking of 45. The ACSM report, published as part of the American Fitness Index- , cited, among other things, poor population diets, low physical fitness levels, obesity incidents, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease higher than the national average, low access to recreational facilities such as swimming pools and baseball diamonds, lack of parks and low investment by city in their development, high percentage of households below poverty level, and lack of state-mandated physical education curriculum as contributing factors.

src: oklahomacityairport.place.hyatt.com

Famous people

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See also

• Coyle v. Smith
• Oklahoma History
• List of mayors of Oklahoma City

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Note

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References

src: okcciviccenter.com

External links

• The city's official website
• Oklahoma City tourist information
• Conventions & amp; Visitor Bureau
• City-Data page
• Historic City of Oklahoma City Row Website
• New York Times travel article about Oklahoma City
• OKC.NET cultural comment about Oklahoma City
• Voices of Oklahoma interview with Ron Norick, mayor during the Oklahoma City bombing

Source of the article : Wikipedia