For some reason, Tulsa always ends up on the most random and unlikely top 10 lists. Livability must have a hard on for us or something. The last few months alone, the internet seems to think that the good ol' 918 has some of the most spoiled children, the best Oktoberfest, and one of the greatest music scenes in the nation.
Not that I'm complaining about this or anything. I'm obviously a pretty big fan of my hometown. But I couldn't help but laugh hysterically when this story appeared on my Twitter feed. Someone out there thinks that Tulsa is a good place to spend spring break.
From Livability.com:
Affordable hotels, great walking trails, family friendly restaurants, and an active music scene are among the reasons Liveability.com [sic] ranked Tulsa number eight on their list.
The magazine mentions the Oxley Nature Center and Woodward Park as well as Gilcrease Museum and the Philbrook Museum of Art as well.
The Oklahoma Aquarium got a nod as a family destination and the Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum was mentioned as well.
One of the things pointed to as a plus is Tulsa’s Downtown's Trolley system. The article says is “makes moving the family around the city easy.”
One local oddity got a lot of play as well, the "Center of the Universe." The spot is near the Brady Arts District and is marked for easy recognition.
I get it. This is more of a family road trip-centric list than one for the Andrew WK style ragers, but still, clearly, the person writing the list has never been to Tulsa before and has never spent any time with children. First of all, I haven't met too many munchkins who find oil paintings and old Native American artifacts very amusing. In fact, I'm pretty sure my elementary school's annual field trip to Gilcrease was more boring than both the opera summer camp and Junior Great Books club my tiger mom force me to attend. I don't remember Philbrook being much better. Come on, when you're a kid you aren't interested in architecture or gardens or statues! When you're a kid, all you want to do is run, chatter loudly, and eat sticky foods with your hands. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think these activities are all typically frowned upon in a museum-like setting.
Another thing that's kind of weird about this list is that I'm 97% sure the aforementioned downtown trolley was specifically designed to cart around drunk people. Let's examine the facts: a) It only runs late Friday and Saturday night, and b) it's on constant loop between the two new trendy downtown bar districts. Okay, so it's entirely possible that I'm only able to view the downtown trolley through the lens of what it can do for me. But, the fact remains that parents are going to have to do some serious ear-muffing if their experience on the trolley resembles anything close to the ones I've witnessed.
I'm also a little bummed they're encouraging young families to check out the Center of the Universe. I realize that it's not exactly a secret place or anything, but it is my ace-in-the-hole, quirky cute place I suggest we visit when I want to close the deal with a guy I'm crushin' on. I have a feeling that adorable little kids skipping around the place will somehow make my signature move a little less sexy.
Follow Chelsea on Twitter at @xCawoodstock
