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About Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City,("OKC" is the local moniker) is the second physically largest city in the US and the Capitol of Oklahoma. Known historically for it's cattle stockyards, oil/gas production and BBQ , the general area has a heavy concentration of Native American peoples and is considered by many to be "Indian Country". Atop the golden Capitol dome sits a large statue of a Native American male, surveying the horizon, while the area around the building holds local Western and Native American sculpture and oil derricks. Centrally located almost exactly in the middle of the US, recently the name "Heartland" has surfaced as an affectionate term for this area of the Southwest. The State hosts Tinker Airforce Base and Fort Sill Army Base. Major OKC attractions: The celebrated THUNDER Basketball Team who wowed in the 2010 NBA Playoffs, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, the Indian Cultural Center and Museum, the Oklahoma History Museum, Remmington Park Horse Racing, RedHawks Baseball and the Softball Hall of Fame. The Oklahoma River has begun to host competitive rowing and speedboat events with Toby Keith's "I Love this Bar" nearby. Lake Hefner's developed shorelines, running/biking trails or restaurants are great for watching brilliantly colored sunsets or sailboats. Cattlemen's Steakhouse in the OKC STOCKYARDS, famous for fresh meats, serves traditional cowboy style breakfast, lunch and dinner:steak. Bricktown, a renovated historic warehouse district ( some streets have the original red brick paving) of shops, restaurants and clubs flanks the sporting venues and downtown along a winding canal. Other neighborhoods of interest near the downtown area are Midtown, Deep Deuce, Heritage Hills, Mesta Park, Del Paseo Arts District, The Asian District, The Plaza District and Capitol Hill. Voted one of the best Zoos in the country for families by a national children's magazine, it continues to add attractions and educational exhibits pleasurable for all ages. The amusement park, Frontier City is uniquely themed on the Wild West and remains a favorite of visitors and locals alike. The Oklahoma Museum of Art hosts the Dale Chuhley exotic modern blown glass exhibit as well as a theatre showing acclaimed films.
Each year in April, there is a Memorial to those whose lives were lost during the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, marked by the reading of the names of the victims of the attack. This is accompanied by a weekend long series of events, includes a flat track marathon and half-marathon, drawing participants from around the globe.

OKC corporate connections: SONIC, DELL, Chesapeake, Devon, Smico, MD Building Materials, Braums Dairy and Schwab Meat Company. Academic visibility includes: Oklahoma City University (Multiple Miss America winners), The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (Medicine and Research) and Classen School of Performing Arts, one of the top 16 public high schools in the United States. (Classen graduates included Oscar winning Dances with Wolves cinematographer, Mike Travis; Broadway Tony Award winner, Cindy Hansen and all the original members of the Flaming Lips: Richard English, Mark Coyne, Michael Ivins and Wayne Coyne). Famous residents of the area include multiple members of the Grammy winning rock group the Flaming Lips. This is the birthplace of celebrated Invisible Man author, Ralph Ellison, aviation pioneers Paul/Thomas Braniff of the former Braniff Airlines and former hometown of Perle Mesta, Washington D.C.'s "hostess with the mostest".

-- Latest Update 2010/08/29 by Cultivate Hope Counseling, Diana Winslow MSW ACSW LCSW