Tom and Bev

Tulsa Demographics Population: 384,037 Median Household Income: $35,966 Median Home Value: $106,600

The City of Tulsa is located in the County of Tulsa in the northeastern section of Oklahoma.  Because of the rolling green hills and wooded terrain of the Ozark foothills, it is one of the most beautiful places to live.  Tulsa real estate has a pleasant climate.  Residents enjoy 230 days of sunshine each year.  Tulsa is proud of its low unemployment rate.  Its economy is based on manufacturing, telecommunications, transportation, energy and aerospace.

History of Tulsa
Tulsa was originally Indian Territory and first settled in 1836 by the Creek and Lochapoka tribes.  They named their settlement Tallasi, which means old town in the Creek language.  In January of 1898, the town became Tulsa and was incorporated.  The first elected mayor of Tulsa real estate was Edward Calkins.

In the beginning, Tulsa was just a small town on the banks of the Arkansas River.  In 1901, the first oil well was established named Sue Bland No 1.  In 1905, a large oil pool was discovered near the town of Glenpool.  This prompted many businessmen to make claims on the growing number of oil fields in the area.  The huge economic surge from the oil industry made the city swell in population and earned the city the nickname “Oil Capital of the World”.

With huge profits from the oil industry, Tulsa real estate continued to do well into the Great Depression.  This helped the city’s economy do much better than most cities of that time.  Oil profits and increasing aviation industry in the mid 20th century launched Tulsa to another economic growth.  Because of this new prosperity, Tulsa real estate began to develop a master plan which included museums, churches, parks, improved infrastructure, rose gardens and an increased national advertising.  In 1950, Tulsa was dubbed “America’s Most Beautiful City” by Time Magazine.

Tulsa’s Educational System
Students living in Tulsa real estate are served primarily by the Tulsa Public Schools District, the largest district in Oklahoma.  However, Allen-Bowden, Berryhill and Union Public Schools Districts all operate public schools in Tulsa as well.  There are five high schools, 15 middle schools and 67 elementary schools in Tulsa’s public school system.  There are a multitude of private schools to choose from in Tulsa as well.

The Tulsa City library system is made up of 25 library facilities.  The library is very much involved in the community.  They provide programs which include free computer classes, business and job assistance, story-time and scholarly databases from many topics.

There are 14 other institutions for higher education in the Tulsa area.  These include two private universities: the University of Tulsa and Oral Roberts.  Oklahoma State University-Tulsa operates in downtown Tulsa real estate.  OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine is also located near downtown.  The area’s only four year public university is Rogers State University, located in suburb of Claremore.

Tourism in Tulsa
The city’s culture has been sculptured by the blend of western ranchers, northern oilmen, southern settlers and Native American tribes.  This is evident in mansions that belonged to former oil barons, Indian gaming and churches.  Tulsa real estate has been influenced for many years by the Southern, Southwest and Midwest cultural regions, making it easy for the city to express itself in cultural centers, museums, ethnic festivals, performing arts venues, huge park systems, wildlife preserves, zoos and the growing collection of public artwork and sculptures.

The Philbrook Museum, the Villa Philbrook, the Gilcrease Museum and the Sherwin Miller Museum are just a few examples of the amazing museums in the area that offer everything from art collections to gardens to historic homes to historical artifacts and are considered some of the top museums in the country.

Other museums in the Tulsa area include the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, Tulsa Space and Air Museum, the Greenwood Cultural Center and the Tulsa Geosciences Center.

American pop culture history has been significantly influenced by the performing arts community.  Considered the birthplace of Western Swing is Cain’s Ballroom.  It was the headquarters of the Texas Playboys and Bob Willis.  Now, there are many permanent theater, concert groups and dance troupes in the area, including the Tulsa Ballet, the Tulsa Opera, the Tulsa Orchestra and the Tulsa Symphony.

Tulsa real estate has over 140 parks that are spread over 6,000 acres.  Woodward Park is the most notable.  It is a very popular 45 acre park located in midtown.  It also doubles as a botanical garden that features the Tulsa Municipal Rose Garden.  River Park runs through over 10 miles of shore along the Arkansas River, with 20 miles of running and biking trails.

On the west bank of the river is the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area.  It straddles the summit of Turkey Mountain and covers 300 acres of wooded bluff.  This park features riding, hiking and biking trail.  You will see many scenic vistas that overlook downtown Tulsa real estate and the Arkansas River from the trails.

The Tulsa Zoo and Museum was named America’s Favorite Zoo in 2005 by Microsoft Game Studios.  The zoo consists of 78 acres occupied by over 1,500 animals and 435 species.

Mohawk Park is the third largest municipal park in the US and is located on the north side of Tulsa.  It contains the Tulsa Zoo, Oxley Nature Center, a skate park, a BMX track and several golf courses.

The Oklahoma Aquarium is on the south side of the Tulsa Metropolitan area and is the only freestanding aquarium in the state.  It contains over 200 exhibits and a walk-through shark tank.  Tulsa also houses one big amusement park, It’s easy to admire the beauty of Tulsa at twilightthe Big Splash Water Park.  It’s located at Expo Square in midtown.  The park features several water slides and a large wave pool.

Many different groups operate large numbers of festivals year-round: the Tulsa State Fair is the most notable.

Tulsa real estate offers upscale shopping and fine dining in many areas around the city.  Whatever you want to do with your time, you will find something to fill it in Tulsa.  You won’t find a better reason to call Tulsa home for good.