Tuesday, June 17, 2008

a golden sky: building

june 17 009

This is a 21 story condo building in midtown OKC, at NW 23rd and Classen. It was formerly called Citizens Tower and housed businesses. It was then purchased, revamped, given posh hotel-style amenities, and renamed The Classen. At first, they were just for sale, but now they're allowing rentals. (Maybe because while $200,000ish is cheap for some places, in Oklahoma City, that will buy a nice house? Or maybe because the other condo / apt places downtown are mostly purchase, so there's a rental market? Dunno.) Apartment.com shows their rates at $1250 to $2000 / month and describes it as:

"The wait is over, Oklahoma City's most exclusive luxury high rise apartments are now available for lease. Originally constructed in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright in 1966, The Classen is a 20 story hexagon marvel, clad in glass and marble. Its towering presence is a premier architectural icon that shines again in the Oklahoma sky. The Classen has floor to ceiling windows, with breathtaking panaramic views of the downtown skyline, the State Capitol, treescapes dotted with houses and steeples, and legendary Oklahoma sunsets. Let us lavish you in style with panoramic views, stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, granite counter tops and amenities that rival a five star hotel."

(Photo is from a couple of weeks ago. Today, Oklahoma City is having a break from all the intense sunshine - rain, yay!)

2 comments:

Kim said...

Well, you've got our rain today, and you've got our high rents and condo prices, but the big news story here today is if you're going to get our basketball team. . .they are grilling the owner in court today as to weather he intended from the beginning to move the Sonics to OKCity, as an email appears to indicate. There are people out in the streets here with huge signs that say SAVE OUR SONICS. I guess I've lost track of how large your fair city has grown. I never would have expected condo/rent prices like one finds on the west coast. Great photo!
-Kim
Seattle Daily Photo

ananda.tashie said...

Hi Kim,
The rain was delicious. We quickly went back to bright 90s, but any break is rather welcome to me. We've received a bit more than average this year, though not as much as last year. You should've heard people complain last year! I was in heaven and the whole city was whining. :o :)

As for rental prices, we fortunately don't match Seattle as an average - our cost of living is considerably lower (below national average), and so is the pay for most jobs - trying to live in OKC with that rent on all places would be a little bit frustrating. ;) Still, some places are going with it.

I also saw the Seattle protests on the news, and one sign that mentions cultural theft. What do you think about it all? I'm not a sports person, so I'll never even attend a game - which means I'm not particularly emotionally invested in it all. I can see it from both sides - on the one hand, it does seem like stealing a team. On the other, it also seems everything in the USA is for sale (and whether that's good or bad is certainly another post?). OKC added a sales tax to update the stadium. (It's my understanding that Seattle wouldn't upgrade?)