Van Buren - Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma City’s northwest neighborhoods developed in the 1970s, as suburbanization sparked migration of residents from economically stagnant urban areas and into newly flourishing middle-class regions.

Nearby Velocity Dance Center and Range of Motion Dance accept enrollment into various skill levels of dance and performing arts classes. They also organize shows and performances for the community. For events around Van Buren and other neighborhoods within Northwest Oklahoma City, check out the northwest library webpage. Sponsored activities include summer public arts performances and reading programs, adult recreational activities and educational courses.

The restaurants and bars popular in the neighborhood rely heavily on country music and a cowboy-hat dress code. While several popular choices fit into the city's general run of Asian cafes or steakhouses, Van Buren adds a few new flavors to the equation.

Before you eat out, look into the statewide Keep It Local OK program. Designed to support area businesses and provide incentives for the patrons who frequent them, this card costs $10 and gets you discounts to all sorts of diners, pubs and clubs around town.

One such place is Revolve Pizza, a locally owned make-your-own pizza bar. With a lengthy list of fresh ingredients, customers can also design their own pastas and salads, down to the flavor of olive oil. Can't decide where to start? The Sweet and Smokey Okie is a favorite. Revolve also has wine on tap and $5 pizzas on Mondays.

Farther along Memorial Road, the Tsubaki Sushi and Hibachi restaurant sits in a strip mall. Yet once inside its unassuming facade, residents rave about its charming Japanese decor and ginger dressing salads. Try the salmon don, a fresh sashimi dish served by few other restaurants in Oklahoma City. While the restaurant has no bar, you can bring your own bottle from the liquor store next door. Visit during lunchtime for $10-$12 sushi roll specials.

At District 21, student staff from the Francis Tuttle Vocational and Technical culinary arts program provide diners with an ever-changing seasonal menu. Enjoy the burrata salad, the rotating menu with a selection of returning classics, and the Dutch oven bread loaf on each table. If you like the big portions and locally-brewed soft drinks, be sure to leave a tip - cash goes directly to the chefs and servers.

Stay on Memorial Road for a easygoing nightlife scene. Casual joints such as Friends Restaurant and Club combine live music and dancing with televised sports, shuffleboard, and games. For upscale lounges and rowdy dance clubs, head south toward downtown.

The distance of Van Buren’s nearest amenities and the efficiency of the nearby John Kilpatrick Turnpike make cars essential for neighborhood travel. For a $1.15 toll, drivers hop onto the Turnpike heading east and swing into downtown Oklahoma City in 20 minutes. Nearby highway 74 connects with major interstates, providing further freedom to roll through the city and into rural Oklahoma. Parking poses no problem on wide residential streets and well-planned commercial lots.

Alternatively, avoid the traffic headaches on Memorial Road and catch the city’s public transportation system, Embark. Its 005 bus route runs along Memorial Road between Mercy Health Center and the downtown Transit Center. Prefer a more comfortable journey? Call Nascab taxi company, or use Uber to locate a driver in your area.

Cyclists pedal comfortably around Van Buren’s residential streets, but must take care when riding through the heavy traffic of Memorial and other major roads. The neighborhood has no official bike lanes; the nearest maintained routes begin on Hefner Road, several miles to the south.

Nearby Martin Park Nature Center more than makes up for the absence of a green space inside Van Buren. This large museum, zoo, science center and parkland lies east of the neighborhood, along Memorial Road. Here, you can wander miles of gentle pedestrian trails on the lookout for native species: deer, armadillos, coyotes and dozens of different kinds of birds. Viewing platforms help you spot the fauna, though you can also watch the animals inside the center’s enclosed compounds. Family-friendly activities include duck and fish feeding and an ongoing calendar of educational programs. The center and park are free and open year-round.

For more physical activities, visit Lake Hefner, south of the neighborhood. Besides the usual playground, picnic tables and public barbecues, residents can play softball, baseball and volleyball. Swim through the lake’s calm waters or try your hand at sailing. On sunny days, kite vendors sell their toys and the sky fills with a rainbow of paper flying machines. Dogs run free in the marked pet exercise area, and cyclists and joggers enjoy the Bert Cooper trail, a multi-use asphalt route that circles the lake.

Van Buren’s affluent image has little effect on the actual cost of living, which is only about 2 percent higher than the city average. Goods and services cost roughly the same, while housing prices run slightly higher. Expect to pay at least $619 for a one-bedroom rental unit.

A bus ticket downtown costs $1.75. Fill up your gas tank and pay approximately 13 percent less than the national average for fuel. Planning a night out? A pint of beer at the local pub costs $3 to $4, while a dinner for one starts around $10.

Retail venues in Van Buren cater to the service industries. Unless you need cleaning supplies, beauty products or eyeglasses, look beyond the neighborhood for general goods and fashion retail. Charley's Bicycle Laboratory acts as both service center and specialty store. Its knowledgeable staff provide bicycle repair and maintenance at an affordable rate. While only a few brands grace the shelves, these hand-picked bikes and accessories give Charlie's a reputation for top quality. The store promotes community cycling events and routes during the summer, then closes over the winter season. Higgin's Jewelers further boosts neighborhood service standards with speedy repairs and well-trained craftsman. Besides watch maintenance and bead restringing, the shop also custom designs jewelry. Create your dream bracelet using their online diamond search, and check the website for sales and coupons. Strebel Creek Vineyard hides a unique experience within its grape-laden rows. Tucked unexpectedly inside a commercial district, this family-operated enterprise opens Fridays through Sundays. Be sure to try their sweet reds and merlots. Several independent and regional grocers surround Van Buren. Crest Foods of Warwick, a statewide company, supplies locals with most packaged and processed foods, as well as one of the city's best deli and meat markets. For specialty sweet treats, visit Cupcake Heaven. Besides gourmet cupcakes, this bakery also creates brownies, truffles and coffee. Stop by on Tuesdays for the buy-one-get-one special. The nearest farmer's market lies 15 minutes south. Organized by Oklahoma State University, the market runs on Saturday mornings. Here, you can browse through spices, condiments, flowers and hot foods, along with fresh local produce and organic fruits and vegetables.