New York Times features OKC attractions

By Amy Lester, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City made national headlines when a major newspaper focused on what the metro has to offer.

"Oklahoma City's featured in Friday's New York Times in the travel section. The full page article could help change Oklahoma City's image.

The headline read, "Oklahoma City is Booming with Oil and a New Exuberance."

"Obviously, there's a lot of momentum in Oklahoma City right now," City Manager Jim Couch said. "I thought the article captured that momentum."

The article highlighted the art museum, the culture, the friendly feel in the city, downtown, the riverfront, the city's western influence, and the NBA team.

"Publications like NY Times is very well respected and very well read, the more often we have the opportunity to appear in them, the more our word gets out," said Greater OKC Chamber President Roy Williams. "It's very positive."

The positive exposure is important because people that have not visited Oklahoma City could have the wrong impression.

"I had some friends come from the Midwest. They'd never been to Oklahoma,"resident Heather Mitchell said. "They didn't even realize just how much there was to do."

Chad Scarbrough moved recently from Seattle and is impressed by the attractions.

"Once I got here, there's a great mixture of new development and beautiful buildings, while still maintaining the old historic feel to it," Scarbrough said.

While it takes time to change the city's image, every positive article can make a difference.

"These types of articles are obviously invaluable to get the word out," Couch said. "You can't pay for htat type of coverage you get out of the New York Times."

In the pages of the New York Times, there's proof the city transformed over the past decade, but city leaders believe the best has yet to come.

"I think the next ten years is going to be even better than the last ten years," Couch said. "I really do believe we're on significant changes in Oklahoma City, and it's just the tip of the iceberg right now."

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