It's a vibrant destination for tourists and Oklahoma City residents now, but back in the mid-to-late 90s Bricktown was just a wild idea.

While they were building the ballpark, still mulling over the idea of a canal, politicians and developers were desperately trying to attract investors to buy into a vision that was hard to see at the time.

Who wants to hang out in an old, dilapidated bricked commercial complex?

This was before the 89er's moved downtown to become the Redhawks. Long before Sonic built the corporate headquarters or Johnny Morris took a chance on the Sooner State's first Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World... Bricktown was just the slum across the train tracks from The Myriad. A total no-go zone.

It might as well have been Chornobyl, but as we know now, it was a truly visionary dream that became reality.

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One of the sales pitches that went out to every Oklahoman was the promise of real estate that could be infinitely more valuable one day.

I remember listening to the adults (parents/aunts/uncles/etc) talk about these wild "investment opportunities" at a summer family gathering in +/-1997-ish. Developers were selling condos in and around what (at the time) might eventually become Bricktown.

Since they hadn't broken ground on any of the buildings and everything was still presented as grassy lots, the asking price was an almost insurmountable $100,000.

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As cheap as that sounds, this will put things into perspective.

In 1997, the average 2000 square foot 3-bed, 2-bath with attached garage home in Oklahoma was $78,000. The idea of a glorified apartment in Downtown OKC that costs more than a family of four home was beyond most people in Oklahoma.

I do remember my mom constantly telling my dad they should buy in... she had the vision, but it wasn't something they could afford on top of their mortgage and trailer park rental.

Twenty-something years later, it turns out that was a golden investment opportunity so many Oklahomans passed on. The condos around Bricktown can fetch as much as a million dollars in 2024.

Check Out This Million-Dollar Condo Overlooking Bricktown

While nothing in and around Bricktown is "cheap," it's rare to see a condo with a Downtown OKC view push up over a million dollars.

345 NE 4th St Unit 42 is listed as a 3200-ish sq ft three-level condo with a two-car garage, two beds, and two-and-a-half baths. Add in a stunning kitchen every home chef would love to have and (probably) OKC's coolest rooftop outdoor living space, and you'd be in the lap of luxury for +/-$8,000/month.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Oklahoma's First Million Dollar Home Listing of 2024

Listed as an "investor's dream," the house may not look like a million bucks, but the work the current owners have put in over the last year certainly makes this place attractive. Located near beautiful Broken Bow Lake with four brand new on-property miniature luxury rental cabins, it's like getting five homes for the price of one.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Check Out This Fancy NYC-Style Apartment For Sale in Oklahoma City

Downtown Oklahoma City might be the last place you'd expect to find luxury beyond a night or two at the Skirvin Hotel, but there are some shockingly fancy and plush apartments available in our state capital city.

Case and point, 131 Park Avenue. A 5,254 square foot, 3-bedroom, 5-bath penthouse apartment on the market for $2.5million. Not only does it come with nearly a century of history, but there's also a garage space, elevator service, and sweeping views of Downtown OKC.

From the outside looking in, it looks very well put together tying ultra-modern styling with classic heartland trends. Lots of glass, lots of warm wood. If you can swing a $16,000 mortgage payment, this could be your next Oklahoma home.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Could You Turn This Vintage Oklahoma Theater Into A Home?

It'll take a little imagination to see it yourself, but this old twin theater in Downtown Shawnee could make one heck of a home for a growing family. Heck, you could even divide it into twin duplexes.

With ample space to create a two-level hodge-podge of bedrooms, bathrooms, and all of the creature comforts you'd expect in a home, the only thing you'd have to really stress over would be the money to build it all.

Listed with ReMax/Kinect Realty for the sweet sum of (at time of publishing) $299k, all of the vintage details could lend to a truly unique upbringing for your kids down to the brick street out front.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

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