APA's Great Places program celebrates places of exemplary character, quality, and planning. Places are selected annually and represent the gold standard in terms of having a true sense of place, cultural and historical interest, community involvement, and a vision for tomorrow.

APA Great Places offer better choices for where and how people work and live. They are enjoyable, safe, and desirable. They are places where people want to be — not only to visit, but to live and work every day. America's truly great streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces are defined by many criteria, including architectural features, accessibility, functionality, and community involvement.

APA's Great Places program celebrates places of

exemplary character, quality, and planning. Places are selected annually and represent the gold standard in terms of having a true sense of place, cultural and historical interest, community involvement, and a vision for tomorrow.

APA Great Places offer better choices for where and how people work and live. They are enjoyable, safe, and desirable. They are places where people want to be — not only to visit, but to live and work every day. America's truly great streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces are defined by many criteria, including architectural features, accessibility, functionality, and community involvement.

In 2011, 10 neighborhoods from across the country were recognized by APA as "Great Places in America."  Among those 10 neighborhoods is one Tulsa neighborhood.

Originally a streetcar suburb designed for the middle class, the neighborhood's lakefront views attracted more affluent Tulsans. From the first house built on the lake in 1919, a stunning Italian Renaissance structure, to The Natatorium, a 1926 Monterrey-Spanish Eclectic home built on the former site of an amusement park swimming pool, Swan Lake features a mix of some two dozen architectural style predominantly demonstrating the architectural trends of the 1910s-1930s. Craftsman Bungalow and a few National Folk houses are predominant in the north half. Tudor Revival and Colonial Revival houses with a few Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival houses predominate in the south half. Others represented include the Prairie School, Modern Movement, Classical Revival, Italian Renaissance, National Folk, and Minimal Traditional. The great majority of residences in the Swan Lake Historic District still have detached garages characteristic of the decades before World War II.  Many of these have been converted into garage apartments.

Swan Lake Park, located near 21st Street and Utica Avenue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of the first City of Tulsa parks, dating back to 1910 when Samuel Orcutt and W.P. Moore gave the park to the City.

Swan Lake was a destination spot for Tulsan’s even before is because a city park. In the early 1900′s it was a picnic spot for residents of Tulsa escaping the city during the heat of the summer. An amusement park was located on the northwest side of the lake. In the winter, people ice skated on the lake. The fountain was built in the 1920′s and restored by the WPA in the 1930′s. The City purchased the first swans for the lake in the 1930′s.

This urban lake is home to a permanent collection of North American native waterfowl. Visitors have a unique opportunity to see species of geese, ducks and swans that would otherwise be elusive and difficult to glimpse in their native habitat. The Swan Lake Waterfowl Society maintains the waterfowl and the Tulsa Parks staff maintains the shoreline habitat.  An information kiosk displays educational information about waterfowl and a poster identifies the birds. A lighted ornamental fountain creates a spectacular display. During winter months, the lake is a winter home for nearly 250 migratory waterfowl.

Swan Lake was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

For complete write-up see:

http://www.planning.org/greatplaces/neighborhoods/2011/index.htm#OK

Swan Lake Website:  http://swanlaketulsa.org/

                                 http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/Swan_Lake

Article on Batesline: 

http://www.batesline.com/archives/2011/10/tulsas-swan-lake-one-of-americas.html

Living Places article:

http://www.livingplaces.com/OK/Tulsa_County/Tulsa_City/Swan_Lake_Historic_District.html