Oklahoma City is the largest city in Oklahoma, offering a mix of urban and suburban lifestyles. The city has a thriving job market, a diverse food scene, and a variety of cultural and recreational activities.
The urban core of Oklahoma City has many wonderful neighborhoods that were platted years before statehood. Nine of those neighborhoods are on the National Register of Historic Places and are part of Oklahoma City's Historic Preservation (HP).The Oklahoma City Historic Preservation Commission was established to oversee the Historic Preservation Districts and Historic Landmark Overlay Districts of the city and also to monitor preservation related activities that occur throughout the calendar year. The mission of HP is to preserve places throughout the city that represent, "historical, cultural, architectural, engineering, archeological significance" in the urban core of the city.The Historic Preservation Districts include: Crown Heights, Edgemere Park, Mesta Park, Jefferson Park, Heritage Hills, Heritage Hills East, Paseo, Putnam Heights, and Shepherd. Each neighborhood must adhere to the rules and regulations set by HP when it comes to the exterior of their homes. Each resident must ask for approval for exterior changes of their property to the Historic Preservation Commission which meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 2:00 on the third floor of City Hall and obtain a "Special Zoning Certificate of Appropriateness". Guidelines and handouts are available on the city's website.