Nichols Hill, Oklahoma

History

  The town was developed by it's namesake GA Nichols in 1929, just before the great depression. As a very small town, (2 square miles), it was designed to place substantial restrictions on commercial activity. Commercial districts were placed by Nichols only at the perimeter of the city, and to this day the city maintains strict land use and zoning ordinances. The Oklahoma City Oil field was being rapidly developed at the time, so the emphasis was to protect the homeowners from encroachment of that activity.

  As the depression deepened, the new city investors fell behind in their taxes, and petitioned Oklahoma City to annex it, but was refused. But after WWII, Oklahoma City boomed and soon surrounded the little town on the south, east and west. A new town formed on the north, completely surrounding Nichols Hills.

   Shopping in the city itself was confined to the SE corner, where the town offices were located. The drug store, the grocery store and other small shops were mostly frequented by town residents, giving a small town atmosphere inside a much larger metropolis.

Later developments

   The rapid expansion of Oklahoma City, along with the restrictive zoning laws, caused Nichols Hills to be a very desirable location for wealthy people who worked in downtown Oklahoma City, as all other high end developments were much farther away. Also, the city hosted the famous and very exclusive Oklahoma City Golf Club, which has a limit of 500 members to this day.

  The Consequently, the homes in the area became more and more elaborate and larger. As there are next to no vacant lots left, existing houses are purchased and torn down to make space for new homes on an ongoing basis.

Shopping Today

  Today, Nichols Hills has by far the highest household income in the area, if not the state. So as Oklahoma City developed all around it, Shops opened up on the streets adjoining it, particularly Western Avenue to the East and Britton Road to the North.

The commercial district inside the city is still there, but has suffered the fate of all such facilities from the nearby big box stores, the Internet, and also the real estate activities of the principals of Chesapeake Energy, whose headquarters are immediately to the South East of the city.

Recent Additions to Nichols Hills Plaza

   Nichols Hills Plaza has been big changes over the past few years. There is now a Starbucks, Hopdoddy burgers, a torches tacos, and a Trader Joes. Many of the original iconic landmarks of the plaza are now gone including the drug store with it’s burgers stand and the old school grocery store. The gas station that never seemed to be open for some strange reason and only change its name once a decade in now a part of the bank. No not the Bank of Nichols Hills, that is long gone too. Many of the boutique shops are now empty as the entire place seemed to stop in the middle of a makeover that was mostly likely caused by the downturn in price of oil. A sad story that seemed to happen too many times in Oklahoma.

Shopping near Nichols Hills

   There is a Whole Foods right down the street next to the new high end shopping and dining strip mall that is know as classen curve. Penn Square Mall and 50 Peen Place are about 2 miles south of Nichols Hills.