The newly refurbished and rechristened Cyrus Avery Court apartment complex in Tulsa takes its inspiration from nearby Route 66 and the 1950s.
The property at 5223 E. 12th St. (map here) sits a block south of Route 66’s 11th Street and is named after the so-called Father of Route 66, Cyrus Avery, who lived in Tulsa all his adult life and helped bring that highway to national prominence.
Karen Chapman and her son, Nathan, of Regina Rex Properties own the complex. The Tulsa World reported:
They purchased the former Brown Apartments, 5223 E. 12th St., for $439,000 in January and proceeded to give the 56-year-old property a makeover.
“I wouldn’t say it was run-down, but it was tired,” Karen Chapman said of the U-shaped, cinder block building. […]
“We saw a property along Route 66 that could be kind of kitsch,” Nathan Chapman said. “It’s shaped like an old courtyard motel. We tried to play on that.”
To maintain a retro feel, the Chapmans in the majority of the units kept the pink and green shower tiles, along with the linoleum counter tops. The patio furniture in the middle of the courtyard is painted in bright blues and yellows.
The recently installed Cyrus Avery Court sign, with its 1950s styling, completes the retro look. More images from the apartment complex may be seen at its Facebook page.
Describing “retro living off Route 66,” the apartments range in price from $450 to $750 a month for one- or two-bedroom units.
The complex’s unique architecture — helped undoubtedly by the success of the “Mad Men” television drama — caught the attention of many millennials. The owners said they also wanted the property to stand out from typically drab apartment complexes in the city.
Sorry … the Cyrus Avery Court doesn’t take overnight guests. And according to the newspaper, it’s full anyway.
(Image of the Cyrus Avery Court sign via Facebook)