About Kendall-Whittier

About the Neighborhood

Kendall-Whittier is one of Tulsa’s most diverse and eclectic neighborhoods. Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, within the Cherokee Nation and Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the neighborhood is home to people from many cultures, backgrounds and generations.

Kendall-Whittier includes older residential blocks, apartments, commercial corridors, schools, churches, parks, locally owned businesses and major institutions. The University of Tulsa, the Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges, and Whittier Square are all part of the neighborhood. Different parts of Kendall-Whittier have their own character, from quiet residential streets to busy commercial areas and university surroundings.

The neighborhood is multilingual and constantly changing, shaped by longtime residents, newer families, students, renters, homeowners, immigrants and refugees. Its location also puts it close to Downtown and Midtown Tulsa, with convenient access to major streets and highways.

Kendall-Whittier is not one single type of place. Its mix of people, housing, institutions, businesses and neighborhood areas is a large part of what gives it its character.

Location & Connections

Kendall-Whittier lies between Utica Avenue and Harvard Avenue, from 11th Street north to the BNSF railroad. Whittier Square is roughly two miles east of Downtown Tulsa’s Center of the Universe.

I-244/US-412 runs directly through Kendall-Whittier, with neighborhood access at Utica, Delaware and Harvard. US-75 is a few miles west and US-169 a few miles east. The Broken Arrow Expressway is also nearby, with convenient access at Utica, Lewis and Harvard.

Major streets including Admiral Boulevard, 11th Street, Utica Avenue, Lewis Avenue and Harvard Avenue connect Kendall-Whittier with the rest of Tulsa. MetroLink bus routes serve Admiral, 11th, Lewis and Harvard, and sidewalk access is available along the neighborhood’s major corridors.

Three east-west bicycle corridors cross Kendall-Whittier: U.S. Bicycle Route 66 through the Kendall-Whittier University and Mother Road districts, the 6th Street bike lane through the Kendall-Whittier Dregs District, and the 3rd Street bike lane through the Kendall-Whittier Linkage District. These routes connect westward with the Tuckabache Trail and the larger Tulsa trail network.

The Name: Kendall-Whittier

Combined neighborhood name emerged around 1968

Kendall-Whittier takes its name from Kendall and Whittier schools. But the names meant more than school buildings. Generations of neighborhood children attended these schools, and people strongly identified with the school communities where they grew up.

Construction of the Crosstown Expressway, now I-244, cut through the area and divided the neighborhood. Kendall and Whittier were important schools on opposite sides of the highway.

Around 1968, residents, churches and community groups began using the combined name Kendall-Whittier. Bringing the two names together also brought together two parts of a neighborhood that the highway had divided.

More Information | References | Documents

Long-Standing & Noteworthy Businesses and Institutions

Kendall-Whittier is home to a wide range of schools, churches, businesses, manufacturers, labor organizations, nonprofit organizations, public institutions and gathering places. Some have been part of the neighborhood for generations, while others are newer institutions that have become an important part of Kendall-Whittier.

Schools, Education & Learning

The University of Tulsa, Kendall-Whittier Elementary School, Sequoyah Elementary School, San Miguel School of Tulsa, Tulsa Welding School, Tulsa Educare Kendall-Whittier, Crosstown Learning Center and Wilson Teaching & Learning Academy are among the neighborhood’s educational institutions.

Health & Community Services

The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges, Tulsa Health Department’s Central Regional Health Center and Community Health Connection provide health, rehabilitation and community services within Kendall-Whittier.

Faith Communities

Kendall-Whittier includes a wide range of faith communities, including College Hill Presbyterian Church, Grace Lutheran Church, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, University United Methodist Church, Sequoyah Hills Baptist Church, Tulsa Christian Fellowship and St. Antony Orthodox Christian Church.

Industry, Manufacturing, Trades & Labor

Kendall-Whittier retains a significant industrial and working-trades presence. Valmont Industries, Arrow Engine Company, Alpha Investment Casting, Bama Pie and Brink’s operate in the neighborhood. Tulsa Welding School, IBEW Local 584 and American Postal Workers Union Tulsa Area Local 1348 also reflect the neighborhood’s connection to skilled trades and organized labor.

Businesses & Commercial Anchors

Long-standing and recognizable neighborhood businesses include Fizz-O Water Company, Warehouse Market, Supermercados Las Américas, Bill’s Jumbo Burgers, Ziegler Art & Frame, F.C. Ziegler Company, Auto Electric Company, Associated Parts & Supply, Gaslite Liquors, Perez Video, Bix Furniture Stripping, Pancho Anaya Bakery, Independence Indian Smoke Shop and the former Tulsa Monument Company site, now Benchmark Monument.

Mother Road Market also sits along Kendall-Whittier’s 11th Street and Lewis Avenue edge and is closely connected to the neighborhood’s commercial activity.

Arts, Culture & Makers

Circle Cinema, Tulsa Girls Art School and Fab Lab Tulsa contribute to Kendall-Whittier’s arts, film, creative and maker communities.

Parks, Public Places & Landmarks

Kendall-Whittier Park, Admiral Park and Archer Park provide public green space in different parts of the neighborhood. Other recognizable places include Whittier Square and the former Casa Loma Hotel, now the Campbell Hotel.

Housing & Built Environment

Kendall-Whittier was built over many decades, and its streets show several generations of Tulsa architecture and development.

Much of the older residential fabric consists of Craftsman and brick bungalows from the early 20th century, mixed with Tudor Revival cottages from the 1920s and 1930s. Later areas include Minimal Traditional and ranch-style houses, along with duplexes, small apartment buildings, larger apartment complexes, student housing, condominiums and newer infill.

Many residential blocks were laid out with long, relatively narrow lots, front porches, side driveways and detached garages toward the rear. Alleys are common in some parts of the neighborhood and absent or inconsistent in others. Mature trees, front yards, sidewalks and fairly consistent setbacks help give many older blocks a recognizable rhythm even when individual houses differ in style.

The built environment changes considerably across Kendall-Whittier. Some areas remain mostly residential, while others mix houses with apartments, schools, churches, businesses and institutions. The University of Tulsa has shaped much of southeastern Kendall-Whittier, while commercial corridors cross the neighborhood and industrial and manufacturing uses remain prominent along the BNSF railroad on the north.

Older houses, postwar development, apartments, university buildings, commercial strips, industrial facilities and newer construction can all be found within a relatively small area. That variety is one of the defining features of Kendall-Whittier’s physical landscape.

Neighborhood Resources

Local services, contacts, and practical information for Kendall-Whittier residents. 

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Get Involved

Ways to connect, participate, and help strengthen Kendall-Whittier. 

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About KWRA

The Kendall-Whittier Residents Association is a place for current residents to connect, share information, and discuss neighborhood concerns. 

About KWRA 

Commercial Districts Within Kendall-Whittier

Kendall-Whittier is not one uniform place. Different parts of the neighborhood have different buildings, streets, businesses, institutions, traffic patterns and day-to-day character.

The districts within Kendall-Whittier are:

• Kendall-Whittier Dregs District

• Kendall-Whittier Linkage District

• Kendall-Whittier Mother Road District

• Kendall-Whittier Old 66 District

• Kendall-Whittier Square District

• Kendall-Whittier University District

• Kendall-Whittier Utica Midtown Quarter District

Residential Areas Within Kendall-Whittier

For neighborhood purposes, Kendall-Whittier can be divided into six broad residential areas:

• Northwest Kendall-Whittier

• North-Central Kendall-Whittier

• Northeast Kendall-Whittier

• Southwest Kendall-Whittier

• South-Central Kendall-Whittier

• Southeast Kendall-Whittier

Some of these areas are similar to one another, while others have a more distinct character because of differences in housing, streets, institutions, commercial activity, development patterns and surrounding land uses.

These six areas provide a simple way to talk about different parts of the neighborhood without relying on census block groups or other technical boundaries.

Planning & Change Over Time