History of the Name

At the dawn of the 20th Century, the neighborhood now known as Old Silk Stocking was Norman’s premier residential district. The young city’s most distinctive homes were built here, and many city leaders resided in the area. This neighborhood was regarded as a highly prestigious address—that is to say the ladies of this neighborhood could afford silk stockings. When residents formed a neighborhood association in 1974, they chose a name that reflected the neighborhood’s rich history. When the neighborhood association became active again in 2023, the decision to continue utilizing the name was not an issue!

Sense of Place

Old Silk Stocking Neighborhood possesses an inherently strong sense of place that shape its form and make it a desirable place to live. Sense of place in Old Silk Stocking is defined by features such as single-family land use, tree-lined streets, sidewalks, and close proximity to Downtown and the Porter Avenue Corridor.

Neighborhood Quality of Life

The neighborhood’s quality of life is defined by factors both tangible and intangible. These factors include:

Long-term Residents. Old Silk Stocking Neighborhood has many committed, long-term residents but some previously owner-occupied areas are converting to rental housing, particularly along commercial edges at Porter Avenue and north of downtown. This trend is often a catalyst for declining housing values and decreased levels of property maintenance.

Proximity to Community Destinations. Old Silk Stocking Neighborhood is adjacent to Norman Regional Hospital, and includes doctors’ offices, churches, schools, portions of the Porter Avenue commercial corridor, and Downtown Norman within its boundaries. Residents can easily walk or bike to reach many basic services and daily needs including popular restaurants. This convenience comes at a price though: increased traffic, noise, commercial encroachment, and the loss of housing for non-residential uses.

Land Use and Zoning Patterns

Land use in the Old Silk Stocking neighborhood is defined by three major types: single-family residential, civic infrastructure, and adjacent commercial corridors. The predominant land use is single-family residential. As a citywide goal, the Norman 2025 Land Use Plan advocates the proactive preservation and revitalization of existing urban neighborhoods. Despite its overwhelmingly single-family character, nearly 20 blocks in the heart of Old Silk Stocking neighborhood are zoned R-3 Multi-Family, with another 20 zoned R-2 Two-Family. Rising property values driven by the housing market’s appetite for early 20th Century architecture and the on-going revitalization of the Porter Corridor will attract new investment to the neighborhood, which is desirable. However, the existing R-3 zoning permits land uses that are often destructive to single-family character.

In 2017, as a response to redevelopment activity of large structures for private market student housing that was occurring in Norman, the residents of this neighborhood requested the development and implementation of the Central Norman Zoning Overlay District (CNZOD). The purpose of the CNZOD is to provide regulations to protect the unique and distinctive residential neighborhoods which contribute to the unique character of Central Norman. While the underlying zoning remains intact, this overlay zoning district requires is that all residential units having four (4) or more bedrooms per unit require approval from the Norman City Council of a Special Use Permit.

The intent is as follows:

• Protect and strengthen desirable and unique physical features, maintain integrity of the neighborhood, design characteristics, and recognize identity and charm;
• Promote and provide for appropriate revitalization of the neighborhood;
• Reduce conflict and prevent blighting caused by incompatible and insensitive development, and promote new compatible development;
• Stabilize property values;
• Provide residents and property owners with a planning tool for future development;
• Promote and retain affordable housing stock;
• Encourage housing that promotes aging in place;
• Ensure harmonious, orderly and efficient growth and redevelopment of the city.