Some of the established areas around OKC include the following districts, each with noteworthy attractions and a unique vibe.
The Downtown Oklahoma City area gives you so many reasons to wander around. The Bricktown District is a popular destination for shopping, dining, nightlife, family-friendly activities, special events, history, and the arts. And you can grab a ride on a horse-drawn carriage or board a river cruise for a different perspective on the sights and sounds of Downtown OKC and the surrounding area.
Automobile Alley is where the Neon Lights are Bright and the district provides diverse opportunities for anyone taking the road less traveled. This area was once OKC’s go-to location to purchase cars but has since been renovated for housing, dining, events, and shopping. It’s near the Oklahoma City Marathon finish line and serves as a popular celebratory spot for race runners and spectators.
The Paseo Arts District is Oklahoma City’s Unique Arts Destination with more than 20 local art galleries and 80 local artists of all kinds within walking distance. A popular event for OKC on Memorial Day weekend is the Paseo Arts Festival. The streets are blocked off and vendors galore gather to display their handmade crafts and foods. Voted as one of the top events in OKC, this free festival is a much-awaited yearly event. Every first Friday of the month, The Paseo hosts a gallery walk, rain or shine.
The Deep Deuce District in OKC is more than just a popular housing district, it’s home to hip restaurants and scenery. This area is coined as Downtown’s Historic Neighborhood, rich with historic significance, live music, dining, and shopping with walkability to all downtown OKC. Deep Duece is known for being the central location for black culture, housing the warehouse district workers after the Oklahoma Land Run in 1889, later becoming the known hub for blues and jazz musicians throughout the ’40s and ’50s. Today, it’s well-versed history serves as the perfect backdrop to a night out full of culture and fun.
Downtown OKC dates back to 1907, where the first film exchange distribution office opened. For years, this area served as an asset to the movie industry and helped to create cable tv as it’s known today. Artistic murals, hotels, and theater are the focal point of this newly revived location.
The Plaza District on 16th Street in OKC is voted Best District by the Oklahoma Gazette. Come out to a monthly block party on each second Friday of the month for Live on the Plaza with live music, artists, and shopping. Featuring some of the trendiest, locally-owned restaurants, shops, theaters, breweries, and galleries, this area is popular for everything from date nights to business lunches.
Midtown in OKC can be considered the coziest spot in OKC for local bars and attractions. Between the outdoor Food Truck Park, Bleu Garten, (whose owner lives in a Taber home), the Dust Bowl Lanes and Lounge, to the Midtown Mutts Dog Park, this area serves as a place where people (and four-legged friends) of all ages can just relax or play. Pop Up Shops draw a crowd to Midtown as well with local shop owners in OKC.
This public livestock market in Stockyards City began operating in 1910, eventually becoming the sixth-largest market of livestock handling. It currently is the world’s largest stocker and feeder cattle market. The cowboy-themed area is complete with live country music, boot shops, a rattlesnake museum, and the famous Cattleman’s Steakhouse, which has been featured in shows like Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and magazines like Southern Magazine and Bon Appetit.
Uptown 23rd District. Events, restaurants, bars, shops, and the historic Tower Theater are all stationed along this street downtown. If you’re hungry for the best Peruvian-Asian Fusion food in OKC, make your way over to the Asian District in OKC. From the authentic Vietnamese market to pho and Peruvian cuisine, this quaint district provides all the ways to curb your cravings.
As one of OKC’s most recent local area attractions, the Wheeler District is classified as OKC’s next great urban neighborhood. This area is distinctly known for the large Ferris wheel that overlooks the downtown OKC skyline and the scenic bike and running trails, which serve as the path for many OKC training and racecourses, close to the Oklahoma River.