There are so many Oklahoma City neighborhoods that hold more than just homes! Here are the ones you don’t want to miss in OKC.

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OKC has pockets of cute shops and great food that aren’t immediately obvious. They’re tucked away into residential areas or just off the beaten path. After coming to visit over the past three years, here are a few of our favorite Oklahoma City neighborhoods!

Oklahoma City Neighborhoods

Plaza District

The Plaza District is probably the most hipster, up-and-coming area. Surrounded by residential areas, it feels like the type of spot you’d love to live in, walking over to grab dinner Friday night or go thrifting on Saturday afternoon.

Like any great hipster area, there’s a big arts presence here. The Lyric Theatre takes up several education buildings as well as the theater itself. Plus sheer the number of murals make it pretty memorable, not to mention instagrammable.

There are plenty of spots to eat, but one in particular stands out. I particularly love Gorō Ramen. It’s a tiny Ramen place on the eastern end of 16th street. Walk in through the outdoor patio – you’ll know you’re there by the mural of the girl with ramen hair. This stuff is GOOD, y’all. Quite possibly the best ramen I’ve ever tasted. And don’t skip the fried chicken wings either.

Midtown

Midtown is the area you’ll hear people talk about and recommend. It’s just north of downtown and the area young professionals tend to congregate. If I lived here, it’s where I’d meet friends after work for happy hour. The restaurant options make me drool: Italian trattoria, French bistro, Irish pub, and much more.

We especially love Cafe Do Brazil, the Brazilian restaurant. The menu is packed with traditional meals and the staff recommendations are usually on point! My favorite dish has to be the perere, a rice and beans dish that goes so far beyond just rice and beans. It’s packed with spices, just a touch of heat, and steak, bacon, sausage, and a fried egg. Plus slivers of collard greens, so you can claim you got a vegetable in there. Bonus: the top floor has a rooftop bar, complete with flavored caipiriñhas – try the blueberry!

Downtown

Downtown is less of a hot spot but has a few things worth exploring if you’re nearby. My favorite is the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The building itself was constructed with its Chihuly glass exhibit in mind, and its 100% worth the hype. The works range from the intricate to the ethereal, all stunningly beautiful. They also host a range of rotating exhibitions from classics to modern. The entire museum takes about 2.5-3.5 hours, perfect for an afternoon!

Many of the buildings downtown have art deco architecture, giving a different feel than your typical business district. It feels a bit like a step back in time. Also downtown: the OKC Memorial Museum and Myriad Botanical Garden. Both are worth a visit – I’ve shared more here on those.

Want to eat? Try Kitchen No. 324 for a fun brunch spot only a few blocks from the Museum of Art. If you’re willing to walk a bit further, head for The Jones Assembly. A restaurant during the day and bar/concert venue at night, it’s one of those spaces that just feels cool. We sat at the bar for lunch on St. Patrick’s day and the people watching was unparalleled. Their cocktail specials are unique, but the bartenders are super helpful if you’re not sure what you want!

Paseo Arts District

This area is super fun to stroll through on a sunny Saturday. The styles of art range pretty widely, so there’s something for everyone. Even within a single gallery, you can find landscapes, portraiture, still life and abstract. The mediums vary too: every kind of paint imaginable, photography, sculpture, even textiles and jewelry. Whatever you’re into, it’s probably here.

Paseo Arts District also does a First Friday event every month where they stay open late with food trucks and live music. It’s a fun (and inexpensive) idea for a first date! Don’t go on Sunday, though: nothing is open. Because galleries are staffed by the artists themselves, you can’t really blame them. But plan ahead.

There are a few restaurants over here worth checking out: Buttermilk (brunch), Scratch Kitchen (American), Oso (tex mex), Sauced (pizza), or The Drake (nicer, seafood).

Don’t get me wrong, Bricktown has fun to offer too. But if you’re willing to step out of the main tourist areas, there’s so much going on in smaller Oklahoma City neighborhoods! Hopefully, this can get you started.

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