Oklahoma City is the state capital and by far the largest city, with a metropolitan population of over 1.4 million. It has transformed itself from a sprawling oil town into a city with genuine character, largely through investment in its inner-city districts.
Bricktown is the heart of the revival. This historic warehouse district along the Bricktown Canal is now packed with restaurants, bars, live music venues, and shops. The canal stretches a mile through the district past the Oklahoma Land Run Monument. It is the most popular destination for visitors.
The Asia District along Classen Boulevard (between 22nd Street and NW 30th) is one of the city's best-kept secrets. Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Korean, Filipino, and Japanese restaurants and markets cluster here, making it a fantastic place to eat cheaply and well.
The Paseo Arts District, built in 1929 as a Spanish-style shopping village with stucco buildings and clay tile roofs, is now Oklahoma City's artists' community. Galleries, bars, and restaurants line Paseo Drive around N. Walker Avenue and NW 28th Street, and it hosts an arts festival each spring.
Capitol Hill, south of downtown, is the center of the city's large Hispanic community. The restaurants here serve authentic Mexican food that could make you forget you are in Oklahoma.
Stockyards City, at the Agnew Exit south of I-40, is home to the world's largest stocker and feeder cattle market. The district preserves its early 20th-century character with gaslights and wooden storefronts. Come for the atmosphere and stay for a steak.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum at the site of the 1995 bombing is one of the most moving memorials in the country. The field of 168 empty chairs, one for each victim, is unforgettable.
The 39th Street District between Pennsylvania and May Avenues is the center of the city's LGBTQ community, with over 20 bars, clubs, and gay-friendly businesses.