Oklahoma City, Shop Like A Local
If you’re looking to make friends with young entrepreneurs or experience a city that radiates with a friendly, hopeful, community spirit — Oklahoma City is the place for you!
The great state of Oklahoma is filled to the brim with the same values of the old west: hard working, ingenious, resilient, supportive, creative, and entrepreneurial but above all, community! OKC has come from the dust of a tragic terrorist attack in the heart of the city to a thriving metropolis. The values and spirit of Oklahoma City aren’t only for the original Okies but also for those who have come from all over the world to make the city what it is today.
Before you leave for your holiday to the American Mid-West, you should book a place to stay. My suggestion is to use the website Airbnb. You can rent an apartment from a local who lives right here in Oklahoma City. Although there are a few different options, the best location-wise (not to mention cutest) apartment I have found is one right in the heart of the city.
Another option is to stay in this romantic locally owned Victorian bed and breakfast, The Grandison Inn.
The first thing you will want to do when you land at the Will Rogers World Airport is rent a car. As amazing as our great city is, we are still growing and public transportation is not yet the most efficient way to make your way around the metro. If you just aren’t a fan of driving yourself, you can use the service called Uber. If you’re a new customer, you’re first ride is free! Outside of driving yourself, Uber is the most efficient and cheapest way to see the city.
Now, on to the districts that create the creative heart beat of OKC:
Get up early on your first day in OKC and get to the Oklahoma City Memorial and Museum to watch the sunrise from the Survivor Tree. This is ground zero of the first terrorist attack in America, the first terrorist attack by an American and of where Oklahoma City started to grow into what she is today. Be sure to keep you ears open as the park rangers tell you stories of the people who went through one of the most horrific moments in American history and take your time as you tour the museum and grounds. Next, lighten up your day by visiting the OKC Museum of Arts where you can view art, glass, and photography exhibits as well as catch a film! If you’re in town the third Friday of the month, don’t miss the monthly neighborhood block party Premier on Film Row featuring film screenings, live music, art exhibitions and gourmet food trucks from seven to ten in the evening. Before you leave, drop into Powerhouse down at the Farmer’s Market for some food, speciality cocktails and live music!
If you’re staying at the Grandison, you will find yourself right in the heart of Midtown. As a coffee enthusiast, the first thing you’ll want to do is walk 11 minutes to the place where you’ll have a cup of joe in its purest form, Elemental Coffee. Make sure to pick up a Keep It Local card at the checkout. With this card, designed by local artists, you will get discounts at ALL local businesses in OKC for the rest of your trip! From there, it’s a four-minute walk to Blue Garten – a locally sourced food truck park with a full service liquor bar. If you’re hungry for lunch, you will have plenty of options here or you could try a Buffalo Burger and Shake at Kaisers. There are normally three to four different food trucks for you to choose from! Also, I suggest you try the local craft beers Coop,Anthem, Rough-tail and Prairie Ales while you are here. For your evening in Midtown check out Packards, a New American Kitchen with a seasonal menu (make sure to ask about the rooftop!). You should also stop in for a German Draft at Fassler Hall and maybe a cocktail (go for the Wild Honey) and some bowling at Dust Bowl. And, if you’re lucky enough to be in town the last Friday of the month between March and October, drop in to H & 8th Night Market for a true foodie (and craft beer) festival with music and 30,000 locals! You’ll find it on the same street as Elemental Coffee!
This boisterous district started all the way back in 1911 when clever entrepreneurs saw opportunity in OKC. Car dealerships set up shop up and down Boulevard. After more than 50 years, the district fell into disrepair only to be revamped in the 2000’s by more of what we know as Oklahomans and you know as hard working entrepreneurs. Stop for lunch at my favorite café in the whole city, The Beatnix Café. This gem of a lunch spot will make you feel like you are living on the edge in a Jack Kerouac novel as you sip your French Press Coffee and munch your Beatnix Club. Next, walk down the street to a store of life and style products that stand for authenticity and living whole-heartedly, Plenty Mercantile where you can find everything from notepads to shaving cream to backpacks! Another great place to grab craft goods is Shop Good where everything you buy gives to a cause that is helping to support communities and needs in Oklahoma City and around the world! If you’re up for it, you can take a tour of the famous psychedelic band The Flaming Lips building called The Womb gallery. I’m sure you’re hungry for dinner by now so have a bite of the best burgers in the world at S&B’s Burgers – I order the Black & Blue and the Bloody Mary of the day. AND, if you happen to be in town the third Thursday of the month, drop into the Automobile Alley Shop Hopfrom six to nine pm for music, food, drinks and craft goods!
Uptown 23rd is the most recently renovated district in the city. Stretching from Broadway to Penn on NW 23rd Street, you will find great locally-owned restaurants, eclectic boutiques and welcoming businesses. Definitely go check out the hottest pub in town right now, The Pump — an old gas station remodeled into a craft bar with ample patio seating. Grab one of their seasonal speciality cocktails, play a round of Corn Hole and enjoy the fresh air.
Home to more than 22 galleries and 80 artists, the Paseo was developed as the first shopping district north of downtown in 1929. If you are in town the first Friday, you simply must check out the Paseo First Friday Art Walk. You will enjoy an evening of perusing the work of some of the most talented creatives in OKC. You can also grab a slice of pizza from Sauced (pro-tip, order an Irish Creme soda with a shot of Jameson – Yum!) or go for a slightly more upscale meal at Picassos. Don’t forget to check out the many vendors and art studios up and down Paseo Drive!
If there is a district that is the quintessential OKC, it is the Plaza District. Jonathan Fowler, owner of Fowler VW of Norman, is also a local music lover. Fowler has a very interesting concept of marketing in which he teamed up with a local rock radio station, The Spy FM, to create The VDub Sessions. That is music videos of local and touring artists inside a moving lime green, 1977 VW Vanagon. Fowler used this same marketing concept to support a group of savvy entrepreneurs who chose to revitalize NW 16th street which became The Plaza District. First, have a morning cup of coffee and a small breakfast at District House. For lunch, have an amazing slice of pizza (for only $3.50!) and a local brew at Empire Slice House. Then, get your sweet tooth fill at Pie Junkie (Bonus points if you grab a cup of ice cream from Roxys to put on top of your pie)! Finally time for some shopping, if you are in the mood to dig for treasure, pop into the district’s thrift store, Bad Granny’s Bazaar. If you’re more into simple browsing rather than digging, Dig It! will be more up your alley. And if you’re looking for local crafts and gift shopping, check out these shops: Collected Thread, DNA Galleries, and Tree & Leaf Clothing. Start your evening off at Chiltepe’s (because you simply cannot leave OKC until you’ve had at least one Tex-Mex meal) with dinner and a cucumber shot! Continue the party at a few of the most amazing local pubs in the city like The Mule (try the Poutine for a late-night snack) and Saints Pub. And, if you are in town the second Friday of the month, Live on the Plaza is the best festival in the city. Be sure to get there early and stay late for featured artists, live music, special events, local shopping, food trucks, and who knows what else!
Posted on September 14, 2015
Oklahoma City, Shop Like A Local was originally published on Stories from the Docks