Uptown 23rd OKC is the restaurant, bar and live music strip along NW 23rd Street, roughly between Broadway and Pennsylvania Avenue. It sits on the original 1926 Route 66 alignment, and its anchor is the 1937 Tower Theatre at 425 NW 23rd. The Plaza District, Midtown and the Paseo are all a short drive away.
You found a concert at the Tower, or a friend told you to eat on 23rd, and now you are trying to figure out whether Uptown 23rd OKC is a place to base a whole weekend. It is. The street packs a working 1930s theater, a 1958 geodesic dome and a run of patios into a few walkable blocks, and three other districts sit within a few minutes of it.
We host guests near this part of town all year. This guide covers what is on the street, how it got that way, how the neighboring districts connect, where to park, what to watch for at night, and how to pick a place to stay.
Tower Theatre show nights fill the nearby lots and pull up demand for homes close to 23rd. If your trip is built around a concert, lock your lodging before you buy the ticket, then check the venue's posted schedule for doors and set times.
What Is Uptown 23rd OKC?
Uptown 23rd is the commercial stretch of NW 23rd Street just north of downtown Oklahoma City, run as a business improvement district under the Uptown 23rd name. The district calls itself a Route 66 commercial corridor, and that is the honest short version.
The core is easy to picture. Think of the blocks of 23rd from Broadway west toward Pennsylvania, with the densest cluster of restaurants and bars between roughly Broadway and Classen Boulevard. North of the street you get older residential blocks. South of it, Midtown and then downtown.
People sometimes say "Uptown" to mean a much bigger area, stretching to Oklahoma City University, the Paseo and the neighborhoods out toward Nichols Hills. When a guest asks us about Uptown 23rd, though, they almost always mean the street itself. That is what this page covers.
It is a short drive from downtown. Cheever's Cafe, one of the street's long-running restaurants, describes itself as about 2 miles from downtown, which matches what most guests see on the map.
The History of the NW 23rd Street Corridor
NW 23rd Street was designated part of Route 66 in 1926, back when it was considered the northern edge of Oklahoma City. That one decision shaped everything that came after.
Traffic brought business. In 1936 construction started on the Tower Theatre, and plenty of people at the time thought the site was too far out, practically in the country. It opened in 1937 as one of the city's early suburban movie houses, an Art Deco building with a big auditorium, a stage and a tall neon tower sign.
By the late 1940s the area had grown into what is often described as the first shopping district outside downtown. Then in 1958 a gold geodesic dome went up at the corner of NW 23rd and Classen Boulevard. The Gold Dome was the fifth geodesic dome built anywhere in the world and the first one used as a bank. Locals still use it as a landmark when giving directions.
The decline was slow. Route 66 was decommissioned in 1979, the highways pulled traffic elsewhere, and the Tower closed in 1985. For a long stretch the street was better known for empty storefronts than for dinner plans.
The turnaround came in the 2010s. Preservation work, a streetscape project and a wave of locally owned restaurants filled the old buildings back in. The Tower reopened in February 2017 after a renovation reported at $6.5 million, with a capacity of about 1,042. Today the neon is lit again and the venue books national touring acts, comedy and film nights.
| Year | What happened | Why it matters to a visitor |
|---|---|---|
| 1926 | NW 23rd designated part of Route 66 | The street's road trip history and old motor-age buildings |
| 1936 to 1937 | Tower Theatre built and opened | The district's anchor venue today |
| Late 1940s | First shopping district outside downtown takes shape | Explains the row of storefront buildings |
| 1958 | Gold Dome built at NW 23rd and Classen | The easiest landmark to steer by |
| 1979 | Route 66 decommissioned | Start of the street's quiet decades |
| 1985 | Tower Theatre closes | Low point of the corridor |
| 2017 | Tower reopens after roughly $6.5 million renovation | The live music scene you can book for now |
The Tower Theatre: The Reason Most People Come
The Tower Theatre at 425 NW 23rd is the single biggest draw in Uptown 23rd, a restored 1937 movie house that now runs live music, comedy and special events.
Its calendar runs months ahead. When we checked it this fall, the venue was listing shows well into 2027, a mix of touring bands, DJs and comedians. That range matters, because the crowd on 23rd changes with whoever is playing.
A few habits help. Look at the venue's own site for doors, age limits and bag rules before you leave the house, since those vary by show. Eat early. The patios near the theater fill fast in the hour before doors open, and a 6:00 reservation is a lot calmer than a 7:30 walk-in.
After the show, the street empties in a rush and then settles. If you can wait 20 minutes over a drink, getting out of a lot is far easier.
Restaurants and Bars on 23rd
Uptown 23rd is mostly a dinner-and-drinks street, with a handful of established local restaurants sitting next to newer bars and patios.
A few names we send guests to, all confirmed operating as of this writing:
- Pizzeria Gusto, near 23rd and Walker, billed as Oklahoma City's first Neapolitan pizza restaurant. Its garden-style patio is the draw on a mild night, and Visit OKC calls out its cocktails.
- Cheever's Cafe, a longtime spot for comfort food with Southwest touches, steaks and seafood. Good for a sit-down dinner with parents in town.
- The Tower Theatre's own bar, which handles plenty of the pre-show crowd.
Restaurants on this street open, close and change hands like they do anywhere. Check hours the day you go, especially early in the week, when some kitchens close.
The street tilts younger after 9 p.m. Visit OKC describes it as a magnet for young urbanites, and on a Friday that is about right. If you want quiet, go early or pick a patio a block off the main drag.
How Uptown 23rd Connects to the Plaza District, Midtown and the Paseo
Uptown 23rd sits in the middle of a cluster of four districts, and each one is a short drive or rideshare away, which is why it works as a weekend base.
The Plaza District runs along NW 16th Street to the southwest. It started as the city's artsy, creative pocket and now has some of the best food in town. Bar Sen, a Lao noodle shop and bar on Blackwelder Avenue, landed on The New York Times 2025 Restaurant List. Our Plaza District OKC guide covers it block by block.
Midtown sits south of 23rd, between Uptown and downtown. That is where the rooftop bars and beer halls are, including Packard's, McNellie's and Fassler Hall. Read the Midtown OKC guide if you want a skyline view with your drink.
The Paseo Arts District lies to the east, a curving street of Spanish Revival buildings full of galleries. Picasso Cafe and Paseo Grill are two of its steady dinner picks. The Paseo District Oklahoma City guide has gallery-walk tips, and the Paseo Arts Festival guide covers the big Memorial Day weekend.
| District | Main street | Best for | From Uptown 23rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uptown 23rd | NW 23rd Street | Concerts at the Tower, patios, Route 66 history | You are here |
| Plaza District | NW 16th Street | Food, murals, small shops, a fall festival | Short drive southwest |
| Midtown | South toward downtown | Rooftop bars, beer halls, bowling | Short drive south |
| Paseo Arts District | Paseo, near NW 30th | Galleries, art walks, quieter dinners | Short drive east |
For a bigger list of where to drink across all four, the OKC brewery crawl and our live music by district guide pair well with a Tower night.
Getting Around Uptown 23rd
Most visitors drive or take a rideshare to Uptown 23rd, then walk the street once they are there.
The core blocks are walkable. Going from a dinner near Walker to the Tower is a short stroll. Walking all the way to Classen and the Gold Dome takes longer, and the sidewalks get less interesting once you leave the busiest stretch.
Hopping between districts, a car or rideshare is the realistic choice. The OKC Streetcar serves downtown, Bricktown and Midtown, and it does not run up 23rd. City buses cover parts of the corridor; check the city transit system's current routes if you plan to rely on them.
On a concert night, plan the ride home before the ride out. Rideshare prices tend to jump right as a show lets out. A designated driver, or a home close enough for a quick ride, saves a lot of standing around on the curb.
Parking on NW 23rd Street
Parking in Uptown 23rd is a mix of street spaces, small business lots and a few shared lots behind the storefronts, and the district publishes a parking map on its own site.
On a weeknight you can usually find a spot within a block or two. On a Tower show night, give yourself an extra 15 minutes.
Read every sign. Many lots belong to one restaurant or office and tow after hours. Side streets north of 23rd run into residential blocks, so respect driveways and any permit signs. If you have a trailer or a large truck, park it at your rental and come in by rideshare.
One habit we tell every guest: take nothing visible in the car. Bags, laptops and shopping go in the trunk before you arrive, so nobody watches you stash them.
Is Uptown 23rd Safe? Common-Sense Basics
Uptown 23rd is a busy, well-lit nightlife strip on show nights and weekends, and most visitors have an easy time using ordinary city habits.
The street went through rough decades before its revival, and it is still a real city street, with traffic, nightlife crowds and some empty lots between the busy blocks. We would rather give you plain habits than a rating:
- Stick to the lit, busy stretch at night and walk in pairs once the crowd thins.
- Lock the car and keep valuables out of sight.
- Arrange a rideshare pickup on 23rd itself, under a light, and check the plate before you get in.
- Keep an eye on drinks and settle tabs before the post-show rush.
If something feels off, step into a restaurant and call a ride. For emergencies, dial 911. For current conditions, the city's own public information beats any blog, including this one.
Where to Stay for a Weekend in Uptown 23rd
For a weekend around 23rd, the realistic choices are a downtown or Midtown hotel, or a furnished home a short drive from the street.
Hotels make sense for a solo trip or one couple staying one night. You get a front desk, and you may collect points. You pay for that in space, and you will drive or ride in either way.
A whole home works better once you are a group, staying more than a night, or bringing a dog. Everyone gets a bed, you get a kitchen for the morning after, and the living room becomes the place the night winds down. BnB OKC runs 11 furnished homes around Oklahoma City, and the largest sleep up to 16.
All of our homes welcome dogs, up to two per stay, with a one-time $150 pet fee. Check-in is 4:00 PM and checkout is 11:00 AM, which gives you a full Saturday on 23rd and a slow Sunday morning. Browse the full list on our properties page, or start with the OKC neighborhoods guide to see which part of town fits your plans.
Planning a Tower Theatre weekend or a group trip to 23rd? Check dates on our homes or call (405) 295-5052 and we will point you to the closest fit.
A worked example: four couples, one concert weekend
Here is a hypothetical to make the math concrete. Say four couples come in for a Saturday show at the Tower and stay Friday and Saturday nights.
Option one is four hotel rooms. At a hypothetical $189 a night, that is $189 times 4 rooms times 2 nights, or $1,512 before taxes and parking. Everyone splits up after the show.
Option two is one four-bedroom home. At a hypothetical $425 a night for two nights, that is $850 before taxes and fees, about $106 per couple per night. You also get a kitchen, one parking area and a place to hang out after the show.
Your real numbers will depend on the dates, the home and the hotel. On a show weekend, hotel prices near downtown can climb, so compare both the week you book. When you book direct on stays of four nights or more, you can save up to 35% compared with marketplace pricing, mostly because you skip the marketplace service fee. Our book direct vs Airbnb breakdown walks through how that works.
| Option | Fits best | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown or Midtown hotel | Solo travelers, one couple, one night | Separate rooms for a group, paid parking, pet limits |
| Furnished home near 23rd | Groups, dogs, two nights or more | Check-in at 4:00 PM, house rules on noise |
| Monthly furnished home | Work trips, relocations, long projects | Book early for 30+ night stays |
When You Do Not Need a Rental Home
Plenty of 23rd trips are better served by a hotel.
If you are one person in town for one show, a downtown hotel and a rideshare is the simple answer. Same if you are chasing hotel points or need a 24-hour front desk. A whole home earns its keep when you have a group, a dog, or a stay longer than a weekend.
For longer stays, Brompton Manor and Quail Creek Manor take monthly guests, and we discount longer bookings: 10% off 7 or more nights and 15% off 14 or more. Our extended stay Oklahoma City guide and the extended stays page cover how monthly bookings work.
How to Plan a Weekend in Uptown 23rd, Step by Step
- Pick your anchor night: check the Tower Theatre schedule and choose the show or dinner you are building around.
- Count your group: settle headcount and any dogs before you look at lodging.
- Book your base: compare a hotel against a whole home near 23rd for your dates.
- Reserve dinner early: book a table on 23rd for well before doors open.
- Plan the ride home: set a driver or rideshare plan before the night starts.
- Add a second district: spend Sunday in the Plaza, the Paseo or Midtown.
A Sample Saturday on 23rd
Here is how a lot of our guests spend the day, loosely.
Sleep in. Make coffee at the house. Late morning, drive over to the Paseo for the galleries while it is quiet, then grab lunch in the Plaza District. Back at the house by mid-afternoon for a nap or a dog walk.
Early dinner on 23rd around 6:00. Walk to the Tower for doors. After the show, one more drink on a patio while the lots clear, then home. Sunday, brunch, pack, and you are out by 11:00 AM checkout.
If the group wants a slower pace, our OKC staycation ideas and romantic things to do in Oklahoma City fill in the gaps.
Your Next Steps
- Check the Tower Theatre calendar and lock your date.
- Count heads and dogs, then compare a hotel block against one home for the same nights.
- Look over our OKC neighborhoods page or call (405) 295-5052 for a home that fits your group.
Sources for history and venue details: Uptown 23rd District, Visit OKC nightlife by district, and City of OKC, Route 66 in OKC.