Just north of downtown sits Oak Lawn, Dallas’ historic LGBTQ neighborhood, and its trendier neighbor Uptown.
With smaller neighborhoods like Victory Park, State Thomas and the Harwood District nestled nearby, there’s no shortage of exploration to be had in one of Dallas’ most walkable areas.
The area is driving growth for D-FW, with nearly three-quarters of the region’s construction pipeline based in Uptown as of July 2025.
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Here is our guide to Oak Lawn and Uptown:
Fast facts
Population: 45,692
Median Age: 31.7
Median income: $116,686.50
Unemployment rate: 3.7%
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- One race, white: 72.8%
- One race, Black or African American: 5.5%
- One race, American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.1%
- One race, Asian: 8.7%
- One race, Native Hawaiian: 0.0%
- One race, some other race: 2.9%
- Two or more races: 9.9%
- Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): 13.4%
- White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 68.4%
For ages 18-24 (roughly 13.7% of the population)
Less than high school degree or equivalent: 0.4%
High school graduates (or equivalent): 7.6%
Some college or associate’s: 6.3%
Bachelor’s degree or higher: 85.8%
For ages 25+ (roughly 87%)
High school graduates (or equivalent): 4.5%
Bachelor’s degree: 47.9%
Graduate or professional degree: 34.2%
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Compiled by staff researcher Rachel Friend.
Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Tables S0601, S1501, S1903, S2301, DP04.
Housing
35,224 units; 30,993 occupied (88%)
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- 7273 owner occupied
- 23,720 renter occupied
- 1,441 1-unit detached
- 3,223 1 united attached
- 30,560 multi-unit
Median home value: $505,550
Median rent: $2,166
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A brief history
The area that is now Oak Lawn is the oldest historic site in Dallas County, having been first explored in 1840. It was established as the town of Cedar Springs in 1843 by Dr. John Cole. In 1850, it lost out to Dallas in an election for the county seat. Oak Lawn Methodist Church was established in 1874, making it one of the oldest remaining institutions in the area. The community was annexed by Dallas in 1929.
Oak Lawn’s current status as Dallas’ “gayborhood” dates back to the 1940s when Texas’ first gay bar, Club Reno, found a permanent home in the area. The Crossroads – the intersection at Throckmorton Street and Cedar Springs Road – became the epicenter of the LGBTQ community in Dallas by the late 1960s.
Oak Lawn’s standing as a historic LGBTQ neighborhood was officially recognized in 2018 by a marker from the Texas Historical Commission, the first such recognition in the state. The neighborhood had long recognized this heritage with a series of rainbow crosswalks, but those were removed by the city in 2026 to comply with a new state directive prohibiting such displays.
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Related: Business in Oak Lawn might be changing, but the historic gayborhood is here to stay
Uptown has a similarly rich history. After the Civil War, the area was settled by emancipated slaves and became known as Freedmantown. It grew into a thriving Black community during a deeply segregated time in Dallas’ history.
The area continued to grow and at its peak in the 1930s, it was a highly desirable enclave for Dallas’ Black residents because of its location and continued development, according to the Texas State Historical Association.
The neighborhood began to decline when the construction of U.S. Highway 75 severed the neighborhood into two parts in the late 1940s. In 1962, the construction of Woodall Rodgers Freeway cut off the neighborhood from downtown Dallas, another significant blow to the community. Much of Uptown’s past is now gone, replaced by modern high-rises, apartment buildings and retail. The area was finally reconnected to downtown with the opening of Klyde Warren Park in 2012.
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Victory Plaza and the American Airlines Center in Dallas
Tom Fox/Staff Photographer
Notable landmarks:
American Airlines Center: This 20,000-seat arena is a major venue for big-name artists and other events making a stop in Dallas. Also known as AAC, it is also the permanent home of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and NHL’s Dallas Stars (for now) and the centerpiece of the Victory Park area just north of downtown.
Katy Trail: This urban walking/biking trail runs through the center of Oak Lawn and roughly traces the western edge of the Uptown neighborhood. The 3.5-mile trail is a popular spot for walking pets and runs from AAC to the Knox-Henderson area north of Uptown.
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Turtle Creek: A small tributary of the Trinity River, this small waterway courses through the center of Oak Lawn north into Highland Park.
Things to do:
Michelin-starred French-Italian restaurant Mamani
Shafkat Anowar/Staff Photographer
Restaurants
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Food writers Sarah Blaskovich and Imelda García contributed to this list.
Bars:
- Bar Colette
- Bowen House
- Harwood Arms
- Round-Up Saloon
- The Standard Pour
- The Nodding Donkey
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Staff Photographer
Museums
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Shopping
Nightlife areas
- Cedar Springs Road near Throckmorton Street
- McKinney Avenue near Allen Street
- Knox Street/Henderson Avenue
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Outdoor areas
- Katy Trail
- Reverchon Park
- Griggs Park
- Cole Park
- Turtle Creek Park and Parkway
The McKinney Avenue Transit Authority’s restored vintage M-Line trolley traverses the Uptown neighborhood 365 days a year.
DAVID WOO – Staff Photographer
A fun fact
The McKinney Avenue Transit Authority’s M-Line Trolley traces its path from West Village in the north and into downtown Dallas in the south – all completely free.