{"id":795674,"date":"2026-05-14T11:13:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:13:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/795674\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T11:13:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:13:14","slug":"your-guide-to-oak-lawn-and-uptown-dallas-things-to-do-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/795674\/","title":{"rendered":"Your guide to Oak Lawn and Uptown Dallas: things to do and more"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Just north of downtown sits <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/topic\/oak-lawn\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Oak Lawn<\/a>, Dallas\u2019 historic LGBTQ neighborhood, and its trendier neighbor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/topic\/uptown-dallas\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Uptown<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-channels-pixel.ex.co\/events\/0012000001fxZm9AAE?integrationType=DEFAULT&amp;template=design%2Farticle%2Fplatypus_two_column.tpl\" alt=\"\" class=\"x1px y1px vh abs\" aria-hidden=\"true\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>With smaller neighborhoods like Victory Park, State Thomas and the Harwood District nestled nearby, there\u2019s no shortage of exploration to be had in one of Dallas\u2019 most walkable areas.<\/p>\n<p>The area is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/business\/real-estate\/2025\/07\/21\/dallas-records-its-first-office-market-uptick-in-five-years-thanks-to-uptown-boom\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">driving growth for D-FW,<\/a> with nearly three-quarters of the region&#8217;s construction pipeline based in Uptown as of July 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>Here is our guide to Oak Lawn and Uptown:<\/p>\n<p>Fast facts<\/p>\n<p><strong>Population:<\/strong> 45,692<br \/><strong>Median Age:<\/strong> 31.7<br \/><strong>Median income:<\/strong> $116,686.50<br \/><strong>Unemployment rate:<\/strong> 3.7%<\/p>\n<p>Make Dallas News a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=dallasnews.com\" data-link=\"native\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Add Preferred Source\" class=\"td300 cp f aic jcc disabled:cd wsn px24 y40px px16 py8 buttonSm fs13 xs:fs16 xs:buttonLg bg-primaryAccessible hover:o80 c-white disabled:bg-gray300 disabled:c-gray600 border bn tac br2\"><\/p>\n<p>Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>One race, white: 72.8%<\/li>\n<li>One race, Black or African American: 5.5%<\/li>\n<li>One race, American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.1%<\/li>\n<li>One race, Asian: 8.7%<\/li>\n<li>One race, Native Hawaiian: 0.0%<\/li>\n<li>One race, some other race: 2.9%<\/li>\n<li>Two or more races: 9.9%<\/li>\n<li>Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): 13.4%<\/li>\n<li>White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 68.4%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For ages 18-24 (roughly 13.7% of the population)<br \/><strong>Less than high school degree or equivalent:<\/strong> 0.4%<br \/><strong>High school graduates (or equivalent):<\/strong> 7.6%<br \/><strong>Some college or associate&#8217;s:<\/strong> 6.3%<br \/><strong>Bachelor\u2019s degree or higher:<\/strong> 85.8%<\/p>\n<p>For ages 25+ (roughly 87%)<br \/><strong>High school graduates (or equivalent):<\/strong> 4.5%<br \/><strong>Bachelor\u2019s degree:<\/strong> 47.9%<br \/><strong>Graduate or professional degree:<\/strong> 34.2%<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>Compiled by staff researcher Rachel Friend.<\/p>\n<p>Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Tables S0601, S1501, S1903, S2301, DP04.<\/p>\n<p>Housing<\/p>\n<p>35,224 units; 30,993 occupied (88%)<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>7273 owner occupied<\/li>\n<li>23,720 renter occupied<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>1,441 1-unit detached<\/li>\n<li>3,223 1 united attached<\/li>\n<li>30,560 multi-unit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Median home value:<\/strong> $505,550<br \/><strong>Median rent:<\/strong> $2,166<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>A brief history<\/p>\n<p>The area that is now Oak Lawn is the oldest historic site in Dallas County, having been first explored in 1840. It was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/news\/curious-texas\/2019\/03\/14\/how-did-dallas-oak-lawn-community-get-its-start-curious-texas-investigates\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">established as the town of Cedar Springs<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<p>Oak Lawn\u2019s current status as Dallas\u2019 \u201cgayborhood\u201d dates back to the 1940s when Texas\u2019 first gay bar, Club Reno, found a permanent home in the area. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hmdb.org\/m.asp?m=125945\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">The Crossroads<\/a> \u2013 the intersection at Throckmorton Street and Cedar Springs Road \u2013 became the epicenter of the LGBTQ community in Dallas by the late 1960s.<\/p>\n<p>Oak Lawn\u2019s standing as a historic LGBTQ neighborhood was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/opinion\/commentary\/2018\/10\/09\/dallas-oak-lawn-gayborhood-becomes-first-in-texas-to-get-state-historical-marker\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">officially recognized in 2018<\/a> 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/news\/politics\/2026\/03\/20\/dallas-will-begin-removing-decorative-crosswalks-to-comply-with-state-directive\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">comply with a new state directive<\/a> prohibiting such displays.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/news\/2026\/01\/05\/business-in-oaklawn-might-be-changing-but-the-historic-gayborhood-is-here-to-stay\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\"><strong>Business in Oak Lawn might be changing, but the historic gayborhood is here to stay<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Uptown has a similarly rich history. After the Civil War, the area was settled by emancipated slaves and became known as\u00a0Freedmantown. It grew into a thriving Black community during a deeply segregated time in Dallas\u2019 history.<\/p>\n<p>The area continued to grow and at its peak in the 1930s, it was a highly desirable enclave for Dallas\u2019 Black residents because of its location and continued development, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tshaonline.org\/handbook\/entries\/freedmantownnorth-dallas\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Texas State Historical Association<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>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\u00a0Woodall Rodgers Freeway cut off the neighborhood from downtown Dallas, another significant blow to the community. Much of Uptown\u2019s past is now gone, replaced by modern high-rises, apartment buildings and retail. The area was finally reconnected to downtown with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/arts-entertainment\/architecture\/2025\/01\/30\/klyde-warren-park-dallas-history-urban-planning\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">opening of Klyde Warren Park in 2012<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Victory Plaza and the American Airlines Center in Dallas\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Victory Plaza and the American Airlines Center in Dallas<\/p>\n<p>Tom Fox\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n<p>Notable landmarks:<\/p>\n<p><strong>American Airlines Center:<\/strong>\u00a0This 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\u2019s Dallas Mavericks and NHL\u2019s Dallas Stars (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/sports\/stars\/2026\/01\/21\/dallas-stars-mavericks-legal-suit-hearings-trial-american-airlines-center\/\" data-link=\"native\" class=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">for now<\/a>) and the centerpiece of the Victory Park area just north of downtown.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Katy Trail:<\/strong>\u00a0This 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\u00a0AAC to the Knox-Henderson area north of Uptown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p><strong>Turtle Creek:<\/strong>\u00a0A small tributary of the Trinity River, this small waterway courses through the center of Oak Lawn north into Highland Park.<\/p>\n<p>Things to do:<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Michelin-starred French-Italian restaurant\u00a0Mamani\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Michelin-starred French-Italian restaurant\u00a0Mamani<\/p>\n<p>Shafkat Anowar\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n<p>Restaurants<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>Food writers Sarah Blaskovich and Imelda Garc\u00eda contributed to this list.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Bars:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/food\/restaurant-news\/2023\/11\/14\/inside-bar-colette-the-newest-cocktail-lounge-in-dallas\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Bar\u00a0Colette<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Bowen House<\/li>\n<li>Harwood Arms<\/li>\n<li>Round-Up Saloon<\/li>\n<li>The Standard Pour<\/li>\n<li>The Nodding Donkey<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img alt=\"The exterior of the $185-million Perot Museum of Nature and Science which is slated to open in early 2013. Photographed in Dallas on Thursday, February 2, 2012.\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0Perot Museum of Nature and Science<\/p>\n<p>Staff Photographer<\/p>\n<p>Museums<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>Shopping<\/p>\n<p>Nightlife areas<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cedar Springs Road near\u00a0Throckmorton Street<\/li>\n<li>McKinney Avenue near Allen Street<\/li>\n<li>Knox Street\/Henderson Avenue<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>Outdoor areas<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Katy Trail<\/li>\n<li>Reverchon Park<\/li>\n<li>Griggs Park<\/li>\n<li>Cole Park<\/li>\n<li>Turtle Creek Park and Parkway<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img alt=\"The McKinney Avenue Transit Authority\u2019s restored vintage M-Line trolley traverses the Uptown neighborhood 365 days a year.\u00a0\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:16 \/ 9\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The McKinney Avenue Transit Authority\u2019s restored vintage M-Line trolley traverses the Uptown neighborhood 365 days a year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>DAVID WOO &#8211; Staff Photographer<\/p>\n<p>A fun fact<\/p>\n<p>The McKinney Avenue Transit Authority\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mata.org\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">M-Line Trolley<\/a> traces its path from West Village in the north and into downtown Dallas in the south \u2013 all completely free.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Just north of downtown sits Oak Lawn, Dallas\u2019 historic LGBTQ neighborhood, and its trendier neighbor Uptown. With smaller&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":795675,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5135],"tags":[5229,1596,6415,181758,358,324686,324684,324685,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-795674","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-dallas","10":"tag-listicle","11":"tag-newcomer","12":"tag-texas","13":"tag-tp-knox-henderson","14":"tag-tp-oak-lawn","15":"tag-tp-uptown-dallas","16":"tag-tx","17":"tag-united-states","18":"tag-united-states-of-america","19":"tag-unitedstates","20":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","21":"tag-us","22":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116572639550702906","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/795674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=795674"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/795674\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/795675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=795674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=795674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=795674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}