There's no single way to spend a day in the Plaza District.
You could catch a show, hunt for vintage finds, discover a new artist and eat your way down NW 16th Street, all without leaving one of Oklahoma City's most colorful neighborhoods.
That's part of what makes the Plaza worth exploring.
Come hungry
The Plaza packs plenty of flavor into a few blocks, with locally owned restaurants serving everything from pizza and comfort food to globally inspired cuisine.
Among them is Ma Der Lao Kitchen, where chef and owner Jeff Chanchaleune has created a dining experience rooted in Lao food and culture. Even the restaurant's name is an invitation, translating roughly to “come through” or “come eat.”
For Chanchaleune, the location has an unexpected personal connection. After opening his restaurants in the district, he learned his parents had once lived directly behind them.
“Full circle, actually, coming back to opening up a Lao restaurant in the neighborhood after being born into the neighborhood,” Chanchaleune said.
Find something you won't find anywhere else
The Plaza rewards wandering.
Independent shops, vintage finds, galleries, murals and studios line the district, making it easy to walk in without much of a plan and leave with something unexpected.
Bad Granny's Bazaar owner Diana Harris discovered the neighborhood that way herself in 2009. What she found was more than a place to open a business.
“What comes to my mind first is community, family, home,” Harris said. “Everyone is welcome.”
Make time for the arts
Art isn't confined to gallery walls in the Plaza.
Murals cover buildings throughout the district, while artists create inside spaces like Canopy, a cooperative studio shared by local artists.
“The Plaza isn't just one thing,” visual artist Dusty Gilpin said. “The Plaza is all the subcultures wrapped into one, and it's a really, really beautiful woven tapestry of creativity.”
The performing arts have a home here, too. Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma has been part of the district since 2001, bringing live productions to the Plaza Theatre on NW 16th Street.
See the Plaza through the people who know it best
The restaurants, shops and art give you plenty of reasons to visit. The people behind them are what tie the neighborhood together.
Hear from Chanchaleune, Harris, Gilpin and Lyric Theatre executive producer Ashley Wells in Visit OKC's video exploring the people and places that make the Plaza what it is.
Then pick a spot on NW 16th Street and experience it for yourself.
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