One of three “gayborhoods” on the original Route 66, Oklahoma City’s 39^th Street District is located at Northwest 39^th Street between Pennsylvania and Youngs Avenues (West Hollywood in California and The Grove in St. Louis are the other two). Known by the locals as “The Strip,” this collection of brick and metal buildings originally contained typical neighborhood businesses like bodegas, retail stores, and other small enterprises that served the surrounding working-class neighborhood in the late 1920s to early 1930s.

Pride poles at NW 39th Street and Barnes Avenue, Oklahoma City

The neighborhood evolved over time, and for nearly sixty years, 39^th Street has provided a safe space for Oklahoma’s LGBTQIA+ community. Everyone is welcome and celebrated on The Strip. Before the emergence of numerous other entertainment districts in Oklahoma City, The Strip was a popular destination for people of all socioeconomic groups, ethnic and racial identities, ages, and sexual orientations. It remains so today, featuring a variety of restaurants and bars, nightclubs, retail shops, and more. It’s also one of the most diverse urban districts in the state of Oklahoma.

Route 66 visitors may be inclined to visit NW 39^th Street to take in the nightlife; however, it’s also a destination offering things to do during daytime hours. The only prerequisite is to be who you are and be prepared to have fun.

How Northwest 39^th Street became “The Gayborhood”

Over the years, gift shops, bars, and restaurants have come and gone. Gay bars prior to the 1990s were very nondescript. Most didn’t have names, windows, or signage of any kind on the outside to avoid attention and harassment. Being gay in Oklahoma was dangerous and even illegal at the time under sodomy laws. Nonetheless, people came to 39^th Street at risk to their own safety to be true to themselves.

The Strip and its residents faced several national and statewide challenges over the years. In prior decades, police would come into bars, and raids were common. In 1983, the owners of the popular nightclub Angles filed a federal lawsuit seeking damages of more than $800,000 following months of police harassment. Patrons and staff reported that police used anti-gay slurs, jailed patrons, and issued fake citations. The lawsuit was settled in 1983 when the City of Oklahoma City paid legal fees plus $1. The settlement included a permanent injunction against further harassment from law enforcement. The city also agreed to mandate gay-awareness training for its police force.

Angles has been OKC’s most energetic dance club for decades (Photo courtesy VisitOKC)

After the successful legal challenge, Angles’ owners invested additional money into the district, opening several concepts catering to different tastes. This began to create critical mass to fuel the district’s growth. By the mid-to-late 1980s, The Strip had become one of Oklahoma City’s most popular nightlife destinations.

Over the years, what once had been an adversarial relationship with the city government improved. This culminated in 2022, when the City of Oklahoma City invested $2 million into an extensive streetscape that improved walkability and cycling infrastructure. Changes included narrowing the street from four to two lanes and adding decorative lighting, landscaping, wider sidewalks, bike lanes, trash cans, benches, and other amenities for visitors and events. The epicenter of the district, NW 39^thStreet and Barnes, is now adorned with eleven kinetic sculptures and twenty-two pride flags representing this diverse urban community.

Pride on 39th, one of OKC’s largest annual parades, brings revelers right down Route 66

Past Meets Present: the businesses of NW 39th Street

The first known gay bar on the strip was called the Torch, known for its infamous stage shows. It later became Huggy Bears, a leather bar, then TJ’s Corral, and 1972 Saddle Tramps, a leather/Levi bar. By 1982, the name was shortened to Saddle Tramps West, and it moved to its current location. Known today simply as Tramps, it is the oldest continuously operated LGBTQIA+ bar in Oklahoma. (It is also near the site of the Route 66 Centennial Monument.) Home of The Big Girl Drink (translation: they’re strong), Tramps is the place to go to get your money’s worth on cocktails. Don’t miss Tramps’ Sunday night drag show and the largest patio on The Strip. Its shows feature some of Oklahoma's best drag performers, including Roxie Hart, Maria Isabel, and Renee Hilton.

Businessmen Scott Wilson and Don Hill were pioneers of the district, opening multiple clubs on The Strip. In September of 1982, Angles (anglesokc.com), was the first new building constructed specifically as a gay dance club. Avid travelers, Wilson and Hill brought back this Euro-disco concept with state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems that had never been experienced in OKC. The custom robotic lighting system, laser lights, large video wall, confetti cannon, and advanced sound system made Angles the Studio 54 of OKC, with drag shows hosted by the fierce and stylish Ginger Lamar (Greg Greene) for five decades. Nick Post and Reece Evans took over ownership of Angles in 2007, and it’s still the best place in Oklahoma City to dance.

Since June 2026, The Veil (theveilbar-production.up.railway.app) has welcomed patrons into its goth ambiance. The Veil describes itself as a “they” bar, inviting everyone from LGBTQIA+ and beyond to partake in cocktails and entertainment. Before its dark makeover, the building housed The Park, a video bar featuring MTV-style video entertainment, that Wilson and Hill opened in 1982. It was a small neighborhood chill bar with a cozy dance floor and outdoor courtyard.

Opened in 2025 after an extensive renovation, The Hollywood Nightclub (thehollywoodokc.com) offers a celebrity-esque experience with a dance club, bottle service, and VIP section. The building previously contained Razzies, another Wilson and Hill concept, which was the first lesbian bar on The Strip. An upscale club that catered exclusively to women, it featured a piano, dance floor, and courtyard patio. It closed in the 1990s, giving way to other lesbian bars that included Sisters and Coyote Club.

Around 1984 until the late 2010s, Wilson and Hill also owned the legendary Wreck Room at 2127 NW 39^th Street, an all-ages and after-hours club with a snack bar and non-alcoholic drinks that provided a safe space for LGBTQIA+ youth. It was also a popular destination for goths, punks, and young people of all sexual orientations. It was one of the few places in OKC where one could dance until dawn. While the location is currently closed, it remains one of the seminal nightlife destinations in Oklahoma City history.

Just down the street, The Boom showcases drag performances, Broadway-style shows, and an infamous Sunday Gospel brunch that usually sells out. In 2015, Out Traveler named the Boom one of the “200 Greatest Gay Bars in the World.” Visitors continue to enjoy drag brunches and a variety of performances at The Boom today.

Built in 1968 for cross-country motorists along Route 66, The District Hotel (districthotelok.com) originally featured 308 hotel rooms, two swimming pools, a restaurant, bar, and conference rooms. In the 1970s, the hotel started catering to LGBTQIA+ clientele. Today, the resort features a country and western bar, a dance club, event spaces, and wildly popular pools, which are open to guests and non-guests.

Shopping and More

Visitors to The Strip will find a variety of shops and businesses to patronize, like 39^th Street Records, which sells vinyl and vintage musical treasures. The Feral Fairy offers a well-curated selection of vintage clothing inside a colorful, inviting space. Just down the street, visitors can browse Oklahoma’s largest ensemble of erotic accessories for sale at Romantix (romantix.com) and get a little skin souvenir at Victorious Ink Body Art Studio, a new tattoo parlor. The district is also home to local artists like “Neon Queen” and vice president of the 39th Street District Association Katherine Reynolds, who owns and operates Reynolds Neon (reynoldsneon.com.) and The Creative Studio, which is owned by fashion designer and drag extraordinaire Armando Ortiz/Maria Isabel.

Along with the aforementioned bars and clubs, Sissy Cocktail Lounge is an up-and-coming spot for drinks, dancing, and billiards. Next door, Rainbow Bistro (rainbowbistrookc.com) opened in 2023 as a fast-casual German and Euro-American restaurant with schnitzels, Reuben sandwiches, burgers, desserts, beer, and wine.

Rainbow Bistro is a cozy German restaurant featuring sandwiches, schnitzels, and craft beer

And it’s not all cocktails and dancing on The Strip: several automotive repair shops—such as Penn Automotive, Sonny’s Automotive, Priebe’s Auto Clinic and Tire Center (pacokc.com), and District 39 Automotive (district39automotive.com)—also call the district home.

Out & About: Events and Projects

The 39^th Street Association is a very active group that strives to continually improve the gayborhood. Multiple improvement projects are proposed and being implemented currently, including mural walls featuring local drag artist Maria Isabel/Armando Ortiz and a neon “retro glow” project highlighted by iconic OKC advertising elements. Another project in 2026 includes a public music and sound project called Rainbow Rhythms, sponsored by local songstress Sonja Martinez.

The district also hosts the annual Pride on 39th (okcprideinc.org) celebration every June, which features the state’s most colorful parade and an entire weekend of parties, performances, and events throughout The Strip.

For More Information

NW 39^th Street District: 39thstreetdistrict.com(opens in new tab).