Is Bricktown still the place for NightLife?

[spursfaninoklahoma]

Just wondering if Bricktown is still Nightlife central for residents, all the articles i've read here in the past several months seem to say there's been a dramatic shift away from Bricktown for Nightlife. I remember my younger days when i first moved here, Bricktown was amazing, Rok Bar, Skyye Bar, etc etc Thursday nights and Saturday nights were insane. I realize there's still a few clubs lingering in Bricktown, but it doesn't seem like anything it was say 5-10 years ago. Oklahoma City has seemed to move away from the Bricktown Nightlife scene in exchange for more of a "Family" scene and i hear these youngsters now frequent Mid-Town much more, maybe I'm old and out the scene, what do you guys think?

[Pete]

There are still quite a few clubs and I think most stay pretty busy on the weekends.

[SoonerDave]

Interesting observation the OP makes because I was wondering something similar, just from a different angle. It seems the "vibe" (for lack of a better term) in Bricktown has changed. We went down there with my wife's nephew a couple weeks back and I got to thinking about how often I *don't* go to Bricktown anymore. We used to hit the ol Spaghetti Warehouse (which, I guess, makes me old), the old Windy City pizza place, the Harkins, and a lot of Redhawks baseball games...several years ago. But now...just don't have much reason to go down there. We have little reason to venture to theaters other than the Warren down in Moore, and I the last time I tried one of the Bricktown "staples" (Bourbon Street Cafe) it was not very good and was barely a shadow of what I remember it being just a few years ago. Definitely think the vibe down there is changing.

[Colbafone]

Idk, Sheridan across the street from the Hampton Inn and the Hilton Garden is nothing but clubs and they get packed everytime I'm down there in weekends. Lines seem to be going all night. And with the Steelyard finishing up and the new hotels there as well, I dont see those clubs dying out at all.

[Pryor Tiger]

IMHO, Bricktown seems to be cycling but likely will move towards a mega-entertainment/retail/restaurant/bar district over the next 3-4 years. It is the #1 hotel district in the state of Oklahoma in terms of Occupancy and Average Rate. With about 700-800 more guest rooms coming in the next few years, and the Steelyard Apartments, there will be more activity than ever before. Contrary to belief, it is still very hard to get into a restaurant on the weekends without an hour long wait.

Add to that the premiere streetcar routes, especially the route specifically to connect the new convention center with Bricktown, and you are going to see development explode 2018--

Now saying all that, the magic of OKC is how much fun it is to go from Bricktown, then to Auto Alley/Midtown, then swing over to 23rd Street, and then to the Plaza District and find unique special places in each area.

[kevinpate]

Still enjoy Crabtown several times a year, but we haven't checked in anywhere else in BT for a while. We've been more inclined to try someplace we've not tried before and more and more we just stay in Norman. More often than not we order in via orderup or site specific delivery or just phone in and pick up on our way back in from an errand, teaching session, late office stay, etc.

My aversion to crowds does tend to keep us off the more well beaten paths. Very late lunches or late, late dinners, well after typical rush periods, are when we ten to dine out. If we're going to wait an hour or more for food, would just as soon have that wait in my own house than someone's bar area.

[jompster]

It's still a good night life destination. Every time I've been down there on Friday or Saturday night it has been busy all around. But I think the perception that the OP refers to is caused by the fact that other entertainment districts have appeared or strengthened in the last 10 years. When I first moved here 9 years ago, I never remember hearing much about Midtown or the Plaza District. Now they're pretty cool.

[Spartan]

It still draws crowds, but not like it used to.

In OKC you kind of still have to uber around to piece together a complete night. I think Bricktown is still unique for being able to walk to different scenes. The only problem is the cool kids totally avoid Brockton.

I think it's also more generational which is probably nothing new. Gen Xers like Bricktown, which was the hot new thing when they were in college. Millennials like Empire, Saints, Picasso's, Grandad's, McNellie's, etc. Places with a more local vibe, where Bricktown misses the mark.

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^^^
And yet Bricktown has 30+ locally-owned bars and restaurants, far more than any other district and even more than most any PAIR of other districts, combined.

Also, BTW, the district in the whole is every bit as busy as it used to be; busier, actually. The business is just more evenly distributed and no longer as summer/weekend/event/late-night dependent.

[Bullbear]

I think It all depends on what your ideal Nightlife experience is. Bricktown is still home to the majority of "Clubs" where other districts are more Bar/Restaurant hang outs. It's true it has a stigma that the cool kids prefer Midtown and Plaza and uptown but get in where you fit in.. Me and the people I hang with don't get to Bricktown much at all and I can't recall the last time I've been there and it was probably to JJ's for live music or a show at Criterion, however I don't think the clubs are hurting for business in the least. so go out and find what area or bar or club fits what your looking for. There are many choices in the city and that is a good thing.

[dankrutka]

I really don't think Bricktown has dropped off at all as a nightlife destination. In addition to clubs, there are a plenty of bars and restaurants that draw tons of people. The following are all bars: Tapwerks, Bricktown Brewery, Skinny Slims, Henry Hudson's, JJ's Alley, etc. There are also tons of restaurants with bars and quite a few live music spots. The Bricktown-is-slowing-down-narrative is being pushed around without much evidence.

And, you absolutely do not have to Uber around to piece together a night. You can spend an entire night in Bricktown/Deep Deuce, Midtown/Automobile Alley, 23rd Uptown, or the Plaza District without having to go anywhere else.

[Zuplar]

It still draws crowds, but not like it used to.

In OKC you kind of still have to uber around to piece together a complete night. I think Bricktown is still unique for being able to walk to different scenes. The only problem is the cool kids totally avoid Brockton.

I think it's also more generational which is probably nothing new. Gen Xers like Bricktown, which was the hot new thing when they were in college. Millennials like Empire, Saints, Picasso's, Grandad's, McNellie's, etc. Places with a more local vibe, where Bricktown misses the mark.

As an old millennial, who is also married to one, and mostly hangs out with older millennials, I would disagree with this. We tend to do stuff in Bricktown when we "get out." As of lately the only exception to that would be driving up to the stuff on Memorial. Other than that it's mostly suburban OKC for us.

I see that statement being more true for hipsters, which span many different generations and age groups.

[OkiePoke]

I drove around Bricktown Saturday night and it was very busy. A lot of people out walking around, going to eat, in line for clubs.

I drove around the Plaza and Midtown and you couldn't tell much activity was going on at either of these locations. Bricktown is definitely the entertainment district, but it isn't on the top of the list of places for me to go out.

[jn1780]

It probably just seems like Bricktown is loosing its momentum because we have seen Citywalk and Skybar close. That's not a bad thing, just a shifting from megaclubs to smaller niche bars.

[dankrutka]

It probably just seems like Bricktown is loosing its momentum because we have seen Citywalk and Skybar close. That's not a bad thing, just a shifting from megaclubs to smaller niche bars.

Skky Bar was almost immediately replaced by the Cosmopolitan, right? Beyond Citywalk, I don't think there's been a big decline in clubs.

[catch22]

No one goes to Bricktown anymore -- no one wants to wait in line.

It may not be the place a certain demographic or two frequents, but that's not to say it's not busy in its own right.

[OKCisOK4me]

My friends and I don't go downtown anymore cause when we were younger, we'd all hop into one car and go down there. That driver wasn't particularly a DD, it was just easier chipping in for gas than purchasing your own full tank. Now that we're all a lil older (thankfully still alive) and wiser, we only ever go downtown for a special occasion and it is usually accompanied by a booking at a downtown hotel.

[gopokes88]

^^^^^^^^
And yet Bricktown has 30+ locally-owned bars and restaurants, far more than any other district and even more than most any PAIR of other districts, combined.

Also, BTW, the district in the whole is every bit as busy as it used to be; busier, actually. The business is just more evenly distributed and no longer as summer/weekend/event/late-night dependent.

While you are right, the perception just isn't there, the most visual places in BT are Zio's and abuelos. The other perception of BT is that it's touristy and for out of towners. If I'm in that area I'm in deep deuce and skinny slims. (Which I have no idea what district slims is technically)

Also I think there's a head to head competition problem.

I like Hudsons so to watch a game, but I like urban johnnies more.
Jazmo's has a cool patio, but I like DDG's more.
JJ's alley is a cool little bar, but skinny slims is better.

And I don't really go to clubs

[dankrutka]

the most visual places in BT are Zio's and abuelos.

How did you determine this? Zio's is kind of tucked away in a parking lot and on the back end of the canal and Abuelo's doesn't seem more visible than anything else on Sheridan. I would argue that Brickopolis, West, Tapwerks, Mickey Mantle's, and the Mantle are clearly more visible. And there are plenty of other businesses that are at least as visible.

[Urbanized]

Skinny Slim's is in Bricktown.

[gopokes88]

How did you determine this? Zio's is kind of tucked away in a parking lot and on the back end of the canal and Abuelo's doesn't seem more visible than anything else on Sheridan. I would argue that Brickopolis, West, Tapwerks, Mickey Mantle's, and the Mantle are clearly more visible. And there are plenty of other businesses that are at least as visible.

Zios has that huge water tower, abuelos looks way different than anything else in the district with the tan on the outside.

Perception is wrong here, but the perception is that BT is full of chains. Hooters leaving has been another awesome step towards changing that IMHO and it's not as bad as it once was.

[Urbanized]

Funny thing is, Midtown's ratio of chains to independents is WAY higher than Bricktown's. When people have a bias they believe what they want to believe.

[gopokes88]

Funny thing is, Midtown's ratio of chains to independents is WAY higher than Bricktown's. When people have a bias they believe what they want to believe.

Chain is also open for interpretation too. Local chain? State chain? National chain? Each person has a different opinion on it.