The NW 39th Street Enclave, also known as "The Strip," "May-Penn," "39th & Penn" or simply "39th Street" is a prominent lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...

) district in

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

. The area is located along NW 39th Street in the city's northwest quadrant, one block west of Pennsylvania Avenue. Northwest 39th Street Enclave is home to many of Oklahoma's most popular gay and lesbian bars and nightclubs, in addition to a number of retail stores, eateries, and apartment complexes catering to Oklahoma City's LGBT community. While Oklahoma City's openly gay population is relatively average for a city of its size, the NW 39th Street Enclave is widely regarded as the largest gay and lesbian district in the Great Plains and central regions of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, and one of the largest in the South. The NW 39th Street district attracts large numbers of gay and lesbian

tourists Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...

, particularly on weekends, from elsewhere in Oklahoma and from the surrounding states of

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

, and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

. The neighborhood is also a popular stopping point for cross-country LGBT travelers. Most of the district's attractions are concentrated around or near the District Hotel (which had a long history as the Habana Inn before being briefly rebranded as the Hotel Habana). This hotel, promoted as "Oklahoma City’s renowned wonderland for adults" and "a multi-venue experience," features a variety of guest rooms, a lounge bar, nightclub, billiards, darts and two pools, and also promotes a forthcoming restaurant and business center. The hotel, which requires all guests to be 21 years or older to be on its property, hosts various LGBT events and gatherings.

References

Gay villages in the United States LGBT culture in Oklahoma Neighborhoods in Oklahoma City Entertainment districts in the United States {{OklahomaCity-stub