Deep Deuce

Steeped in history, Deep Deuce is a vibrant neighborhood just north of downtown Oklahoma City. The small neighborhood derives its name from its location. Encompassing the 300 block of Northeast Second Street, Deep Deuce is also known as “Deep Two” and “Deep Second.”

“It’s a very significant historical neighborhood in OKC,” says Anita Arnold, the Executive Director for the Black Liberated Arts Center. “It’s the area where African Americans settled when they first came into the city.” Originally a housing district for people working in warehouses in OKC’s nearby Bricktown area, Deep Deuce quickly became a thriving center of business and culture for African Americans in the early 20th century.

“There was everything that you needed on Deep Deuce,” Arnold notes. “There was a tailor if you needed to have clothes made, there were barber shops, hotels, a funeral home, a pool hall and a cab stand” and even a building with a drug store, a dance hall and an insurance company stacked one on top of the other. Deep Deuce even had its own theater. The Aldridge Theatre “showed cowboy pictures” and hosted vaudeville and other shows traveling through OKC for African American audiences.

Deep Deuce became renowned as a hub for local jazz and blues musicians throughout the early decades of the 20th century. Electric guitarist Charlie Christian and singer Jimmy Rushing, both key figures in American music history, called the neighborhood home.

Today, the area is still a booming center of business and entertainment, though many of the old hotspots are no longer around. Walking down Northeast Second Street, you’ll see office buildings and local eateries interspersed between upscale apartments, condos and townhomes. Homes here tend to cost more than the average for the city, some going for well over $1 million. The median home price in Deep Deuce, though, falls around the $400,000 mark.

Home styles vary almost as widely as the prices in the neighborhood. Modern apartment buildings tower over Traditional style brick row homes and condos throughout the neighborhood. Sidewalks lined with neat rows of young trees connect Deep Deuce to the nearby Bricktown neighborhood and downtown OKC. So close to downtown amenities, Deep Deuce is not only walkable but also has easy access to Embark, OKC public transit.

The restaurant scene in Deep Deuce draws residents from all over OKC. Residents can mosey down Walnut Avenue and enjoy a cocktail and eclectic American fare at the Black Walnut or stay on 2nd Street and try the fresh flavors of dishes made with regionally sourced ingredients at Bar Cicchetti. Like the neighborhood itself, Deep Deuce’s restaurants are sophisticated but unfussy. Perfect for date nights.

If you’re more into arts and literature than dining, check out Artspace at Untitled or Bookish. Artspace hosts exhibits, film screenings, visiting artist talks and other free community programming from its hip reclaimed warehouse space. A few blocks up Broadway Avenue, booklovers flock to Bookish for its used books, mini coffee shop and plush couches. The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is also nearby, less than a mile west down 2nd Street.

Students in Deep Deuce are districted for Oklahoma City Public Schools. As the fastest growing school district in the state, OKCPS serves nearly 40,000 students. John Rex Charter Elementary, just a mile west of Deep Deuce, opened in 2014 and provides unique opportunities for students to experience the cultural amenities of the surrounding downtown area.

“The best way to describe Deep Deuce” at the turn of the 20th century was “business by day but entertainment by night,” says Arnold. As one of OKC’s most highly sought-after neighborhoods today, the “work hard, party hard” attitude is still very much alive.

Written By

Megan Quintin

Photography Contributed By

Richard Waltemath

Video By

Jonathan Bradley