Norman is home to the University of Oklahoma, a member of the Big XII conference. The OU campus, the heart of the city, is located north of Highway 9 and south of Boyd St. in between Elm St. and Jenkins. It has a 2 million-volume library open to the public, a wide array of undergraduate and graduate programs, a law school, National Championship-winning football and men's gymnastics teams and one of the top women's basketball teams in the nation. It houses two major museums see below, under Do.
Norman's small historic downtown, located on and around Main St. east of University, hosts an increasingly thriving array of local businesses, including:
Forward Foods
(http://forwardfoods.com/), 123 E. Main St., a nifty little gourmet grocery with a wonderful array of US and imported cheeses.MAINSITE Contemporary Art
(http://mainsite-art.com/h...), 122 E. Main St., a commercial gallery that shows cutting edge work by artists from near and far.Opolis
(http://www.starlightmints...), 113 N. Crawford Ave., a hip live music venue.Guestroom Records
125 E. Main St., an independent record store with a very cool T-shirt.The Performing Arts Studio
200 S. Jones Ave., inside Norman's cute historic train depot, hosts concerts and exhibitions.Encompass Interiors
224 E. Main St., features custom designed furniture.Vintage Vibe
311 W. Main St., a vintage clothing store that also rents out period outfits especially to OU students headed for theme parties.Sooner Theatre
(http://www.soonertheatre.com/), 101 E. Main St., hosts a variety of live music and theatre performances.Notable restaurants, bars and cafes in the historic downtown see full listings below under Eat and Drink: Benvenuti's Italian, Sweet Basil Cafe Thai, Winan's Fine Chocolates and Coffee, Coach's microbrewery, Bison Witches Bar and Deli, The Diner just like the name says, Pho Sooner Vietnamese Restaurant.
Campus Corner (http://www.oucampuscorner...), located just north of Boyd St. adjacent to the OU campus, also has a number of shops, bars and restaurants worth exploring.
