[3] Oak Lawn is one of the wealthier areas of metropolitan Dallas, with the population consisting mainly of urban professionals.

For most of the 20th century the southern portion of the neighborhood near the intersection of Cedar Springs Road and Harry Hines Blvd was known as "Little Mexico".

Only a few structures of this original community remain for most have been replaced by high rise office buildings, luxury hotels, and condominiums.

[4] The Federal Bureau of Prisons South Central Region Office was previously in Oak Lawn.

[7][8] In April 2005 the British government announced that it was closing the Dallas consulate in the summer of 2005; its territory was transferred to the consulate-general in Houston.

[13] Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School was previously in Oak Lawn.

The area has some of Dallas' most renowned gay bars and nightclubs, most of which are located along, or close to, Cedar Springs Road.

[17] In October 2018, Dallas made history when it became the first Texas city to get state recognition for its Oak Lawn LGBT neighborhood.

[18] There is a large concentration of Hispanic owned businesses, restaurants, grocery stores, nightclubs, and retail establishments on the Maple Avenue corridor between the Inwood Road and the North Dallas Tollway.

Continuous redevelopment of the neighborhood has created a mixture of architectural styles spanning much of the 20th century to the present day.