University Park

 

 

First developed around 1915, the year SMU was founded, University Park has grown from a small nucleus of teacher housing into a full-fledged community with multi-generational appeal. Along with adjacent sister neighborhood Highland Park, it anchors the Park Cities, Dallas’s wealthiest enclave.

Charming homegrown shops, lovingly maintained green spaces, and a prized residents-only pool.

Nearby Highland Park and Preston Hollow boast a bevy of designer boutiques, but UP residents cherish their own Snider Plaza, built in 1927 and home to an array of local shops. Recreational pleasures--everything from fishing ponds to jogging trails--abound in the many parks, though the most beloved is the Holmes Aquatic Center, a popular summer hangout.

Laid-back and neighborly with lots of school spirit.

The consistently high-performing Highland Park Independent School District lures many young families to the area, so you’ll likely pass a lemonade stand or two as well as families out for evening bike rides and weekend walks along the tree-lined streets. Impromptu neighborhood cookouts fill out a full calendar of official community events.

World-class cultural offerings--and tailgating too.

Proximity to SMU’s leafy campus means residents can easily take advantage of the storied university’s many cultural institutions, including the prestigious Meadows Museum (known for its collection of Spanish art) and the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. You don’t have to be an alum to enjoy the revelry that is “boulevarding” before football games.

Sprawling estates for growing families.

Though lots tend to be a half-acre or smaller, the single-family homes here have ample square footage. Expect to see Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial stunners as well as plenty of Georgian mansions that mimic the architecture of the SMU campus.

The small-town atmosphere amid big-city amenities.

Thanks to University Park’s central location and easy access to several major thoroughfares, you can get out and enjoy Dallas’s glitzy shopping centers and five-star restaurants and then come home to this cocoon of comfort and quiet.