University Park Neighborhood

As its name suggests, the neighborhood of University Park is home to one of Dallas’ most cherished institutions of higher learning, Southern Methodist University. Because of University Park’s affiliation with the school (enrollment about 10,000), there is a youthful vibe in University Park that helps keep this wonderful neighborhood one of the most popular places to call home in all of Dallas.

Situated north of downtown and to the immediate east of Dallas’ Love Field, the neighborhood of University Park is spread out over 3.75 square miles. In that tiny space lives a rambunctious population of over 23,000 people who, quite frankly, wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. The combination of the college atmosphere, the bars, clubs and restaurants and the easy access to the university and the rest of downtown make University Park one of the most exciting places live in Texas.

It is impossible to separate this wonderful neighborhood from the university that calls it home. SMU is a legendary institution in Dallas, and even though other Dallas schools like Rice and Texas Christian may battle SMU on the football field, SMU is considered to be the favorite of most Dallas residents. This can be seen during fall Saturdays when SMU takes to the football field. A multiple national championship winner, SMU has bitter rivalries against both TCU and Rice, and the weekends when those games take place are legendary in Dallas. The SMU-Rice football rivalry has been going on since 1916.

The university isn’t the only school in University Park. The younger set attend the Highland Park Independent School District and those that wish to pursue a higher education but don’t want to attend SMU have the choice of attending Dallas County Community College.

As can be expected with any area that attracts young people, University Park does have a lot of nightlife. Affordable restaurants, bars and clubs dot the landscape around the university, always competing for the leftover student loan money burning holes in the pockets of SMU students. If you want to tap into this fun-loving and youthful vibe, than University Park should be your first stop on your apartment search.

Another major benefit to living close to a university is that you’ll find a higher concentration of affordable apartments and homes here since landlords need to cater to young adults who don’t have a lot of extra income to spend. As long as you can handle a little extra noise, some of the best apartment bargains can be found right here in University Park.

One note, however, if you do move into University Park, don’t expect to sign that name on your mail. Residents of University Park simply use the Dallas designation on their mail and official addresses, even though University Park is considered its own neighborhood by locals.

Very few spots in the country are able to combine the youthful energy and the prime location like University Park. Just minutes from downtown and other fun neighborhoods like Highland Park and Oak Lawn, University Park has staked its claim as one of the nicest places to live in Dallas.