The University neighborhood is the area surrounding the University of Utah campus; the state’s oldest institution of higher education. It’s located on Salt Lake City’s East bench between the neighborhoods of Federal Heights and Emigration. Since 1920, young families have lived alongside professors and students in what feels like a small college town; complete with its’ own zip code and tree-lined streets. Local establishments line 1300 E. and provide a unique and active atmosphere with numerous shops and well-known restaurants like The Pie Pizzeria, Osteria Amore, Indochine Vietnamese Bistro, and Rio Grande Cafe; which is housed in an old historic fire station.
President’s Circle, a district located on the University campus, is listed on the historic register and is composed of eight unique and historic buildings, named after former University of Utah Presidents. On the northern edge of the neighborhood are the notable fraternity and sorority houses that have been regularly packed since the early 1920s.
Many of the homes in the area are Victorian and can be traced back to the days when the University of Utah was founded. Other architectural styles include Gothic Revival, Tudor, and Craftsman.
Like other neighborhoods in Salt Lake City, the residents of the University district place a high priority on preserving the historic characteristics within the neighborhood, and add to the progressive vibe of the University next door.
Photo courtesy of Todd McKinley
Central Ninth is Salt Lake’s newest neighborhood and was formed by rezoning a portion of the northern edge of the Ball Park neighborhood. This new urban village is a vibrant, rapidly developing area with many medium and high density infill projects in and around it’s core along 900 S and 200 W.
The neighborhood has a unique character made up of Victorian era homes and multi-family structures sitting next to sleek, modern homes and condo buildings.
Central Ninth is home to local businesses and organizations like Atlas Architects, Infinite Scale Design Group, and Spyhop Youth Media Arts Center. Many popular restaurants and bars have popped up in the last couple years that have added a liveliness to the streets of the neighborhood. If you’re in the area, try out Laziz Kitchen, Marty’s Cafe, Water Witch and Templin Family Brewing.
Located just south of downtown Salt Lake City, and easily accessible from 1300 S, is the Ballpark neighborhood. Also referred to as the People’s Freeway, it’s centerpiece is Smith’s Ballpark, the home field of the Salt Lake Bees of the Triple-A West. Since 1994, baseball fans have congregated to the neighborhood to see the Salt Lake Bees minor league baseball team in action. The Ballpark is noted for its stunning views of the Wasatch Mountains and for the frequent fireworks displays throughout the summer.
The Ballpark UTA Station is located in the neighborhood and is one of the busiest light rail stations in the city, servicing all three lines of the Trax system. Commuters can also take advantage of numerous bus-lines, the U Car Share program, and dedicated parking lots.
Real estate is varied within the neighborhood ranging from the historic Jefferson School apartments, to the contemporary Rowhaus Condos, a green community of 24, 3-story, townhouse-style condominiums.
The area to the south of Liberty Park is referred to as the Liberty Wells neighborhood. Here, neighbors enjoy the proximity to downtown and may often be found in the popular leash-free dog park Herman Franks Park, enjoying brunch at the Park Café on the weekends, or sipping a latté at Alchemy Coffee.
The gem of the neighborhood is the 80-acre Liberty Park. For over a hundred years, families have gathered year round to partake of the public facilities that include children’s playgrounds, horseshoe pits, basketball courts, volleyball courts, tennis courts, a jogging path, picnic areas, and a pond with two islands. Tracy Aviary is located within the park and since 1938, has housed many rare and endangered birds. Sitting in the northeast corner of the park is the Historic Chase Home, which houses a folk museum; and Chase Mill, the oldest commercial building still standing in Utah.
The homes that border the park and surrounding streets are pre-1950s bungalows and are well-maintained and sought after by families looking for an alternative to downtown living. Over the past several years, this area has been the epicenter of modern and energy efficient infill home projects, making it an ideal area to purchase a home and raise a family.
The 9th & 9th area is one of Salt Lake City’s best kept secrets. Often considered one of the most walkable neighborhoods in the city, the 9th & 9th area attracts young successful individuals and families for the eclectic mix of classic residential and unique retail space. Plan on finding numerous different styles of homes in the area; Tudor, Prairie, Colonial, Spanish, and Modern. Here, the architecture is as diverse as the people.
The business district at the corner of 900 S and 900 E features several independent and locally owned stores and businesses. You can easily walk to restaurants like Vessel Kitchen, East Liberty Tap House and Pago, enroll in a yoga class at Centered Street Yoga, meet a friend for coffee at Coffee Garden, or see a movie at Tower Theater, Salt Lake City’s oldest, operating theater.
Every fall the neighborhood opens its doors for the annual 9th and 9th Street Festival with the intent to bring neighbors together. Locals from throughout the city converge to enjoy the eclectic mix of local art, entertainment, food, and music. The festival has become the most distinguishing event in the neighborhood, reaffirming the 9th & 9th area as a cultural hub.
The Yalecrest neighborhood is locally significant both architecturally and historically. In the 1870s the earliest residents began to appear to farm the five-acre plots. Decades later, the city developed 23 different subdivisions in the area that border 900 S to 1300 S and 1300 E to 1800 E. Streets in the area are named after famous schools like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. The beautiful tree-lined trees and historic homes have attracted many prominent Utah business and religious leaders to the area.
There are roughly 1,400 homes in the neighborhood, all varying in size and style. The Yalecrest architecture is unparalleled in the state of Utah, featuring large Tudor style homes and renovated bungalows, consistent of the surrounding neighborhood.
In 2007 Yalecrest was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, proving that it remains one of the most sought after and historically significant neighborhoods in Salt Lake City.
The Foothill neighborhood refers to the East Bench of Salt Lake City, named after Foothill Drive, a major road that runs parallel to the base of the mountains and connects Interstate 80 with the University of Utah.
The area is made up of several small neighborhoods that include Sunnyside, St. Mary’s, Oak Hills and Devonshire. Homes in the area date back to the 1940s and vary in architecture and layout.
This Is the Place Heritage Park, Hogle Zoo, Fort Douglas Military Museum, The Natural History Museum of Utah, and Red Butte Gardens are just some of the numerous family-friendly and cultural activities that are dispersed throughout the Foothill neighborhood.
The Foothill Village Shopping Center is a local favorite for shopping, dining, and professional services. Many locally owned boutiques share the space with well-known national retailers and restaurants, making this one of the most unique shopping centers in the city.
Sugar House is a large neighborhood loosely defined by the boundaries of 700 E and 2100 E and 1300 S and 2700 S. The neighborhood was originally named after an old sugar factory that was under construction at the time of development, and to this day, remains one of Salt Lake City’s most beloved areas. People from all over the city are drawn to the unique homes, tree-lined streets, and ideal location.
The Sugar House commercial and business area is clustered with independent clothing stores, coffee shops, restaurants, and studios, offering an eclectic mix of shopping and entertainment.
Sugar House Park is one of the largest and most beautiful parks in the city, comprising a lake, jogging/biking trail, soccer fields, baseball diamonds, and volleyball courts.
Right in the heart of Sugar House is Westminster College. Westminster is the only private, comprehensive liberal arts college in Utah. This unique environment for learning draws in a diverse group of students from all around the state, country, and world. The students take pride in their local community and strive to keep Sugar House a desirable place to live.
Homes in the Sugar House area are some of the oldest in Salt Lake, and feature some of the best classic bungalows in the city. In the mid 1990s the area experienced a revitalization and an influx of young homeowners purchased and renovated homes in the neighborhood. Today, that trend continues, allowing Sugar House to embrace many income levels.
Tucked away between the historic Yalecrest and Sugar House neighborhoods lies one of the smallest, but well celebrated areas of the city; 15th & 15th. The area is known for its tight-knit community where neighbors are known as friends.
Comfortable local establishments like Mazza, Finca, Tulie Bakery, and Tony Caputos make up a rare commercial node along 1500 East and offer some of the best local dining in the city; while The King’s English Bookshop and 15th Street Gallery are celebrated for their ongoing support of local authors and artists in the region.
The Westmoreland Place Subdivision was laid out in 1913 and is the city’s newest local historic district. It remains one of the most intact collections of architecturally significant bungalows and period cottages in Salt Lake City. Other subdivisions in the neighborhood include Tudor style homes ideal for the young family or empty nester looking to purchase a home with deep historical roots.
Highland Park is located at the south end of Salt Lake City, and is separated from Sugar House by I-80 running east and west. A large part of the neighborhood sits within the 26-block Highland Park Historic District which was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1998 and where 97% of the homes date back to 1910-1940s. There are a few commercial buildings within Highland Park, along Highland Drive, Stratford Avenue and 2700 S, which provide local products and services to its residents. Stratford Proper is a great place to meet for brunch or dinner, and Native Flower Company is a premier source for fresh flowers in the Salt Lake valley.
Here’s a fun fact: East of 1300 E, most of the streets in Highland Park are in alphabetical order starting with Alden St., and going east to Preston St.