Denniston Park

Like many parts of the state, Denniston Park is named for the 89ers who settled their homestead here in the first Land Run. Today, just 5 miles from Downtown Oklahoma City, the neighborhood is a far cry from the patch of rural farmland it was in the late 19th century. “It’s not an easy place to buy, because it’s so popular,” says Re/Max Preferred Realtor Carla Splaingard. “A lot of people are interested in it for its location, but it’s got a really unique collection of homes as well. Almost any style you can think of, it’s there in Denniston Park.”

Most of the neighborhood’s architectural smorgasbord was developed in the 1930s and ‘40s after the Denniston family retired and sold their farmland. Cape Cod and Tudor Revival cottages stand next to modest Minimal Traditional-style homes throughout the hilly residential streets. You’ll also find “some really swell Contemporaries along Drexel Avenue facing the neighborhood park,” says Splaingard. “This is one of my favorite little sleeper old-house neighborhoods,” she adds. “It’s just a wonderful little area with a nice collection of really beautiful early midcentury homes.”

While many Denniston Park homes are midcentury-era construction, there are newer builds tucked away in the hills too. Some are even as recent as the 2010s. Home prices here range almost as much as the homes’ ages. Splaingard notes, “In today’s market, you’re looking at anywhere from the high hundreds to as much as $350,000.” The median sale price for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Denniston Park is on par with the median for the greater OKC metro area, falling around the $250,000 mark. “Right now, we have eight sales pending, but no active listings,” Splaingard says, adding, “There’s very little ever for sale here and when there is it just doesn’t stay on the market long.”

Between Drexel Avenue and Denniston Drive, you’ll find the neighborhood’s bowl-shaped park. The sunny little park’s colorful playground sits on a springy surface, and a paved walking trail dotted with benches and picnic tables circles the perimeter. “The park is a small public park, and people use it all the time,” says Splaingard. She jokes that kids often leave toys out for the next group of youngsters in the park to play with, rather intentionally or not. It’s been a popular gathering place for residents since the early 20th century, when the Denniston family developed the land into an amusement area. Back then, there were also play structures for kids and picnic areas, as well as a small lake the Dennistons staffed with a lifeguard. Though long since drained, the lake left its impression on the park with its distinctive valley-like shape.

A block away from the park, at the corner of North May Avenue and 23rd Street, is Taft Middle School. The Art Deco-style yellow brick school has been a landmark in the neighborhood since it was established in 1930, and it officially joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Taft Stadium, adjacent to the school, “hosts football games for the Oklahoma City Public Schools without stadiums, and the professional soccer team plays there too,” says Splaingard. The soccer team she's referring to is USL side OKC Energy FC. “It’s almost as much of a historical landmark as the school itself,” she adds, noting that “the city has put a lot of money into restoring it recently.”

Across May Avenue, just a few blocks north, students can also attend Northwest Classen High School. Established in 1955, it is one of two schools in the OKCPS district with an Academy of Health Sciences, which draws students from all over the city. During their third and fourth years in the program, Academy students have the opportunity to participate in paid internships with local businesses in the healthcare sector.

Written By

Megan Quintin

Photography Contributed By

Lindsey Torres

Video By

Houston Knight