Hilldale

Nearly 8 miles from downtown Oklahoma City, Hilldale offers an atmosphere only a westside neighborhood can. Lola Adeyemi, a local Realtor with Keller Williams Realty Elite, calls the unique vibe “city-suburban,” noting that part of what makes these neighborhoods so special is their blend of traditional suburban form with accessible urban function. She says: “These are different from the big suburban subdivisions on the northwest side of town, where you definitely need a car to get anywhere. They’re still pretty traditionally suburban, but you can walk to a lot of places you need to go, like food, grocery stores and convenience stores.” Local Realtor Jenna Laird, with Verity Real Estate, agrees that its location is what makes Hilldale stand out. “Anything near Northwest 23rd is going to be desirable,” she says. “You’re very convenient to the entertainment districts downtown, but in this area in particular, you’ll find homes at a little bit of a lower price point, with a more family-friendly atmosphere.”

Hilldale’s brick ranch-style homes range in price between $125,000 and $200,000. That’s under the median for the greater metro, which hovers closer to $315,000. Laird observes: “The farther east you go down 23rd Street, the higher the prices climb because you’re closer to the popular entertainment districts.” Adeyemi explains: “These midcentury homes are a little more contemporary than the ones you’ll find farther east down 23rd Street, but although they’re newer, they’re farther from downtown, so they’re more reasonably priced.” Adeyemi adds that many of these homes are in a “transitional” phase right now. “People are redoing the homes here like they are in some of the neighborhoods nearby. They’re adding midcentury modern fixtures back where they’d been previously removed, which is cool to see,” she says. For a 1960s-era brick ranch, featuring an aluminum carport shading the drive in front of its attached, two-car garage and a kitchen updated with sleek white appliances, stone counters and gold midcentury-style hardware, you can expect to pay around $195,000.

Students in Hilldale attend schools in the Putnam City Schools system. Many go to Hilldale Elementary between preschool and grade five, Mayfield Middle between grades six and eight and Putnam City West High School for grades nine through 12. All three schools earned C-plus grades from Niche in 2023. That same year, P.C. West earned an A grade in Niche’s Diversity category and a B in Clubs & Activities. While P.C. West is 4 miles west of most homes in the neighborhood, both Hilldale and Mayfield are conveniently located less than a mile away.

In keeping with the suburban atmosphere, Hilldale’s homes are closely spaced along these grid-patterned residential streets, with a community park in easy reach. Adeyemi notes: “People walk their dogs around a lot, send their kids down the street to play in the park, it’s very family-oriented in that way.” Laird agrees with Adeyemi’s observations, explaining: “On the western side of Northwest 23rd, these neighborhoods turn more from nightlife and entertainment-oriented to quieter, family-friendly neighborhoods.” Harlow Park, at the heart of Hilldale just half a mile from most homes, is a popular gathering place for residents of all ages. You’ll find classic, colorful climbing structures for both big and little kids here, along with a shady, grassy field and a picnic pavilion, all surrounded by a paved, multiuse trail.

For their groceries, Hilldale residents can take advantage of their neighborhood’s more urban walkability by visiting one of the three markets within a mile radius. Your local Hispanic market, Supermercados Morelos, is off 23rd Street at the corner of Minnie Lane. Crest Foods is just across 23rd, a block east. And even closer to home, just a quarter of a mile east, you’ll find Mama Z’s African Supermarket in the Meridian Plaza shopping center. There’s a bowling alley close to home as well, near the Crest off 23rd Street. But for a night on the town or a great meal, both Adeyemi and Laird agree that you’ll want to head east toward downtown. Adeyemi says: “You can get anything you want downtown in about five minutes, so that’s where you want to go to really go out.” Laird confirms: “The westside is full of the more family-oriented entertainment options, but then as you go farther east you’ll find a ton of locally owned, really nice restaurants, a ton of theaters and more of that really cool nightlife scene.”

With its unique blend of form and function, this is one gem on OKC’s west side where you certainly won’t sacrifice convenience for quiet.

Written By

Megan Quintin

Photography Contributed By

Richard Waltemath

Video By

Matt Pangman