Jefferson Park

“A bungalow community.” That’s what the sign welcoming you to Jefferson Park says. But less than 3 miles north of downtown Oklahoma City, bordering two popular urban core entertainment and dining districts, Jefferson Park is more than just a community of bungalows. “This area has a ton of really cool nightlife,” says Jenna Laird, a local Verity Real Estate realtor who’s been working in the area for nearly 20 years. Sage Sotheby’s International Realty’s Jenna Harper, who has been working as a local realtor for more than 10 years, agrees. “It’s the location that really draws people here,” she says. “You’re within walking distance to tons of entertainment and tons of restaurants, which is especially appealing to homebuyers in Oklahoma City because the city is not known for its walkability.”

As the neighborhood’s motto says, Jefferson Park is a community of bungalows. Many of the little Craftsman-style homes were built between 1903, when the neighborhood was established, and the late 1930s. “The homes here are older, but there’s no real historical significance to them,” says Harper. “Some of them are pretty run-down in this pocket of town, but they’re very classic, bungalow-style homes with good bones, so we’re seeing a lot of them getting renovated and flipped,” she says, adding that there are also quite a few new construction homes popping up in the area in the place of some of the homes that have fallen into disrepair past the point of renovation. Laird notes that even with the increasing amount of new construction in Jefferson Park, the community has maintained its original charm. “The homes that have been updated have been done mindfully. They haven’t been turned into modernized monstrosities of themselves. And even the new builds are being built in the Craftsman bungalow style of the original homes, so they blend into the community’s aesthetic really nicely.”

Prices here are on par with the median for the wider city, spanning the spectrum between $100,000 and $350,000. A 1920 brick bungalow, with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, newly refinished original hardwood flooring, and new stainless-steel appliances and stone counters in the kitchen recently sold for $339,900. A less updated 1931 bungalow, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a spacious, cedar privacy-fenced backyard recently sold for nearly $150,000 less. “It’s an up-and-coming area, but there are still homes here that need some work and prices reflect that,” says Harper, noting that Jefferson Park is unique in that there is a home for every budget and life stage. “Whether you’re just starting out and looking for your first home or you’re an established real estate investor, or somewhere in between, this neighborhood has a range of homes and prices that can work for you.”

Students in Jefferson Park attend schools in the Oklahoma City Public Schools system. Many youngsters go to Wilson Elementary between preschool and fourth grade and F.D. Moon Middle between fifth and eighth grade. Older students go to Douglass High School to finish up Grades 9 through 12. In 2023, Wilson Elementary earned a B grade from Niche and a 7/10 GreatSchools Summary Rating. That same year, Moon and Douglass earned 1 out of 10 GreatSchools Summary Ratings. Douglass High School, established in 1891, is one of the oldest schools in the city. It was also the first school in OKC to serve African-American students. Today, the historic school is known affectionately by locals as the “Pride of the East Side.” Douglass Trojans have the opportunity to apply to the school’s Academy of Law and Public Safety, a program in which they work with local professionals in the law and public safety industries to get hands-on experience ahead of joining the workforce after graduation.

But it’s the neighborhood’s location, within a mile of both Uptown 23rd and Paseo, that really makes it stand out among other urban core gems. “23rd Street is a very, very popular street,” says Laird. “It’s one of the primary destinations for people who are looking for somewhere to go and something to do. There are a ton of really nice, locally owned restaurants and the Tower Theatre, which is a fun, historic space where you can see concerts, stand-up comedy, movies and just all kinds of shows.” There are several eateries within a mile of Jefferson Park along Northwest 23rd Street, with fare ranging from Mediterranean and Mexican to American and fast food. For a taste of classic Oklahoman cuisine, visit Tucker’s, at the corner of 23rd and Hudson Avenue. The local chain has been serving up the state’s famous onion burgers since 2011. The Paseo Arts District, less than a mile northwest, shares its name with the street on which it stretches. Packed in Paseo’s quarter-mile curve, you’ll find more than 20 art galleries and several local cafes and sit-down eateries, housed in Spanish-style buildings topped with iconic red tile roofs. “Paseo is a really fun arts district, but it’s not exclusive,” says Harper, explaining that visitors of all ages are welcome. “They do first Friday gallery walks, where all the galleries have special exhibitions, and there are children’s events happening all the time to get kids involved in making art,” Harper says.

For a breath of fresh air, residents can stick even closer to home by visiting one of the two parks at the heart of the neighborhood. Named for the developers who built the original homes between Robinson and Hudson Avenues, Sparrow and Goodholm Parks have everything from playgrounds and paved, multiuse paths to picnic areas and tennis courts. For their groceries, residents can venture slightly farther afield to the Homeland off 36th Street, just over 2 miles northeast.

Written By

Megan Quintin

Photography Contributed By

Brian Lee

Video By

Jessica Johnson