Southern Oaks

Cinderella didn’t live out her happily ever after with Prince Charming in Oklahoma City. But it’s easy to picture her doing so here in Southern Oaks. Almost 8 miles south of downtown, this neighborhood is midcentury suburban living personified—with a fairy tale twist. These quiet, gently curved residential streets are lined with Storybook ranch-style homes. A more ornamented version of the classic Oklahoman ranch-style home, these Storybook homes are bedecked with whimsical details like scalloped facia, dramatically sloped catslide roofs and diamond-patterned windows. Beyond the fairy tale architecture, though, Southern Oaks is highly sought-after for its location. Jenna Laird, a top Realtor with Verity Real Estate, says: “It’s a very convenient and very fun location.” She explains: “There are all kinds of things you can do in this area. You’re not more than 5 minutes from just about everything you could want to do.”

Southern Oaks Storybook-style homes sprang up between the early 1960s and ‘70s, and prices here span the spectrum between $125,000 and $250,000. For a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home built in 1972, featuring a front-gabled, steeply pitched catslide roof, fluted siding around the diamond-patterned windows, new luxury vinyl tile flooring throughout and a recently remodeled kitchen, you can expect to pay around $245,000. For a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home built in 1961, more simply adorned with scalloped facia and Tudor-style half-timbering, wall-to-wall carpeting and ceramic tile flooring throughout and its original kitchen cabinetry and fixtures, you’ll pay closer to the $150,000 mark. Laird notes that homes here are “still very affordable” when compared to out-of-state markets or even other neighborhoods within the metro. “$200,000 for these three-bedroom, 1,500-square-foot houses with all these possibilities in and around them is really not a bad price,” she says, noting that her out-of-town clients often experience sticker shock. “When they see the affordability that we have here that we take for granted, it’s shocking to them, but in a good way,” she explains.

Southern Oaks students attend schools in the Oklahoma City Public Schools system. The neighborhood is divided by the district into two different paths, so make sure to check your address on the boundary maps ahead of registration. Students in the northeast quadrant go to Hayes Elementary, Webster Middle and Capitol Hill High School between preschool and 12th grade. Students in the rest of the neighborhood go to Southern Hills Elementary, Jefferson Middle and U.S. Grant High School instead. All six schools earned C grades from Niche in 2023. They’re also all conveniently located within 2.6 miles of most homes.

For their groceries and other everyday essentials, many residents take advantage of Interstate 240’s proximity. Laird confirms: “On 240, there’s all sorts of shopping and restaurants, everything you need is just a short drive away.” Your local Walmart Supercenter is less than 2 miles southeast, off Santa Fe Avenue across I-240. For date night, enjoy classic southwestern-style fare at Charleston’s, off the interstate less than a mile and a half away. And for a night out on the town, Laird notes you’re not far from downtown OKC, either. “You can head north to downtown and Bricktown, those areas with more of a nightlife scene, and be there in 10 minutes,” she says.

With Taylor Park and Southern Oaks Park bookending the neighborhood to the east and west, residents don’t need to venture far for a breath of fresh air either. The two parks offer activities fun for the whole family, from classes and programming at the recreation centers to their playgrounds, walking trails and sports courts and fields. But Southern Oaks’ biggest attraction is the Winchester Drive-In, off Western Avenue just a quarter mile from most homes. It’s the metro’s only operational drive-in movie theater and has been a local favorite since it opened in 1968. “I drive 25 minutes to get to that drive-in with my kids at least once a month, it’s a family tradition. It’s a great way for families to spend a weekend night,” Laird says. “It entertains all the kids of all the ages, it’s a lot of fun,” she gushes.

With boundless amenities and pretty Storybook homes, you’ll feel like your fairy godmother has waved her magic wand to give your home-buying process a happy ending here in Southern Oaks.

Written By

Megan Quintin

Photography Contributed By

Lindsey Torres

Video By

Matt Pangman