South Jordan

Daybreak is a growing master-planned community on the western end of South Jordan, about 20 miles south of Salt Lake City. Established in 2004, the community comprises several varying subdivisions built around Oquirrh Lake, with the Oquirrh Mountains as their scenic backdrop. “Daybreak provides a pretty active lifestyle, with trails, the lake and pickleball/tennis courts,” says Sandy Ewing, a Realtor with Primed Real Estate and over 18 years of industry experience. “The lifestyle has been the number one thing that attracts people here, and once they really understand it, they’re hooked.” SoDa Row is a community anchor for shopping, dining and events, like the LiveDaybreak summer concert series, and the neighborhood receives a CAP Index Crime Score of 2 out of 10, compared to the national average of 4. “People quickly realize there’s a sense of community here. I moved here from California in 2017, and I've definitely built a tribe for myself,” says Rachel Williams, a Realtor with Top Equity Realty who lives in Daybreak. Daybreak is poised for more growth, with plans for building around 20,000 more homes. “Once homebuyers move to Daybreak," says Ewing, "they stay in Daybreak.” In case residents choose to travel, though, nearby access to Utah Route 85 and the TRAX light rail system makes it easy to get around Salt Lake County. Overall, homes vary in different parts of Daybreak, like waterfront properties and townhouses in the Lake Village area or Craftsman-style single-family homes in Creekside and Garden Park; there's new construction going up throughout the community. Most homes here range between $500,000 and $800,000, with an average price of $620,000; in neighboring Oquirrh Park and Glenmoor Country Estates, averages are $682,000 and $630,000, respectively. Typically, townhouses here start at around $300,000, and single-family homes with three bedrooms begin at $500,000. Many homes feature pastel-painted wood exteriors with Craftsman-style designs and traditional grass lawns. Starting around $700,000, homes may have up to six bedrooms, front porches or attached garages, while waterfront homes inspired by Tudor and Colonial Revival styles start around $1 million. “It depends on what you want, but they really have something for everyone here,” says Ewing. Residents are part of the Daybreak Community Association, which provides shared amenities, like pools, clubs and more. Daybreak is a part of the Jordan School District, rated B overall by Niche. Local kids can attend the B-rated Daybreak Elementary, which is connected to the Daybreak Community Center, before moving on to the B-plus-rated Mountain Creek Middle. Teens attend Herriman High, rated B, where they can take concurrent enrollment courses for college credit at Salt Lake Community College. The B-minus-rated American Academy of Innovation is another option for students between Grades 6 and 12; this charter school offers alternative learning paths, including a flex schedule for a hybrid of online and in-person schooling. The Daybreak Community Center offers fitness classes, a gym, a track and an outdoor pool. Other community amenities include The Spoke (a bike and skate park) and courts for tennis, volleyball, pickleball and basketball; more than 30 miles' worth of trails are popular with morning joggers, dog walkers and cyclists. “They designed the neighborhood so that every home in the neighborhood is within a five-minute walk of a park,” says Williams. At Daybreak’s Beach Club, residents can rent watercraft to use on Oquirrh Lake, which is stocked with bluegill, rainbow trout and largemouth bass. Along Daybreak’s northern border, Bingham Creek Regional Park offers 160 acres of recreational space, including multi-use fields, trails for walking and biking and a disc golf course. The 18-hole course at Glenmoor Golf Club is next to the park, featuring rolling green fairways set by mountain views. SoDa Row is Daybreak’s central shopping and dining destination, featuring outdoor murals and seating, as well as local businesses like Dave’s Barber Shop and Nest Boutique, for women's apparel. Ewing recommends Tio’s for authentic Mexican cuisine, and The Break Sports Grill for American comfort food alongside craft beers; residents visit the latter to watch sports with neighbors and play billiards and shuffleboard. On Saturdays from June through October, the Daybreak Farmer’s Market at SoDa Row offers locally sourced produce and handmade crafts; residents can also find groceries at Smith’s off Route 85. About a mile north of SoDa Row, there’s also shopping and dining at North Shore, across from Oquirrh Lake. “That area’s been recently developed; there’s pizza, sushi, gelato, boutiques and Harmon’s,” says Ewing. “Throughout the year,” says Ewing, “there are activities going on here constantly.” The Daybreak community offers residents a growing list of groups to join, including exercise clubs for walking and CrossFit, interest clubs for wine and board games and unique clubs like Daybreak Disneylanders, for residents who love visiting Disneyland. LiveDaybreak hosts seasonal events throughout the year, including Noon Year’s Eve, the Easter Trail Hop and Trick or Treat Street. In the summer, LiveDaybreak sponsors a free concert series featuring local and touring artists at the SoDa Row Stage. Most residents here drive to get around; Utah Route 85 runs through Daybreak for convenient access north to Salt Lake City, a 22-mile drive or 30- to 55-minute trip, depending on traffic. Residents can also ride TRAX, a light rail system, from the Daybreak Parkway Station. South Jordan Health Center, part of the University of Utah health system, is next to the station, and Salt Lake International Airport is about 17 miles north.

While its quiet, grassy streets might give off a feeling of seclusion, The North District sits near some of the South Jordan’s most popular shopping opportunities. “The streets are quiet,” says Thomas Larson, a Realtor with 20 years of experience selling in Salt Lake and its surrounding counties. “It’s a relaxed neighborhood, but it’s convenient in that it’s close to parks, schools, shopping—the works.” Bangerter Highway runs along the neighborhood’s western edge, providing easy commutes to surrounding areas. There aren’t any public transportation stops or stations in the area, meaning access to a car is a must for getting around. The North District is characterized by its quiet cul-de-sacs lined with Craftsman-style houses that coexist with colorful, street-view townhomes. There are many blocks of single-family homes with tall, arched doorways and covered patios, ideal for sitting in a chair and enjoying a morning cup of coffee. Homes is the area usually feature verdant front yards which residents happily decorate with landscaping like rose bushes or small vegetable gardens. “One facet of the area is that there are a lot of new developments with great reputations,” says Marty Gale, a Principal Broker at Utah Realty with 39 years of experience. “Another facet is a little old world, more relaxed with half-acre to acre lots.” Home prices range from $295,000 to $1.25 million. Children in the neighborhood attend Jordan Ridge Elementary School, which has an overall Niche grade of A-minus. Students are encouraged to build creative skills through extracurricular activities like band, orchestra, choir or student council. Next, they attend South Jordan Middle School, which has an overall Niche grade of B-plus and offers fun clubs like Dungeons and Dragons Club, Multicultural Club, or the Scribble Society. Teenagers attend Valley High School, which has an overall Niche grade of C-plus. The school has a lounge known as the Owl’s Nest, where students can socialize, receive help with classwork or just take a breather. The Owl’s Nest is stocked with snacks like granola bars, fruit and oatmeal, to keep tummy rumbles at bay. Children can spend hours tiring themselves out at River Heights Park, which offers monkey bars, climbing walls and swing sets. For fresh air and exercise residents can enjoy a brisk morning walk along the nearby Oquirrh Lake Loop, which wraps around a large lake for just over two miles. When locals get hungry, a short walk down Periwinkle Drive leads them to their choice of Buffalo Wild Wings, Long Horn Steakhouse or Olive Garden. If they want to venture out further, they can take Bangerter Highway to the District, a retail center spanning three city blocks, with upscale dining like The Wild Rose. Weekly groceries are easily grabbed from the local Harmons Grocery Store.