West Point is a rural city
West Point residents will wave as your cars pass on the street, whether or not they know you. Residents in this rural city of 12,000 genuinely care for one another and want an honest answer when they ask how you’re doing. “A lot of the founding families have stayed in West Point and kept that hometown feel,” says Realtor Chris Brower, who was also born and raised here. Cows, horses and cornfields remind you that West Point hasn’t strayed from its farm town roots. However, new homes are becoming as ripe as in-season produce, and new neighbors are sowing the seeds of their lives in West Point. “You’ll see new people move here, adapt to the slow, smalltown lifestyle and wind up never leaving,” says Brower, who jumped at the chance to return after moving away as a newlywed. “The second a home became available, I moved back. Now, I live in the same subdivision as my parents, and my grandparents moved in.” As the seasons change, so do the crops that pop up from West Point’s fertile farmland; but hometown pride abounds year-round. It’s what the community was founded on and the common denominator that continues bringing new neighbors on every block more than 150 years later.
A variety of homes with room to grow
Ramblers and New Traditional Craftsmen start in the low $500,000s and cap at $750,000. Most new constructions sit on over a quarter acre of land with three-car garages, wide cement driveways and big yards. Parents won’t have to worry about kids riding bikes in the street because only people in your neighborhood drive through it. Up to four bedrooms and four bathrooms cover between 1,700 and 4,400 square feet. Well-maintained ramblers and Colonial Revivals range between $450,000 and $675,000. These late 1900s and early 2000s homes are known for large lots cheaper than those in larger suburbs like Layton. Most sit on over a quarter acre, but three-quarter lots are prevalent for homes with horse property. Mature trees stand tall in your front yard but still leave enough space for shrubs, rock gardens and low-water plants. Up to six bedrooms and four bathrooms spread across 3,600 square feet. Front and back porches provide multiple areas to enjoy your slow, peaceful neighborhood.
Davis School District
Niche gives West Point Elementary an A for high-quality teachers and a B for academics. West Point Junior High received an overall A and ranks in the top 12 percent for best public middle school teachers in Utah. Lakeside Elementary sits two blocks from West Point Junior High, and sidewalk-lined subdivisions lead kids from their front doors to their classrooms.
Neighbors meet at Loy Blake Park
Count on running into several familiar faces at Loy Blake Park, dubbed “City Park” by locals. Most kids play on at least one community sports team, most of which practice and compete here. Pack your coolers and set up your camping chairs along football and soccer fields or behind baseball dugouts. Three basketball and two tennis courts add variety, and a giant blue and green playground will entertain little ones not quite old enough to sit through an entire game. Ropes weaving throughout a 3-D pentagon-shaped climbing structure will challenge your children’s strength and balance. Multi-person swings, slides, and a rock wall offer plenty of space for kids to play together or explore independently.
Running into friends at Smith's
Smith’s is your only option to stock your pantry and refrigerator, but neighbors don’t mind; most actually plan extra time in their schedule because they know they’ll run into at least one neighbor who wants to chat. Residents even say Smith’s doubles as a social scene on Saturday nights. People who grocery shop during this part of the week need to arrive with a list and look it over before heading to the checkout line because they’re more focused on asking neighbors how their families are doing and may even make plans for a backyard cookout.
An Urgent Care and a handful of chain restaurants accompany Smith’s in West Point’s only shopping center, but big box stores like Wal-Mart Supercenter, Kohl’s and Lowe’s are less than two miles north in Clinton. Avoid traffic and hop on the Front Runner, Utah’s commuter train, at stations less than 10 miles away in Clearfield and Layton. Head to Station Park Mall in Farmington or commute to work down into Salt Lake City.
Party at the Point
Four simple words will cause all residents within earshot to perk up: Party at the Point. The Fourth of July Celebration is West Point’s biggest party, though Brower says, “it feels more like a family reunion than a city event.” Local veterans’ names are etched into plaques behind a military memorial at City Park, where athletes face off for basketball, volleyball and horseshoe tournaments. The city also names a Woman of Honor and votes for a parade Grand Marshal. If you have to go home before the fireworks launch, Brower says there’s a good chance you can still see them from your porch. “I have to leave to put my kids to sleep, but there’s no big buildings in West Point, so you can see the fireworks from wherever you are.”
Photography Contributed By
Marcel De Lima
