{"id":884941,"date":"2026-06-22T13:38:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T13:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/884941\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T13:38:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T13:38:17","slug":"your-guide-to-park-cities-get-to-know-highland-park-university-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/884941\/","title":{"rendered":"Your guide to Park Cities: Get to know Highland Park, University Park"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Just north of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/news\/article\/oak-lawn-uptown-dallas-guide-things-to-do-22254873.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Oak Lawn<\/a> in Dallas you&#8217;ll find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/topic\/highland-park\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Highland Park<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/topic\/university-park\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">University Park<\/a>, two cities within a city.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-channels-pixel.ex.co\/events\/0012000001fxZm9AAE?integrationType=DEFAULT&amp;template=design%2Farticle%2Fplatypus_two_column.tpl\" alt=\"\" class=\"x1px y1px vh abs\" aria-hidden=\"true\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Jointly known as the Park Cities, these enclaves are home to some of the most affluent residential neighborhoods in North Texas, and to Southern Methodist University, one of Texas\u2019 top private institutions of higher education.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s your guide to the Park Cities:<\/p>\n<p>Fast facts<\/p>\n<p><strong>Population:<\/strong> 33,928<br \/><strong>Median age:<\/strong> 37.2<br \/><strong>Median income:<\/strong> $250,000+<br \/><strong>Unemployment rate:<\/strong> 3.8%<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>Race \/ ethnicity<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>One race, white: 85%<\/li>\n<li>One race, Black or African American: 1%<\/li>\n<li>One race, American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.2%<\/li>\n<li>One race, Asian: 5.2%<\/li>\n<li>One race, Native Hawaiian: 0%<\/li>\n<li>One race, some other race: 0.8%<\/li>\n<li>Two or more races: 7.7%<\/li>\n<li>Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): 7.1%<\/li>\n<li>White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 82.6%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Educational attainment<\/p>\n<p>For ages 18-24 (roughly 16.2% of the population)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Less than high school degree or equivalent: 5.6%<\/li>\n<li>High school graduates (or equivalent): 31.1%<\/li>\n<li>Some college or associate&#8217;s: 54%<\/li>\n<li>Bachelor\u2019s degree or higher: 9.3%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>For ages 25+ (roughly 55.8%)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>High school graduates (or equivalent): 2.1%<\/li>\n<li>Bachelor\u2019s degree: 46.2%<\/li>\n<li>Graduate or professional degree: 43.7%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Housing<\/p>\n<p>11,111 units; 10,242 occupied (92%)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>8,725 owner occupied<\/li>\n<li>1,517 renter occupied<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>8,525 1-unit detached<\/li>\n<li>936 1-unit attached<\/li>\n<li>1,622 multi-unit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Median home value:<\/strong> $1,925,850<br \/><strong>Median rent:<\/strong> $2,606<\/p>\n<p>Compiled by staff researcher Rachel Friend. Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Tables S0601, S1501, S1903, S2301, DP04<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Southern Methodist University, seen from the Main Quadrangle, was founded in 1911 and began to grow from the historic Dallas Hall. It was\u00a0completed in 1915.\u00a0\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Southern Methodist University, seen from the Main Quadrangle, was founded in 1911 and began to grow from the historic Dallas Hall. It was\u00a0completed in 1915.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Guy Rogers III\/Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n<p>A brief history<\/p>\n<p>The vision of Highland Park as an exclusive, high-end residential area dates back more than 125 years to the late 1880s, when a group of investors led by pioneer businessman Henry Exall bought land in the area for that purpose, according to the town\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hptx.org\/624\/Early-Development\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">website<\/a>. Early development included the creation of Exall Lake by damming the Turtle Creek, but The Panic of 1893 scuppered other early plans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>Residential development didn\u2019t pick up again until after the turn of the 20th century. John S. Armstrong invested in the land in 1906 under the name Highland Park because of its location overlooking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/news\/article\/downtown-dallas-guide-restaurants-bars-museums-22247478.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">downtown Dallas<\/a>. Beverly Hills planner Wilbur David Cook was brought in the following year to design the new town\u2019s layout, and various lots were sold and developed by 1910.<\/p>\n<p>Southern Methodist University was founded in 1911 and began to grow from the historic Dallas Hall, completed in 1915.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Highland Park asked for annexation by Dallas in 1913, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tshaonline.org\/handbook\/entries\/highland-park-tx\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Texas State Historical Association<\/a>, but was rejected. In response, the residents voted to incorporate instead and officially did so in 1915. The City of Dallas came to regret refusing Highland Park\u2019s annexation and unsuccessfully sought to annex it in the following decades, according to TSHA.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, University Park, which had grown around SMU, sought annexation to both Highland Park and Dallas in its early days, but eventually incorporated as its own town in 1924 after those efforts failed, according to the town\u2019s website.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Highland Park grew to a population of 8,422 by 1933, according to TSHA. It largely lacked businesses and industry and even bought water from Dallas from 1932 to 1950. University Park did the same for many years. The Park Cities came together by 1950 to operate their own waterworks, independent of Dallas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>A post-war boom saw the Park Cities grow to their largest recorded populations in the 1950s amid a residential construction boom, but their inability to expand beyond their borders within Dallas made growth difficult. Highland Park\u2019s population peaked at nearly 13,000 in the late 1950s and University Park\u2019s at just under 30,000 in 1956, according to TSHA.<\/p>\n<p>The Park Cities, which have historically been predominantly white, also have a notable history of segregation, notably within the Highland Park Independent School District. The district excluded students of color from its schools until well after 1954\u2019s landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. James Lockhart became the school\u2019s first Black graduate in 1975, according to the HP Bagpipe, Highland Park High School\u2019s student news publication. Highland Park\u2019s first Black homeowner didn\u2019t arrive until decades later, when Joshua Lazu and Karen Watson moved there in 2003, according to the Park Cities People.<\/p>\n<p>Today, the Park Cities are among the most affluent neighborhoods across the country, with median home values nearing $2 million and median incomes around three times the national median.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Highland Park United Methodist Church originally operated as\u00a0SMU\u2019s University Church and had its first services in 1916. The church has thousands of members, including former president George\u00a0W. Bush and his wife, Laura Bush.\u00a0\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Highland Park United Methodist Church originally operated as\u00a0SMU\u2019s University Church and had its first services in 1916. The church has thousands of members, including former president George\u00a0W. Bush and his wife, Laura Bush.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ben Torres\/Special Contributor<\/p>\n<p>Notable landmarks<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dallas Hall:<\/strong> The main building on SMU\u2019s campus, it is also the oldest and most notable on the Hilltop. Inspired by the library rotunda at the University of Virginia, the building dates to 1915 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p><strong>Highland Park United Methodist Church:<\/strong> This historic church, which originally operated as\u00a0SMU\u2019s University Church, dates back to 1916. Its current building is in the Gothic Revival style and dates to 1926.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"A wide array of mezes, marinated vegetables set out before the meal, are displayed, Sunday, September 17, 2017 at Sachet, a new Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, on Oak Lawn in Dallas.\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:4 \/ 3\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Mediterranean-inspired restaurant Sachet is in the Shops at Highland Park.<\/p>\n<p>Jeffrey McWhorter\/Special Contributor<\/p>\n<p>Things to do<\/p>\n<p>Bars and restaurants<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Barsotti\u2019s<\/li>\n<li>Caf\u00e9 Pacific<\/li>\n<li>Goff\u2019s Hamburgers<\/li>\n<li>Il Bracco<\/li>\n<li>Kuby&#8217;s Sausage House<\/li>\n<li>Los\u00a0Charros Tex-Mex Smokehouse<\/li>\n<li>Nonna<\/li>\n<li>Sachet<\/li>\n<li>Shug\u2019s Bagels<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img alt=\"Lakeside Park sits in the heart of Highland Park.\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Lakeside Park sits in the heart of Highland Park.<\/p>\n<p>Chitose Suzuki\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n<p>Parks and trails<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Abbott Park<\/li>\n<li>Caruth Park<\/li>\n<li>Curtis Park<\/li>\n<li>Davis Park<\/li>\n<li>Katy Trail<\/li>\n<li>Lakeside Park\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Prather Park<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Shopping<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Highland Park Village<\/li>\n<li>Snider Plaza<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img alt=\"The corridor of the Texas Rose Garden, a similar walk to the White House at the still-under-construction George W. Bush Presidential Center at SMU, Monday, October 29, 2012.\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The corridor of the Texas Rose Garden, a similar walk to the White House, was shown at the still-under-construction George\u00a0W. Bush Presidential Center at SMU in 2012.<\/p>\n<p>Staff Photographer<\/p>\n<p>Museums<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>George\u00a0W. Bush Presidential Center<\/li>\n<li>Meadows Museum<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img alt=\"Highland Park High School is among the best public schools in North Texas academically, but also excels athletically. Notable professional athletes include\u00a0the world\u2019s No.1 golfer and four-time major champion Scottie Scheffler.\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:4 \/ 3\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Highland Park High School is among the best public schools in North Texas academically, but also excels athletically. Notable professional athletes include\u00a0the world\u2019s No.1 golfer and four-time major champion Scottie Scheffler.<\/p>\n<p>94782<\/p>\n<p>A fun fact<\/p>\n<p>Highland Park High School is among the best public schools in North Texas academically, but also excels athletically. It currently competes in the UIL\u00a0Class 5A and has produced some of D-FW\u2019s most notable professional athletes, including NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion Matthew Stafford, MLB MVP and three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw, and the world\u2019s No.1 golfer and four-time major champion Scottie Scheffler.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Just north of Oak Lawn in Dallas you&#8217;ll find Highland Park and University Park, two cities within a&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":884942,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5135],"tags":[5229,326154,1596,990,6415,181758,358,10928,326483,359228,337544,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-884941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-america","tag-arts-entertainment-things-to-do","tag-dallas","tag-food","tag-listicle","tag-newcomer","tag-texas","tag-things-to-know","tag-tp-highland-park","tag-tp-highland-park-school","tag-tp-university-park","tag-tx","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116794040321573436","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=884941"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884941\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/884942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=884941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=884941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=884941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}