University Park

University Park sits just north of Highland Park, sharing the same Park Cities prestige and the same top-ranked school district — but with its own distinct character. This is a college town at its core, home to Southern Methodist University, which gives the neighborhood an energy and youthfulness that sets it apart from its more purely residential neighbor.

What sets University Park apart from its southern neighbor isn’t prestige — it has that too — it’s texture. This is a place where SMU students and lifelong residents share sidewalks, where Boulevarding before a football game is a real neighborhood tradition, and where a family can walk to school, church, and the grocery store without touching a car.

University Park’s retail identity runs through three distinct centers, each with its own character: Snider Plaza (Hillcrest & Lovers Lane) — the original, opened 1927, with boutiques, salons, casual dining, and a grocery store anchor, the neighborhood’s day-to-day heartbeat; Preston Center / The Plaza at Preston Center (Preston Road & Northwest Highway) — a newer, more upscale mix of national brands and local boutiques; and The Miracle Mile (Lovers Lane) — similar in character to Snider Plaza, strung along a busier corridor.

Both Highland Park and University Park share Highland Park ISD, one of the top-ranked districts in Texas — but University Park’s smaller, older homes and condos near Snider Plaza offer a genuine way to buy into that zoning without an estate-sized budget.