There are so many great places to live in Dallas that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.
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Real estate agent Madeline Jobst knows Greenway Parks better than most — after all, she grew up there, and now resides in the neighborhood as an adult.
"I wouldn't live anywhere else — it's magical," she says. "From the beautiful greenbelts behind our homes where our children safely play and neighbors walk their dogs, to the utter convenience of getting to the Park Cities, the Tollway, downtown, Dallas Love Field Airport, Inwood Village and Lovers Lane for shopping and dining ... I could go on and on."
Greenway Parks is bounded by the Tollway to the east, Mockingbird Lane to the south, Inwood Road to the west, and University Boulevard to the north. Highland Park is to the southeast and University Park is to the east.
Jobst is a fifth-generation Dallasite with more than 40 years in the real estate industry, and telling people all the great things about her own neighborhood is just a perk of the job.
"It's the best-kept secret, right in the heart of the city," she says. "So much so that people that live here don’t want to leave. They call me to find them something in the neighborhood that suits their needs, whether it's to downsize or to find a larger home for a growing family. This is just another perk of living here and being in the know."
Jobst offered up a few of her personal favorites about life in Greenway Parks. Here's her guide to the area:
Where to eat & drink
Jobst lists Odelay, Jose, Lovers Seafood & Market, Shinsei Restaurant, Dea, Mesero, Rise, Flower Child, Eatzi's, and City Cafe To Go Bistro, to name a few.
Where to play
"We have very beautiful greenbelts here in Greenway Parks, and two nice parks for playing and relaxing," Jobst says. "We are also a short drive, walk, or bike ride to Turtle Creek and Lakeside Park and the landmark Highland Park Village."
What to see
"Our proximity to downtown makes visiting the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, Crow Museum of Asian Art, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, and Klyde Warren Park very easy," she says. "Also, the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field is minutes away and fun for everyone. Children love it!"
Where to live
"Greenway Parks has always been attractive to buyers for its variety of home styles," Jobst says. "There really are no cookie-cutter homes here. Each of the approximately 300 homes is unique and special in its architecture."
The neighborhood is known as the first successful planned development in the city and was designed in the mid-1920s by distinguished architect David R. Williams, also known as the father of Texas modernism. The wide greenways are one of the neighborhood’s most distinctive features.
The homes built through the 1940s were actually designed with the front doors facing the greenbelts, rather than the streets, like the distinctive commons of English neighborhoods. Many of the original homes still exist today, with a large portion having undergone substantial remodels by some of Dallas' most famous architects.
Showcasing architecture styles such as Spanish Colonial, English Tudor, Classical, midcentury modern, traditional, and Texas modern, Greenway Parks has retained a level of character and charm that isn't found in any other neighborhood in Dallas.
In fact, in May 2003, Greenway Parks became a City of Dallas Conservation District. This was an effort led by neighborhood residents as a means of preserving the concept and vision of Greenway Parks’ original developers, Frank Neal Drane and J.P. Stephenson, and architect David R. Williams.
Jobst has sold many homes that are significant to Greenway Parks, including 5510 Nakoma Dr. This classic Tudor-style home was the first residence built in Greenway Parks in 1925, and retains all of its original character. "The current owner has done a lovely remodel, keeping the integrity and charm intact," Jobst says.
In 1958, Bud Oglesby designed 5344 Nakoma Dr., a striking modern home on the greenbelt. An original 1935 design, 5544 Nakoma Dr. has the front door facing the greenbelt and was inspired by Texas Hill Country style, with its stone exterior and standing seam metal roof.
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Madeline Jobst is a team leader, along with Ralph Randall, of the top-ranked Jobst Randall Group at Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty. She lives, works, and plays in Greenway Parks. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email mjobst@briggsfreeman.com, or call 214-906-3832.
5510 Nakoma was the first residence built in Greenway Parks in 1925.
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