Your Expert Guide

Idlewild: A charming, walkable gem in University Park

Realtors Sylvia Scott and Lezley Nugent.

Agents Sylvia Scott and Lezley Nugent.

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty

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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No matter where you turn in University Park, you’re met with a lovely neighborhood. But for Nugent + Scott Group members Lezley Nugent and Sylvia Scott, Idlewild holds an extra-special dose of charm with its mix of architectural styles, tree-lined streets, and door-to-door sidewalks.

Both Nugent and Scott have raised their families in University Park and have loved nothing more than raising their children in the tight-knit, walkable community that is also part of the exemplary Highland Park ISD.

Located north of Lovers Lane, on the west side of University Park, Idlewild is within walking distance to all the unique shops and restaurants on Lovers. Love Field Airport is also only a short drive away.

“We are also near Highland Park High School, and many residents love that their kids can walk to school for early morning practices and more,” adds Scott.

Having worked in this area for many years, both Nugent and Scott have their fingers on the pulse of what has sold and what’s coming on the market, and frequently source off-market opportunities.

When they are not finding dream homes for their clients, you might find them entertaining friends, staying on top of Dallas' new restaurant scene, or out and about with their families, enjoying the delightful neighborhoods they call home.

The team offered up some of their personal favorites about life in University Park's Idlewild. Here's their guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
While they frequent many of the restaurants on Lovers Lane, Hudson House is always at the top of their list for a great lunch or dinner — or just drinks. “You'll always see someone you know — and they have the cutest holiday decorations, too,” they say.

Where to play
Being close to Highland Park High School means you have your own version of Friday Night Lights in the neighborhood.

Beyond football, they indulge their love of pickleball and tennis at several of the University Park courts surrounding this neighborhood.

The team also suggests taking a stroll around Lakeside Park or along Armstrong Avenue. And for a dose of retail therapy, there’s nothing better than Highland Park Village’s designer boutiques and gift shops.

Where to live
“With a mix of smaller cottages and new construction homes, there is something for everyone in Idlewild,” says Nugent. “Most of the original cottages that are still standing were built in the late 1930s and ’40s and many have been updated and expanded over time. They are charming and at a more approachable price point for the Park Cities.”

For those interested in more space and today's contemporary building styles, new construction homes are available and come from builders who have been working in the Park Cities for years.

“While this area does not have some of the larger estate lots found in Highland Park, there is still plenty of space to add a pool or just enjoy an open backyard,” they add.

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Sylvia Scott and Lezley Nugent live, work, and play in University Park's Idlewild and nearby. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here , contact Sylvia Scott at sscott@briggsfreeman.com or by calling 214-536-4414, and contact Lezley Nugent at lnugent@briggsfreeman.com or by calling 214-533-6332.

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GP News

Grand Prairie expands to the south with new master-planned community

Rendering courtesy of Provident

Goodland Grand Prairie

The City of Grand Prairie is growing fast and expanding to make way for a new master-planned development south of US Highway 287 and along Tollway 360, in Ellis and Johnson counties.

The community development, called Goodland, is the result of Grand Prairie’s recent 1,500-acre annexation extending its southern border toward Mansfield. Overall, with the added land, Goodland will be a 5,000-acre site featuring 15,000 residences including townhomes, custom homes, and gated communities for 50,000 residents.

According to a release, it will be a “city within a city” and a 45-minute drive from Dallas-Fort Worth. Beyond housing, there will be shops, restaurants, schools, public and private event venues, regional sports fields and complexes, dance halls, churches, trail systems, city parks, ponds, and preserved green spaces.

“This is a significant step in our city’s development,” says Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen in a statement. “Unlike many of our neighboring cities, we have the unique advantage of new development opportunities to our south that will drive the growth and prosperity of our city. We recognized the opportunity and took decisive action.”

Leading the development is Provident, a Dallas-based real estate firm that has created other master-planned communities across Dallas-Fort Worth, such as Preston Hollow Village and Hillstead in Collin County. Provident has plans to work nature into the space design with more than 1,600 acres of creek corridors and floodplain land.

Plans are ongoing for a centralized mixed-use walkable Town Center, complete with civic buildings and other commercial development. Further south on the property near Highway 67, light industrial uses and other private employment campuses are already underway, projects that will contribute vital tax dollars for city growth and future expansions.

“This level of placemaking is quite rare, and certainly not easy to execute, especially in a brand-new community," says Provident Managing Director Rylan Yowell in a statement. "We are committed to a long-term vision with a desire to be good stewards of the land."

A new four-lane road called Goodland Parkway will link Goodland to Grand Prairie at Tollway 360 and US Highway 287. It's set to open by December 2025.

openings