Sequoyah

On the northwest rim of the urban core, but still less than 6 miles from downtown Oklahoma City, this gem doesn’t require much mining to uncover its sparkle. Jenna Laird, a top Realtor with Verity Real Estate, says that Sequoyah’s homes themselves appeal most to homebuyers searching to settle in this part of town. She says: “There are so many homes that you can move into that have been updated very mindfully. A lot of these homes are nearing a hundred years old, but they’ve not been turned into modernized versions of themselves. My clients like that they have this historic feel and design, with exactly the right amount of updates to make them move-in ready.”

You’ll find 1930s-era Craftsman-style homes and early midcentury Minimal Traditional cottages standing along these neat, grid-patterned streets. Laird observes that a unique feature of homes in Sequoyah is that many lack garages, due to their age. She adds that even without this hallmark of today’s Oklahoman suburbs, these historic properties boast boundless character. “Even those that have been updated have been remodeled keeping this character in mind,” she says. Explaining further: “In renovating them, people keep the original hardwood floors, the antique fixtures. It’s really nice because you get a beautiful historic home without all the problems that can come with a historic, hundred-year-old home because those have already been taken care of for you.”

For a quaint, two-bedroom, one-bathroom Minimal Traditional cottage, built in 1944, featuring original, refinished hardwood flooring throughout and a kitchen remodeled to include white stone counters and stainless-steel appliances, you can expect to pay around $210,000. For a three-bedroom, two-bathroom Craftsman bungalow built in 1939, also with refinished, original hardwood flooring throughout, a freshly remodeled kitchen and a single-car garage addition, you’ll likely pay closer to $250,000. But homes here range in price from $125,000 up to $300,000. Laird notes: “This area has gotten a little more expensive in recent years because people have gone in and put money into remodeling these homes. Sometimes you can find one that hasn’t been updated yet, and you can get a pretty good deal, but a lot of times they’re already redone, so you’re paying for that finish.” With the median for the metro hovering around the low $300,000 mark, homes in Sequoyah remain competitively priced despite their recent heightened value.

Sequoyah students attend schools in the Oklahoma City Public Schools system. Many go to Cleveland Elementary, Taft Middle and Northwest Classen High between preschool and 12th grade. All three schools earned C grades from Niche in 2023. Established in 1930, Taft Middle is a landmark in the community less than 3 miles southwest of most homes. The yellow brick Art Deco-style building joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Northwest Classen High, 25 years Taft’s junior, draws students from across the city for its Academy of Health Sciences magnet program. Participants get to hone their professional skills in hands-on, work-based experiences, geared toward preparing them for careers in the health and healthcare sectors.

For their groceries, residents don’t need to venture far from their doorsteps. Your local Walmart Neighborhood Market is less than a mile and a half south of home, off 23rd Street. And with Interstate 44 curving around the neighborhood just over a mile away, too, Sequoyah offers easy access to the surrounding metro. The popular Penn Square and Classen Curve shopping districts are both within 3 miles of the neighborhood, north up I-44. Between them, you’ll find everything from Apple and Eddie Bauer to Anthropologie and West Elm.

Sequoyah residents are spoiled for choice with options for taking in the great outdoors, too. The classic playground, picnic pavilion and paved walking paths at Swatek Park are conveniently located just half a mile south of most homes, sprawled between 29th and 30th Streets. But the expansive Will Rogers Gardens are also nearby, less than 2 miles west across I-44. “It’s a nice place to go to relax and wind down,” says Laird. She explains: “The thing about Oklahoma City is that we have a lot of green spaces, but you have to drive to get to them. So what people do is they’ll take an evening or a weekend to visit and really enjoy being out in nature.” The gardens themselves have been a fixture in the OKC community since the ‘30s and have expanded over the years to include an amphitheater, conservatory, community center and aquatics and tennis centers. They joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. Laird observes: “The city has done a really good job with these historic districts. They’ve upheld the integrity of the public spaces they maintain so they still have that historic feel, just modernized.”

From its beautifully maintained historic atmosphere to the myriad of amenities its location offers easy access to, Sequoyah certainly stands out among OKC urban core gems.

Written By

Megan Quintin

Photography Contributed By

Richard Waltemath

Video By

Timothy Cerva