Orem Park

With Interstate 15 on your left and State Street on your right, it’s not hard to see why convenience is the common denominator bringing people to Orem Park. Multiple schools, Community Park and the Orem Family Fitness Center are all within a one block radius – perfect for families juggling several schedules. Most recently, Orem Park has become a major appeal for college students looking to live off campus.

“Orem Park is really close to Utah Valley University,” says Emerie Brooks, listing manager at Summit Realty Inc. “A lot of students’ parents will buy a house for them so their kids can have a short commute to UVU.” Some 40,000 students are continuing their education at Utah Valley University; the school is five minutes south in Sunset Heights.

A diverse selection of houses accommodates Orem Park’s diverse population. Cozy ranch-style homes offer modest layouts but spacious yards. Most common are the 19th-century ramblers and the early 2000s multilevel homes. Most houses are made with brick or siding, include four to six bedrooms. Two-car garages and driveways are a frequent find but not guaranteed. Mature trees typically line sidewalks in theses subdivisions; however, neighbors throughout Orem are known for investing in custom landscape designs. Though houses here tend to sit close together, a quarter-acre isn’t out of the question and gives you plenty of room to plant new trees, line your sidewalk with bushes and stretch a flower garden in front of your porch. These homes cost between $570,000 and $800,000.

Newer homes and mansions are a rare find and are often custom builds. This is where you’ll find open concept gourmet kitchens and large living rooms. Stone Veneer is a popular front-of-house feature and back decks and three-car garages are also standard. Expect to pay between $800,000 and $1.2 million for these contemporary homes.

Mountain View High and Orem Elementary Schools each have A ratings from Niche; the two are only a half-mile apart, with Community Park in between. Nearly two dozen elementary schools are spread throughout the city, but there’s only three high schools; many students who live in Orem Park can walk on a nice day, but all can count on a short trip home when the day is done.

Community Park invites kids to take a break and burn off some energy after sitting in classrooms all day. Nine tennis courts and five baseball diamonds are all surrounded by homes in the middle of Orem Park, making it a popular spot for residents who can see the park from their living room window and those just driving through the neighborhood. Bright orange slides of various sizes create plenty of room for toddlers and big kids on the playground, and open fields welcome picnic spreads on sunny afternoons. On the east side, Lakeside Sports Complex boasts a reputation as one of the city’s largest parks. Eight Soccer fields sit on 55 acres where young athletes will practice their skills and put them to the test as a member of the Utah Valley United Soccer Club; players see this as the best soccer club in all of Utah County.

Stay active year-round at the Orem Family Fitness Center. With a bouldering wall, indoor playground, gym and teen lounge, this facility is known as the largest fitness center in the state. Various recreation league teams include sports for kids and adults. Work out solo at the gym, partner with a trainer or sign up for a group fitness class; there’s no one way to workout. New this year – the leisure pool. Giant trees and flowers rain down on small children, and mountain mural mimics real-life views of the Wasatch Mountains as kids climb their way to the top and then splash down waterslides. Reach new heights or a new high score at the Classic Fun Center. The facility is primarily known for its skating rink but a giant jungle gym, laser tag and arcade keep the party going from day to night. Get your groove on every Saturday night during Disco Skate and mark your calendar to catch local bands at Classic Fun’s summer concert series.

Orem’s only Target is along Center Street in your neighborhood. Drive two blocks farther and grab groceries from Smith’s or just hang a right onto State Street and head south. It's just 2.5 miles away to run errands at big box retailers on University Parkway or browse more than 150 stores at University Place shopping mall. You’ll find a lot of chain restaurants close by, but spots like TRUreligion Pancake and Steakhouse have stood the test of time. Jim and Debi Leany hail from two generations of local restaurant owners. Savor customers’ favorite meal on the menu. The chicken-fried steak is topped with white sausage gravy and is served with a side of pork green chili. Your experience goes beyond the food at TRUreligion. From the booth you sit in, to the mahogany paneling and even the black glass countertop, nearly all the furnishings date to the 1930s and were restored from the iconic Lamb’s Grill in Salt Lake City.

Written By

Alexandra Sosik

Photography Contributed By

Kyle Aiken

Video By

Mary Desmond