Legacy & Griffin - North Norman
Wining & Dining vs. Sports, Sports, Sports
Legacy Park is one of the newest parks in Norman, and it’s actually in the middle of our biggest shopping district! It’s surrounded by shopping and fantastic restaurants, so it’s great if you want to kill some time before a reservation or if you want to walk off your food coma after grabbing a bite. I really love the fountains as the focal point.
There aren’t many homes in this area, but there’s more shopping and dining than you can shake a stick at! Some of our favorite places to eat at around Legacy Park are Red Rock Canyon Grill (they have a great happy hour & dinner), Bad Daddy’s Burgers, McAllister’s, and Torchy’s Tacos. Of course they have great shopping too like DSW, Academy, Target, Michael’s and all kinds of other stuff.
At Griffin Park, on the other hand, is one of the biggest parks in Norman. They have a lot of sport fields here for soccer, baseball, and disc golf. There are lots of playgrounds, a dog park, and even a fishing pond too!
There are some affordable homes withing walking distance of Griffin, ranging in price from $100,000 – $250,000. A couple of the neighborhoods to look at if you’re interested in living near here might be Set Place & Park Place.
Lions & Andrews - Central Norman
Art in the Park vs. Downtown Vibes
Lions Park is one of the coolest parks in Norman, in my opinion. It’s one of our favorite parks to take friends to lunch and the one we visit the most. It is fairly close to campus and the little bungalow homes are so fun to look at – they surround the entire space! There’s a marked walking trail, a great little picnic shelter and also the Firehouse Art Center here. They offer some classes and different exhibits, which I think makes it super fun. There are also some tennis courts and playgrounds as well.
One of the most popular parks in Norman is Andrews Park. I love going here because of how close it is to the new public library – which is amazing and beautiful, by the way! Andrews Park does have playground equipment, lots of picnic tables with a walking trail, and it also has a splash pad that’s open in the summertime. There’s basketball courts, a skate park, and also an ampitheater. The Norman Music Festival is hosted here, during the summer.
Being very close to downtown, Andrews Park is very core Norman, meaning that it’s one of the oldest parts of Norman. Again, there are lots of bungalows in all different sizes and conditions. Some have been completely rebuilt, but this is a great place to find a lot of the original history of Norman.
Reaves & Saxon - South Norman
Campus Buzz vs. Secluded Retreat
Reaves Park is another larger park in Norman and it’s near ‘South Campus’ of OU. This is a great place to tailgate before games and is where the Renaissance Fair usually takes place in April. There are some great playgrounds and shelters if you’re looking to have a party or picnic. The sand volleyball and basketball courts are a lot of fun too! There are not a lot of homes near Reaves, but there are a lot of affordable appartments that the OU students take advantage of during the school year.
Saxon Park is not like the other parks we’ve discussed – this one truly is a retreat! You’ll love these amazing trails! There is some road noise you can hear from the park, but the view totally makes up for it. This would be a great one to visit if you are looking to do some walking or running and need to keep track of how far you’ve gone.
