Ensign Downs is one of the premier neighborhoods in Salt Lake. Sitting between City Creek Canyon to the east and Victory Road to the west it's nestled up against historic Ensign Peak and perches above the state capitol making it one of the most historic areas in the city, even though the area was not developed until the 1950s and continues to have new lots being built upon, the most recent just completing construction in August 2011.

Salt Lake is known for it's foothill neighborhoods that bridge urban and mountain in a way that is unique to large cities in the US. Like many of the downtown foothill neighborhoods Ensign Downs is only 5 minutes from the Central Business District, yet you can walk out of your backyard and be on the famous Shoreline trail that runs along the old Lake Boneville shoreline.

Since this neighborhood has seen home construction over such a long period of time there are many home styles to be found throughout the area. From Mid-Century Modern, through Contemporary up to some of the latest Post-Modern homes in all of Salt Lake there are excellent examples of all of the architecture types.

Along with the diversity of homes and the closeness to downtown, the neighborhood also sits above the west corridor of the valley allowing quick access to Bountiful as well as I-15. Along with this location comes panoramic views of the entire valley.

There are also a 2 private neighborhoods that are adjoining to this are, one North Cove is a premier private neighborhood constructed in 1991 that includes a manned guard booth and full private services making it one of the most exclusive and premier neighborhoods in the all of Utah. On the west end of Dorchester Dr. a more recent development has been built, Dorchester Point, another gated private development that sits on the foothills to the west and looks out over the Great Salt Lake and the west end of the valley. Although both developments have been around for almost 10 years or longer there are still a number of build-able lots available in both subdivisions.

To give an overview of the market segment that homes in this area fall into is a bit difficult due to their wide range of both construction as well as time period that they were built. Generally the 84103 zip code that encompasses Ensign Downs is one of the most expensive in the entire valley and this holds true here as well. Generally most of the lots are .33 acres and above, the largest lots in North Cove are well over 7 acres, but on average half of an acre is fairly common. Most of the homes are either 2 story for the newer construction and either split level or single story with a walk out basement for the houses from the 60s and 70s, often built on one of the many sloping lots in the area to allow the walkout basement.

These homes run between around 2500 sq ft for the smaller homes up to well over 20,000 sq ft for the largest mansions in the private neighborhoods. Most of the homes fall between around 3000 sq ft and 5000 sq ft. Build quality can vary a lot too, many of the older homes are un remodeled and have the lower build qualities typical of the era while some of the newer homes are at the highest quality levels to be found, from traditional to modern and from some of the best architects in Salt Lake history.

Because of this price can vary quite a bit. From around $300k for the oldest homes in the worst condition up to over $8 million for the largest homes in Dorchester Point and North Cove. There are many homes, especially the older ones available for under $500k while most of the newer homes in the west side of the neighborhood and those built by prominent architects are typically priced around $1 million.

This does present a great opportunity to purchase an older home at a great deal and then remodel it without worrying about going outside of the price range of the neighborhood. There are also a number of the older homes that have been rented and the rental market is strong for out of town owners or people who may need to rent for various reasons.

Although not one of the oldest neighborhoods in Salt Lake, Ensign Downs has a great historical connection due to the Capitol and Ensign Peak and has become one of the preferred high end areas of the city. Built along the foothills rising above the valley and based off East Capitol Boulevard, a large winding vista of a street this is a premier place to build a home or to buy. Let me know if you are interested in this neighborhood and I can help you find a home or lot that will work for you.