Yalecrest
About the area
Yalecrest is Salt Lake City's premier period-revival residential district and holds the highest concentration of 1920s to 1940s period-revival architecture in the state of Utah. The neighborhood was developed by real estate entrepreneurs who platted streets named for Ivy League institutions—Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Cornell—to appeal to upwardly mobile buyers building English Tudor cottages, French Norman farmhouses, and Spanish Colonial Revival homes on the East Bench from roughly 1915 through 1940. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 8, 2007. Almost no multifamily or condos exist within the district. Entry single-family homes begin in the high $700,000s, typical homes run $1 million to $2 million, and top-of-market renovated or expanded estates reach $2 million to $4 million and above.
Yalecrest
Living in Yalecrest
Amenities & Lifestyle
The 9th and 9th district—Publik Coffee Roasters, Coffee Garden, Este Pizza, and Blue Plate Diner among a dense corridor of independent restaurants and boutiques—is approximately a 10-minute walk or three-minute drive west from most Yalecrest addresses. The 15th and 15th district is roughly 10 minutes south on foot, anchored by Harmon's Emigration Market, a full-service neighborhood grocery with a deli, bakery, and gourmet cheese counter. Sunnyside Park, a large neighborhood green space at approximately 1400 East and Sunnyside Avenue, is the primary local park. Sugar House Park, the 110-acre green space with a central pond and walking trails, is a 10-minute drive south. Bonneville Golf Course, the SLC municipal 18-hole course, is approximately five minutes north on Foothill Drive. Bonneville Shoreline Trail access is reachable from Sunnyside Avenue and upper Yalecrest trailheads.
Getting Around
Downtown Salt Lake City is approximately 12 to 15 minutes west by car. Salt Lake City International Airport is 20 to 25 minutes. Yalecrest's East Bench position provides slightly faster canyon access than downtown: the Cottonwood Canyon resorts (Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, Solitude) are roughly 20 to 30 minutes south via Wasatch Boulevard. The University of Utah and U of U Health are 10 minutes north. UTA bus route 21 serves 1300 East; additional bus service runs on Sunnyside Avenue.
Yalecrest's Historic Protections—What Buyers Need to Know
Yalecrest carries layered historic protections that affect renovation and any exterior work. The neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 as one of the largest National Register residential districts in Salt Lake County. The Yalecrest Compatible Infill Overlay (YCI, adopted 2005) requires that any new construction or infill match the scale, massing, and materials of the surrounding period-revival context. Several H-Historic Overlay micro-districts—Yalecrest-Upper Yale Addition, Yalecrest-Normandie Circle, Yalecrest-Upper Harvard and Yale Park Plat A, and the March 2024 addition of Yalecrest-Princeton Heights—impose Historic Landmark Commission review on exterior alterations to contributing structures. For buyers, this means a permit for a new fence, window replacement, or roof material change on a contributing property may require an HLC hearing.
Schools
Yalecrest is served by the Salt Lake City School District. Bonneville Elementary on Laird Avenue serves much of the district; Uintah Elementary serves the northwest edge near the Federal Heights boundary. East High School is the primary assigned high school for most of Yalecrest. Confirm the exact attendance boundary at slcschools.org.
Yalecrest Sub-Areas
- Harvard-Yale— The heart of the neighborhood, centered on Harvard Avenue and Yale Avenue between 1300 East and 1700 East—the sub-area most commonly referenced by agents and residents.
- Bonneville Hills— The upper portion, south and east toward Sunnyside Avenue, with slightly larger lots and more varied setbacks.
Yalecrest
Yalecrest Real Estate FAQ
Yalecrest is one of Salt Lake City's higher-priced neighborhoods. Entry-level single-family homes begin in the high $700,000s, typical period-revival homes run $1 million to $2 million, and renovated or expanded estates reach $2 million to $4 million and above. Because inventory is thin and a single sale can shift the reported median substantially, always verify current pricing with live MLS data.
Yalecrest is almost exclusively single-family detached homes from the 1920s to 1940s in period-revival styles: English Tudor, English Cottage, French Norman farmhouse, and Spanish Colonial Revival. Condos and multifamily properties are rare within the district. New construction is tightly regulated by the Yalecrest Compatible Infill Overlay and H-Historic Overlay requirements.
Yalecrest is approximately 12 to 15 minutes west of downtown Salt Lake City and roughly 20 to 25 minutes east of Salt Lake City International Airport. The 9th and 9th dining corridor is about 10 minutes on foot from most addresses.
Both are prestigious east-bench Salt Lake City neighborhoods with primarily single-family homes. Yalecrest is a flat-grid historic district known for its 1920s to 1940s period-revival architecture, National Register listing, and walkability to the 9th and 9th and 15th and 15th corridors. Federal Heights sits at a higher elevation on the foothill bench directly below the University of Utah, with larger custom homes, more varied architectural eras, and immediate access to Red Butte Garden and U of U Health.
