There is a small grassy park at the entrance to fulfill the name, but College Park is primarily a venerable residential development. Way back in 1924, when sheep ran free on the pastureland, College Park was developed to attract faculty.
Today, it is by far Davis's most substantial neighborhood. College Park Drive, with branches of mature trees intertwining overhead, forms an elongated oval stretching between Russell and Eighth. The only entrance is from Russell; Eureka Avenue, the northern outlet leading to Eighth Street, has been blocked off to auto traffic. International House, an eye-catching Art Deco house that is headquarters for volunteer organizations serving UC Davis's foreign faculty and students, guards College Park's Russell Boulevard entrance.
Built before modern pre-fab building standards became popular, each College Park house looms uniquely behind spacious lawns and manicured greenery. A stroll north from the central campus to North Davis along College Park Drive may be a little out of the way, but is a relaxing and scenic alternative to more hectic thoroughfares.