katolb90

Applying for jobs in various states including Utah. I am from Michigan. Where I live now (West Bloomfield) there are lots of trees and grass and homes are not extremely close together. Does suburban Salt Lake City have any similar ommunities? The position I applied for is in Ogden and I don't want to drive over 30 minutes to work. Any suggestions?

Dayle

Hi K,

Have you ever visited out west? You must know that our homes are not built on 5 acre lots like the suburbs back east. If you want more than a 1/4 acre, you need to look at farm or mountain land.

If you work in Ogden, you can live somewhere nice, with some land if you are willing to drive 30 minutes. I would suggest somewhere east (foothills) or north of Ogden for less population. Ogden is not a suburb of SLC. It's its own, big city.

Hope this helps a little!

katolb90

Thanks Dayle. Quarter of an acre is plenty. But I've seen photos of neighborhoods where the homes look really close together. You know, just enough room for a driveway and thats it. What about trees?

BarbaraS

Some of the communites you might like are Kaysville, Layton and Farmington, which are south of Ogden, 30 min. or less away. If you wanted some place more rural, you might like Brigham City, 30 min. north of Ogden.

Dayle

Hi again K,

The west is not like the east, if you want homes far apart, you have to pay dearly for it.

Also, Utah is the second driest state in the country. Our climate is desert. Most trees in the valleys have been planted and the older neighborhoods have lots of big ones, BUT it's not like the east. Don't expect it to be. We have our own beauty.

You really need to come out here before you decide to accept a job!

katolb90

I've only been to Colorado. I liked it although there were not a lot of trees or space between homes. I liked the mountains and I thought it was very clean.

As far as liking Utah, I was raised in Detroit, so by default most any place that I move to will be better. Michigan can be very humid sometimes and the dry air might do me some good. Since turning forty, I've learned that humidity is not my friend. I like the outdoors and having nice surroundings is important to me. Since I've moved out of the city, I found that I truly belong in the suburbs. I am not super-concerned about the folks who discussed feeling shut out because they are not Mormons because I am rather introverted (socially) anyway. I would hope however, that most people treat me decently, even if they would prefer to stay distant.

Also was wondering if Utah is a pet-friendly state? I might have to live in an apartment for a while and most of the ones I saw online that accepted large pets were in or close to Salt Lake City. My preference though is to rent a home.

BarbaraS

I believe most Mormons follow the Golden Rule and will treat you with respect and welcome you to the community.

I would say Utah is pet-friendly, but I think finding a place that will allow you to have a large dog may be a challenge.

Dayle

Hi K,

I have neighbors from Chicago and nothing in the world could make them go back! The vast majority of people in Utah are extremely friendly, kind and helpful. We didn't get glowing reviews from the Olympics for nothing!

People here love the outdoors - always camping, hiking, skiing, fishing, boating, etc. Most live a fairly healthly lifestyle, whether due to religious beliefs or just personal choice.

If you like CO, you will probably like UT. Climates are very much the same. SLC is nicer because it is literally at the foot of the mountains, whereas Denver is much further away from the Rockies.

Finding a pet-accepting apt or home can be a challenge, but certainly not impossible.

Good luck!

dwooddon

Another area you may want to look at is Morgan-Mountain Green in the foothills east of Ogden. That entire area is within a 30 minute commute from Ogden and is a very nice place to live.

katolb90

Thanks for all the replies and make that two large dogs. Sorry to here Utah isn't as pet-friendly as Colorado. I think Denver was voted pet-friendliest city by the Purina company. I think it was Purina. For some reason, I thought Utah would have the same reputation.

Dayle

K,

I don't know what gave you the impression that Utah isn't pet-friendly. It's just a little harder to find apts for pets, but there are plenty of them.

I live in Park City, which is often referred to as "Bark City" by locals. If you don't have at LEAST 1 large dog, you don't fit in....

katolb90

Dayle, I guess I got that idea when I saw the number of apartments that took large dogs in the Ogden area (not many). I did notice that there were more dog-friendly apartments the closer you get to SLC. Too bad Park City is kinda far from Ogden (where I'd be working). How long of a drive would that be? If I like the area, I'll probably wind up buying a house somewhere anyway. In the mean time maybe I could find a home to rent. One that has a yard. Since I don't have the job yet, all this talk could be for naught, but its fun getting information.
Park City/Bark City, I like that.

Dayle

Hi K,

Yes unfortunately, Park City would be too far to drive everyday. It would be over an hour in rush hour traffic.

As one of the other posters suggested, you could look at the Weber Canyon, Mountain Green areas. Very nice, very rural. Near to Snowbasin Ski Resort where the Olympic downhill races were held. Great ski area!

katolb90

Thanks for the info. One more off the subject question. How far of a drive is it to Zion and Bryce?

Ms_Jingles

SLC to Bryce or Zion is probably about 4.5-5 hours to drive. Bryce and Zion are 80 miles from each other.

I'll give you my personal experience, because I moved from Minnesota to UT. LDS (Latter Day Saints) is the appropriate term to use instead of Mormons. I had no problem with the people; however, you must realize that the LDS religion does run the state. And Pioneer Day is a holiday and is more revered than the 4th of July. LOL! Now the climate: The sun is VERY bright, so make sure you have good sunglasses. It might be dry, but it's still hot in the summers -- easily in the 90's. You'll definitely miss the trees, grass, and lakes. Utah has been in drought conditions for years, and water conservation is a must. I thought the water quality was poor. Plan on drinking bottled water to be safe! Oh, and my eyes,hair, and skin were sooooooo dry the whole time I lived there. Yes, it is the desert. Good luck on your decision.

katolb90

Ms_Jingles, it sounds like you really didn't like it. I figure if I don't like it then I can move again in a couple of years. I just need a job change really bad right now and the pickins is slim as far as getting transferred. I work for the US government and they are hiring a lot of contractors and people from the outside.

Ms_Jingles

You're right, I didn't like Utah. Part of it was due to the desert conditions such as heat and water issues. Part of it was due to conservative views and feeling like I didn't belong since I wasn't LDS. There are many 'outsiders' who feel the same way when they move to Utah. I didn't think Utah had much violent crime compared to many states. But like most areas they are not immune to problems with theft, drugs, alcohol, sexual perversions, and gangs. You seem to be very positive about getting this job and moving, so I don't want to discourage you. Just because it wasn't a right fit for me, doesn't mean it won't be for you. And really, if you are happy with your job, then you will probably be happy wherever you live!! Have you compared the cost of living differences?

karens

I can't imagine moving somewhere without visiting it first. I love and admire your open-minded attitude toward a move, but maybe with a bit more planning you could find a place that would definitely work for you, instead of one that might entail a move just a few years down the road.

We flew through SLC last week and I read the local paper with interest. Provo, UT was named the most conservative city in the country. Surprising, Salt Lake was listed in the Top 100 of the most liberal (it was toward the bottom of the Top 100, but its presence there at all surprised me).

Another article said that Utah has higher than average rape statistics - another figure I found surprising.

I'm not stating these figures to discourage you - I love the national parks of Utah and the outdoorsy vibe I got from my visits there.

Ms_Jingles

Karens, you are very wise! The biggest thing I learned is that when religion suppresses/restricts certain ideas it has long-term consequences.

katolb90

I would love to read that article on the top 100 most liberal cities. I would imagine that almost any big city has some degree of liberalness to it. Hopefully conservatism won't equate to racism there in Utah. Where I can relocate to is dependent on where the job openings are. Ogden was one of those places that had openings. Washington DC/Maryland was another place, but I was concerned about the expense and the traffic. I checked some home prices in the Ogden/Layton area and they were very reasonable. Not sure about the rest of the area though.