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Salt lake city (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter rascal
- Start date
Mad Cow
Welshers and Dawdlers Beware!
The Wasatch Front is certainly a very family friendly place. Lots of things to do with that. Tons of outdoorsy things in the mountains, etc. Certainly skiing is 2nd to none, as well. I know there are several non-LDS FBG's that do live here or have lived here and love it. I am LDS and love it, though I live south in Saratoga Springs. I am happy to answer any questions.
Koya
Footballguy
Surprisingly great city imo. For one, it has become immensly accomodating to those of other faiths and beliefs. In fact, I think they now have one of the largest gay pride festivals in the Country.
The area has recognized that for sustained growth they need to be more inclusive. The old laws against drinking are basically gone. While a very conservative state they recognize the benefits of investment in rail and other mass transit. They are a very entreprenurial region, and have done a lot to attract creative type workers and young professionals.
Couple that with the ridiculous nature that surrounds and I could think of worse places to live.
The area has recognized that for sustained growth they need to be more inclusive. The old laws against drinking are basically gone. While a very conservative state they recognize the benefits of investment in rail and other mass transit. They are a very entreprenurial region, and have done a lot to attract creative type workers and young professionals.
Couple that with the ridiculous nature that surrounds and I could think of worse places to live.
Apple Jack
Footballguy
you need to be sold on the wasatch over okc?
FreeBaGeL
Footballguy
I live in Ogden. I assume you're sold now.
Pros
If you're into the outdoors, there may be nowhere better. The closest ski resort (Snowbasin) is about 25 minutes away and is one of the best (they held the Olympic downhill race there in 2002). There are 9 ski resorts within an hour including some of the world's best (Alta/Snowbird). You can mountain bike or hike good trails from your house, and INCREDIBLE trails with a short 30-60 minute drive. Here is a shot I took of a 200 foot waterfall that I can hike to from my house.
Beyond that, some of the most incredible scenery in the world is drivable from Ogden. Moab, Yellowstone, Tetons, Monument Valley, Zion, Bryce, and oh so much more.
For your wife, the arts scene is surprisingly decent here. First Friday art stroll and all that, summer is full of art shows/festivals, there are 3 or 4 galleries downtown despite the downtown area not being particularly large.
Housing is very cheap. $300k will get you into the suburban area of town with 3k-6k square foot 3+ car garage houses with gated communities and all that. Because LDS generally have large families, every house out here is huge so you'll have no problem getting enough bedrooms for your kids. While not the norm, one of the houses our realtor showed us when we moved out here was a 7-bedroom 7,000 square foot 3-level monster in a nice neighborhood for a little over $400k
Very neat downtown area on historic 25th street (google historic 25th street ogden).
Cons
Surprisingly, the big issue here is pollution. People think SLC and they think clean mountain air, but the SLC area actually has the worst average air quality in the country. This is due to a combination of geography, oil refineries (yes, SLC is big oil, the north end of "beautiful Salt Lake" is nothing but huge industrial oil refineries spewing pollution into the air), and heavy traffic concentrated along a narrow stretch of valley. In the winter, the geography causes inversions where the cold air gets trapped in the valley, and then the pollution from the refineries and cars can't get out, after a few days causing thick layers of smog that make Los Angeles look like a beacon of clean air. I live 100 yards or so away from a 10,000 foot mountain and there are days in the winter where I can't see the mountain because of the "fog" of yellow pollution. It's gross, but do note this is generally only a few weeks a year, always in winter. Outside of that air quality isn't great, but is nowhere near the country's worst. It's just that those few weeks of inversion drive the average air quality down so far it actually ends up being the nation's worst, on average.
The pollution is unlikely to get any better any time soon and will likely only get worse. Last year regulations were passed to allow the refineries to INCREASE their pollution output by 12.5%.
Of course, if you're non-LDS I'm sure you've heard about the alcohol rules here. Draft beer and grocery store beef cannot exceed 3.5%. You can't hold two drinks at once. Unless it's a 21+ establishment with an entry fee you can't order a drink without ordering food. Alcohol cannot be poored where a child can see it (that means most restaurants do not have bars). I think that's the gist of it. Honestly, it's not that bad in practice. Most places get around most of the stuff (selling a $1 slider that you can order to meet the "have to order food" requirement, etc). The 3.5% draft beer cannot be gotten around but all the local breweries just brew at 3.5% and, honestly, if you weren't told it was only 3.5% you would never know the difference. Plus, the elevation helps 3.5% go a little further.
The restaurant scene is just OK in Ogden. There are a few good ones downtown. If you're really craving a cool food scene you can always make the trip down to SLC though. There are lots of cool restaurants there.
Random notes
Ogden is more like 40 minutes north of SLC, not 20
My wife and I are also non-LDS and other than maybe the alcohol notes above (and their propensity to vote conservative based on religion while the Republican lawmakers here just keep making the pollution worse), it hasn't been an issue. We're not pestered to convert or anything like that. Our neighbors are LDS (9 kids!) and are very friendly and we've been out to dinner with them a few times (without the kids). That said, our only kid is still only 1 year old so we haven't seen how it affects him in school yet. Outside of school, there are plenty of non-LDSers here. And while the stigma that LDS and non-LDS friend groups don't generally mix is mostly true, it's not because they're mean or unwelcoming or anything (quite the opposite). It just so happens that most LDS social activities center around church events and most non-LDS social activities center around, well, booze.
The wife and I just re-upped on our contract to stay in the area for at least another 3 years. We dig it. The only "con" from the list above that we really hate is the pollution, but that's really only a major issue a few weeks a year (for now, it gets worse every year).
Let me know if you have any questions. I've been in Ogden for 2 years now and know the place pretty well.
Pros
If you're into the outdoors, there may be nowhere better. The closest ski resort (Snowbasin) is about 25 minutes away and is one of the best (they held the Olympic downhill race there in 2002). There are 9 ski resorts within an hour including some of the world's best (Alta/Snowbird). You can mountain bike or hike good trails from your house, and INCREDIBLE trails with a short 30-60 minute drive. Here is a shot I took of a 200 foot waterfall that I can hike to from my house.
Beyond that, some of the most incredible scenery in the world is drivable from Ogden. Moab, Yellowstone, Tetons, Monument Valley, Zion, Bryce, and oh so much more.
For your wife, the arts scene is surprisingly decent here. First Friday art stroll and all that, summer is full of art shows/festivals, there are 3 or 4 galleries downtown despite the downtown area not being particularly large.
Housing is very cheap. $300k will get you into the suburban area of town with 3k-6k square foot 3+ car garage houses with gated communities and all that. Because LDS generally have large families, every house out here is huge so you'll have no problem getting enough bedrooms for your kids. While not the norm, one of the houses our realtor showed us when we moved out here was a 7-bedroom 7,000 square foot 3-level monster in a nice neighborhood for a little over $400k
Very neat downtown area on historic 25th street (google historic 25th street ogden).
Cons
Surprisingly, the big issue here is pollution. People think SLC and they think clean mountain air, but the SLC area actually has the worst average air quality in the country. This is due to a combination of geography, oil refineries (yes, SLC is big oil, the north end of "beautiful Salt Lake" is nothing but huge industrial oil refineries spewing pollution into the air), and heavy traffic concentrated along a narrow stretch of valley. In the winter, the geography causes inversions where the cold air gets trapped in the valley, and then the pollution from the refineries and cars can't get out, after a few days causing thick layers of smog that make Los Angeles look like a beacon of clean air. I live 100 yards or so away from a 10,000 foot mountain and there are days in the winter where I can't see the mountain because of the "fog" of yellow pollution. It's gross, but do note this is generally only a few weeks a year, always in winter. Outside of that air quality isn't great, but is nowhere near the country's worst. It's just that those few weeks of inversion drive the average air quality down so far it actually ends up being the nation's worst, on average.
The pollution is unlikely to get any better any time soon and will likely only get worse. Last year regulations were passed to allow the refineries to INCREASE their pollution output by 12.5%.
Of course, if you're non-LDS I'm sure you've heard about the alcohol rules here. Draft beer and grocery store beef cannot exceed 3.5%. You can't hold two drinks at once. Unless it's a 21+ establishment with an entry fee you can't order a drink without ordering food. Alcohol cannot be poored where a child can see it (that means most restaurants do not have bars). I think that's the gist of it. Honestly, it's not that bad in practice. Most places get around most of the stuff (selling a $1 slider that you can order to meet the "have to order food" requirement, etc). The 3.5% draft beer cannot be gotten around but all the local breweries just brew at 3.5% and, honestly, if you weren't told it was only 3.5% you would never know the difference. Plus, the elevation helps 3.5% go a little further.
The restaurant scene is just OK in Ogden. There are a few good ones downtown. If you're really craving a cool food scene you can always make the trip down to SLC though. There are lots of cool restaurants there.
Random notes
Ogden is more like 40 minutes north of SLC, not 20
My wife and I are also non-LDS and other than maybe the alcohol notes above (and their propensity to vote conservative based on religion while the Republican lawmakers here just keep making the pollution worse), it hasn't been an issue. We're not pestered to convert or anything like that. Our neighbors are LDS (9 kids!) and are very friendly and we've been out to dinner with them a few times (without the kids). That said, our only kid is still only 1 year old so we haven't seen how it affects him in school yet. Outside of school, there are plenty of non-LDSers here. And while the stigma that LDS and non-LDS friend groups don't generally mix is mostly true, it's not because they're mean or unwelcoming or anything (quite the opposite). It just so happens that most LDS social activities center around church events and most non-LDS social activities center around, well, booze.
The wife and I just re-upped on our contract to stay in the area for at least another 3 years. We dig it. The only "con" from the list above that we really hate is the pollution, but that's really only a major issue a few weeks a year (for now, it gets worse every year).
Let me know if you have any questions. I've been in Ogden for 2 years now and know the place pretty well.
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Evilgrin 72
Distributor of Pain
I plowed more chicks in SLC in 2 years than I did in the previous 5 in NJ. I bagged two babes the same night I #### my pants in public. I left a scar on that valley. If you look closely enough, you can still see it today. Have fun.
Mad Cow
Welshers and Dawdlers Beware!
Wasatch Front is a general term for the area stretching from Utah County up north to Ogden and such. It is a long corridor of communities along I-15.
Wow...sounds promising. Not worried about beer as I usually just drink Scotch. What are some good neighborhoods & schools?I live in Ogden. I assume you're sold now.
Pros
If you're into the outdoors, there may be nowhere better. The closest ski resort (Snowbasin) is about 25 minutes away and is one of the best (they held the Olympic downhill race there in 2002). There are 9 ski resorts within an hour including some of the world's best (Alta/Snowbird). You can mountain bike or hike good trails from your house, and INCREDIBLE trails with a short 30-60 minute drive. Here is a shot I took of a 200 foot waterfall that I can hike to from my house.
Beyond that, some of the most incredible scenery in the world is drivable from Ogden. Moab, Yellowstone, Tetons, Monument Valley, Zion, Bryce, and oh so much more.
For your wife, the arts scene is surprisingly decent here. First Friday art stroll and all that, summer is full of art shows/festivals, there are 3 or 4 galleries downtown despite the downtown area not being particularly large.
Housing is very cheap. $300k will get you into the suburban area of town with 3k-6k square foot 3+ car garage houses with gated communities and all that. Because LDS generally have large families, every house out here is huge so you'll have no problem getting enough bedrooms for your kids. While not the norm, one of the houses our realtor showed us when we moved out here was a 7-bedroom 7,000 square foot 3-level monster in a nice neighborhood for a little over $400k
Very neat downtown area on historic 25th street (google historic 25th street ogden).
Cons
Surprisingly, the big issue here is pollution. People think SLC and they think clean mountain air, but the SLC area actually has the worst average air quality in the country. This is due to a combination of geography, oil refineries (yes, SLC is big oil, the north end of "beautiful Salt Lake" is nothing but huge industrial oil refineries spewing pollution into the air), and heavy traffic concentrated along a narrow stretch of valley. In the winter, the geography causes inversions where the cold air gets trapped in the valley, and then the pollution from the refineries and cars can't get out, after a few days causing thick layers of smog that make Los Angeles look like a beacon of clean air. I live 100 yards or so away from a 10,000 foot mountain and there are days in the winter where I can't see the mountain because of the "fog" of yellow pollution. It's gross, but do note this is generally only a few weeks a year, always in winter. Outside of that air quality isn't great, but is nowhere near the country's worst. It's just that those few weeks of inversion drive the average air quality down so far it actually ends up being the nation's worst, on average.
The pollution is unlikely to get any better any time soon and will likely only get worse. Last year regulations were passed to allow the refineries to INCREASE their pollution output by 12.5%.
Of course, if you're non-LDS I'm sure you've heard about the alcohol rules here. Draft beer and grocery store beef cannot exceed 3.5%. You can't hold two drinks at once. Unless it's a 21+ establishment with an entry fee you can't order a drink without ordering food. Alcohol cannot be poored where a child can see it (that means most restaurants do not have bars). I think that's the gist of it. Honestly, it's not that bad in practice. Most places get around most of the stuff (selling a $1 slider that you can order to meet the "have to order food" requirement, etc). The 3.5% draft beer cannot be gotten around but all the local breweries just brew at 3.5% and, honestly, if you weren't told it was only 3.5% you would never know the difference. Plus, the elevation helps 3.5% go a little further.
The restaurant scene is just OK in Ogden. There are a few good ones downtown. If you're really craving a cool food scene you can always make the trip down to SLC though. There are lots of cool restaurants there.
Random notes
Ogden is more like 40 minutes north of SLC, not 20
My wife and I are also non-LDS and other than maybe the alcohol notes above (and their propensity to vote conservative based on religion while the Republican lawmakers here just keep making the pollution worse), it hasn't been an issue. We're not pestered to convert or anything like that. Our neighbors are LDS (9 kids!) and are very friendly and we've been out to dinner with them a few times (without the kids). That said, our only kid is still only 1 year old so we haven't seen how it affects him in school yet. Outside of school, there are plenty of non-LDSers here. And while the stigma that LDS and non-LDS friend groups don't generally mix is mostly true, it's not because they're mean or unwelcoming or anything (quite the opposite). It just so happens that most LDS social activities center around church events and most non-LDS social activities center around, well, booze.
The wife and I just re-upped on our contract to stay in the area for at least another 3 years. We dig it. The only "con" from the list above that we really hate is the pollution, but that's really only a major issue a few weeks a year (for now, it gets worse every year).
Let me know if you have any questions. I've been in Ogden for 2 years now and know the place pretty well.
grateful zed
Footballguy
Buckfast 1
Footballguy
I've spent a decent bit of time in Salt Lake City over the past year. I've really enjoyed the time that I've spent there. I've been to some great restaurants, done some beautiful hiking and skiing at Snowbird/Alta, and went to a really fun music festival at Liberty Park. It's incredibly pretty in the valley there. I think Salt Lake City has a really high quality of life compared to most American cities.
After growing up in a Southern community full of Southern Baptists, I'm not sure that I could ever move to another conversative city dominated by a fringe religious sect, but I suppose that is probably not too big of a change if you are already coming from Oklahoma. The beer regulations, while allegedly improving, are also still a dealbreaker for me, as I can't fathom only being able to drink <4% ABV beer on draft and being forced to buy all of my beer from state-run liquor stores with a poor selection. But if you can tolerate those things, I think that Salt Lake City living is probably a significant upgrade from Oklahoma City.
After growing up in a Southern community full of Southern Baptists, I'm not sure that I could ever move to another conversative city dominated by a fringe religious sect, but I suppose that is probably not too big of a change if you are already coming from Oklahoma. The beer regulations, while allegedly improving, are also still a dealbreaker for me, as I can't fathom only being able to drink <4% ABV beer on draft and being forced to buy all of my beer from state-run liquor stores with a poor selection. But if you can tolerate those things, I think that Salt Lake City living is probably a significant upgrade from Oklahoma City.
grateful zed
Footballguy
alta doesnt allow knuckle draggers either. 
Nick Vermeil
Footballguy
The pollution really is the pits. That applies to most of the western side rocky mountain cities. But go up in the hills from there and you are in some beautiful country.
FreeBaGeL
Footballguy
The only really annoying thing about the <4% ABV is that it limits your selection from the big "microbrews" that you can generally get anywhere. No draft Fat Tire, Sierra Nevada, Rogue, etc. You're limited to only local brews (of which there are a lot) on draft.
That said, the "only 4%" stuff is overblown. It's not like <4% ABV beer is just a bunch of Bud Light. The IPA's taste no different than the IPAs anywhere else. Porters, Stouts, Belgian Wits, etc etc. Tasted blind you could not tell the difference, and 4% at 6000 feet will go as far as 6% at sea level in getting you a nice buzz.
Heck, most of the world drinks 4% ABV beer. You know how Americans are always lamenting that the Guiness tastes better in Ireland than it does here? Guiness in Ireland is actually 4% ABV, compared to 5% for America. It's only America that has an obsession with mid-gravity and it's more of a pride thing (I'm drinking 6%, I'm tough!) than a taste thing, since they don't really taste any different.
Also, beer is sold in grocery stores here, not just liquor stores. Grocery stores just have the same limits as draft beer (4%) so you have to go to liquor stores to buy any higher gravity stuff. It limits the selection in grocery stores a bit, but the market has adjusted as there are a ton of breweries here that fill up the taps and grocery store shelves. I think I can name 11 in the greater SLC metropolitan area. There's even a couple whiskey distilleries now and they just found some legal loopholes to allow them to serve whiskey flights.
Yeah, it's not ideal, but it's a bit overblown. When you're here, you don't really notice that much. A nuisance sometimes, but nothing life changing and I'm a fairly heavy drinker.
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FreeBaGeL
Footballguy
The general rule is anything east of Harrison Blvd is going to be a pretty nice area. That's a thin but long stretch of land that runs between a major road and the mountains, extending up into the foothills of the mountains. That's where you'll find most of the nice houses/neighborhoods. By name, they're generally referred to as Shadow Valley (extending more towards South Ogden) and the "East Bench". If you go a bit further up the mountain from Shadow Valley things get a little more wooded with larger, more private lots.
With schools, since we didn't have kids yet we were really only looking at elementary schools when we looked and we chose a house near Shadow Valley Elementary. Like most decent sized metro areas, the inner city schools are generally a little rougher.
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Buckfast 1
Footballguy
I know that Salt Lake City has a solid local brewing scene as well as several decent craft beer bars around town that I've frequented, such as the Bayou and the Beerhive Pub. And, while I am sure that most people eventually adapt to the inane alcohol regulations in Utah, I'm not sure I would ever get over the rage of knowing that Mormons are forcing me to drink only session beers from a tap at the bar. As far as I'm concerned, that is an unconstitutional infringement on my liberty by religiously motivated laws that I cannot tolerate in a free society. But, I'm an avowed athiest that loves high ABV beers, so that particular issue probably resonates with me more than your average citizen.FreeBaGeL said:
johnnycakes
Footballguy
You #### your pants in public! 
Evilgrin 72
Distributor of Pain
You'd get over it. I'm a card-carrying atheist and as big a drinker (at the time I lived there) as you'll ever meet and I adapted. It's really not that hard and the restrictions were even more intense 15 years ago when I was there.
Evilgrin 72
Distributor of Pain
You've never seen the "Story Time with EG" thread? The whole story is there.You #### your pants in public!
Zow
Footballguy
I still don't believe it. I mean I believe it because it's you, but it's still unbelievable.You've never seen the "Story Time with EG" thread? The whole story is there.You #### your pants in public!
Evilgrin 72
Distributor of Pain
I can hardly believe it myself. I can count the number of 3 ways I've had in my life on one hand with fingers to spare and I've only crapped my pants once in my life. The odds that both occurred on the same night? Almost incalculable.I still don't believe it. I mean I believe it because it's you, but it's still unbelievable.You've never seen the "Story Time with EG" thread? The whole story is there.You #### your pants in public!
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The Dreaded Marco
Footballguy
I moved from Seattle to SLC with my wife in 1993 for residency training with every intention of moving back in 3 years......still here 22 years later. We now live in Layton, 20 miles north of SLC and 10 miles south of Ogden.
I pretty much agree with most of the commentary above.
The alcohol issues are trivial at this point. You can get a drink when you want one. The beer is restricted to 3.2% for the grocery stores but you can get excellent, full strength microbrews in the liquor stores and the breweries themselves very easily. The ridiculous liquor laws are gradually falling by the wayside.
The outdoor recreation is 2nd to none, year-round. Skiing, hiking, biking, golf, fishing, camping. The climate is fantastic, with very little rain or humidity. The winter inversions related to the pollution can be a drag, though. Professional sports are somewhat limited relative to other bigger cities, but they love their Jazz and RSL. As a Seattle Sonics fan, I have never bonded with the Jazz but we go to several RSL games every season. The college sports are well supported here.
As relatively liberal, non-religious, non-LDS people, the cultural adjustment was a bit of a challenge for us but things have improved in that area a lot over the years. Both my daughters have had some challenges in this realm attending public junior and senior high schools but have persevered and done very well. By the time your kids are at that age I suspect it will be even better.
Ogden is a pretty cool town. I haven't lived there but have friends and colleagues that do and I have many patients/families that live there as well. Like someone mentioned, the restaurant/bar scene is pretty good and is only improving. I agree that, within Ogden proper, you should look for homes east of Harrison Ave. There are also some smaller towns adjacent to Ogden (essentially suburbs) that offer some nice homes at excellent prices.
Good luck with your move.
I pretty much agree with most of the commentary above.
The alcohol issues are trivial at this point. You can get a drink when you want one. The beer is restricted to 3.2% for the grocery stores but you can get excellent, full strength microbrews in the liquor stores and the breweries themselves very easily. The ridiculous liquor laws are gradually falling by the wayside.
The outdoor recreation is 2nd to none, year-round. Skiing, hiking, biking, golf, fishing, camping. The climate is fantastic, with very little rain or humidity. The winter inversions related to the pollution can be a drag, though. Professional sports are somewhat limited relative to other bigger cities, but they love their Jazz and RSL. As a Seattle Sonics fan, I have never bonded with the Jazz but we go to several RSL games every season. The college sports are well supported here.
As relatively liberal, non-religious, non-LDS people, the cultural adjustment was a bit of a challenge for us but things have improved in that area a lot over the years. Both my daughters have had some challenges in this realm attending public junior and senior high schools but have persevered and done very well. By the time your kids are at that age I suspect it will be even better.
Ogden is a pretty cool town. I haven't lived there but have friends and colleagues that do and I have many patients/families that live there as well. Like someone mentioned, the restaurant/bar scene is pretty good and is only improving. I agree that, within Ogden proper, you should look for homes east of Harrison Ave. There are also some smaller towns adjacent to Ogden (essentially suburbs) that offer some nice homes at excellent prices.
Good luck with your move.
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chet
Footballguy
I have a vaca house in Park City (I'm posting from there) and would highly recommend the area. That being said, there's almost no LDS influence in PC but I can't say the same about Ogden--not that there is or isn't, I just don't know. Make sure you're comfortable before you commit.
ComfortablyNumb
Footballguy
I live in Ogden, too (specifically South Weber), and also work at Hill. I moved here from Wright Patt a year ago and would be happy to share some lessons learned with you. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
Hagger
Footballguy
I was born and raised in Ogden (South Ogden) and lived there for 28 years before moving away. If you're living in SLC, there's definitely more to do. SLC offers most of the things big cities offer, professional sports, PAC 12 college sports, some great restaurants, museums, culture etc. As stated above, it may be the best place to live if you are into skiing or other outdoor activities. The Wasatch mountains are literally right at the city's eastern edge and provide beautiful scenery every day. It's extremely family friendly and generally a clean, well-kept city. The public schools are decent if not a little underfunded, but there are many charter schools available if that's your thing.
The LDS (Mormon) thing is way overblown. Many of my friends and some of my family are LDS. The vast majority of them are nice and friendly people who are really into family life. There are those who may invite you to attend church with them, but if you just say you're not interested they'll leave you alone about it. I've never seen anyone ostracized for not being Mormon. It's more a case of Mormons hold many of their own activities and non-Mormons usually don't feel comfortable attending, but would be more than welcomed if they did. Plus, the typical Mormon will not be hitting the bars or nightlife, or essentially any social event that centers around drinking alcohol. I suppose you could make yourself ostracized though, if you ask them about their "magic underwear" or how many wives they have or any of the other stupid things people say who don't know anything about them.
I can tell you a lot more about Ogden City, if you're considering living there. Ogden's a bit of a different beast than SLC. It's more run down and actually has a relatively high crime rate and surprisingly large inner-city for a mid-sized city. It has a thriving night life, but it's more the scary type. Biker gangs love Ogden for some reason, including the local one, the Sundowners. It's not hard to get yourself into trouble with them if you're hitting the bars in Ogden. But all of that really makes it sound worse than it is. You're safe walking around Ogden's downtown, and they have a lot of community activities on the weekends. It also has tall, beautiful mountains surrounding it, with quick access to excellent skiing, hunting, fishing, cycling and hiking. It has good schools if you are in Weber County School District as opposed to Ogden City School District. If you decide to live there I'd recommend actually moving to the smaller suburbs west of the city, West Haven, West Weber, Roy, Hooper. They are growing rapidly, extremely clean, safe and family friendly, and have some really nice houses at quite affordable prices.
If you have any questions about the Ogden area feel free to pm me. Salt Lake City, not as much.
The LDS (Mormon) thing is way overblown. Many of my friends and some of my family are LDS. The vast majority of them are nice and friendly people who are really into family life. There are those who may invite you to attend church with them, but if you just say you're not interested they'll leave you alone about it. I've never seen anyone ostracized for not being Mormon. It's more a case of Mormons hold many of their own activities and non-Mormons usually don't feel comfortable attending, but would be more than welcomed if they did. Plus, the typical Mormon will not be hitting the bars or nightlife, or essentially any social event that centers around drinking alcohol. I suppose you could make yourself ostracized though, if you ask them about their "magic underwear" or how many wives they have or any of the other stupid things people say who don't know anything about them.
I can tell you a lot more about Ogden City, if you're considering living there. Ogden's a bit of a different beast than SLC. It's more run down and actually has a relatively high crime rate and surprisingly large inner-city for a mid-sized city. It has a thriving night life, but it's more the scary type. Biker gangs love Ogden for some reason, including the local one, the Sundowners. It's not hard to get yourself into trouble with them if you're hitting the bars in Ogden. But all of that really makes it sound worse than it is. You're safe walking around Ogden's downtown, and they have a lot of community activities on the weekends. It also has tall, beautiful mountains surrounding it, with quick access to excellent skiing, hunting, fishing, cycling and hiking. It has good schools if you are in Weber County School District as opposed to Ogden City School District. If you decide to live there I'd recommend actually moving to the smaller suburbs west of the city, West Haven, West Weber, Roy, Hooper. They are growing rapidly, extremely clean, safe and family friendly, and have some really nice houses at quite affordable prices.
If you have any questions about the Ogden area feel free to pm me. Salt Lake City, not as much.
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the moops
Footballguy
Just dont want to start another thread and this is the only SLC thread I could find.
Just me and my 11 year old are out there for a long weekend 7/17 - 7/20. He qualified for some bouldering comp/skills camp thing out at the national training center. We get in Thur at like 5. Our hotel is attached to a climbing gym so we ill probably just grab dinner near by and climb and just chill in the hotel pool. Am looking for a good brewery though, we are staying right downtown just south of Pioneer Park. We are carless.
Friday is wide open though and looking for suggestions. Again, we will be carless. Thinking about renting bikes and cruising around. Or renting good bikes at a ski slope that offers chair lift downhill stuff. I have only done that once - I have trudged my way up every other mountain I have biked down, but remember it being awesome. And if we could find some super flowy downhill I think my dude would absolutely be stoked. I see Solitude and Brighton have it, but looks like both are sold out for that Friday. Weak. Any other suggestions?
Saturday he has climbing 9-5, and I am busy for a few hours in there, but looking for lunch/dinner/beer/other stuff for lunch and after climbing. Same deal with Sunday, but we fly out at 9 PM.
Just me and my 11 year old are out there for a long weekend 7/17 - 7/20. He qualified for some bouldering comp/skills camp thing out at the national training center. We get in Thur at like 5. Our hotel is attached to a climbing gym so we ill probably just grab dinner near by and climb and just chill in the hotel pool. Am looking for a good brewery though, we are staying right downtown just south of Pioneer Park. We are carless.
Friday is wide open though and looking for suggestions. Again, we will be carless. Thinking about renting bikes and cruising around. Or renting good bikes at a ski slope that offers chair lift downhill stuff. I have only done that once - I have trudged my way up every other mountain I have biked down, but remember it being awesome. And if we could find some super flowy downhill I think my dude would absolutely be stoked. I see Solitude and Brighton have it, but looks like both are sold out for that Friday. Weak. Any other suggestions?
Saturday he has climbing 9-5, and I am busy for a few hours in there, but looking for lunch/dinner/beer/other stuff for lunch and after climbing. Same deal with Sunday, but we fly out at 9 PM.
The Dreaded Marco
Footballguy
Looks like you're going to get a great weekend weather-wise.
Some lunch/dinner suggestions that are a reasonable walking distance from your hotel:
Slackwater--pretty good pizza and a fantastic craft beer selection (300+).
Settebello--another pizza place. Better pizza than Slackwater, imo, but not nearly the beer menu.
Red Iguana and Blue Iguana---two excellent mexican restaurants
Caputo's Market & Deli---an authentic deli with fantastic sandwiches. Great lunch stop.
From Scratch---another good lunch spot with a varied menu.
As for breweries, my two favorites (Fisher and Epic) are 21+ only.
The only two I know in that area that allow minors are Squatters Pub Brewery and Red Rock Brewery.
The beers are good and the food is typical pub fare but not bad.
I've never done the downhill mountain biking at the ski resorts so can't speak from experience but this may be helpful:
Catch A Lift: Utah’s Lift-Served Mountain Biking
Many of Utah's trusty chairlifts are put to use each summer offering gravity enthusiasts a novel way to experience their favorite slopes on a mountain bike.
www.skiutah.com
Hope you guys have a great weekend and good luck to your son in the competition........
the moops
Footballguy
This is great. Thanks! It is next weekend so hopefully your weather prediction still holds true!Looks like you're going to get a great weekend weather-wise.
Some lunch/dinner suggestions that are a reasonable walking distance from your hotel:
Slackwater--pretty good pizza and a fantastic craft beer selection (300+).
Settebello--another pizza place. Better pizza than Slackwater, imo, but not nearly the beer menu.
Red Iguana and Blue Iguana---two excellent mexican restaurants
Caputo's Market & Deli---an authentic deli with fantastic sandwiches. Great lunch stop.
From Scratch---another good lunch spot with a varied menu.
As for breweries, my two favorites (Fisher and Epic) are 21+ only.
The only two I know in that area that allow minors are Squatters Pub Brewery and Red Rock Brewery.
The beers are good and the food is typical pub fare but not bad.
I've never done the downhill mountain biking at the ski resorts so can't speak from experience but this may be helpful:
Catch A Lift: Utah’s Lift-Served Mountain Biking
Many of Utah's trusty chairlifts are put to use each summer offering gravity enthusiasts a novel way to experience their favorite slopes on a mountain bike.www.skiutah.com
Hope you guys have a great weekend and good luck to your son in the competition........
Terminalxylem
Footballguy
Downhill mountain biking is super fun. Though I haven’t biked there, Park City is highly rated, and offers a cool town with pretty diverse dining options. It’s about 30 minutes from where you’re staying, which isn’t much different time-wise from Solitude/Brighton.
Both Cottonwood Canyons offer good hiking closer by, and I’d consider hiring a guide to try outdoor climbing as well.
In SLC proper, we like Red>Blue Iguana, and went to a good street taco place, possibly Roctaco?
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The Dreaded Marco
Footballguy
Yes. Red Iguana is the gold standard.
