Help, I'm moving from VA to UT - what (West Jordan: house, transfer)

[sassy62]

area is the best to buy a house in (subdivision) and raise your kids since we are non-mormons? We are being transferred to Lehi. We want to be near Christian churches as well but when I checked the website, there doesn't really appear to be any in Lehi. Also, has anyone made the same transfer and been happy with it or wished they had stayed in Manassas, VA?

[Elder_Shawn]

Originally Posted by sassy62

area is the best to buy a house in (subdivision) and raise your kids since we are non-mormons? We are being transferred to Lehi. We want to be near Christian churches as well but when I checked the website, there doesn't really appear to be any in Lehi. Also, has anyone made the same transfer and been happy with it or wished they had stayed in Manassas, VA?

Surprisingly Mormon church are Christian too! I'm sure there are small pockets of "resistance" on the north end of Utah county. JK The higher priced areas tend to have more diversity in Utah county (Alpine). Tons of new people are moving into Lehi, Saratoga Springs, and the Traverse Mountain area so you should be fine. Utah is like kid heaven. Kids are everywhere and most places are very kid friendly. There are many "Christian" churches in the Salt Lake Valley only a few minutes away so I wouldn't be too concerned.

[eggalegga]

Just a hunch. Do you work for I/M Flash? The Manassas/Lehi move lead me to that deduction. My brother works for I/M Flash in Lehi and trained in Manassas for 7 months. I have a friend who lives in Centreville.

My friends who were originally from Utah, moved to Washington state, and then the family moved to Manassas for training for I/M flash too. They moved back to Utah in November and they live in Draper with their two kids.

I would recommend living in southern Salt Lake County and driving over the point of the mountain to get into Lehi. Draper, South Jordan, Riverton, and West Jordan are family friendly towns on the south end of the Salt Lake Valley.

I'm not sure what Christian churches are in any of those areas since I don't attend church.

[coolcats]

I moved from Chantilly, VA to Utah 2 years ago. There are quite a few Baptist and Evangelical type churches in the Salt Lake Valley. I drive past a one off of Bangerter Highway and about 4800 South. There is also one about 5400 S. and Redwood Road. Doubtless there are a lot more. There are bound to be a few in Utah Valley, but not as many.

FWIW, You could offer me double the pay of what I make in Utah, and I still wouldn’t move back to NoVA. Some of that is because my wife’s family is here and that makes her happy. If she’s happy, I’m happy. But a lot of that is the more relaxed lifestyle also.

[sassy62]

Originally Posted by eggalegga

Just a hunch. Do you work for I/M Flash? The Manassas/Lehi move lead me to that deduction. My brother works for I/M Flash in Lehi and trained in Manassas for 7 months. I have a friend who lives in Centreville.

My friends who were originally from Utah, moved to Washington state, and then the family moved to Manassas for training for I/M flash too. They moved back to Utah in November and they live in Draper with their two kids.

I would recommend living in southern Salt Lake County and driving over the point of the mountain to get into Lehi. Draper, South Jordan, Riverton, and West Jordan are family friendly towns on the south end of the Salt Lake Valley.

I'm not sure what Christian churches are in any of those areas since I don't attend church.

You are correct in guessing where my husband works. After reading quite a few of the blogs, I am just really worried that our kids will be ostracized and I would rather not move if that is the case.

Also, what schools are good? How does the Utah schools stack up? Thanks for your reply.

[chazcrew]

Sassy, I'd agree that Draper is a good place, as is the part of Lehi that's east of the freeway (not west, because of horrible traffic). You could also look into Alpine, Highland, Cedar Hills, or American Fork. All of those would be very easy commutes, and they have good schools.

One thing you'll find in the schools is overcrowding. We simply have a LOT of kids, period. But considering the low expenditure per pupil and the high student/teacher ratio, it's amazing how well education works around here. It's not perfect, by any means, but with dedicated and involved parents being the norm here, the schools are able to do a lot with what they have.

[eggalegga]

I don't have kids so I'm no help regarding schools here. I would recommend talking with the I/M staff or HR person to try to give you some advice. Perhaps your husband could get some email addresses of some of his future coworkers and he could ask them.

I think the family friendly communities are a plus, regardless of your faith.

The friend I referred to that moved back to Utah from Manassas couldn't wait to get back here. She and her family didn't like Manassas at all.

[jhwest]

Most kids in Utah County (where Lehi is located) will be Mormon. I really doubt there will be any problems for your kids. I'm Mormon and my sons (4th grade) best friends are all non-Mormons. They're really good kids and that's all I care about. I think most Mormon parents would agree.

[tscrilla]

Why do people think that if they move into a "Mormon" neighborhood they will be doomed because they aren't members of the same faith? If you're willing to be a good neighbor to those around you then they'll be good to you too.

All through high school I had friends of other faiths and we all got along just fine. Don't let the predominant christian faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints deter you in where to live. Just be outgoing and make friends and you'll be just fine.

[sassy62]

Thank you for the great info. I think our kids will do great, you know how it is as a parent, you worry about every little thing. We found out that we might not be moving until next spring, so I really appreciate everyone's insight and am looking forward to the move. Thank you!