Areas with the most open and outgoing people? (Salt Lake City, Cedar City: real estate, condo)

[captainbob2]

I have yet to visit Utah but I love hearing how people love outdoor recreation and all the wonderful seasonal opportunities. I'm from PA so it would be awesome to take my skiing and mountain biking to the next level! And it sounds like Utah in general is very family oriented which is awesome. But I do not yet have a family and I love meeting new people and learning new ideas.

So I was wondering if any of the cities in the Salt Lake region seem easier for mingling and social events than others. Do you notice some areas more focused on singles and events and social clubs that are open to new people? I've been to some towns and cities in the past where some areas offer easy friendships and others where people stick to their friends from high school and families and have no interest in socializing outside their groups. Any 'blanket generalizations' for the Utah cities from experience?

[Lamborgotti]

Salt Lake City itself is what you're looking for.

[nyllie]

I moved to Park City two months ago, and I've found it incredibly easy to make friends here. It's sort of its own cultural bubble when compared to the rest of Utah, and many people are not originally from here so you don't have the issue of people only socializing in pre-existing groups. When a good bunch of the population is from somewhere else, they are so much better about reaching out to others and forming new friendships. There are lots of cultural and recreational things to do here, and most people are genuinely happy to be living here and take advantage of all those opportunities. I don't know if there are any formal singles groups or anything though.

[skibarbie]

I agree that SLC proper is what you need! I will respectfully disagree with Nyllie about Park City. Yes, the outdoor opportunities are somewhat closer but I was glad to escape to SLC after living in PC for 15 years.
I found that any community that has more than 60% of the homes are not occupied year round, it becomes more difficult to have any sense of "community" at all. I enjoyed PC when we moved there in 93 but after the Olymics, things changed, alot. With all of the Olympic exposure, the proximity of SLC airport, Internet connections etc. well, everyone wanted to live in then"funky lil mining/ski town" those people also brought along their demands for bigger houses, bigger SUV's. Starbucks, Home Depot, Super Walmart and so forth. I felt that PC had lost its soul and sold out to the new developers and homeowners.
That being said, there are lots of bargains to be had if you want to buy a house or condo since the real estate bust of 08 continues.
Whether you land in SLC or Summit County, you will enjoy Utah for sure. The summers actually beat the winters as we enjoy low relative humidity and few bugs!

[nyllie]

skibarbie-I totally get your feelings about PC since you lived there prior to a lot of the development, but for newcomers it's a totally different scenario, and many would appreciate the current combination of development, stores, recreation access, and diversity. Obviously the OP would also enjoy SLC, but as a fellow east coaster I was trying to tap into the things that someone in his situation might be looking for, even if it's something that you grew to dislike over time.

[skibarbie]

CaptainBob, you may also want to check into a couple of small towns in Colorado, namely Crested Butte, Fruita and Steamboat Springs. All remind me of PC back in the day as far as biking and skiing go. I would maybe think about Moab too but the skiing is not so near.
Cedar City UT may also be worth a look. Brian Head is just up the road for skiing and biking. A small college town with an amazing amount of things to do including the famous Shakespeare festival too...

[captainbob2]

Thanks. The thing for me is I grew up in a small 'tourist' town but now that I've lived in a mid-sized city for 6 years it would be hard to go back to a small town. I've been to all the CO cities between Pueblo and Ft Collins on a quick trip. I ventured into the Rockies and thought Frisco, CO was beautiful but too small and too reliant on the tourist industry. I thought Ft Collins seemed nice. Lots of amenities and easy to get up into the mountains unlike the Denver urban sprawl.

But then I got info on Utah and it looks easier to access skiing and hiking from the cities and kayaking on the Great Salt Lake must be cool! For work skills I work with conducting sleep disorder studies and am about to get licensed in massage therapy which is another reason why I'd probably aim for a larger city than PC or Steamboat.

[irman]

Originally Posted by captainbob2

am about to get licensed in massage therapy

Check out the TOSH hospital.

[mlb]

In the now 22 years we've been in Utah - we've seen lots of change. We chose to live on the Wasatch Front -as opposed to the Wasatch Back - mostly because that's where the jobs were/are. And housing was waay more affordable.

Park City offered the small time charm - but was never considered to be a great place to live - as the commute to a real job would be long and as time consuming as living in LA - where we escaped from.

I think that's still the case. Park City is not yet a hub where you can get a decent paying job - unless you telecommute - to a Salt Lake or LA job. And can afford the housing. It's still steep.

But for those who hail from great megalopolis - in PA - or elsewhere - Park City still retains it's small town charm. It's all relative.

[nyllie]

Everything constantly changes and develops, and like mlb said it's all relative. SLC is nice in many respects, but it is smoggy and has a lot of traffic. Aside from downtown and a couple of cute neighborhoods, it's not a pretty city. I'm sure people who have lived there for some time will rant about how everything's changing for the worse. I have two east coast friends who moved to SLC and moved away within a couple years because the social scene was horrible and they had trouble forming real friendships. One got his MBA at the U and said he has never encountered such closed-minded, non-intellectually curious people. Many people get married very early or have been in Utah their whole lives and have a pre-formed social circle. This is why I have reservations about suggesting SLC to the OP based on what he is looking for, as he seems to want a combination of recreation and social opportunities. Someplace like Ft Collins or Boulder might serve him better.

All I know is that where in live in PC I can walk 5 minutes in one direction and have endless biking/hiking options. I walk 10 minutes in the other direction and I have most every shopping option I need. I drive 5 minutes and go skiing. I do have a real job here, and my neighborhood is full of year-round residents. We can't generalize.