Can someone tell me more about centerville? (Ogden, Layton: renting, how much)

[twinboysmomma]

My husband will be working in North Salt Lake starting next year and so we are relocating from California. Centerville is a good location for us commute wise...but I looked at the city website and it seemed kind of ....um blah....boring...like not much goes on there.

Not that I am looking for a "party" place to live--quite the oppositem I have two young sons and a baby on the way...so I want a quite, family area...but I also want a vibrant area where there are lots of things for families to do with their kids.

The website didn't list many parks in Centerville, or a pool, and it hardly listed any recreation classes for Centerville residents. So what is there for families to do in Centerville? Any input would be great!!!

[lolagranola]

Six years we picked up and moved here from the east coast...we were supposed to take a "scouting" trip first, but never made it. Just as well!

Centerville was our destination. Mostly from internet researching, we decided that Centerville, Ut was the best place to raise our kids! We actually didn't live in Centerville, but did live in North Salt Lake and now in Kaysville.

I do think Centerville is a great place to live. Lots of parks (and that is true of many places in Ut), very suburban, very clean, and located about an equal distance (both geographically and travel-wise) from Ogden and Salt Lake. Bountiful is the next town south, and on the northern border is the Bountiful Bubble. The Bubble is a pool and recreation area. There is also a water park about 10 min north on the hwy.

My negatives to Centerville (and they don't weigh too heavily)is most of the shopping is franchised. Target, WalMart, HomeDepot, ect, nothing really indivisual-istic. And it is the worst exit, both on and off, at rush hour.

I really like Centerville!

[mamort]

We moved here from AZ 9 years ago and when we outgrew our home 2 years ago, we moved 2 blocks away. We just can't find a better place than Centerville to raise a family.
There are beautiful parks, trails to waterfalls, baseball diamonds, 4th of July festivities with parade, fun run, community breakfast, fireworks, etc. We just had the lighting ceremony with the same kind of communtiy fun for the Christmas season. It feels very Mayberry-esque but with great and easy shopping down the road.
I don't know what kind of "excitement' you're looking for but life with kids here is anything but boring. The schools are excellent and offer SO many extracurricular activities...elementary school musicals, sports, chess club, service clubs. I often feel run ragged b/c there are just so many opportunities for your kids to do good things.
The town is VERY Mormon, but at least my neighborhood appears to be accepting and welcoming to neighbors of other faiths. I can say that because several "non member" women come to our church sponsored book clubs and other non-religious activities and say how much they enjoy being included regardless of their beliefs.
There is a brand new recreation center 5 minutes away in Bountiful that has a giant pool complex (indoor and outdoor), ice rink, gym, etc. There are discounts for Davis County residents. If you need culture (or a Jazz game) downtown SLC is only 20 minutes away.
Good luck on your decision but I think you'd love it here. Most of my neighbors grew up here and after going away to school choose to come back to raise their families here. I think that speaks volumes.

[BuhByeCalifornia]

I'm renting in Bountiful while our house is under construction in North Salt Lake but I go to Centerville at least 2 - 3X a week to shop at Target or Wal-Mart...

I just love this whole area and this location is truly the best of both worlds...you have the quietness of the "suburbs" and the community of it all but you'll only be 10 - 15 minutes away from the "excitement" of downtown Salt Lake.

[melibe4]

Centerville is a great place to live, safe, beautiful, a lot of parks, and really close to everything, it's like 20 mins away from Salt lake (downtown), i used to live in Centerville, my parents still live there, and believe me, i miss it soooo much! Great place to raise a family, good schools too, i went to Viewmont High School, very very good, and my cousins attend elementary school and they're doing great; also, everyone is friendly, wherever you go! I'm now in Texas, but i'm looking forward to move back to centerville and stablish my life there, i also have a baby and i'm planning to have some more children so that would be the perfect place to raise them.
hope i helped, good luck!

[RockyMtnr]

I may not have read the entire thread - but please allow me to offer some random thoughts about Centerville.
It's a freeway town that blossomed. Nothing particularly aesthetic about it except a sometimes view of the Salt Lake itself. Most of anything to look at will be up behind you so that you have to drive out to the west of town to look at it.
Centerville is now known as "Bountiful II" - taking the title away from Farmington - what this means is, every Mormon who didn't already own a place in Bountiful or Farmington looked for a place in Centerville, between the two. Also, anybody with strong Church/Social ties under the age of 50 is looking or has bought there as well. That is not to say that the area is or isn't predominantly LDS ... or, is it?
If you must commute to SLC daily then, it's probably a better choice but I would also consider Layton - especially the newer parts near the bench (the mountain) for price and also if you happen to be non-LDS. If you happen to BE LDS then you're gonna be in feet-tickling Heaven!
Bottom line for many, many decades - compared to Salt Lake and Weber county, Davis country is a really, really unattractive county to live in and travel through - but this is traditional opinion for the non-LDS'er due to their more heavy-handed legal tactics and questionable traffic stops over the last century. Mind your pints and quarts if you live there.
Many of those housing "projects" in Centerville were built at a total loss by the builders - so, somewhere along the line, there has been some extravagant price-gougings ... it was probably done a decade or two ago to somebody else but my point is, don't let it be you who is the victim of that.

[ellhr]

Kaysville, Bountiful, and yes, Centerville... all of those north up until Layton is a bit Mayberry. Ever seen the movie Pleasantville? That was a great description mamort - and Rocky above hit the nail on the head. These areas are massively LDS. That isn't bad, but its something to consider as "church life" is what the community revolves around. If you are non-LDS - I would skip these areas. Look at some other places both north and south too, and try and take a visit there for a few days. You will see what I mean.

[Chango]

Centerville is a upper middle class (but not flashy), VERY mormon and very quiet place to live. If you aren't "of the faith" you will be very lonely. I lived there for a year and 1/2.

Centerville is only 12 miles from downtown, but during rush hour it takes at least an hour to travel that distance South Davis county traffic is horrible. Othewise it's a good place to live, although I prefer Farmington personally.

[lolagranola]

Kaysville, Bountiful, and yes, Centerville... all of those north up until Layton is a bit Mayberry. Ever seen the movie Pleasantville? That was a great description mamort - and Rocky above hit the nail on the head. These areas are massively LDS. That isn't bad, but its something to consider as "church life" is what the community revolves around. If you are non-LDS - I would skip these areas. Look at some other places both north and south too, and try and take a visit there for a few days. You will see what I mean.

Totallly disagree. NonLDS here, non-religious, but LOVE my town (kays)and community. Okay, it is a bit "Pleasantville"-esque, but wonderful and welcoming.

[mrmax8]

Just being honest. It used to be a nice, kind and quiet place. Now it's filled with cocky and quite rude people. I find the city to be a poor choice to move to. The LDS vs. Non-LDS friction is also too high with all the LDSers hiding away from others (trust me, they won't even allow your kids to play together!!). Weird town guys. Avoid like the plague.
Move to a nicer place like Farmington or Fruit Heights or Kaysville guys.
Just being blunt here!