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Old 03-27-2017, 07:37 AM
 
Location: Salt Lake City
199 posts, read 254,697 times
Reputation: 271

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We are moving to Salt Lake City in June and are looking for a rental in either Sugarhouse, 9th and 9th, the Avenues, or downtown.

I have been using several "city vs. city" comparison tools too get an idea of how Salt Lake compares to my city and other cities here in Florida. I have noticed that the crime-rate seems to be much higher in all categories (violent and property crime) than my city despite showing the population is about the same (my town has 179,000 people). However, I see some online information shows the population of Salt Lake City as just under 200,000 and some sites show over one million. Is one showing Salt Lake City proper and the others including neighborhoods outside of downtown?

It makes me nervous to see such a high crime rate and a comparable population. It would make sense to me to have a much higher crime rate if the population is over one million, but not if it is just under 200,00. I don't live in a sleepy town by any means and am used to many high-crime areas/cities here in Florida.

What is it like in Salt Lake City in regard to crime? Do you generally feel safe in most areas/neighborhoods? Are there any areas we should avoid when looking for rentals?
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Old 03-27-2017, 08:03 AM
 
Location: Metro Detroit
1,786 posts, read 2,653,096 times
Reputation: 3603
Salt Lake City has about 200,000 people.
Salt Lake County has about 1,000,000 people.

The high crime rates in Salt Lake City are real and not a statistical error, but there is a reason for it. Salt Lake County as a whole is incredibly suburban. Once you leave the city there are some great suburbs, but that's it - they're suburbs. They are not places you go for.. well.. anything.. except groceries, suburban malls, church, and to go home. Pretty much anything and everything which you are going to do for entertainment (besides maybe an RSL game or Lagoon) is going to be in Salt Lake City.

This means all nightlife, all events, all entertainment, - it's in the city. This of course inflates crime rates as there are tons of people in town all night. Also, the population of the city swells by about double during the day as everyone comes in for work. This artificially increases the crime rates. On the flip-side it artificially decreases crime rates in the suburbs for the opposite reason.

Don't let this suggest crime isn't an issue in the city, because it certainly is, as it has one of the highest property crime rates in the nation and if I'm not mistaken the highest auto-theft rate in the nation. When I lived with roommates in a nice part of SLC it was pretty well understood that if you left your bike on your lawn overnight it would be gone in the morning, and it happened - twice, but despite all that I wouldn't describe the city as unsafe in that traditional ghetto-feeling manner. You can walk around downtown at 10 PM and feel perfectly safe and your house will probably never be broken into, you just have to take precautions you wouldn't have to take if you lived in a sleepy suburb, like Bountiful or South Jordan.

Some people will tell you the crime all happens west of State Street, and while it's true that it's rougher over there, Sugar House and 9th and 9th both have their problems with property crime, and even the occasional violent crime. Downtown is pretty safe due to the constant presence of people, but there are some very rough apartment complexes in downtown when you get off the beaten path. The Avenues are relatively safe simply due to their geographic isolation of being north of town and having always been rather upscale. Sugar House for example was most definitely not upscale for many decades, and has only seen gentrification in the last 10-15 years - some of its issues remain.
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Old 03-27-2017, 12:58 PM
 
Location: God's Gift to Mankind for flying anything
5,921 posts, read 13,815,356 times
Reputation: 5229
Crime in Utah is sooo baaad !!

They are even capable of stealing your 1000 dollar bicycle, right from under you, while you are riding the stupid thing ! I have seen it happen millions of times !!
I even saw this one guy waiting for a red light. When the light turned green, his bike was gone !!
Look ..., you can not make this up, believe me !!
I do not even get out of the house anymore, I order groceries from Amazon and they deliver by Drone !!

Uhmmm, you believe this, do not come here, so I do not have to say I told you sooooo ....

Last edited by irman; 03-27-2017 at 01:18 PM..
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Old 03-28-2017, 06:04 AM
 
Location: Salt Lake City
199 posts, read 254,697 times
Reputation: 271
Quote:
Originally Posted by irman View Post
Crime in Utah is sooo baaad !!

They are even capable of stealing your 1000 dollar bicycle, right from under you, while you are riding the stupid thing ! I have seen it happen millions of times !!
I even saw this one guy waiting for a red light. When the light turned green, his bike was gone !!
Look ..., you can not make this up, believe me !!
I do not even get out of the house anymore, I order groceries from Amazon and they deliver by Drone !!

Uhmmm, you believe this, do not come here, so I do not have to say I told you sooooo ....
Oh, Irman! Thank you for your reply. Luckily for me, I do not have a $1000 bike to yank from beneath my peddling feet. I do hope this post was intended snark, although I do notice your byline does indicate flying expertise, so your utilization of drone delivery may not be so far off.

I'll tell you what...I'll move anyway and when I am destitute from SLC thievery, you can declare, "I told you sooooo !!!"
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Old 03-28-2017, 08:06 AM
 
Location: God's Gift to Mankind for flying anything
5,921 posts, read 13,815,356 times
Reputation: 5229
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shellybug View Post
this post was intended snark, although I do notice your byline does indicate flying expertise, so your utilization of drone delivery may not be so far off.
Yes, it was a remark made in jest and yes, I am a recreational pilot, and no, I do not like drones !
(the whole meaning, especially some words I used, should have been a big give away that I made that statement up)

In essence, crime in Utah is, we think, just as little, or as much, as in any other State, most of the time.
Certain areas, have less petty crime, other areas a bit more, when you stop comparing to other States.

Oh yes we do have *our* problems, but most of the time they are a bit exaggerated.

One should always remember that, forums, such as this one, are made up of people who come from all walks of life. Many optimistic, others totally down trodden, and anything in between.

Read them all, after a while you know who you can trust, at least half way.

Let's say you came here because *I* told you : "NO crime here" .
Then you find out there is crime ...
I am still right, because
*I* have lived here (I will mention where later) for over 25 years, and have never (knock on wood), experienced a robbery or burglary.
*I* have never experienced, drug use in *MY* neighbourhood to the point that it became a nuisance.
So where is the crime, *they* all talk about it so much ?
Was I *just lucky* or what ?
*They* say, Utah has the worst drivers around !
Uhmmm ... , in my twenties, I lived in the Los Angeles area for many years and today, you have to pay me a lot of money, for me to go there and drive !

So take a good look at ALL the posts here about what is life like in Utah.
Especially the ones called *The lowdown on Mormons* and the Stickys !
Come here and visit, look around and then decide if this is a good place to settle down.
Keep an open mind (you *will* be in for a somewhat cultural shock).
Always keep a smile on your face, so people may wonder what you are up to !

Me ? When I came here, I was shocked about what it was like !
I even made jokes about what Utahns were like ! (I still do )
Our kids could not stand their peers in High School and could not wait to get out of Utah as soon as they received their degrees in whatever they studied. They were raised and schooled in California and in Europe for a very long time.
Yep ... , they did leave, but then ... surprise ...
All but one have come back and live within 20 minutes of us (we love that !)

Today, I would not live anywhere else in this Nation !

Last but not least, I live in Taylorsville, where many posters have mentioned that it is one of the bad areas in the SLC area ...
Might be well true, but then only as an opinion of those who do not live here, and take any comment as pure truth and fact !

I hope I made myself clear. Good luck and welcome to Utah when you get here !


Now watch the *naysayers* come back with an opposite *argument* ...
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Old 03-28-2017, 07:51 PM
 
Location: Salt Lake City
199 posts, read 254,697 times
Reputation: 271
Quote:
Originally Posted by irman View Post
Yes, it was a remark made in jest and yes, I am a recreational pilot, and no, I do not like drones !
(the whole meaning, especially some words I used, should have been a big give away that I made that statement up)

In essence, crime in Utah is, we think, just as little, or as much, as in any other State, most of the time.
Certain areas, have less petty crime, other areas a bit more, when you stop comparing to other States.

Oh yes we do have *our* problems, but most of the time they are a bit exaggerated.

One should always remember that, forums, such as this one, are made up of people who come from all walks of life. Many optimistic, others totally down trodden, and anything in between.

Read them all, after a while you know who you can trust, at least half way.

Let's say you came here because *I* told you : "NO crime here" .
Then you find out there is crime ...
I am still right, because
*I* have lived here (I will mention where later) for over 25 years, and have never (knock on wood), experienced a robbery or burglary.
*I* have never experienced, drug use in *MY* neighbourhood to the point that it became a nuisance.
So where is the crime, *they* all talk about it so much ?
Was I *just lucky* or what ?
*They* say, Utah has the worst drivers around !
Uhmmm ... , in my twenties, I lived in the Los Angeles area for many years and today, you have to pay me a lot of money, for me to go there and drive !

So take a good look at ALL the posts here about what is life like in Utah.
Especially the ones called *The lowdown on Mormons* and the Stickys !
Come here and visit, look around and then decide if this is a good place to settle down.
Keep an open mind (you *will* be in for a somewhat cultural shock).
Always keep a smile on your face, so people may wonder what you are up to !

Me ? When I came here, I was shocked about what it was like !
I even made jokes about what Utahns were like ! (I still do )
Our kids could not stand their peers in High School and could not wait to get out of Utah as soon as they received their degrees in whatever they studied. They were raised and schooled in California and in Europe for a very long time.
Yep ... , they did leave, but then ... surprise ...
All but one have come back and live within 20 minutes of us (we love that !)

Today, I would not live anywhere else in this Nation !

Last but not least, I live in Taylorsville, where many posters have mentioned that it is one of the bad areas in the SLC area ...
Might be well true, but then only as an opinion of those who do not live here, and take any comment as pure truth and fact !

I hope I made myself clear. Good luck and welcome to Utah when you get here !


Now watch the *naysayers* come back with an opposite *argument* ...
Great post, thank you!

Dare I say...we have never visited Salt Lake City before this move! We drove out to southern Utah this summer and absolutely loved it. We are Floridians, so the winters will be a definite adjustment, but we are ready for some adventure. We've spent our entire lives here in flat, always-sunny, never-changing Florida. It gets a bit dull after so many years. Our daughter graduated from university last year and we decided to take a risk and make a change! The outdoors is our big draw and SLC seems to be a reasonable city to live and have excellent access to outdoor activities. I hope we like it! If not, we can always come back to Florida!

I grew up in a very charming city in Florida called Fort Pierce. On paper, the crime statistics make it look very scary, but it really is a little piece of paradise, so perception can be misleading no doubt!

Thanks again for the feedback!
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Old 03-29-2017, 03:53 AM
 
914 posts, read 969,349 times
Reputation: 784
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shellybug View Post
Great post, thank you!

Dare I say...we have never visited Salt Lake City before this move! We drove out to southern Utah this summer and absolutely loved it. We are Floridians, so the winters will be a definite adjustment, but we are ready for some adventure. We've spent our entire lives here in flat, always-sunny, never-changing Florida. It gets a bit dull after so many years. Our daughter graduated from university last year and we decided to take a risk and make a change! The outdoors is our big draw and SLC seems to be a reasonable city to live and have excellent access to outdoor activities. I hope we like it! If not, we can always come back to Florida!

I grew up in a very charming city in Florida called Fort Pierce. On paper, the crime statistics make it look very scary, but it really is a little piece of paradise, so perception can be misleading no doubt!

Thanks again for the feedback!
Spot on, think definately peoples perception and what they are used to. I went all over the city at various times of night and day with and without kids and never found it scary at all. Have to also put into perspective that some is gang related and if you are involved in that then its a problem. If you are Joe public then it wont affect you as you don't mix in those kind of circles
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Old 03-29-2017, 12:46 PM
 
9,354 posts, read 6,919,865 times
Reputation: 14763
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shellybug View Post
Great post, thank you!

Dare I say...we have never visited Salt Lake City before this move! We drove out to southern Utah this summer and absolutely loved it. We are Floridians, so the winters will be a definite adjustment, but we are ready for some adventure. We've spent our entire lives here in flat, always-sunny, never-changing Florida. It gets a bit dull after so many years. Our daughter graduated from university last year and we decided to take a risk and make a change! The outdoors is our big draw and SLC seems to be a reasonable city to live and have excellent access to outdoor activities. I hope we like it! If not, we can always come back to Florida!

I grew up in a very charming city in Florida called Fort Pierce. On paper, the crime statistics make it look very scary, but it really is a little piece of paradise, so perception can be misleading no doubt!

Thanks again for the feedback!
The stats can say one thing but we go downtown all the time and never feel unsafe. There may be a few pockets of bad areas but overall Utah / SLC are as safe as any big city can be.

We have another thread in which I've voiced my opinion but we do have a large and growing homeless population mass. Going west of gateway mall you can find 100's of hobos lined up in a tent city many of which suffer from mental illness and substance addiction (hello heroin and opiods).

They are trying to build multiple homeless shelters to disperse the population amongst the area but I'm highly skeptical on how this will actually play out. In fact making the accessibility of this lifestyle and "ease" of it may encourage the population to continue to grow.

Relative to FL we have no "no-go" zones as I would refer to them... I'm from FTM/SWFL area and there are dozens of areas I would not go to night or day.
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Old 03-30-2017, 08:30 PM
 
Location: Salt Lake City
199 posts, read 254,697 times
Reputation: 271
Quote:
Originally Posted by SWFL_Native View Post
The stats can say one thing but we go downtown all the time and never feel unsafe. There may be a few pockets of bad areas but overall Utah / SLC are as safe as any big city can be.

We have another thread in which I've voiced my opinion but we do have a large and growing homeless population mass. Going west of gateway mall you can find 100's of hobos lined up in a tent city many of which suffer from mental illness and substance addiction (hello heroin and opiods).

They are trying to build multiple homeless shelters to disperse the population amongst the area but I'm highly skeptical on how this will actually play out. In fact making the accessibility of this lifestyle and "ease" of it may encourage the population to continue to grow.

Relative to FL we have no "no-go" zones as I would refer to them... I'm from FTM/SWFL area and there are dozens of areas I would not go to night or day.
Thanks SWFL_Native! Is FTM Fort Myers? We are in Port Saint Lucie on the east coast. I grew up in Fort Pierce. May I ask, how was the adjustment from Florida to Utah? My husband and I have lived here our whole lives and don't appreciate the beauty, as much as we should, any longer. It's time for a change! I feel like we've been insulated here in Port Saint Lucie. Very rarely do you see the homeless population. It's basically suburbia with a population of 179,000. Likewise, there aren't many "dangerous" areas. Fort Pierce, where I grew up, is a whole other scenario. There is a lot of gang activity. My daughter and I both attended the same high school (as I said...long-term native. lol!), a magnet school located in a rough neighborhood, but we never felt unsafe. Literally two miles east of the worst neighborhoods is the marina, tiki bars, farmers markets, downtown, and bridges to the barrier islands and beaches. It's all relative, I suppose.

We are taking a risk picking up and moving, but I think it will be worthwhile. We own a piece of land here, so we can always come back to Florida and retire if we are unhappy out west, but I suspect we are going to love it!
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Old 03-30-2017, 11:04 PM
 
4 posts, read 4,856 times
Reputation: 12
Hello, I have lived in salt lake for 20+ years, from salt lake proper, to murray, holladay, West jordan. You mention you make your pick for the outdoor's yet all your chosen locations are really focused on the city itself. Is there a reason?

Traffic in Salt Lake County is not bad at all, and considering at suburb location will net you less crime if you choose well. Property crime is the only real crime in west jordan where I live. We go many places, including downtown, without the constant risk of living around more violent crime areas isolated to the areas you mention.
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