Might be relocating. Sandy or Draper for non-LDS? (Salt Lake City, Provo: to rent, crime)

[arb74]

Hello - I might be relocating to the area for a job opportunity (company is in the Provo area). I've read through a number of threads here and other places about more diverse areas; frankly, for my wife and I, we could care less if an area is 90% or 30% LDS (we are not, but we don't see it as a huge issue). However... we do have kids, in high school & elementary school, that we want to be able to have a positive experience in the public schools.

I've been looking at houses (to rent initially, and to buy later) in the Sandy and Draper areas. How are these areas for non-LDS families with kids? The demographic data I can find online shows Sandy at about 50% LDS and Draper more like 60%; what is the experience going to be like in the public school system in these towns for non-LDS children? Should we look closer to SLC?

Note - please don't turn this into a Mormon-bashing thread; I have no intention of denigrating anyone's religious beliefs.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by arb74

Hello - I might be relocating to the area for a job opportunity (company is in the Provo area). I've read through a number of threads here and other places about more diverse areas; frankly, for my wife and I, we could care less if an area is 90% or 30% LDS (we are not, but we don't see it as a huge issue). However... we do have kids, in high school & elementary school, that we want to be able to have a positive experience in the public schools.

I've been looking at houses (to rent initially, and to buy later) in the Sandy and Draper areas. How are these areas for non-LDS families with kids? The demographic data I can find online shows Sandy at about 50% LDS and Draper more like 60%; what is the experience going to be like in the public school system in these towns for non-LDS children? Should we look closer to SLC?

Note - please don't turn this into a Mormon-bashing thread; I have no intention of denigrating anyone's religious beliefs.

Unless you were to move to Salt Lake City proper -- and I mean almost close to downtown Salt Lake -- you're going to find at least 50% of your neighbors are probably going to be LDS. And that would make your commute to Utah County an unnecessarily long one. I think your kids would do equally well in either the Sandy or Draper areas. If it were me, I'd probably go for Sandy before Draper, but it's really just a personal preference. Have you by any chance considered Cottonwood Heights? Freeway access from here is superb and I have been told by a realtor friend that Cottonwood Heights is generally considered to be more non-LDS-friendly than most other parts of the Valley. For instance, on my small street alone, there are twelve households. Only four of the eight are occupied by LDS families. On the street behind ours (our backyards meet theirs), I don't believe there's a single solitary LDS family. Schools are good and we have an amazing rec center. Give it some thought.

[SuperSoul]

My impression is mostly Draper is nicer than Sandy, & less crime. There are even some nice areas up the mountain - toward Alpine. If I were you, I would get the kids and your family involved in volunteering, 4-H, Oasis and other organizations that would help you meet other non-lds. Also, if your neighbors are not too pushy, but invite you to ward (lds congregation) activities - go, but just keep boundaries. Don’t feel obligated even if they’re extra nice.

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by SuperSoul

My impression is mostly Draper is nicer than Sandy, & less crime. There are even some nice areas up the mountain - toward Alpine. If I were you, I would get the kids and your family involved in volunteering, 4-H, Oasis and other organizations that would help you meet other non-lds. Also, if your neighbors are not too pushy, but invite you to ward (lds congregation) activities - go, but just keep boundaries. Don’t feel obligated even if they’re extra nice.

I've never read of Sandy and crime in the same sentence. There are affluent areas of both Sandy and Draper. Pepperwood is obviously one of the best-known nouveau riche neighborhoods in the area. I wouldn't worry too much about the children. The schools are large enough, and there is enough diversity in the communities that they shouldn't have a problem finding their niche. I would be more concerned about having Gentile or non-LDS children in public schools in Utah County where church culture would be more conspicuous and potentially overwhelming.

[arb74]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

Have you by any chance considered Cottonwood Heights? Freeway access from here is superb and I have been told by a realtor friend that Cottonwood Heights is generally considered to be more non-LDS-friendly than most other parts of the Valley.

I have not, but thank you for the suggestion, I will also look in to it. It's tough, not knowing the area very well.

[Montygirl]

Originally Posted by SuperSoul

My impression is mostly Draper is nicer than Sandy, & less crime. There are even some nice areas up the mountain - toward Alpine. If I were you, I would get the kids and your family involved in volunteering, 4-H, Oasis and other organizations that would help you meet other non-lds. Also, if your neighbors are not too pushy, but invite you to ward (lds congregation) activities - go, but just keep boundaries. Don’t feel obligated even if they’re extra nice.

They are both lovely neighbourhoods,have loads of friends in both and never has Sandy been associated with crime ! In fact most of Salt lake is wonderful having lived there for 2 years and visited loads over the last two years. Even the worst places are nowhere close to what other states are like. Always felt uber safe !

Try also the meetup site (google it ) as do lots of activities and filtered into groups like hiking , girls nights out, family stuff etc. Also get the kids involved in activities like soccer etc as we are non religious and non LDS and they met loads of kids that way (also at school ) who were from all backgrounds including LDS

My oldest daughters best friend Mormon and were warmly welcomed by them, in fact they travelled round europe in July and we met up with them in London and then again a few weeks ago when we were back visiting SLC and not because they had an agenda , youngest daughters friends a mix too and they did girl scouts which expanded their friendship groups


PM me if need anymore info

[SWFL_Native]

If you’re working in Provo I would check out Highland and Alpine areas. It is highly LDS which shoudln’t be a problem but are really nice communities and much closer to Provo. I would want to avoid point of the mountain for daily commutes IMO.

[parentologist]

Your kids are going to have a hard time socially going to school in the epicenter of Mormonism. Even active Mormons from outside of Utah complain about how intensely the church takes over the entire life of Mormons in Utah, and there is no more Mormon area in the world than Provo. Public schools are essentially Mormon parochial schools. The kids will all be very, very busy with church activities. They will try to proselytize your kids, and eventually, if your kids don't join in the church activities, they will ignore them.

Sure, if your kids are very outgoing, incredibly socially skilled, they'll be all right anywhere. But this will be the most challenging setting socially that you could put them in, short of dropping them into the middle of an inner city ghetto school.

If your family were to live in SLC, that would be a different story. SLC is now only 50% LDS. Many non-LDS become very involved with their own religious organizations in reaction to the predominant Mormon culture. But the farther from SLC you get, the more intensely LDS the areas become. And it's way too long a commute from SLC to Provo.

Think long and hard about doing this to your kids. Your wife and you will have trouble finding like-minded friends, but it will be nothing compared to the trouble your kids will have, unless they join the Mormon church.

There will be a lot of naysayers. But consider this - would you move to an area that was intensely fundamentalist born again Christian, with over 95% of the public school kids fundamentalist Christian, with a fundamentalist Christian seminary right next door to the public school, and all the kids going back and forth between the seminary and the public school all day long for fundamentalist classes? And all the kids involved together in fundamentalist church activities after school and on weekends? And some of the kids trying to convert your kids to fundamentalist born again Christianity? And the town itself was founded around the enormous flagship university for fundamentalists? That's Provo. That's the areas that surround Provo, only it's LDS, not fundamentalist born again Christian.

For your kids' sake, you should look into other options. The commute from any areas that are only 50% LDS would be untenable. Cottonwood Heights is nice - but far. 45 minutes minimum when there is NO traffic - and the Wasatch front has a LOT of traffic. But if you're sure you can do the commute, I would say that you should look at the neighborhoods on the East side, close to the Wasatch, that are the commuter neighborhoods to the south of the U of Utah and hospital complex areas, perhaps from Cottonwood Heights and northwards up to Olympus Cove. The neighborhoods on the easternmost "benches" are nice, and north of Sandy, they're not entirely LDS, because of the professionals from the U, hospitals, and research facilities who choose to live there and commute northbound The commute will be hard on you, but your kids will be SO much happier than they would have been near Provo.

[kavm]

Depending upon the work location, you might consider the Frontrunner service to Provo. So much less stressful and environmentally responsible. If that is workable, you could locate yourself near a convenient access station.

[ut new]

"there is no more Mormon area in the world than Provo"

Why did the LDS put all that in Provo, but put the Temple in SLC ?