Small Town Feel w/ in 45 miles of Primary Children's Hospital? (Salt Lake City: middle-class, foreclosures)

[marchesefam]

Hi all!

Hoping you can help... We currently live in the greater Phoenix,
Arizona area and we are looking to relocate.

A little about us:
We are in our early 30's, the parents of a special needs (heart
defect) daughter who is adopted. We are looking for the idyllic
"quaint" area. I grew up outside of San Francisco but went to high
school in Sheboygan, WI and my husband grew up in Jackson Hole,
Wyoming. We like the smaller communities and we're looking for a small
town feel with some amenities. I'd like a community where one can get
involved, one with good schools, a middle-class cost of living, and
very safe. My daughter will require numerous heart surgeries over the
course of her life, so we're looking at the top 25 pediatric
cardiology facilities and searching a 45 mile radius around the area.

In Arizona, kids can't do sports in the summer because of the heat. No
kids play outside, and after 5 years in my current home, I still don't
know most of my neighbors. I'd like a town where kids play outside,
the neighbors know one another, the town goes to the high school
football games.

My husband is a claims adjuster for a large insurance company and
works from home, so we're very flexible. I am a stay-at-home mother,
so being able to do things with my child is important. *We are not LDS...

I enjoy a milder climate, but I'm flexible.

I appreciate your help!

[kaytidid]

Check out Stansbury Park in Tooele County. My DH and I are not LDS and are in our late 30's with two daughters. Although it might be *just* out of the 45 mile range..maybe closer to 50 or so, it is a very safe area with good schools. It is a close knit neighborhood. DH and I have a good friend that lives out here whose daughter also has a heart issue and goes to Primary's often.

Here is our community website.
Stansbury Park Community Association

Best of luck in your search!

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Possibly the Jeremy Ranch area up Parley's Canyon on the way to Park City. I don't know much about the area but I think it would be w/i 45 miles.

[skibarbie]

I hate to disagree with SB but while Jeremy Ranch is within the 45 miles to Primary, there is not a neighborhood feeling within that subdivision. Lots of 2nd home owners that you may encounter 2 times a year and now, lots of foreclosures. No sidewalks or very few, JR elementary has the highest student/teacher ratio of all the elementary schools in PC-and heavy on the LDS factor.
Good luck to you and Primary is by far, one of the best places to treat you child!

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Originally Posted by skibarbie

I hate to disagree with SB but while Jeremy Ranch is within the 45 miles to Primary, there is not a neighborhood feeling within that subdivision. Lots of 2nd home owners that you may encounter 2 times a year and now, lots of foreclosures. No sidewalks or very few, JR elementary has the highest student/teacher ratio of all the elementary schools in PC-and heavy on the LDS factor.
Good luck to you and Primary is by far, one of the best places to treat you child!

Thanks for the info! All I really know is where it is! LOL.

Maybe the OP should re-think the out of SLC idea, if they have to get around to PCMC in the winter. You really need to come visit b/c SLC is unlike most other places of its size. I live in Sugar House and it just doesn't feel like a city to me.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

You really need to come visit b/c SLC is unlike most other places of its size. I live in Sugar House and it just doesn't feel like a city to me.

I totally agree with you on that. I think Sugarhouse sounds like just what marchesefam might be looking for.

[frogandtoad]

I'd say everything you're asking for is found right inside SLC. As Southernbelle said, it's not like other cities in that it feels very small town, there is a definite neighborhood feel to each area, there's lots of grass and trees, and the foothills/mountains are out your door. Yet you're still in the city. Tons of kids out playing, great schools, etc. Look into Foothill area, Harvard/Yale, Sugarhouse among other areas. I probably wouldn't include the Avenues based on what you're looking for.

IMO climate is GREAT (I've lived many places). Hot but dry summers (nothing compared to AZ) plenty of kids playing outside. Beautiful fall (still in it right now--60 degrees today), and great winters with tons of snow (but feels warm b/c the air is so dry). I bought all sorts of cold weather gear, thinking it would be like New England winters I'd experienced, and it was SO much nicer. Sunny, warm but with lots of dry snow.

[coolcats]

You could check out Riverton and Herriman. Primary Children's is opening an outpatient clinic at 123rd South and Bangerter Highway.

[carpetbagger]

My family lives in the Sugar House/Harvard-Yale area of Salt Lake City (kind of on the border of the two areas), and I have to agree with SouthernBelle. There is a community feel here, almost a small town vibe, with kids playing, people outside doing things, and really no crime to speak of. Trick or treating in the neighborhood with my 3 year old the other night was just fantastic. I would definitely check out this area if I were you and seriously considering the SLC area. As an added bonus, the PCMC is less than 10 minutes away, and is really an impressive place. I've only been there once to take my son for something that was thankfully not serious, but it was easily the best experience I've ever had at a hospital, and my wife would back me up on that.

[Zionide]

I agree---many neighborhoods within SLC itself will give you the small town feel you're looking for. Don't discount the city because it's the city. Salt Lake isn't like most cities!