Where Should We Call Home? (Provo, Orem: fit in, house, employment)

[Headin'West]

My husband and I (non-LDS and currently no children) just moved to Provo and are exploring places to buy a house and settle down. We are in Provo for school but do not like home populated it is. We are considering moving a few different places and need some input from locals as to where we would best fit in. Here is a list of what it important to us (in no order):

1. Affordable housing market-prefer areas with more historic housing (or homes with personality) and less McMansions.

2. Welcoming community and friendly people. This is a definite concern for a number of reasons. First, we want to be able to build friendships and socialize with folks. Also, we plan to have children in the future and it's important to us that they be accepted and loved by the community despite being non-LDS. I am not trying to make judgements with this statement I just want to put everything on the table to avoid surprises.

3. Close access to a variety of outdoor opportunities (hiking, fly-fishing, rock-climbing, mtn biking)

4. Rural location (at LEAST under 30,000)-we'd like to be in a farming/ranching community or at least away from an industrial-type town. We'd hope to move somewhere that isn't likely going to develop into a heavily populated community anytime soon.

Here are communities of interest:
1. Spring City, UT
2. Manti, UT
3. Ephraim, UT
4, Mt. Pleasant, UT
5. Fairview, UT
6. Heber, UT
7. Kamas, UT
8. Francis, UT
9. Midway, UT

Also, employment opportunities in not an issue. My husband currently works in Mt. Pleasant and I am a healthcare worker and have no problem finding work just about anywhere.

[TCAS007]

Do you still have the 5 dogs?
The places you picked are the most LDS you can find. Provo was definitely not a good choice.

I wish the LDS questions would stop though. I never hear anyone say he does not want to live with Catholics, Baptists, Jehova Wittness, Muslims or with other non-white races,... it would be seen as offensive but with LDS people it seems to be ok.
Good luck anyway.

[runnerguy45]

I agree with you. Just once I'd like to hear someone say if you don't like Mormons stay out of Utah when that dumb question comes up.

[Headin'West]

I believe it is fair to say that both of you made a huge assumption with your prior comments. Even though I hardly understand how it is relevant, yes, we do still have our animals. Provo was an excellent choice for us because we absolutely love it here. However, we don't want to settle down here because of how heavily populated it is. I did NOT say how heavily LDS populated it is. I said how "heavily populated" it is. Considering that the LDS folks I have become very good friends with over the past months have respectful warned me about moving to rural areas being non-LDS I believe it is fair to ask the questions I asked. Why do people not ask these questions about other religions? Well, it is very,very difficult to find places in the US that are as religiously homogenous as Utah. I say this confidently, since I have lived a number of places. I have also learned from conversations with LDS friends that much of LDS social life comes from interaction through church activities, which could be a problem for our children if they are not attending LD church activities.

Before making assumptions, I'd recommend asking clarifying questions if you felt my post was offensive. You're not exactly proving your point with your abrasive comments. I would say you're proving the point you assumed I was attempting to make.

Lastly, contrary to your assumptions, we have decided to call UT our home compared to the other mountainous states throughout the West because of the strong morals and friendly nature that we contribute to your "mormon" folk.

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by TCAS007

I wish the LDS questions would stop though. I never hear anyone say he does not want to live with Catholics, Baptists, Jehova Wittness, Muslims or with other non-white races,... it would be seen as offensive but with LDS people it seems to be ok.

It's those darn Amish people you have to watch out for!

[ChrisC]

I would say that any of the locations you mentioned in Sanpete County would work (Mt. Pleasant, Ephraim, Manti, Fairview, etc). They do tend to be LDS centered communities, but in general, LDS folks don't bite. These small towns are generally friendly to decent people who move into the area, regardless of religion.

You may also want to check out the Price/Helper area. You'll find a bit more non-mormon influence in the area due to the past coal mining history. Lots of immigrants from all around the world moved to the area early in the last century. Actually, Price and the surrounding area is probably my favorite in the state.

Vernal/Roosevelt is another idea. This area has had an influx of oil workers off and on over the years, so you'll get some outside influence there as well. Another place I will mention is Delta. Very small, friendly farming town. It's an acquired taste though--it's in the middle of the desert and quite isolated. I like it (and love the desert out there), but your mileage may vary.

For all of these places, though, make sure you go there and spend a little time. We share attitudes about the Utah Valley and SLC area being grossly overpopulated. With that in mind, you may find that you like the above mentioned places just as I do because life is simpler there and there is no stressful mess as there is along the Wasatch Front. If I decide to stay in Utah, my choice would be the Price area or the Delta area. Keep in mind, as I said though, you need to check these places out for yourself.

[eggalegga]

Originally Posted by Headin'West

... Why do people not ask these questions about other religions? Well, it is very,very difficult to find places in the US that are as religiously homogenous as Utah. I say this confidently, since I have lived a number of places. I have also learned from conversations with LDS friends that much of LDS social life comes from interaction through church activities, which could be a problem for our children if they are not attending LD church activities.

Before making assumptions, I'd recommend asking clarifying questions if you felt my post was offensive. You're not exactly proving your point with your abrasive comments. I would say you're proving the point you assumed I was attempting to make...

Well put. It's more of a social issue than a religious one. Being raised Catholic in Orem where my father distributed beer for a living didn't make it easy for me to make friends when I was young. Not because of my beliefs, but because in social settings, I was an outsider. I didn't attend the LDS church children's functions so I didn't build a social circle with kids I went to school with. Sure I had friends, and some of my life-long friends are LDS. But I never felt like Orem was a good fit for me.

Back to your search...

My parents are both from Helper and they loved it there. I still have relatives there and they really like a smaller community. My grandfather was a coal miner.

I would guess Heber, Kamas & Midway might be too pricey. But that's just a guess.

[Headin'West]

Thank you, ChrisC and eggalegga, for your help. We've narrowed our options down to Sanpete County. With that said, does anyone have any input as to what town in Sanpete County would best fit us? We are interested in either Mt.Pleasant, Fairview, Spring City, Manti or Ephraim. Again,we'd like to find a friendly community that has very close access to outdoor recreation, particularly fly-fishing, skiing (backcountry), hiking and rock climbing. We'd prefer an area with affordable, non-generic housing that isn't likely to expand in population anytime in the near future.

[ChrisC]

Originally Posted by Headin'West

Thank you, ChrisC and eggalegga, for your help. We've narrowed our options down to Sanpete County. With that said, does anyone have any input as to what town in Sanpete County would best fit us? We are interested in either Mt.Pleasant, Fairview, Spring City, Manti or Ephraim. Again,we'd like to find a friendly community that has very close access to outdoor recreation, particularly fly-fishing, skiing (backcountry), hiking and rock climbing. We'd prefer an area with affordable, non-generic housing that isn't likely to expand in population anytime in the near future.

Sanpete County is a beautiful area. Most any town down there would fit your bill. I'd say Manti has the most LDS influence, with the temple and all. It's also the most historic and beautiful as far as pioneer architecture and heritage. Main street is a delight if you are into historic architecture!

I do have to say one thing, though: The "Wasatch Hoard" is expanding rapidly. Unfortunately, Sanpete County is prime for being next on the path to population explosion. It has grown quite significantly as of late. The good news is that it has a long, long way to go before being annexed to the Wasatch area. Something to keep in mind, though.

[Headin'West]

Alright Everyone!
Out of curiosity, I am interested if there are any towns that may fit the bill for us in southern Utah. We are definitely interested in the Sanpete Co. area but would like to explore all our options. We'd like to stay within a 2 hour drive from Mount Pleasant. We are still hoping to find an area that would seem to be a good fit based on our interests (listed in the first post). I've heard that Torrey, Boulder or Escalante might be a good fit. Would anyone agree? Any other recommendations? I'm not familiar with the climate/terrain south of Utah county but I must say, I'd still like growing a garden to be an option. A little rainfall here and there would be appreciated too. Is this wishful thinking? Any suggestions?