Orem ~~ May be interested in relocating... (Provo, St. George: low crime, townhouse, job market)

[Jleigh]

Hi, I live in Virginia, about 30 mins. out of DC and am considering moving to Orem...I know all of ONE person there, lol...anyway, I was wondering if anyone lives there who is between 30-40 years of age and what you think...do u like it, is there stuff to do, etc...how is the job market, stuff like that...I have looked up statistics and stuff on various websites, but want to get s'ones point of view who actually resides there, thanks for any help u can provide!

[coolcats]

Hi -- I actually moved here last year from Virginia (outside of DC in Chantilly)

Orem is a decent-size town -- about 60,000-70,000. It is directly adjacent to Provo, which is about 100,000 people. Those are the two biggest towns in Utah County. I would guess there are 300,000-500,000 people in Utah County total. The whole county (and Wasatch front) is growing really quickly. I lived in Provo for 5 years when I went to BYU.

Here are the good and bad as I see them

Pros:
Provo and Orem are great places for LDS college students. BYU has quite a bit going on, but the activities are geared toward LDS students and alumni.

Nature -- the mountains are spectacular and abut right up to the cities. There are several national parks within a few hours. Skiing is a few minutes away.

Reasonble ammenities -- decent selection of restaurants, movie theaters, stores etc.

Housing is realitively quite cheap in Utah. We upgraded from out townhouse in Virginia to a single family home near Salt Lake and made out like bandits.

You are a short drive from Salt Lake, which does have more in the way of events and culture.

Low-crime.



Cons
For non-LDS people the Mormon culture is quite strong, since the area is home to BYU with about 30,000 students. I don't know if that's a con, because I think the culture is generally welcoming. Of course I am LDS, so I haven't experienced a different point of view. But if you like nightlife etc. you will be limited. The Salt Lake area is more diverse from that point of view.

While the place is not as huge of a metropolis as cities on the coasts, it is growing quickly. Traffic in Utah County has gotten pretty bad in the last few years. It is nothing like DC traffic, but can get pretty congested. It might get worse. The area is scheduled for a major freeway overhaul, which will be painful but then hopefully alleviate the problem.

If you are coming without a specific job, employment is more limited in Utah County. There are some big companies locating there (Micron is building a plant in Lehi that will employ 3000 people). Salt Lake is the economic capital of Utah (but even at that you have to realize it is no LA, New York, or DC).


In general, we moved here from DC because my wife said that five years there was enough. I must say the quality of life in Utah is head and shoulders above DC. I am satisfied here, even though I don't have any other ties to Utah other than my spouse. But if she's happy, I'm happy If you have any more questions let me know.

[silverClimber2go]

Coolcats I like the take you gave on Orem. It was very interesting. I have been looking at that area compared to St. George and then I had to throw Colorado Springs in there just for fun (some tough decisions). I LOVED Palm Springs and Joshua Tree Park climates. I guess there are some things I am looking for that the average person might not be and I would like your take on it. I am a single mom with a grade-school age child, so schools are important in my decision on where to move. We currently have my son in the local public school, but am considering moving him to a charter school until we move, as it would better fit his learning. I am also an avid rock climber and would really love to be near some climbing. It would be great to get done with work and hit the hill, even if it's a small one (as we do here in town). I do not ski and hate winter. I can suffer through some snow, but large accumulations are not my bag. I would really like a feeling of "neighborhood". We are not LDS, but have no problem moving to a neighborhood or location that is. I need to be near at least some water and need trees too, even if the trees are just surrounding the homes or neighborhoods and not everywhere. I have a background in Graphic and Web Design, as well as Computer-Aided Drafting, and am wondering what the market is like for people in my field. Jobs are hard to come by here, but I managed to find one that I absolutely love, which I think speaks for my work ethic. I have heard non LDS say that they really never have a problem being beaten over the head about being a non LDS. Some others I've heard say it's in your face all the time. What should I expect? Especially as a neighbor and a friend. I know absolutely nobody in the area, so making friends is crucial for my family. I do not go out at night, so the lack of nightclubs has no effect on me. Decent restaurants are a must. I just love to go somewhere for a nice meal and chat, or hitting the local bookstore with a coffee shop in the evening. Any other info you have that would help my family in our decision to head in the direction of Orem would be gladly welcomed. Thanks.

[cas2006]

SilverClimber...You might take a look at Moab or Durango, CO

[coolcats]

SilverClimber:

I'll answer your questions as best I can.

Climate: If you like warm weather year round you would be better off in Saint George or another warm climate. The climate of Orem is not that extreme. It never gets really cold (I grew up in Iowa, and trust me the winters here do not compare at all) but the weather is quite variable and it does snow somewhat frequently. Usually down in the valleys we get maybe 6 inches while the mountains get two feet. At our house near Salt Lake our biggest storm was 10 inches last winter and we had quite a few 3-6 inch storms. The weather can be quite variable. This weekend it was in the 70s and now it is snowing today on April 18. In the spring the snow never sticks around long and it will be back to the 60s tomorrow.

Schools: I do not have kids in Provo/Orem schools, but some of the schools down there are the best in the state, or so I've heard. Utah in general has more kids per capita, so per pupil spending is close to last in the nation. But I think the schools overacheive with what they have and do a pretty good job.

If you like rock climbing, I think the area would be a good choice. When I was at BYU, Rock canyon was 5 minutes away and I knew students who could sneak up there between classes. There is also climbing up Provo Canyon, probably 10 minutes away. I'm not a climber, so I don't know all the good spots. Utah in general would be a good choice because there would be lots of places within a few hours drive. But like the poster above said -- Moab might be a good place for that, and I think it snows less there. Of course, that's a pretty isolated town for finding work.

I am not sure the market for Web and graphic designer types. I know there are relatively a lot of tech companies in Utah Valley and the southern part of Salt Lake Valley. You may consider living in between in American Fork or Lehi to have an easy commute to either market.

Religion: Utah Valley is something like 80 percent LDS. I do not think religion would be "in your face," especially if your neighbors know where you stand. The difficulty you might face is that some times LDS people tend to cluster together and do activities together, not on purpose but just because their wards provide a natural social setting. If you are outgoing and get to know people I think any people in an established neighborhood would be pretty welcoming.

North in Salt Lake, the area is more diverse and the percent of LDS people is about 50 percent. There really isn't much of a problem. Of my 5 neighbors, 3 our LDS and two are Catholic, but we have socialized with all of them.

As for trees -- if you live in an older neighborhood their will be nice trees. New neighborhoods will be pretty void of trees for several years.

Both Provo/Orem and Salt Lake have some decent restaurants, but nothing like you would find in a really large city. There are a lot of national chain restaurants here and a few nice independent places. You would be only 45 minutes from Salt Lake so you could easily come up for a change of pace. If you have a chance you should come out and just spend a couple days checking the area out to get an idea of if you would like it. Hope that helps.

[TLC]

SilverClimber, I personally would think twice about moving to the Provo/Orem area if you are not LDS. It is the most conservative (republican & LDS) county in the entire US. I have spent some time in Provo and it can be stifling if you are not like minded. As far as coffee shops....good luck on that one. I am a native Utahn and I would have a difficult time living there. Your best chance for diversity, good restaurants/coffee shops, and culture not associated with BYU, is going to be the Salt Lake area. Recreationally it is a beautiful area, but so is the entire Wasatch Front. There is rock climbing all along the Wasatch range and all over Southern Utah. As far as LDS being in your face, every neighborhood is different but I will say that if you are not LDS you and especially your children may feel like outsiders particularly in Orem. LDS people for the most part want to associate with other LDS people and their entire social life usually revolves around church activities. They want their children to associate with other LDS children and this may be difficult for and your boys. I don't want to sound too negative, but these are real considerations. It is a nice, clean, family friendly town with low crime, but I would definitely do your research before moving there.

[Elder_Shawn]

TLC is right on most of his points. I'm LDS and I still wouldn't want to live down there (orem / provo). It is a very nice, clean, and wholesome place but your children might feel uncomfortable do to the large number of LDS down there. I grew up in a 95% mormon community and the non LDS kids did great. Some of my best friends in High School and Jr. High were not LDS, everyone was very resepctful of each other's beliefs.

If you have lots of cash the only place I would think of living down there would be Alpine. Now that's a fine community!

[no user name]

Originally Posted by TLC

It is the most conservative (republican & LDS) county in the entire US.

AWESOME!!! I'M GOING!