Where in Utah for me? (Salt Lake City, Logan: sales, 2013, home)

[mag-nolia]

Hi everyone!

I am a 26 year old female that is born and raised in Northwest CT.

I have been toying with the idea of moving to Utah for a few years now. I've never visited, but it's always really appealed to me based on what I've read and seen online. I'm a pretty easy person to please...I moved to an area of Pennsylvania for a year that I had never been to and didn't have many issues. I only moved back home to CT because my father had died while living there and I wanted to be closer to family & friends (this was 3 years ago).

I also have several friends in Utah and also Colorado, so this is another reason why Utah appeals to me as a new place to try out. I've spent 25 of my 26 years in CT and I just am really itching for a change. I'm also just very sick of the high cost of living here....everything is so expensive and it's so hard to make it here as a young working female

To tell you a little bit about myself...

I am 26 and have a BA in Communications. I currently work full time for a small boutique communications firm as a project assistant, I've been there for a year, and wouldn't mind doing something similar out in Utah. I've also worked part time (on Saturdays) for some of the big pet food companies out there as a sales rep, and I love this as well, and wouldn't mind also perhaps finding a good job in the pet industry. I also have some admin experience at a law firm and interned at MTV during college.

I have 2 dogs, and they are definitely the most important thing to me! I'd love to be somewhere dog friendly and having dog parks nearby would be a huge plus. Besides that, my entertainment needs are pretty simple...I like going to the movies, going out to eat, going to concerts and occasionally going to a bar.


I currently am just having trouble making ends meet in this state...and I feel like i'm going to be stuck in this stage for awhile when this state just keeps going downhill it seems. Do you think Utah could be a good fit for me? And what about employment prospects in either the communications field or the pet industry?

To tell you about what I like in regards to living environment, here are just some words that come out off the top of my head:

Green
Lush
Mild temps
Fairly quiet
Woods
Mountains
Streams/rivers
Serene
Suburban

Thank you for any insight you can give me!

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Not lush, not green, not warm. This is high desert country for the most part. Irrigated areas are green.

[mag-nolia]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

Not lush, not green, not warm. This is high desert country for the most part. Irrigated areas are green.

It doesn't need to be warm *all* the time I am used to New England winters, and then humid New England summers. 50-70 is my ideal, if I had to choose. But I know that that is pretty much a dream that won't come true lol.

I thought there were parts of Utah that were green and not all desert?

[kletter1mann]

Originally Posted by tmeg31816

I thought there were parts of Utah that were green and not all desert?

The greenest parts of UT are arid compared to the driest parts of new England. If you really need lush, look elsewhere. OTOH, it's quite beautiful in a different way. The Wasatch is very green in the valleys and north-facing slopes. It's far greener than AZ or NV.

[mag-nolia]

Originally Posted by kletter1mann

The greenest parts of UT are arid compared to the driest parts of new England. If you really need lush, look elsewhere. OTOH, it's quite beautiful in a different way. The Wasatch is very green in the valleys and north-facing slopes. It's far greener than AZ or NV.

I should say, I actually *hate* the humid summers here in CT...so that's another reason that going out west appealed to me. I hate hate hate the humidity!

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by meg31816

I should say, I actually *hate* the humid summers here in CT...so that's another reason that going out west appealed to me. I hate hate hate the humidity!

Personally, I'd definitely go for Salt Lake City. The job opportunities here will be better than anywhere else in the state, as are the opportunities to get a new circle of friends. As Kletterman said, everywhere in Utah is arid in comparison to back east -- but then that's because we don't have the humidity you hate, hate, hate.

[eggalegga]

Originally Posted by meg31816

...
Green
Lush
Mild temps
Fairly quiet
Woods
Mountains
Streams/rivers
Serene
Suburban...

If you live in the mountains you could get all but the mild temps & suburban.

I wouldn't associate anyplace suburban with serene.....unless you've got a lot of money to buy a lot of property to keep the neighborhood noise/riff-raff out.

If you're seeking a communications job, I'd recommend the greater Wasatch front area to start your search. Women do get paid less on the dollar than men here ($.70)--less than the national gap ($.77)between the genders. Forbes. Not much you can do about that other than being aware of it.

I hope your dogs LOVE it here. Very few tick or flea problems--at least in Salt Lake & Utah county suburbs.

[mag-nolia]

I've been browsing the picture thread the past few days and there really does seem to be plenty of green! So I'm not sure why someone originally said there wasn't really any....

It just looks so beautiful

Here are the places that make me go "WOW!" in terms of how gorgeous they are....based on the pic thread...

Albion Basin/Alta
Cecret Lake (GORGEOUS!)
Lake Catherine
Uintas/Red Castle Lakes
Cache Valley
Logan


And now fleas or ticks? BONUS!

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by meg31816

I've been browsing the picture thread the past few days and there really does seem to be plenty of green! So I'm not sure why someone originally said there wasn't really any....

It just looks so beautiful

Here are the places that make me go "WOW!" in terms of how gorgeous they are....based on the pic thread...

Albion Basin/Alta
Cecret Lake (GORGEOUS!)
Lake Catherine
Uintas/Red Castle Lakes
Cache Valley
Logan

Yes, those places are all beautiful, but most of them are in the mountains to the east of Salt Lake City. The Cache Valley is lovely and Logan is the largest city in that area. I'm just not sure how great the job opportunities would be there.

And now fleas or ticks? BONUS!

Fleas, no. Ticks in the mountains sometimes, but neither one is a problem in the cities.

[kletter1mann]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

Yes, those places are all beautiful, but most of them are in the mountains to the east of Salt Lake City. The Cache Valley is lovely and Logan is the largest city in that area.

To amplify on that, pictures don't give a good sense of how "green" it is when you're actually on the ground. The only places in the mountains that are remotely "lush" are the areas directly adjacent to year round streams. On north facing slopes you'll find the pine forests. Though beautiful, the forest ground cover doesn't have nearly the diversity or lushness of New England. In other areas you'll find the high alpine meadows, something that simply doesn't exist in the east. Stunning when in bloom! The southern exposures are indeed rather arid. Most of the green you see is some kind of shrub oak, otherwise it's short desert-like stuff. Lower down, say Antelope Island, the natural state is treeless scrub and grassland. It's not a desert, there is seasonal green grass (vs cactus like in Vegas), but it goes brown in the heat of the summer.

My point is this - it IS beautiful and the vistas are superb. Absolutely fantastic! But you'll likely be surprised when you're on the ground and walking around.