Moving to Provo...Single & Non-LDS. Will this be a disaster? (Salt Lake City: ski resorts, apartment)

[zoloris]

Single Male in my 30's. Moving for a great job but it is located in Provo. I have read some horror stories on here about non-LDS who live there.

I am active and like the outdoors (fish, golf, ski) and also like watching live sports. I do drink and like to go out as well. I am not religious.

Is there any nightlife in Provo? Or is it frowned upon?

Are there any non-LDS that live in Provo and actually like it?

[CCSLC]

Everyone I know in Provo travels to SLC for nightlife. Provo has a few bars, but none that I would call busy. There is a decent local music scene, but it's generally liquor-free and dominated by BYU students in their early 20s. If I were you and this job is that great, I'd move to SLC, or at least a southern suburb of SLC, and commute to Provo. With Frontrunner it's not a bad commute at all and then you won't be sacrificing your personal/social life...because, honestly, Utah County is not the place for a young, single, nonreligious guy who likes drinking and going out.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by zoloris

Single Male in my 30's. Moving for a great job but it is located in Provo. I have read some horror stories on here about non-LDS who live there.

I am active and like the outdoors (fish, golf, ski) and also like watching live sports. I do drink and like to go out as well. I am not religious.

Is there any nightlife in Provo? Or is it frowned upon?

Are there any non-LDS that live in Provo and actually like it?

Honestly, I can't imagine a non-LDS, single male in his 30s living in Provo and liking it. I say this as a practicing Mormon. Do yourself a favor and stay out of Utah county. The commute may not sound great, but living in Salt Lake County could make all the difference in the world in how things work out for you here.

[kaytidid]

I would rather have a lousy commute than a lousy life. Stay in SL County!

[markg91359]

Originally Posted by zoloris

Single Male in my 30's. Moving for a great job but it is located in Provo. I have read some horror stories on here about non-LDS who live there.

I am active and like the outdoors (fish, golf, ski) and also like watching live sports. I do drink and like to go out as well. I am not religious.

Is there any nightlife in Provo? Or is it frowned upon?

Are there any non-LDS that live in Provo and actually like it?

Please heed the advice you are getting from other people here. This topic has come up more times over the last few years than you might imagine and the consensus of advice is always the same.

Provo and Utah County is not a good place for a non-LDS single male to live. Its an area that is designed for young LDS families. There are few venues for entertainment or the things you might want.

The fact that you say you are "not religious" clinches it for me. It is a strongly religious area and what social life there is is focused on church or family gatherings.

Work in Provo, but live in the Salt Lake area and commute down there each day.

I am LDS and a number of us who are LDS with families still think Provo would be too conservative an area for even us. Imagine how it might seem to a non-LDS person without a family from out-of-state!

If you do decide against all this advice to move there anyway, than please remember that we tried to warn you.

[irman]

With about three major roads going *south*, if the job is really *that good*,
then lay out where the job is and find a place around the areas as suggested.
Then commute by a combination of car, tracks, and or bike.
Leave your car at the tracks station and bike to work.
You can take your bike on the train !

Just yesterday, I picked up a friend at the Airport,
then drove her down to Provo, during peak hours.
This was around 16:30.
I used Bangerter, Redwood Road, Pioneer Crossing.
My average speed was 52 mph, going south, and 54 going north.
Most traffic lights were *with me*.

Living north means the traffic is only part way *with you* (busy),
so maybe a short distance a bit dense, but otherwise *moving*.
With giving up one or two things, you may, in the end, have a great experience here.
Spending your *daytime* around Provo might even be beneficial for you.
You can read anything between the lines from this statement.
Not everyone around Provo is a *religious nut* ...
Just do not ask for a spiked drink during lunch and do not smoke.
Never bring up religion in any of your conversation that *you* start*.
If they start, learn how to change the subject.
Do not *judge* anybody, just be a nice guy !
After work, you can do *your thing* around SLC.

In the end, life here, grows on you and then you adjust.
You are looking for wild parties during week ends - forget it.
You are looking for a decent life with lots of outdoors things to do - go for it !

[csumom2]

Being that you enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle...it really doesn't get any better than Utah for that aspect.

However, being a young man who enjoys nightlife and having a drink..Provo is NOT the place for that, unless you are into maybe ice cream socials.

As stated, you may want to explore the possibility of a suburb of Salt Lake City. It is only about 30 miles away, but the traffic in I 15 can be a nightmare at times.

[kaytidid]

Mark is not telling him to stay out of "his community" because of intolerance. It has been proven time and time again that those that are looking for a bit of a night life/single person lifestyle has is very unhappy in Utah County. He is simply warning them that it probably is not the right place if you want to enjoy Utah completely. I hate cold weather, I hate the snow. I certainly would not move to Alaska KNOWING that there is cold and snow there. If people are looking for night life, single people to mingle with, bars and what have you, honestly why in the world would you move to a county that does not offer that?!

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by curtaincallfan

It's sad that you would tell someone to stay out of your "community."
So much for religion being tolerant.

Remember people, you are free to move about anywhere in the U.S., just remember to not go to Provo unless you are part of "their religion." They dont want your kind their.

Seriously, these comments are uncalled for. Pretty much every Mormon on this forum recognizes that the Orem-Provo area is not going to be a good fit for a non-Mormon. We (all of us who have responded) are doing people a service by telling them that they'd be happier in Salt Lake City, where there is a lot more religious diversity. What I'm seeing here is a poorly-veiled anti-Mormon attack on Utah's dominant faith, and nobody who posts regularly on the Salt Lake City or Utah forums (LDS or non-LDS) is dumb enough not to see through it.

[MisfitBanana]

Originally Posted by zoloris

Single Male in my 30's. Moving for a great job but it is located in Provo. I have read some horror stories on here about non-LDS who live there.

I am active and like the outdoors (fish, golf, ski) and also like watching live sports. I do drink and like to go out as well. I am not religious.

Is there any nightlife in Provo? Or is it frowned upon?

Are there any non-LDS that live in Provo and actually like it?

I have a friend just like you. Mid-30's (was early 30's when he was in Provo), single, male, into lots of outdoor sports, non-Mormon, drinks, likes the nightlife as well, and he got a really great job in Provo. It was actually a perfect fit job for him, and paid a lot. I warned him before he came out that he would hate it, but he thought the job was so great, that he was gonna go for it. So I told him to move to Salt Lake, and commute, but he didn't want a long commute. Anyhow, he left within six months. He tried to make the best of it, went on lots of hikes and tried to see the positive in all the outdoor activities available to him, but ultimately, it was just too lonely.

I highly recommend you live in SLC or a suburb, and commute to Provo. You'll be going against most of the traffic, and you'll be closer to the ski resorts in the winter, and closer to downtown SLC, and it will hopefully be easier to meet people and make friends. Try to find an apartment that will give you a 3 month lease, though - that way, if you don't like the neighborhood you first move to, you can move to a different neighborhood pretty soon. Some neighborhoods are better than others in terms of meeting new people and being around other singles.