I would like to move to Utah from Florida (Sandy: cul-de-sac, for sale by owner)

[Chickrae]

Happy Holidays to you too. I just got back from Utah. Went to St. George. I am amazed how beautiful it is in southern Utah. Can't wait to move there in 3 years and 2 months. LaFrench....you guys need to get there too. You will love it. Northern Utah is awesome too......love those mountains!

[LAFrench]

Merry Christmas to you and your family and Hppy New Year!!

[usnretired]

LAFrench,

Enjoy your move to Utah and rest easy! It really IS a nice place to live from my experince visiting the SLC/Provo area. When I retire or close to it, Utah is near the top of my list of places to relocate, the others being Washington State and North Carolina. Florida has gotten really bad of late,(soaring crime rates, housing crash,etc.) and as for Louisiana, it needs no explanation, I grew up there and couldn't wait to leave!

[LAFrench]

Originally Posted by usnretired

LAFrench,

Enjoy your move to Utah and rest easy! It really IS a nice place to live from my experince visiting the SLC/Provo area. When I retire or close to it, Utah is near the top of my list of places to relocate, the others being Washington State and North Carolina. Florida has gotten really bad of late,(soaring crime rates, housing crash,etc.) and as for Louisiana, it needs no explanation, I grew up there and couldn't wait to leave!

We have not moved and will have to wait for the housing market to rebound or one of us finding a job that we cannot pass up.
For now, I am still praying and dreaming.

Thanks and Happy New Years!!

[Jen38]

Hi Lafrench,
I didn't read through every page cuz it's way too long so if I repeat anything that anyone has said, sorry. We lived in Tampa, FL for 3 years and loved it. My kids were 1 and 4 at the time and I spent every Fri at the beach with my kids and girlfriends/their kids. Then we moved Houston, which I hated (even hotter than Tampa), then to PA (which we loved-and had family there) and now we are in Sandy, UT - which I absolutely love! My kids are now 9 and 6 (two boys) and this has been one of the easier adjustments in terms of moving. Like your wife, I was putting my foot down and was not moving to Utah. I read about Mormons not playing with non-Mormon children and the treatment of Non LDS folks in general. If we had to move, then I was only moving to Park City. Well, the commute in the winter from Park City was out of the question. I'd fear that my husband would be in an accident every night so we looked no further South of Salt Lake than Draper cuz I had heard the farther south you go the more concentration of LDS there is. We found a great house in Sandy, send our kids to Catholic School, live in a neighborhood that is both LDS and Non and have never had any problems. My kids play with both LDS and Non - and actually his favorite friend is LDS. It is NOT like what you hear. If you are a nice hardworking family and have good morals, you will not have a problem. Honestly I think this is one of the best states to raise children because of the LDS influence. They are polite, helpful and never in a rush. It's rare to find a teenager with good manners and that actually SPEAK to adults with more than a yes or no answer. They have them here! I am not planning to convert but I respect their views. They don't push their religion on me nor mine on them. I won't lie, the topic comes up often but it has no bearing on my day to day life. If you like to ski then you will love Sundays out here! The mountains are not crowded because everyone is at church! I love to ski (even though it had been over 10 years since I skiied prior to moving here) and my kids now love to ski. We go at least once per week, more if we don't have a sport on Sat or Sunday (which is rare). Sandy, UT will put you 30-40 minutes from Park City skiing, 15-20 minutes from Snowbird and Alta and 25-30 minutes from Brighton and Solitude. You have 4 Premier ski resorts practically in your backyard. Snowbird is a short enough commute that on the days I don't feel like skiing I can drop my kids off for their lesson, go home and go back to pick them up without it being a pain.
Our friends and family from PA thought we were nuts for moving out here and since then we have had a ton of guests who are eating their words! My sister and husband just visited for the first time and when she went home she found her husband looking at homes in Utah on line! They said they would move out here in a second if he could find a job. It really is beautiful and I tell people it's the US's hidden gem. We had a choice between moving back to Tampa or moving to Utah when my husband was offered this job. The job in Tampa was more prestigious but the money was more here. I found myself choosing Utah because I thought even though we loved Tampa when we were there, my life would be much different now cuz the kids are older and into more athletics. I would not be spending my days on the beach anymore - now it's a whole bunch of laundry, homework and car pooling! Tampa does not offer as much as far as family activities as Utah. We hike, bike, ski, horseback ride - you name it, we try it! And we were never the outdoorsy family. I don't think I would enjoy sitting at all those soccer, football and Lacrosse games in the Florida heat - and that's a big part of my life now. It does get extremely hot here but you can bring an umbrella or move into the shade and it makes a big difference because of no humidity.
The people here are very friendly and I found it easy to make friends. With that said, we do go to a Catholic school and I know that makes a big difference. I'm sure my children would feel more excluded at public schools because people are born and raised here so they know each other so well. They all go to the same church and their families grew up together. In the Catholic schools, it is so transient that all children are from somewhere else and most are interested in making new friends.
Haven't checked this forum in a while so sorry about the "book". I hope this info helps! I would reccommend coming out for a week but definitely have an itininerary. When I brought the kids for the first time we did a ton of "Utah" stuff. Hike up Tipanogoes, Thanksgiving Point, the tram to the top of Snowbird etc.. They kids fell in love with Utah and couldn't wait to move. So did I.
Take care and hopefully your dreams will come true!
Jen

[kaytidid]

Glad to hear your adjustment has gone well, Jen! I knew you would love it here.

[Jen38]

You were right! Thanks!

[Katzpur]

Wow, Jen! What a neat post! I'm glad you like it here and have felt welcome.

[LAFrench]

Thank you for the story with a great outcome!!
I wish you and your family the best in UT.
I hope and pray one day that my family and I will be able to move there.

Take care,

LAFrench

Originally Posted by Jen38

Hi Lafrench,
I didn't read through every page cuz it's way too long so if I repeat anything that anyone has said, sorry. We lived in Tampa, FL for 3 years and loved it. My kids were 1 and 4 at the time and I spent every Fri at the beach with my kids and girlfriends/their kids. Then we moved Houston, which I hated (even hotter than Tampa), then to PA (which we loved-and had family there) and now we are in Sandy, UT - which I absolutely love! My kids are now 9 and 6 (two boys) and this has been one of the easier adjustments in terms of moving. Like your wife, I was putting my foot down and was not moving to Utah. I read about Mormons not playing with non-Mormon children and the treatment of Non LDS folks in general. If we had to move, then I was only moving to Park City. Well, the commute in the winter from Park City was out of the question. I'd fear that my husband would be in an accident every night so we looked no further South of Salt Lake than Draper cuz I had heard the farther south you go the more concentration of LDS there is. We found a great house in Sandy, send our kids to Catholic School, live in a neighborhood that is both LDS and Non and have never had any problems. My kids play with both LDS and Non - and actually his favorite friend is LDS. It is NOT like what you hear. If you are a nice hardworking family and have good morals, you will not have a problem. Honestly I think this is one of the best states to raise children because of the LDS influence. They are polite, helpful and never in a rush. It's rare to find a teenager with good manners and that actually SPEAK to adults with more than a yes or no answer. They have them here! I am not planning to convert but I respect their views. They don't push their religion on me nor mine on them. I won't lie, the topic comes up often but it has no bearing on my day to day life. If you like to ski then you will love Sundays out here! The mountains are not crowded because everyone is at church! I love to ski (even though it had been over 10 years since I skiied prior to moving here) and my kids now love to ski. We go at least once per week, more if we don't have a sport on Sat or Sunday (which is rare). Sandy, UT will put you 30-40 minutes from Park City skiing, 15-20 minutes from Snowbird and Alta and 25-30 minutes from Brighton and Solitude. You have 4 Premier ski resorts practically in your backyard. Snowbird is a short enough commute that on the days I don't feel like skiing I can drop my kids off for their lesson, go home and go back to pick them up without it being a pain.
Our friends and family from PA thought we were nuts for moving out here and since then we have had a ton of guests who are eating their words! My sister and husband just visited for the first time and when she went home she found her husband looking at homes in Utah on line! They said they would move out here in a second if he could find a job. It really is beautiful and I tell people it's the US's hidden gem. We had a choice between moving back to Tampa or moving to Utah when my husband was offered this job. The job in Tampa was more prestigious but the money was more here. I found myself choosing Utah because I thought even though we loved Tampa when we were there, my life would be much different now cuz the kids are older and into more athletics. I would not be spending my days on the beach anymore - now it's a whole bunch of laundry, homework and car pooling! Tampa does not offer as much as far as family activities as Utah. We hike, bike, ski, horseback ride - you name it, we try it! And we were never the outdoorsy family. I don't think I would enjoy sitting at all those soccer, football and Lacrosse games in the Florida heat - and that's a big part of my life now. It does get extremely hot here but you can bring an umbrella or move into the shade and it makes a big difference because of no humidity.
The people here are very friendly and I found it easy to make friends. With that said, we do go to a Catholic school and I know that makes a big difference. I'm sure my children would feel more excluded at public schools because people are born and raised here so they know each other so well. They all go to the same church and their families grew up together. In the Catholic schools, it is so transient that all children are from somewhere else and most are interested in making new friends.
Haven't checked this forum in a while so sorry about the "book". I hope this info helps! I would reccommend coming out for a week but definitely have an itininerary. When I brought the kids for the first time we did a ton of "Utah" stuff. Hike up Tipanogoes, Thanksgiving Point, the tram to the top of Snowbird etc.. They kids fell in love with Utah and couldn't wait to move. So did I.
Take care and hopefully your dreams will come true!
Jen

[LAFrench]

Jen38, where in Sandy do you live?
Also, how far is the Catholic school from you? How expensive are the Catholic schools in UT?

I hope all is going well for you. PM me anytime with questions or info.

Thank you,

LAFrench

Originally Posted by Jen38

Hi Lafrench,
I didn't read through every page cuz it's way too long so if I repeat anything that anyone has said, sorry. We lived in Tampa, FL for 3 years and loved it. My kids were 1 and 4 at the time and I spent every Fri at the beach with my kids and girlfriends/their kids. Then we moved Houston, which I hated (even hotter than Tampa), then to PA (which we loved-and had family there) and now we are in Sandy, UT - which I absolutely love! My kids are now 9 and 6 (two boys) and this has been one of the easier adjustments in terms of moving. Like your wife, I was putting my foot down and was not moving to Utah. I read about Mormons not playing with non-Mormon children and the treatment of Non LDS folks in general. If we had to move, then I was only moving to Park City. Well, the commute in the winter from Park City was out of the question. I'd fear that my husband would be in an accident every night so we looked no further South of Salt Lake than Draper cuz I had heard the farther south you go the more concentration of LDS there is. We found a great house in Sandy, send our kids to Catholic School, live in a neighborhood that is both LDS and Non and have never had any problems. My kids play with both LDS and Non - and actually his favorite friend is LDS. It is NOT like what you hear. If you are a nice hardworking family and have good morals, you will not have a problem. Honestly I think this is one of the best states to raise children because of the LDS influence. They are polite, helpful and never in a rush. It's rare to find a teenager with good manners and that actually SPEAK to adults with more than a yes or no answer. They have them here! I am not planning to convert but I respect their views. They don't push their religion on me nor mine on them. I won't lie, the topic comes up often but it has no bearing on my day to day life. If you like to ski then you will love Sundays out here! The mountains are not crowded because everyone is at church! I love to ski (even though it had been over 10 years since I skiied prior to moving here) and my kids now love to ski. We go at least once per week, more if we don't have a sport on Sat or Sunday (which is rare). Sandy, UT will put you 30-40 minutes from Park City skiing, 15-20 minutes from Snowbird and Alta and 25-30 minutes from Brighton and Solitude. You have 4 Premier ski resorts practically in your backyard. Snowbird is a short enough commute that on the days I don't feel like skiing I can drop my kids off for their lesson, go home and go back to pick them up without it being a pain.
Our friends and family from PA thought we were nuts for moving out here and since then we have had a ton of guests who are eating their words! My sister and husband just visited for the first time and when she went home she found her husband looking at homes in Utah on line! They said they would move out here in a second if he could find a job. It really is beautiful and I tell people it's the US's hidden gem. We had a choice between moving back to Tampa or moving to Utah when my husband was offered this job. The job in Tampa was more prestigious but the money was more here. I found myself choosing Utah because I thought even though we loved Tampa when we were there, my life would be much different now cuz the kids are older and into more athletics. I would not be spending my days on the beach anymore - now it's a whole bunch of laundry, homework and car pooling! Tampa does not offer as much as far as family activities as Utah. We hike, bike, ski, horseback ride - you name it, we try it! And we were never the outdoorsy family. I don't think I would enjoy sitting at all those soccer, football and Lacrosse games in the Florida heat - and that's a big part of my life now. It does get extremely hot here but you can bring an umbrella or move into the shade and it makes a big difference because of no humidity.
The people here are very friendly and I found it easy to make friends. With that said, we do go to a Catholic school and I know that makes a big difference. I'm sure my children would feel more excluded at public schools because people are born and raised here so they know each other so well. They all go to the same church and their families grew up together. In the Catholic schools, it is so transient that all children are from somewhere else and most are interested in making new friends.
Haven't checked this forum in a while so sorry about the "book". I hope this info helps! I would reccommend coming out for a week but definitely have an itininerary. When I brought the kids for the first time we did a ton of "Utah" stuff. Hike up Tipanogoes, Thanksgiving Point, the tram to the top of Snowbird etc.. They kids fell in love with Utah and couldn't wait to move. So did I.
Take care and hopefully your dreams will come true!
Jen