Considering Highland UT (Provo, Orem, Ogden: houses, landscaping, neighborhood)

[LiveMore]

We (family of 3) are considering a move to Utah. We've been looking on line at the the various towns and are considering the Highland/Alpine area. Home to us now is the east SF Bay town called Livermore (cows, vinyards, and very nice homes). We would like to find some place scenic and green where minds are open and the streets are safe. We are not LDS if that matters.

Cheers

[Elder_Shawn]

Alpine is probably one of the nicest cities in Northern Utah. There are a few factors you need to keep in mind about the following places.

Heber is starting to become an extension of Park City, but is cheaper and you could get more land for your money. The area is very safe and everyone I know that lives up there loves it. Since it is near Park City, the weather will be colder, but you will be close to all the resorts and "open" minded people. Alpine is closer to "happy valley" meaning the Provo / Orem area where concentration of LDS is the highest and considered the "least" open. Alpine is a beautiful and upscale area though. Most cities in Utah are pretty safe except for the west side of Salt Lake and Ogden.

Just for kicks I would check out Saratoga Springs on the west side of Utah lake...probably 10-20 minutes from highland. There are some really nice upscale homes going up over there and it's a totally new, well planned community. Also check out Suncrest (above alpine). This community is on top of the mountain between SLC and Provo.

I hope this helps slightly.

[LiveMore]

How about the east Draper area compared with Highland? Google maps says that this area is 20 minutes closer to the airport. Does that sound right?

[Elder_Shawn]

East Draper would be a fine place to live. Highland is on the Southern slope of what they call point of the mountain, while Draper is on the Northern slope. Point of the mountain is where part of the Wasatch Mountain Range extends westward. The separation formed by the point of mountain basically divides the Salt Lake and Provo/Orem valleys. Highland is probably closer to I-15 which leads to the airport, but is furhter south than Draper, thus taking more time to get to the ariport.

[Grblpwr]

We just moved to Cedar Hills/Pleasant Grove, which borders Highland, about a month and a half ago. I have never lived in a more beautiful place! I have read on these boards that Utah County is very LDS and my (LDS) neighbors told me that my neighborhood is 90% LDS, but I have not had any problems with narrow minded people. I feel very safe in this area and we absolutely love it.

One major thing to consider, though, if you have children is there are many, many horror stories on these boards about the LDS, and most seem to revolve around kids. We don't have any so I can't say for sure, but our next door neighbors are non-LDS, have kids and they just love it here (they have been here for 8 years and have elem school age kids). I would suggest checking out the schools before you make a decision. Go visit, ask if they have lots of religious intolerance problems, etc.

Saratoga Springs is nice, as Elder Shawn suggested, but keep in mind that to get to I-15 it gets very congested and the bugs are nasty because you are so near the lake, also you are less likely to get a house with grass (seems its a custom install in Utah). I haven't seen Suncrest, but be sure to check the structural integrity of any house you buy on on the mountains, some are starting to sink.

My husbands boss lives in Draper and he seems to really like it, but also keep in mind there is a huge prison right off the freeway at Riverton/Draper.

[chazcrew]

I live near Highland (Cedar Hills) and it really is a beautiful area. Alpine is even more so. Mountains everywhere you look. American Fork Canyon just five minutes away.

I don't know how "open" the minds are. It's quite conservative, but very friendly. Draper is also nice. Suncrest has gorgeous views, unbeatable really, but it's really inconvenient, so it's a trade-off.

[jade]

Can you see the lake from an Alpine house?

From the photos of houses I've seen, Alpine/highland are a lot greener than, say, Saratoga Springs, is that so? I imagine the winter scenery would be more similar?

[chazcrew]

You can probably see the lake if you're on the hill in Alpine, with an unobstructed view. But houses on the hill are usually big, and pricey. Yes, it's greener in the Highland/Alpine area, if only because it's more established, so there are more mature trees and landscaping. Saratoga Springs is quite new, and so is its landscaping. It has by far the best view of the lake, though.