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Hi Katzpur, thanks for the info. Ive attended the LDS church many times. My experience was that LDS were very friendly to me when I attended. However after they realized I didnt plan to stop attending other churches and become a member of theirs nobody really wanted to befriend me outside of church functions. I could be taking it the wrong way. Like maybe they are all just too busy. Thats possible. If I attend church everyone is still very polite, tattoos and all. I was just hoping to make some friends and it didnt work out that way.
That's very unfortunate. I really don't know what to say. I think that, to a large extent, it's just the luck of the draw. I've lived in various neighborhoods around the Salt Lake City area all my life. Some are just more welcoming than others. Oddly enough, the oft-heard statement that the further out you go to in the suburbs, the higher the ratio of LDS to non-LDS just doesn't seem to apply in Cottonwood Heights. I know a realtor here who once said that in the realty community, Cottonwood Heights is known as very non-LDS friendly. It definitely is more of a family environment, though, and I suspect you'd want to live in an area where there are more singles.
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Since you seem to know a lot about SLC let me ask this.... how is the housing market? Im looking for a 2 bedroom, possibly 3 bedroom at most in the 300s. Im not having great luck. Im finding a lot more options in Oregon. Why might that be?? I was thinking maybe its because maybe the homes are mostly 5 and 6 bedrooms over there? All the LDS families I know have at least 4 children but sometimes 5 or 6 kids... so maybe the homes are just bigger?? Or maybe all the 2 or 3 bedrooms are just taken and not for sale??
I'd say that most of the homes built since the 1970s have been built with larger families in mind. My house, for instance, is not large by any means, but still has five bedrooms. We only had two kids, but the house never felt too large for us, and now that both kids are grown, it seems just about perfect. There is the master bedroom, of course, but the other rooms all have other uses now. They don't sit empty. I use one as my office an my husband uses one as his. We use one as an upstairs TV room. It's much smaller than the family room downstairs, which also has a TV. And then, the last of the five rooms has been converted into a guest room. You would probably have to look for an older house in an older part of town to find what you're looking for. Some of them are really nice; they're just not as modern. If you can find something in Sugar House, around 9th and 9th, or on the Lower Avenues, that would be your best bet. But definitely plan on spending over $300 if you want to get something nice. You may find something for less, but at least be open to considering a higher price.
It was also very pretty in SLC when I went. The weather is probably my main worry as it would be my biggest adjustment.
You might find that you really enjoy the four very distinct seasons. Winter kind of sucks if you don't participate in winter sports, but if you do, it's heaven. I wouldn't worry too much about driving in the snow. Nobody likes to do that, even though some might say brush it off as no big deal. The thing is, Salt Lake City plans on snow. We get enough of it that the roads are cleared very, very quickly after a storm. Driving the two blocks from your quiet residential street early in the morning right after a big snowstorm might be difficult, but once you're on any kind of an even reasonably busy street, you'll find that even at 6:00 A.M., the roads have already been cleaned. And we don't get ice storms!
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I dont have an issue with the 50% LDS population. Obviously there would be favortism. If they were hiring for a job who would they pick? The person from their church, or some non member?? But aside from that I think I could co-exist with just about any type.
I'm retired, and worked for 45 years here in Salt Lake City. There was only one time when an employer tried to figure out my religion (they'll almost never come right out and ask, and it's probably illegal to do so). They were obviously looking for a Mormon. I answered the "trick question" correctly, so that they knew I was "one of them." I still didn't get the job. In all except small, family-owned companies, it's just not an issue. I have never cared whether the guy who comes to my house to stain my deck is LDS or not. It took me several years before I finally realized that my financial adviser isn't. I have no idea whether my primary care doctor is or not, and as long as my vet is competent and caring, she could be an atheist for all I care. Now if I am looking for a plumber, I might ask people in my congregation whether they know of a good one, but if they don't, I'll go online and find one the same way everybody else does. The LDS networking some people worry about really isn't an issue 90% of the time.
Thanks PNWguy2, you say bend is expensive... but compared to what? Salem and SLC?? Im from CA and all these cities are “affordable” in comparison. You also say bend is Trendy... how so? I would love to know more. Is it like Lake Tahoe (people just go there as a tourist spot for summer and winter sports and the casino and night clubs? And then the rest of the year its a ghost town aside from the retired people who live there?). I need help knowing the “vibe” because even though I vistied in person and saw how beautiful these places were, there is still a lot to know. I would say Salem matches my ideal weather the best. I like rain, Im intimidated driving in a lot of snow, and I dont like too hot of summers. But there is more than climate to consider. I know Oregon has lots of great hiking spots with beautiful views and a beach if I start missing the ocean. But I also like a “clean” looking place to live. Portland was totally run down looking and trashy by my standards. However Lake Oswego for example was one of the most pretty cities (sadly out of the budget) so I am hoping there is a part of OR that will be a good fit for me. The suburbs of SLC do offer the affordable housing Im looking for, although the selection seems to be very limited and I cant figure out why. You can buy a mansion there for under $500K that would probably cost you 5 million dollars where I live. Big difference! It was also very pretty in SLC when I went. The weather is probably my main worry as it would be my biggest adjustment. I dont have an issue with the 50% LDS population. Obviously there would be favortism. If they were hiring for a job who would they pick? The person from their church, or some non member?? But aside from that I think I could co-exist with just about any type.
Bend is "trendy" because many upper middle class and wealthy folks from the Portland area like to "playground" there, or own a second home. There are many brewpubs and the scene is quite upscale near the downtown.
I agree that where you are coming from, most of these cities seem affordable. However, Bend is perhaps the most expensive of the three. Salem is under the umbrella of Western Oregon, but as I said, it isn't as expensive as Portland. Salt Lake City is still affordable, especially in the suburbs north and south, (and even west) of the city.
Katzpur, wow 5 bedrooms. Living in CA Ive never been able to afford more than 1 bedroom. The 1st place I ever got was $1100 and that was many years ago and was a total $&!@hole. The average 1 bedroom here is currently $1800/month and 2 bedroom is $2300/month. Nobody considers 5 bedrooms unless they are laywers, doctors, own their own businesses, or independently wealthy. You pretty much dont move here unless you are wealthy because otherwise you struggle. I just happen to be born in California and i will admit we have lovely beaches, year round sun with no snow, and we really really maintain the area. You wont find one trim not perfectly trimmed. We even have someone who works at the lake here who follows around the ducks and picks up their poop. Im not joking. So.... Im laid back and dont fit in with the snob crowd and even though I enjoy the beaches and weather, I know I will never get a home here. I saw one bedrooms in Midvale starting at $900 for an apartment. I would want to rent while looking for the right house. Its just hard to tell from pictures which places are filled with LDS and which are filled with coke heads making their own meth. Its a big problem out there. When I was 21 I flew out to UT and found an apartment and put a deposit on it and was all planned to move. The then a meth addict broke into the complex and someone was murdered. I took it as a sign and never moved. But now its over 10 years later and Im feeling I should consider UT again, but I want to make sure not to move into a seedy place. And yes its illegal to ask someone their religion in an interview but if it comes down to hiring me or a church member obviously we know who will get picked.
PNWguy2,
Since Bend sounds like an expensive place, are the people fake?? Everyone here has fake hair, fake eyelashes, fake nose, fake lips, and even fake butts sometimes. Its hard to meet anyone real. Im trying to get away from that. I wish I could afford tigard because I just loved it there, but sadly that seems unrealistic when looking at home prices. Ive found many more homes in Bend in the 300Ks than Tigard. Salem sounds like it might be a good fit for me if its not overrun with homeless like Portland and if I can find any of the stores I shop at. Bend seems really nice but more secluded from the rest of Oregon. They dont have a sephora anywhere! I would be doing all my shopping online which I dont care for. I really need a second visit so I can explore more before making a choice. Also, does nowhere outside CA have central heating and cooling?? All I have seen is baseboard heating, which Ive had before and ifs not ideal. Central heating and cooling work great but I cant find it anywhere :/
PNWguy2,
Since Bend sounds like an expensive place, are the people fake?? Everyone here has fake hair, fake eyelashes, fake nose, fake lips, and even fake butts sometimes. Its hard to meet anyone real. Im trying to get away from that. I wish I could afford tigard because I just loved it there, but sadly that seems unrealistic when looking at home prices. Ive found many more homes in Bend in the 300Ks than Tigard. Salem sounds like it might be a good fit for me if its not overrun with homeless like Portland and if I can find any of the stores I shop at. Bend seems really nice but more secluded from the rest of Oregon. They dont have a sephora anywhere! I would be doing all my shopping online which I dont care for. I really need a second visit so I can explore more before making a choice. Also, does nowhere outside CA have central heating and cooling?? All I have seen is baseboard heating, which Ive had before and ifs not ideal. Central heating and cooling work great but I cant find it anywhere :/
Hi Sunsetchaser --- I would also check out the North End neighborhood of Boise. It is an older neighborhood that is very walkable and has lots of character. It is a safe area and has some smaller homes. The climate in Boise is 4-season but winters are usually on the mild side and snow does not last long.
The air service back to CA will likely be cheaper than what you will find in Bend, since it is bigger. And there is likely a larger selection of specialist Dr's for you back issues. I would think the same will hold for SLC.
And yes its illegal to ask someone their religion in an interview but if it comes down to hiring me or a church member obviously we know who will get picked.
Well, if someone asks you a question that is intended to reveal your religion, it's evidently important to him. But trust me, it's not just some Mormons who would prefer to work only with Mormons. Some non-Mormons would prefer to work only with other non-Mormons. So I'm not sure how how obvious it really is "who will get picked." I'm retired, but over the 45 years I was in the workplace, I went through who knows how many job interviews, and only once was I asked a question that I knew was asked in order that the interviewer would be able to figure out whether I was LDS or not. 50% of the population in Salt Lake is not LDS, and I can assure you the non-Mormons have jobs, too. They apparently managed to get them because they were qualified. I think 9 out of 10 employers, at least, care more about a job applicant's qualifications than about his religion.
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