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I'm moving to Rosecrest in Herriman in a couple of weeks. I'm really looking forward to it. I will say the infrastructure seems underdeveloped for the number of houses. Probably because it's grown so fast. But we are "boring" people satisfied with what's available at "The District," Jordan Landing, and the occasional trip to downtown. I should also say, I don't work in downtown. It'd be a bit far out for me if I did work in downtown.
When I was in my 20's the last thing I would have even imagined would be to move to Utah. If it is for economic reasons, you will get more bang for your buck. Being from Calabasas, CA and growing up in OC. Driving to a club in Hollyweird from either counties could be 45 minutes to two hours with traffic. People here in Utah cringe with the thought of driving 30 miles which I find amusing. If you are single then your dating life will be quite interesting and you will have to lower your standards....lol....I am just kidding..... Personally if I wasn't married then I would probably be single by choice here.
The outdoor activities are awesome in every season but if you are a beach person like me you will dream about the ocean at night. We went back to CA a few weeks ago with that wonderful weekend of 80 weather and I didn't want to come back. Come out here a few times and see if you really like it.
I wouldn't live in Herriman/Riverton as someone relocating alone from a different state, without kids. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the area, it is just "suburban" with families and kids.
I liked the earlier post mentioning Sugar House. I have the opportunity to see both sides of the valley almost daily. Think the north-south commute is slow, try east- west.
There are some very expensive properties on the west side of I-15. Technically, it is still Draper for a while before it appears to immediately merge/become Riverton.
My observation, which may be inaccurate given the limited homes I've seen, is often those who own expensive homes own more property if they are on the west side of I-15.
Don't bank on the ski resorts in the Oquirrhs yet. I thought that project got put on hold. Any new information (last 3-4 months) someone knows that I don't?
There are other places in the valley to live which are much more dense with singles and activities that don't cater to children. Absolutely, visit the area and different neighborhoods. You'll know where you feel comfortable.
I came out to Herriman 5 years ago when we built our house. I'm up the hill a bit off of Rosecrest Rd. and Juniper Crest, so the view out our back is basically the entire SL Valley. I remember when we came there and were just building, there was little up the hill from us. The continuing onslaught of building has not been fun IMHO. I'm one who appreciates quiet. had I known exactly what I was getting into I might have taken a pass. It was at first quiet. Now there is the nearly unending din of big trucks, idiots with their hugh 4wd trucks roaring by, people buzzing around (illegally) on their ATV's pocket bikes and motorized scooters.
There's little doubt this IS a place for large families. All of the businesses, be they restaurants or you name it are over run with little ones (usually in excess of 3-4 per house). I only wish those rug rats WOULD use the parks more often. Instead they run around the streets till all hours of the night (more so when the weather is decent) screaming, buzzing around with their skate boards and just about anything that generates noise. I'm thinking the parents overdid the meds as they aren't very aware of where the kids are and trust way too much.
If I were in my 20's and single there is absolutely NO way I'd live out this far from any kind of life where I'd meet contemporaries. As it is I really don't associate with much in the way of neighbors, (except my next door neighbor who also isn't LDS). Most of the neighborhood worships on the wrong Sabbath anyway Fortunately we are on a corner lot and not sandwiched in between the mayhem. The city originally said they were NOT going to allow the flow of traffic above Rosecrest Blvd. to flow down into Juniper Crest, but as usual....they lied. Now it's like a friggen freeway. 30mph is actually 50-60mph the way they come down the hill, and no doubt one of these days there WILL be a fatality. About the only saving grace is between the hours of 11pm and 5am it's pretty quiet for the most part.
I'd stick with Sugarhouse or that East side up by the University if you could. You'll find it more to your liking and find more activities and people your age group to befriend. Otherwise all you'll find is housebound wanna be recreators with a batch of rug rats running amuck. multiple ATV's, RV's and extra cars that won't fit in their garages (all which violate the original covenants we had to sign when moving into Rosecrest but they failed to mention they wouldn't enforce in the first place) with nothing to find in common with. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I'd say move along....you'll be glad you did............
I came out to Herriman 5 years ago when we built our house. I'm up the hill a bit off of Rosecrest Rd. and Juniper Crest, so the view out our back is basically the entire SL Valley. I remember when we came there and were just building, there was little up the hill from us. The continuing onslaught of building has not been fun IMHO. I'm one who appreciates quiet. had I known exactly what I was getting into I might have taken a pass. It was at first quiet. Now there is the nearly unending din of big trucks, idiots with their hugh 4wd trucks roaring by, people buzzing around (illegally) on their ATV's pocket bikes and motorized scooters.
There's little doubt this IS a place for large families. All of the businesses, be they restaurants or you name it are over run with little ones (usually in excess of 3-4 per house). I only wish those rug rats WOULD use the parks more often. Instead they run around the streets till all hours of the night (more so when the weather is decent) screaming, buzzing around with their skate boards and just about anything that generates noise. I'm thinking the parents overdid the meds as they aren't very aware of where the kids are and trust way too much.
If I were in my 20's and single there is absolutely NO way I'd live out this far from any kind of life where I'd meet contemporaries. As it is I really don't associate with much in the way of neighbors, (except my next door neighbor who also isn't LDS). Most of the neighborhood worships on the wrong Sabbath anyway Fortunately we are on a corner lot and not sandwiched in between the mayhem. The city originally said they were NOT going to allow the flow of traffic above Rosecrest Blvd. to flow down into Juniper Crest, but as usual....they lied. Now it's like a friggen freeway. 30mph is actually 50-60mph the way they come down the hill, and no doubt one of these days there WILL be a fatality. About the only saving grace is between the hours of 11pm and 5am it's pretty quiet for the most part.
I'd stick with Sugarhouse or that East side up by the University if you could. You'll find it more to your liking and find more activities and people your age group to befriend. Otherwise all you'll find is housebound wanna be recreators with a batch of rug rats running amuck. multiple ATV's, RV's and extra cars that won't fit in their garages (all which violate the original covenants we had to sign when moving into Rosecrest but they failed to mention they wouldn't enforce in the first place) with nothing to find in common with. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I'd say move along....you'll be glad you did............
Well stated. There are a couple of pockets of singles in Midvale apartment complexes (close to Fort Union), Sugarhouse, an area or two in Millcreek, Sugarhouse, Aves, and area south of the University and west of Foothill.
Did I mention Sugarhouse?
I honestly believe a single person moving to Herriman would not be happy, even if they were from this area, had relatives/friends. I also believe large families wouldn't be happy in the Foothill area where a lot of singles reside. There is nothing wrong with living where you are more similar to your neighbors. It beats trying to avoid your neighbors and being unhappy.
You may want to check out some of the relationship threads in CDF. I don't know that any are about UT specifically, but I've been surprised when looking for other topics at threads I never knew existed. It may be a way to learn more info.
I've lived in Herriman for about ten years, and like most places, there is good and bad. A quick summary of living here includes:
1. Are you Mormon? If not, then consider finding a place to live in a more non-Mormon community like Sugarhouse or Park City. Herriman and Riverton both have a high Mormon population, which means great family values, lots of kids, and extreme ostracizing of non-Mormons. In your day to day life, that means your neighbors will be perfectly nice to your face, but they will NOT invest the time and effort into making friends with you or getting to know you more than a mere acquaintance. And if you have kids, be prepared for them to be excluded from any/all social functions - especially in the Jr. High and High School ages. It is a plain and simple unspoken fact that Mormons do not associate with non-Mormons (unless they think they can convert you) because non-Mormons are heathens and live divergent lifestyles (you know...drinking Coca Cola and such). I don't want to make this a religious debate, but I've lived in the Salt Lake valley my whole life as a non-Mormon, and it is simply the truth.
2. Herriman has a grocery store, gas station, a couple of fast food and take out restaurants, and a couple medical offices. However, it is growing quickly, and will soon have more commercial business. Riverton and South Jordan (5-12 minute drives) have everything else you need (Walmart, Home Depot, chain restaurants, multi-plex movie theater, etc, etc). There isn't much night life in any suburb unless you want to drive to Salt Lake City (35 minutes away) - not a big deal, really.
3. There are a LOT of parks and trails in Herriman. I'd almost say there is a community park or playground in just about every neighborhood. Originally, the planners wanted a lot of open spaces, but in the last 5-7 years, they gave into developers and allowed houses to be scrunched up on postage stamp sized lots. So basically, you can get whatever you want, depending on where you want to live and how much you want to pay.
4. Horses and chickens. Yup, there are a lot of them. Actually, in a weird backward sort of way, it is actually a social status to have chickens in your yard. Having chickens means you are hip in your self-sustainability and end-of-the-world preparedness (Mormons have believed we are in the "latter days" of existence, which means the world will end any day now, and the more prepared you are, the better you look to your co-Mormons). And somehow, this means one gains social status by having chickens in their backyard. Not a big deal, until ALL your neighbors get chickens in their backyard, which means a gaggle of roosters cawing at 5:00 a.m. every morning, which is nearly as bad as having an Amtrak train rip through your back yard every morning! Oh, and guess, what? Chickens poop. And guess what? Herrimanites don't seem to think that cleaning up animal dung is a necessary part of caring for their animals. I don't recommend enjoying any of the bike baths that meander around the city without nose plugs - especially the ones that weave through horse properties....see the next point below.
5. We live on a 1/2 acre plot on a street that only has 1/2 acre plots. We bought our plot and built a house thinking we'd be among other like-minded people that wanted a nicely landscaped yard for their kids to play in. After we moved in, we discovered there is only one reason to have a 1/2 acre in Herriman: To park two horses, assemble a horse stall that looks like it will fall down any minute, never ride or care for the horses (most goldfish get more attention than the horses in Herriman), and let the horse manure accumulate into mountains, before pushing it out of the yard into the city maintained trails. I don't speak of single bad examples - this is representative of EVERY horse owner on our street. Several neighbors have mountain of manure in their yard (over 4-5 feet tall), and a lot of people simply push the horse manure into the city maintained walking path behind our houses when their mountain of manure is in jeopardy of tipping over. Our yard has a continual stink of horse poop, and it is insanely depressing to see all these horses corralled day after day, never being taken out and exercised, and many times, not fed on a proper schedule (one neighbor's horses died from malnutrition because they could no longer afford to feed them, and they didn't bother putting forth the effort to try to sell or give their horses away). Bottom line: Herriman is place for you if you support farm animal abuse.
6. Neighborliness. As I mentioned before, if you are Mormon, you'll have plenty of neighbors and friends from your ward to associate with. If you aren't Mormon, most people will be nice to your face if you try to strike up a conversation, but will ignore you otherwise. If you are looking for community involvement, acceptance, and friendship, this isn't the place for you. If you simply want to live among nice people that leave you alone, this works out well.
7. Herriman is a fairly young community. There are lots of families in their 20's, 30's and 40's with kids. If you have kids, more than likely your kids will find friends that live on their street. The schools are really overcrowded - most new elementary schools that have been built recently have been overcrowded the day after they open. For the most part, the schools appear to be pretty decent overall.
8. Herriman used to be more of a redneck area about 10-15 years ago (before the real estate boom). The houses that were here originally were older, and it was pretty typical for them to have yards that resembled the local pick-and-pull junk yard. A lot of that is cleaned up or replaced now, but it still isn't unusual to see a neighborhood of $600k homes adjacent to a few less than desirable homes containing 5 broken down vehicles in their yard. It's recommended to drive around the area before falling in love with a dream home you might have found on the internet.
9. Big Truck. If your truck didn't cost more than your house, then you simply aren't cool. Well, that mentality is slowly getting replaced, but part of it still exists.
10. The biggest town events are rodeos. If that's your thing, then you are already probably already a neighbor of mine. If you think there are more exciting things in life than lassoing a cow, choking it with the rope, and having that make you feel like you earned your place at the top of the food chain, well, welcome to Herriman.
I also live in Herriman. My wife and I came here when the boom was well underway and the Rosecrest development was in it's infancy in 2003. Little did I know the lust for stuffing as many homes as possible into this town would get to the point it has. If I knew I would have looked a LOT harder in the Holladay-E. Millcreek area. Many of the homes are indeed cookie cutter stucco multi bedroom homes to accommodate the multitudes of brats that now are clogging the over burdened schools system. About the only thing I could say in the favor of the situation is they managed to vote down that gluttonous tax levy they wanted. It is pretty far out here from many things oriented towards downtown. Shopping in general isn't far as that too has blossomed with "The District" shopping center. Like someone mentioned earlier we have indeed grappled with many that came here thinking this was some ideal place for wanna be cowboys and all their toys. Ordinances were long in place against pocket bikes and ATV's in the streets, but do you think these brain deficient folks who have those care? Nope. The more noise they make the better.
We had an incident or two a few years ago where some wild teens ran over a few kids on their front lawns with their dirt bikes out of control running through the neighborhoods. Plenty of raised black smoke belching 4x4's of which they are oh so proud. If you're single this most certainly is NOT the place to be that's for sure. Indeed Sugarhouse would be high on the list as would closer into Salt Lake City proper. The usual (good) advice overall is avoid most of the "west" side of I-15 and South Salt Lake as well. If you want to get a good idea of what happens in the way of crime you can investigate www.crimereports.com if the moderator will allow the link to remain. Good luck.........you'll need it.
Altashusher........I was riveted by your beautifully well written illustration of Herriman. I could not possibly have said it better, but don't get me started. I'd say you have it pretty well at hand. I'm sure the school board continues to shake their heads why they could build a school and have it overcrowded the day it opens.....can you say "babies" and LOTS of them? Couple that with the shear number of homes they are stuffing into every nook and cranny of land available at this point and well....there ya go. It is so very interesting to see the different demographic makeup of the different areas of the Salt Lake Valley. One two word description pretty much says it all when it comes to Herriman "wanna be's". Everyone here seems to want to have some image of being an urban cowboy with their atv's, their motorhomes sticking out of their enclosed driveways. Their pocket bikes, dirt bikes, huge black smoke billowing pickup truck with plenty of chrome and hitch on the back for the big boy toys. As you pointed out animals they have no intention of taking care of. When we first moved here people were pretty mindful of the LAW that they are REQUIRED to pick up their dog waste as they go. Most had bags with them and trowels to pick it up. Now I see people walking their dogs blatently (even if I am watching) walk their dogs on my parkway or edge of my lawn which has a perimeter of bark and flowers, and encourage their dog to squat and leave it's mess right there in front of me. I'm not sure what trailer park these folks originally came from but I rather wish they'd return. Rant over........at least I have a kindred spirit in town somewhere :-)
I have lived in many states over the years. Everywhere has good and bad. I'm not Mormon. I am a stay at home mom and moved to Herriman about 10 years ago - having fallen in love with the open land, large lots, and friendly behavior of just about everyone I encountered. It's true - walk into any local grocery store and all employees will look you in the eye and smile. The city counsel will even happily invite you to meetings. Most people you meet at the park will be happy to talk to you and pass the time while watching the children play. That said, I will lay out some things anyone looking to move here would probably want to know. Things I wish I had known. You can decide for yourself if the pros outweigh the cons.
Pros:
~There is a LOT for the youth to do (and adults). Parks on nearly every street. Soccer fields galore. An awesome Recreation Center with a huge swimming pool & water slide, topped off with countless rooms that offer Yoga classes, Karate, Dance, Volleyball. You name it, Herriman has it. There's a skate park, kids of all ages lives on every street. There is even Blackridge Pond (aka: reservoir) that has a sandy 'beach' that kids can swim in, and a huge playground on site...with bathrooms. Although the Hobby Lobby is in South Jordan, it's still very close and offers cake decorating classes, sewing classes, and the like. There is a Michaels (another hobby store) only 15 minutes away in Draper that offers the like. Draper has countless shopping opportunities as well - from bakeries to well...everything. Back to Herriman though, they even have public Splash Pads - it's like playground equipment with water shooting out of them. Kids aged 2 - 12 love it!
~If you live near 13400 South and 5600 West, it is easy to walk to and from many places of interest: library, grocery store, doctor office, parks, schools, etc... There are paved trails that wind and weave behind neighborhoods and connect to major roads/shopping to let the walk be more peaceful. If only there were more trees to shade the trails. Oh well. It only gets 104 out here every summer.
~Shopping amenities are wonderful. You're 5 minutes from a nice grocery store (Smiths). You are 7 minutes from a Super Walmart (but don't worry - this Walmart does not attract scummy people. It's full of normal, nice shoppers), Home Depot, Lowes, Kohls, etc... About 10 minutes away is The District in South Jordan (at the corner of Bangerter and 11400 South). It has a movie theater, Hobby Lobby, Clair Boutique, clothing shopping, ice cream parlors, bicycle shop, restaurants, on and on. 17 minutes away is another major shopping center that holds more restaurants and major stores (like Sears).
~There is a decent mountainous area behind Juniper Crest (a residential road) to hike and mountain bike. Just don't expect trees or shade. The view is pretty though. Lots of cactus to look at too. F'n hot. But pretty and great exercise.
~The city puts on countless family friendly events like: During the summer months there is a "Movie in the Park" once a month where you can bring your kids after sunset to lay on a blanket and watch some G rated movie. During the Autumn there is a pumpkin carving contest. On Memorial Day, there is a free breakfast at the park to celebrate veterans. There are dutch oven cook offs. It's not unheard of to get Christmas Carolers on your doorstep. There is a massive Easter Egg hunt in one of the largest parks. There are even flashing road signs on the main street (13400 South) to let you know that there will be a community play put on - and YOU can try out!). There are rodeos, and also parades to celebrate the 24th of July. Yes...the 24th is more important than the 4th, because that is when Mormons came to UT. Screw Independence Day - it's just not as special to them.
Cons:
~You can attend every event they offer...and you will still never be one of them. No matter how nice you are, no matter how hard you work at it. They will know you aren't mormon because they will notice that you aren't wearing "church garments" under your clothing. Or maybe you can't hold a discussion about what the prophet just talked about in conference. One way or another, they will find out you aren't one of them, and then they will stop talking to you. (Unless of course they decide to turn you into a service project to try and convert you - then you'll be come really popular until you are truly marked a heathen for not converting). The kids are just as bad as the adults. Monkey see, monkey do. Don't drink beer in your yard - they'll see it! (oh the horror). And if your kid gets a friend to come over - be sure to hide the coffee maker and make sure nobody says "oh my god", because that little friend will report to the other classmates that your child is evil. Good bye potential playmates. Good bye.
~Even if you are lucky to find a nice Mormon who doesn't mind your "lack of truth & god", their church keeps them SO freaking busy that it's hopeless to wiggle your way into their life. The church not only has them going to church for 3 hrs on Sunday, but then they have Visiting Teaching to do each month, and weekly family home evening, and weekly church youth groups, and service projects, and temple time...by the time they are done with all the church tells them to do: they've got nothing left to give your sorry ass. Not even a 15 minute phone chat. The LDS women out her are VERY BURNT OUT. They will smile because it's the proper thing to do, but behind many of their eyes is true exhaustion.
~"Transplants" (people who relocate) are not very common. Most people in UT are "born and raised" - which means they have their entire family living nearby (all 6 brothers & sisters, 5 uncles & aunts, 35 cousins and then there are the in-laws). I'm telling you: you don't stand a chance making a friend out here.
~What the heck is up with these idiots riding their horses on the god dam* sidewalks, letting the horses POOP on the sidewalks, and nobody clean it up?! WTF?! And the dogs - don't get me started. They aren't kept in yards either. Every day I see at least 5 or more dogs just running around - many of them crapping in my yard. ARGH! Animal Control does drive around regularly, but that doesn't seem to put an end to the problem.
~The ATVS. OMG the ATVs are in back yards and on the roads and on the sidewalks. And yes...many of them are being driven by children as young as 9 or 10, with no adult nearby. Loud and destructive and dangerous!!! But hey, if you have 6 kids what is the harm if one of the dies? :-O
~People shoot riffles, arrows, bb guns and paint guns in their back yards. Even the 6 yr olds...who manage to miss their target and land a bullet in your yard. Yes it's against the law. And yes, you do go talk to the parents. Doesn't do any good. Cause them laws just don't apply them rednecks. Either press charges (and have your neighbors hate you), or move. And yes, I'm talking about the nice $400k communities.
~This might sound like an odd thing to gripe about, but it's legit. Forget Chicago. Herriman is the windiest freaking place I've ever lived. Trampolines get lifted right out of yards and turned upside down into the neighbor's deck. Trees break in half. Covered garages become 20' air born lethal devices that slam into the ground, destroying everything under it. Planning on a nice walk? Wait to see if it'll be windy first. If your kids are playing in the yard and the wind picks up: Grab your babies and get in the freaking house before a lawn chair slams into them!
~This will be my last complaint. IT SMELLS BAD. Not everywhere, but I live in a nice community of 1/2 acre lots. All my neighbors seem to think it's great to own horses, chickens, goats, and everything else that poops. It literally is a status symbol to mormons out here. I don't know why. Self reliance? Not that they ride the horses, pet the goats, or love the chickens. Your heart will break when you see a horse standing in a 10'x15' caged space with no shelter 24/7 in the most inclement of weather, 365 days a year. Nobody seems to care. I even know a lady who lives 1 street behind me who bought a calf (yes, a cow) on her 1/2 acre yard for the sole purpose of taking it to the butcher once it turned 2 yrs old. She had her kids feed it bottles every day...then slaughtered it. And fed it to the kids. There's just some weird stuff out here.
Oh. great. more gun shots going off RIGHT NOW!
Yes, I'm thinking of moving. It's just hard because there is a lot of good mixed in with a lot of bad.
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Fortunately we are on a corner lot and not sandwiched in between the mayhem. The city originally said they were NOT going to allow the flow of traffic above Rosecrest Blvd. to flow down into Juniper Crest, but as usual....they lied. Now it's like a friggen freeway. 30mph is actually 50-60mph the way they come down the hill, and no doubt one of these days there WILL be a fatality. About the only saving grace is between the hours of 11pm and 5am it's pretty quiet for the most part. 
Agree
It could have been wonderful.
