Thinking of moving from Austin to South Salt Lake City (West Valley City: fit in, 2013)

[travelgal2013]

Hello all,
been reading through posts and would like some current (2013) info and opinions. I am not a native Texan and actually don't really like Austin but have been here 4.5 years now and moved here for work. I am actually trying to find a place that feels like "home" to me where a single gal who is an empty nester can settle in and make friends. I lean more on the liberal side but honestly I don't care what others believe as long as they don't try to convert or mess with me. Nice, considerate people who care about the world around them and are down to earth mean more to me.

Do you think SLC is a good place to live? If I am more liberal oriented, are there neighborhoods around the area that would be more progressive? Has any one from TX moved there and liked it (that may a democrat for instance)? Just curious how it is working out for you. I have a possible job there. Thanks in advance for your timely answers.

[Marat]

I live in Austin currently and moved here from Salt Lake City. I am gay and not one of those self-hating gays that vote republican either. I loved living in Utah. It is where I came out. Yes the area overall is conservative, no doubt. In reality, I think you'll find that on an individual level most people are very accepting. I am LDS so maybe it's easier for me to fit in religiously but I didn't really have problems when I still went to church there. People knew I was gay and I felt accepted.

The area is very different from Austin in many ways. If you love to be outdoors and be active, it is a paradise. It can get hot in SLC but the heat is very different. When the sun goes down, the temps drop dramatically compared to Austin. Here it can still be 90 at midnight or later. That simply does not happen there. Scenery in the area is spectacular.

Neighborhoods? I would recommend living in SL proper and not the suburbs. The Avenues area, Sugarhouse, the areas around the University of Utah are all great and I think you'll love them. Those are the more liberal areas of the valley and the suburbs are best for families just like in other areas.

Religion will come up eventually. Feel free to politely decline any invitations and move on to other topics. You will not be persecuted or harassed.

I'm watching the NCAA basketball final while typing this so if I sound scatterbrained, forgive me.

[travelgal2013]

@marat Thank you for the insights. How do you like Austin then? Why did you decide to move here?

I knew of one other person who moved from SLC to Austin and he liked it. I am not religious (I'm spiritual) so would take your advice on politely declining. I do love the outdoors and mountains and have always felt Austin to be rather flat and "ugly" landscape wise, except those blue bonnets. I have driven all over Texas and really the east side of state is the nicest. Austin is too hot for me.

Thanks again for your reply.

[atxzj]

Originally Posted by travelgal2013

Hello all,
been reading through posts and would like some current (2013) info and opinions. I am not a native Texan and actually don't really like Austin but have been here 4.5 years now and moved here for work. I am actually trying to find a place that feels like "home" to me where a single gal who is an empty nester can settle in and make friends. I lean more on the liberal side but honestly I don't care what others believe as long as they don't try to convert or mess with me. Nice, considerate people who care about the world around them and are down to earth mean more to me.

Do you think SLC is a good place to live? If I am more liberal oriented, are there neighborhoods around the area that would be more progressive? Has any one from TX moved there and liked it (that may a democrat for instance)? Just curious how it is working out for you. I have a possible job there. Thanks in advance for your timely answers.

Did this exact move in 2005. Lived at mansfield dam/lakeway and moved to sugarhoues area of slc. Hated it for the first couple of winters but, grew to love it. I would now choose SLC over any city in texas, and i've lived in all the major ones.

As long as you stick to the downtown/urban areas you'll be in good company. Sugarhouse and 9th&9th are the soco of utah.

[travelgal2013]

@atxzj If you moved in 2005, you wouldn't recognize Austin now! It is pretty darn crowded so much traffic and people, its quite claustrophobic I think I remember the sugarhouse area when I passed thru SLC on one of my many road trips but that was a few years back now. It seemed nice. Do you know what it is like further south near holladay or draper? I don't mind suburbs just want to be central and at least close enough to progressive areas. I don't mind winter, miss it.

Thanks for your reply too, appreciated!

[Marat]

Originally Posted by travelgal2013

@marat Thank you for the insights. How do you like Austin then? Why did you decide to move here?

I knew of one other person who moved from SLC to Austin and he liked it. I am not religious (I'm spiritual) so would take your advice on politely declining. I do love the outdoors and mountains and have always felt Austin to be rather flat and "ugly" landscape wise, except those blue bonnets. I have driven all over Texas and really the east side of state is the nicest. Austin is too hot for me.

Thanks again for your reply.

I have family here in Austin. I moved to be near them. I don't particularly like Austin. The weather is absolutely terrible and I too find the scenery rather ugly. I hear people hear people talking about the area being beautiful and I'm like, seriously? Flat, brown, with ten foot tall trees isn't my idea of beauty.

I think you will really like the area. Your comment about being religious reminds me of when I lived there. Sometimes I would skip church and instead drive into the mountains. I had my own version of "church" there all alone and frankly, it was far better than just about any service I've ever sat through.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

OP, when you say "South Salt Lake" do you mean that city itself or areas south of SLC? Because SSLC is not a good area at all! Look at a map and clarify where you are looking.

Those bedroom cities like Draper aren't in the middle of anything.

[travelgal2013]

@southernbelleinutah
I've been through salt lake city proper many times in past. I am talking about the areas south of downtown as you are moving toward the "suburbs" - being in the middle of nowhere is not a problem for me, been there before in south dakota where anything was at least 60 miles away. It doesn't look like that is the case in salt lake. I was thinking of a nice place that sits between american fork and sugarhouse area, on east side close to foothills. I just wanted to know if they were "nice" at all, but doesn't sound like it.

@marat
very nice thoughts on open air churches I feel the same about Austin too. I have my sons here and they plan on staying at least for now while I go on in search of somewhere better. take good care!

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Those areas are very nice, just not the City of South Salt Lake. Millcreek, Cottonwood Heights, Murray, Sandy, Draper - all have really good areas and a few not so good.

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

Those areas are very nice, just not the City of South Salt Lake. Millcreek, Cottonwood Heights, Murray, Sandy, Draper - all have really good areas and a few not so good.

Agree, all of those suburbs are nice.

Millcreek is more liberal than some of the other southern parts of the SL valley. Sandy would probably be the most conservative.

There are pockets of West Valley City that are also really nice. It's just getting the right pocket.

Good luck in your moving adventures

MSR