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You seem to think that SLC is overly hot based on your original posting...wait until January to base your conclusions.
It's been a rough summer--I get it. We had a week or two of straight 100's in July, but you weren't here for snow on May 1st, either! It's not horribly uncommon. We had low snowfall for the past couple of years (prior to this previous winter), but with the ENSO switching, expect snowfall this winter to be more like the last winter rather than '11, when we had record low totals. Anyway, my point is, it's going to become cold and frozen before you know it; I'm sure you figured that out based on the alternate license plates we have--just hold off on labeling SLC as a "HOT" city!
I mean, you're from GA? I spent most of my life in the Northeast, and a few years in FL...All things considered, SLC isn't that bad. We don't get the relief of frequent thunderstorms like the east does, but without the humidity, it's not that bad, and Sept-Oct are (in my opinion) perfect.
Man, it's HOT are there during the day!! Lol! I guess I was on the premise of temperature decreases 3 degrees every 1000 ft. With SLC being 4200ft...I'd figure it would be about 85-88 F. I don't doubt the winters are cold either...looking forward to busting my bum on the slopes!
You waited a long time to post, then you made up for it. But I agree with your observations about Utah and Salt Lake City.
Give us some more but in small chunks so we can digest it.
Yeah...it just had to come out. I still have stuff to say, but I think I've said ENOUGH
May be I lack awareness, or may be you are reflecting your own positions on to others. These impressions are personal, as are yours. The 'friendliness' difference around geographical regions are, I find, superficial and I definitely do not care for one form over the other. If that is lack of awareness - I am glad to be devoid of it.
I have lived in many countries (India, Germany, Belgium) and have worked in at least 10, so am quite aware of differences in how the people interact. At superficial level, they are very different, but I do not consider anyone of them any less friendly at the fundamental level. And, yes - I had much easier time making friends in say, Germany, than in the US (where I consider people to be more friendly in social interaction) as the interactions were often more personal and substantive.
Like I implied earlier, you could very well have a much healthier, brighter outlook on life. It's great to hear an insightful perspective from someone.
Thanks for your input!
You know if you want to live here just accept the culture and deal with it. You are more than welcome to find another city with a large African American community where you feel accepted.
If I would move to a city or neighborhood with 95% of black people I can guarantee you that they would give me a harder time than anyone here in Utah. People in Utah and especially LDS people are known to be pretty harmless and welcoming. Most are even too naive and nice.
Did I say I wasn't going to accept it? I certainly DON'T need you permission to go somewhere else...I was just posting to offer MY OPINION to someone. I'm not complaining about SLC, this is just MY OPINION.
And I'm not going to address the last paragraph....all of that is CRAP...
I spoke about many other things.... I'm not here to fight...I'm here to influence someone's decision who wonder's about these issues (much more than racism & LDS addressed).
Hello Doc--First question: are you a fan of Bewitched, or is the name an homage to something else?
I think your post has encapsulated several aspects of living in SLC that are spot on. I always likened being in Salt Lake City to that scene at the end of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the 1978 version) where Donald Sutherland's character points and screams at Nancy. I always get the feeling that everyone is acutely aware that I am not a "member," and that they are all just waiting to point at me and scream.
If I may make a suggestion: trips up the 80 to Park City are easy and the vibe there is completely different. Remember, Park City was founded by miners, not Mormons. Even if you don't ski or board, Park City is a great spot to get away from that Bodysnatcher feeling. Plus, if you have a mountain bike or run, you cannot beat the trail system in town and on the mountains. Another plus: Park City is much more ethnically and culturally diverse than SLC (especially on a per capita basis). Moreover, while most places in SLC are shuttered on Sunday, Park City has an open air market that spans for more than 6 blocks, with live music most market days.
Anyway, I hope you find the sweet spot in SLC. I think you will find that the outdoor opportunities are plentiful. Also, try the Kouign Amann (a Breton pastry) at Les Madeleines. That will make you feel happy right away. Take it easy.
Thanks so much for the advice! I drove out to Park City one weekday after I had read about it. Maybe I'll check it out again this weekend. Also, glad you can relate....it makes me feel a little less strange. Some of these people act like there isn't anything weird feeling about this place. I KNOW what I've seen, and I KNOW how I feel. It's not bad, just may take some adjusting and getting used to. Thanks again!
Originally Posted by slcslc Hello Doc--First question: are you a fan of Bewitched, or is the name an homage to something else?
THAT'S where I have heard that name before! Thank you. It has been bugging me!
Oh yeah...now that you mention it...I think so! Been using it for years. My Mom loves that show and watched it when I was a kid LOL!! Must've seeped in my cranium...
I don't think I exaggerated at all. ......Sorry if you felt your perspective was diminished. But I don't think I 'twisted' your words or 'bashed' you. I simply call it like I see it. I'm not the warm fuzzy hospitable type, nor do I aspire to be, but I'm certainly not "oppressive."
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Man whatever, I'm not gaining anything else from this conversation. You take what you WANT out of it, because you're engulfed in one aspect. You can stay there. The people who want to gain something positive from this posting will and vice versa.
And please don't PM me anymore a copies of your responses....that's just a little self-indulged and egotistical
I enjoyed reading about your observations. I am a 27 yr old white female living downtown. I left the church about 5 years ago. I love Salt Lake City.
I have lived in Utah for all of my life except for a year I spent in Las Vegas. Immediately after moving to Las Vegas I was shopping in a grocery store and bumped into someone. I apologized and the other person assured me it was OK. I was surprised because if this scenario happened in Utah I probably wouldn't have received a response at all.
I don't think it's a big deal that people here don't like talking to strangers. It's just the way people are and it has nothing to do with the people they aren't talking to. There are places you can go where the people are friendly and people want to talk.
I find it so strange that the church is brought up so much in your post as an explanation for the way people are here. Salt Lake City is only 50% mormon and that number includes non-actives (like me), so it's really a lot less than that. I don't have a car, walk and take public transportation everyday to work. I always see people sipping on coffee, bringing a case of beer home, doing whatever they want. There are the obvious members too, but so what? I grew up in a town that was at least 95% mormon.... if you want others to look down on you for not being what they are go live in Utah county....I don't think this really exists in Salt Lake City. I work in a very conservative workplace and I think the non-members outweigh the members. I just don't understand how you can say the church's history of denying blacks priesthood is responsible for the way you are being treated in a city that isn't even dominated by that religion.
I don't feel racism is a problem here in the city. Maybe in different parts of the state where there are ignorant old people or rednecks. Out of all of the people I have met in Salt Lake City not one has said a racist remark to me. I think it has more to do with not knowing how to act due to lack of exposure.
I don't like the commercialism the church has brought downtown either. I love downtown and all the local food places but I stay clear of that mall and try to stick to locally owned places. One of my favorite resturaunts downtown on main street, Bayleaf, closed it's doors because of the drastic change of the type of people that were going to their place since the mall opened. It just wasn't the type of people they wanted to attract so they opened up a different project in Sugar House.
Anyway....I wanted to add a little bit......
Thanks for reading my observations.
I said this place lacked hospitality...it doesn't fell welcoming or receptive...but I AM FROM NC...I said that already. That's my OPINION
I think you misinterpreted...I did not bring up the Mormons any more than I had to. I know that SLC is 50% Mormon...I did my research...I said that already. 50% of people are is a significant amount of people. If you had to work & live with 50% unlike yourself, you'd realize that. And how could Momon's perspective & ideals not be influential on the city that they settled & developed? Especially, when they still make up 50% of the city...pssss...I'm not gonna push that issue anymore....I wasn't even blaming them...I was looking for some understanding to make sense of this social awkwardness.
Of course you don't feel like racism is a problem. It's never been a problem FOR you. I don't care what your response is to MY OPINION, & PERSPECTIVE....about whether you agree with it or not. Write your own thread about your perspective.
It has been friendly interactions all around in our experience. I fail to notice awkwardness in social interactions that the OP wrote about and someone else agreed with. It is possible others are more perceptive, that they are coming across a different segment of population or that the issue lies in their own subject position and they are projecting their hyper-sensitivity on to others. I, for one, find this a perfectly normal place - better in natural beauty in than a lot of others; nice people - even if they do not look like me; politics that could be more in line with my disposition.
That's fine, you fit in perfectly. That's why some people are happier in some places more than others.
I know that SLC is 50% Mormon...I did my research...I said that already. 50% of people are is a significant amount of people. If you had to work & live with 50% unlike yourself, you'd realize that. And how could Momon's perspective & ideals not be influential on the city that they settled & developed? Especially, when they still make up 50% of the city...pssss...I'm not gonna push that issue anymore....I wasn't even blaming them...I was looking for some understanding to make sense of this social awkwardness.
Of course! If 50% of the population is one thing and the rest is a mix of everything else the culture and attitudes will be overwhelmingly driven by that 50%. I live in a region that's extremely diverse socially and ethnically. There are "Jewish" towns, "Italian" towns, WASPy old money towns and ghetto minority towns. In NONE of them do these groups actually exceed 30-40%. Yet that's enough critical mass to drive the collective attitudes towards education, taxes, politics, family life, general culture and everything else. If somebody moves to a "guido" town (think Jersey shore) and that's the prevailing culture, and they have kids, guess what - those kids will likely end up absorbing guido values. The stuff about SLC being "only" 50% LDS just means that there's enough "other" to have something else at all. Nobody needs to be LDS to absorb the prevailing LDS culture (whatever that might be, i don't know). brottishluv needs to get out more an see the world. Very naive.
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I drove out to Park City one weekday after I had read about it. Maybe I'll check it out again this weekend. Also, glad you can relate....it makes me feel a little less strange. Some of these people act like there isn't anything weird feeling about this place. I KNOW what I've seen, and I KNOW how I feel. It's not bad, just may take some adjusting and getting used to. Thanks again!
