Where in SLC to go? (Salt Lake City, West Jordan: rent, houses, safe neighborhood) - Utah (UT) -Salt Lake County - Davis County - Weber County - City-Data Forum

dckacutler · 02-23-2008, 07:59 AM

We will be relocating to the SLC area, and all of this information is scaring me. We have a 17 year old daughter, who lets trouble find her. So we'd like to avoid as much of that as possible. We also have a 2 year old. The slower pace of SLC is fine. I just need a good school system, a safe neighborhood and a reasonably priced home. We are not mormon, or any other religion, but that doesn't appear to be a problem. At least not for us, and not from what I've been reading.

My older daughter is our biggest concern. Trying to keep her happy is a bit of a chore. She's quite the drama queen. We need that ecclectic and diverse community, without spending a fortune. Is that possible?

kwm03160 · 02-23-2008, 10:10 AM

Can you give us your housing price range?

dckacutler · 02-23-2008, 01:32 PM

We would prefer to keep it below 300K.

kwm03160 · 02-23-2008, 08:26 PM

Hopefully you can get some replies from people that have children... I do not. If you want an ecclectic and diverse community, I would recommend staying around the Sugar House area. The further south you go in Salt Lake County, the more homogenous the population becomes. I live in West Jordan (southwest portion of Salt Lake County) and grew up here (went to West Jordan High School), and found it pretty good. Although, I was considered a "nerd," got straight "As" and was in Marching Band. That was about 12 years ago. I remember that we would go into Salt Lake on Saturday nights to find something to do.

kwm03160 · 02-23-2008, 09:40 PM

You may also want to check out Daybreak, which is a master-planned community in South Jordan (approx. 35 minutes southwest of Salt Lake City). There are many clubs organized by the Homeowner's Association, and there may be things to keep your teenage daughter entertained. Plus, the schools in South Jordan are excellent. The website is: Daybreak Utah — Official Site.

lemon&lime · 02-24-2008, 03:07 AM

This is not related to a specific neighborhood but might help your daughter: the Gateway. It's kind of a cool mall and there are always tons of hip looking kids there.

Shop The Gateway

dckacutler · 02-24-2008, 09:41 AM

Thanks so much for the advice. I have been reading that Daybreak and Sugar House are good choices. But, where is Sugar House? And are the home there affordable for us? My impression of the posts is that it is an upper class community.

debjane · 02-25-2008, 02:47 PM

Sugarhouse has some upper class homes (and is on the skirts of the Country Club), but it's an eclectic residential area. It's very close to the University of Utah (known as the U), and Westminster college/university is actually within Sugarhouse. (Westminster is a much smaller, more expensive school). Point being, there are a lot of young college kids. The area is also very children-friendly. If you're on the north side, your daughter will probably go to East High, which is known for being preppy. On the south side, she's likely to attend Highland High, which has less of a preppy reputation (despite having the Country Club kids). Highland also offers a variety of programs, both academically and athletically.

Possibly the biggest thing to consider in deciding between Daybreak and Sugarhouse is the commute. Daybreak is on the opposite side of the valley. Sugarhouse is a suburb/area of Salt Lake City itself. I'm not familiar with Daybreak, but I know that Sugarhouse is only 5-10 minutes from downtown.

150/70 · 02-25-2008, 04:41 PM

dckcutler,

Best option is to look at the location for yourself. People will tell you places but may not fit your needs.

Riverton, Herriman, and Bluffdale are my areas of preference. But if you want to try something new, how about this?

A few years back, our family lived in a military community called Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. Local people call it Dugway. 99% of the population are civilains, but live inside the military installation. 4 bedroom houses are rent for less than $750 a month. All utilities paid for except phone and cable/internet. There is a high school on base, 110 strong. Your 17 year old may find it great. The catch is, you or your spouse must have a job on base. The base has everything a town has, grocery store, gas station, bowling alley, fitness center, etc. In addition, Dugway is almost 90 miles from SLC. That's my solution for your 17 year old. She has to go 90 miles to find trouble. I had 3 kids who recently graduated from that small high school in Dugway. They all were accepted to Brigham Young University.

For the 17 year old again, tell her this move will be "mind over matter". You don't mind so everything else doesn't matter, including her attitude. That may be what she wants to hear.

SouthernBelleInUtah · 03-18-2008, 08:58 PM

Sugar House has somewhat elastic boundaries - I even heard one guy say he lived in "Sugar Hood," meaning near but not quite. North of I-80, east fo 900 East, south of 1300 South; more or less, depending on who you ask. I think I read that it actually goes down to 2700 South, but I wouldn't like that area. My block has houses built in 1921 to 2004. Very few tear-downs in Suagr House although some are here. Most of us renovate the older houses, liking the charm. Smaller and more expensive houses than out in the suburbs, more mature trees, closer to downtown.