Which neighborhoods to tour before a potential move (Salt Lake City, Sandy: apartments, to rent)

[lcca2018]

My husband and I are looking to relocate to Salt Lake City to find better quality of life than what we have now in California (I know, I know). I’ve spent time in Utah over the years, but neither of us know the city that well. We’ll move as soon as either one of us gets a job (my husband is in tech and I’m in research), but we’d like to visit and get a better feel for residential neighborhoods before making any final decisions. Can anyone recommend some good neighborhoods for us to check out meeting the following criteria? We will be renting and I'm currently applying for jobs around the city, including several at the University of Utah. I expect our budget will be <=$1500/month.

• We definitely want good access to the outdoors – would love to be near parks/nature and have especially quick access to the mountains during ski season and summer.
• We have typically rented apartments, but it would be lovely to rent a 2-bedroom (or even 3-bedroom) house. We both like historic homes (Victorian, Craftsman, etc.) and neighborhoods with lots of trees, although it would be nice to have a kitchen that's been updated in the last 20 years. We’re looking for peace and quiet more than bustling activity, but it would also be great to be close (walking or biking distance) to grocery store and a coffee shop. My absolute dream would be to have a mountain view.
• Safety and low levels of homelessness are both a must for our immediate neighborhood.
• We'd like to live somewhere with some public transit opportunities, although our exact need for that will depend on jobs. Can anyone comment on whether the light rail and bus systems are convenient/clean/etc.?
• We’re not LDS and wouldn’t want to live in a neighborhood where that will stand out in any negative way or where all the activities revolve around being LDS.
• No kids so schools aren’t an issue, but don’t have strong feelings either way about living in a neighborhood with a lot of kids.
• I'm not sure if this is possible in SLC proper, but if there are any neighborhoods that tend to have better air quality during inversions, that would obviously be great too.
• I ride horses and will need to find a new stable. Minimizing drive time from home would be ideal.

Any and all advice would be much appreciated!

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by lcca2018

My husband and I are looking to relocate to Salt Lake City to find better quality of life than what we have now in California (I know, I know). I’ve spent time in Utah over the years, but neither of us know the city that well. We’ll move as soon as either one of us gets a job (my husband is in tech and I’m in research), but we’d like to visit and get a better feel for residential neighborhoods before making any final decisions. Can anyone recommend some good neighborhoods for us to check out meeting the following criteria? We will be renting and I'm currently applying for jobs around the city, including several at the University of Utah. I expect our budget will be <=$1500/month.

• We definitely want good access to the outdoors – would love to be near parks/nature and have especially quick access to the mountains during ski season and summer.
• We have typically rented apartments, but it would be lovely to rent a 2-bedroom (or even 3-bedroom) house. We both like historic homes (Victorian, Craftsman, etc.) and neighborhoods with lots of trees, although it would be nice to have a kitchen that's been updated in the last 20 years. We’re looking for peace and quiet more than bustling activity, but it would also be great to be close (walking or biking distance) to grocery store and a coffee shop. My absolute dream would be to have a mountain view.
• Safety and low levels of homelessness are both a must for our immediate neighborhood.
• We'd like to live somewhere with some public transit opportunities, although our exact need for that will depend on jobs. Can anyone comment on whether the light rail and bus systems are convenient/clean/etc.?
• We’re not LDS and wouldn’t want to live in a neighborhood where that will stand out in any negative way or where all the activities revolve around being LDS.
• No kids so schools aren’t an issue, but don’t have strong feelings either way about living in a neighborhood with a lot of kids.
• I'm not sure if this is possible in SLC proper, but if there are any neighborhoods that tend to have better air quality during inversions, that would obviously be great too.
• I ride horses and will need to find a new stable. Minimizing drive time from home would be ideal.

Any and all advice would be much appreciated!

I would seriously check out Cottonwood Heights. It seems to meet your requirements very well. I'm a native Salt Laker, and have lived in five different Salt Lake City neighborhoods. Cottonwood Heights is by far my favorite.

[kletter1mann]

Sugarhouse. Cottonwood Heights, while nice, is tract suburbia to the max and won't satisfy your preference for historic homes. Sugarhouse is also better situated for mass transit. Your budget might be an issue though. Being outside the inversions means going over to the Park City side (Wasatch back) of MUCH farther away.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Sugar House is NOT tract suburbia. My house in the middle of Sugar House was built in 1921, as were most of the houses on my street.

[slomofo]

I hate to say this, but I actually think Sugarhouse may fit your criteria.

[kletter1mann]

Originally Posted by slomofo

I hate to say this, but I actually think Sugarhouse may fit your criteria.

Why do you hate to say this?

[slomofo]

Because two unnamed posters will continually overlook any and all criteria listed in the OP's questions in every single thread they enter and will immediately suggest Cottonwood Heights or Sugarhouse. It happens so often that I'm sick of hearing these two locations mentioned, but in this rare case, Sugarhouse actually checks off a lot of boxes in the OP's listed criteria.

Meanwhile Cottonwood Heights barely meets any of the requirements, but it was still mentioned.

[ut new]

Safety and low levels of homelessness are both a must

For me too, being ex-LA. Did you see the 17% increase this year on the west side? Santa Monica residents are planning a "march-on-city-hall" to "take back the city" from the homeless.

For horses, you must be near the Glendale/Burbank stables.

[berger12345]

I live in sugarhouse and yes it’s a great area for you, Liberty wells area around liberty park is also a nice area you may like.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by slomofo

Because two unnamed posters will continually overlook any and all criteria listed in the OP's questions in every single thread they enter and will immediately suggest Cottonwood Heights or Sugarhouse. It happens so often that I'm sick of hearing these two locations mentioned, but in this rare case, Sugarhouse actually checks off a lot of boxes in the OP's listed criteria.

Meanwhile Cottonwood Heights barely meets any of the requirements, but it was still mentioned.

I (as one of the "unnamed posters" you clearly have a very low opinion of) disagree. Here were the OPs requirements:

Access to the outdoors, especially quick access to the mountains during ski season and summer. (Cottonwood heights meets this requirement more than any other Salt Lake area neighborhood.)

Peace and quiet more than bustling activity, but it would also be great to be close (walking or biking distance) to grocery store and a coffee shop. My absolute dream would be to have a mountain view.
(At least some parts of Cottonwood Heights meet this requirement perfectly.)

Safety and low levels of homelessness are both a must for our immediate neighborhood.
(I've lived in Cottonwood Heights for 37 years and have had one automobile break-in and zero home break-ins in that period of time.)

Public transit opportunities with convenient clean light rail and bus systems.
(Cottonwood Heights once again qualifies, better than most of the nicer neighborhoods in the Salt Lake area.)

Looking for a neighborhood where that will stand out in any negative way or where all the activities revolve around being LDS.
(Realtors will tell people that Cottonwood Heights is considered to be among the most non-LDS friendly parts of the Salt Lake valley (outside of Salt Lake City proper). Two-thirds of the households on my Cottonwood Heights street are non-LDS.

I ride horses and will need to find a new stable. Minimizing drive time from home would be ideal.
(Cottonwood Heights is close to Draper, where horses could be stabled. That's not the case with any other area neighborhoods except for Sandy and some west-side neighborhoods that wouldn't meet the OP's other criteria as well.)

Unfortunately, there are no "historic homes (Victorian, Craftsman, etc.) in the neighborhoods Cottonwood Heights, but hey, you can't have everything you want.

Have I done something to rub you the wrong way, slomofo? I'm sure getting that impression?