Looking to move, what do I need to know? (Salt Lake City: renting, condo)

[oakread2]

We are considering all of our options for moving in 3-4 years and Utah was brought up to us yesterday. In looking to where we could move to, my husband could get a transfer to cities from Logan down to Orem. We hadn't considered Utah before, so I am trying to find out all that I can about it.

We have a 3-year old son (will be 6 or 7 when we move) and don't plan on having any more kids.

We are looking for someplace that is family-friendly, safe and not desert-y. My husband works late hours sometimes and would feel better knowing that we would be safe without him there. From what I've read so far, Logan looks pretty good.

Does the snow stick in Utah or does it melt away quickly? We have never had to deal with snow before, but we could learn how. How does the heat feel in the summers? Humid? Dry?

We have lived in the same area our whole lives and are ready to make a move as soon as we can. It's just a little scary and I want to know everything that I possibly can before we do, since it will probably be the last move we ever make.

If there is any other information that I should know, please tell me!

[kaytidid]

I would stay in the Salt Lake area (or nearby suburbs) rather than Logan. The winters are a bit harder up north, it is a college town. IDK, to each their own and Logan is a cute town but not someplace *I* would want to live. My husband works some long, late hours and I have always felt very safe.

Salt Lake is not desert-y at all. Generally in the winter the snow melts quickly. This past winter was a rough one and we had snow on the ground from November until late February/early March. The summers are heaven on earth (in my opinion..I detest winter). It gets hot, make no mistake. It is a dry heat with humidity levels usually reaching no more than 20%. The nights are still cool and many times you could use a sweater after sunset.

Pretty family friendly state. People don't realize that when you move to Utah, you are moving into a culture. It is hard to describe and it does take some getting used to. Move with an open mind and a friendly attitude and it will be just fine.

[dragonsmack]

I moved to Utah 14 years ago from upstate NY and have lived in a few different towns along the Wasatch front. First of all, I think Logan is one of the most beautiful towns in Utah but I would not live there. It is to far north and to cold in the winters (not as harsh as NY winters but now I am spoiled living in SLC area). It is in an isolated area and would be a long drive if you wanted to get out and explore the state. I would recommend smaller towns outside SLC depending on how much you can afford. My first choice would be Farmington, Utah but can be a little expensive. Other than that towns like Kaysville, West Jordan ( where i live ), Sandy, Lehi, Draper which are on the outskirt of SLC would be great choices. Avoid Rose Park, West Valley, Kearns, North Salt Lake, Murray, most areas right around downtown unless it is the Upper East side.

[eggalegga]

Since you won't be moving for several years, I'd suggest contacting your husband's HR department to see if they might get you in touch with the HR departments (or whatever resource you can) at the various Utah locations he might be working at. Have them guide you and your husband as to which location might be the best fit for your family.

Will you be working outside of your home? What are your and your families hobbies/interests? That might help narrow down your choices.

Further, although the snow can stick around for a while, Salt Lake County's roads are plowed often. But unless you live in a condo, you or your husband would have to shovel your driveway and the sidewalks adjacent to your property.

[oakread2]

I hope to be working on a part-time basis during the school day. I would like to be home during the afternoon after school.

We don't really have a lot of hobbies. We are pretty quiet and stick to ourselves. Although, by the time we move, youth sports would be good, but we don't know which ones yet. My husband likes softball and basketball, but doesn't get to play much because of his work schedule.

What we are looking for is safe, affordable, good schools, clean and a good library system. The library is for me. I know it's hard to get all of that in one place, but the closer we can get, the better.

Since it seems that Logan would be a harsher winter than we're used to, what about Layton or Centerville? We live in a town about the size of Layton and Centerville is about the size that I grew up in.

Are gangs a problem in the area? We have a bad problem here in the neighboring towns and it seems to be getting worse. I even saw a tagger tonight while I was going towards the freeway to get home.

[dcisive]

I'm half trying to be funny and half not by saying I think it is nearly absurd to be discussing what will and will not be in 3-4 years anywhere for that matter. Heck, the way things are going we could all be under marshal law if the world still exists as we know it in that long a period of time. Most places and circumstances will be utterly different in THAT period of time. I know by then there will be at least 500 more homes built in Herriman and who knows how many in South Jordan, West Jordan, Sandy, Draper and the list goes on. There is no telling what the school systems will be by then, the roads, infrastructure. But you can all take a wild guess I suppose. I remember when I left in 1980 after being here for several years. I went back through 3 years later and the place was almost unrecognizable. The same when I came back to live here in 93. It was as if the took Salt Lake City away and supplanted a miniature version of Los Angeles (gangs and all).

[eggalegga]

I haven't been in a library in 5+ years...and that was just to read Consumer Reports magazine. So I'm no help there. I know there are several libraries throughout Salt Lake City & County.

Utah is very family oriented and there are many activities in every community for children. Since I don't have any, I'm not sure how to advise you on what city would be best.

[MisfitBanana]

Centerville always seems to get crazy strong winds.

I think Layton is pretty nice. I commute up there from SLC a few times a week, and it's never a problem (although I'm going against traffic - I think going to SLC from Layton is a lot worse in the morning).

I also think Farmington is a nice area. I had friends who lived there when I was younger and loved to go visit them. The best thing to do would come up here and visit all the little suburbs around SLC to see which one you like the most.

[oakread2]

So it sounds like there are lots of other little towns/suburbs around the places where my husband could work. I don't want him to have to drive far since sometimes he has to be there early in the morning and other days he works late into the night. It sounds a little like here, a least with placement of cities. We have Modesto, and then 3 other towns that are right up against the city limits, so it all looks like one big city.

We are planning a trip in a year or two, since we already have this year's vacation planned. I would just like to be able to focus on certain areas, since we will have limited time

Thanks for everyone's responses!

[eggalegga]

Originally Posted by oakread2

So it sounds like there are lots of other little towns/suburbs around the places where my husband could work. I don't want him to have to drive far since sometimes he has to be there early in the morning and other days he works late into the night. It sounds a little like here, a least with placement of cities. We have Modesto, and then 3 other towns that are right up against the city limits, so it all looks like one big city....

I'm not familiar with Davis county northward, but from Salt Lake County south to Utah County, it's a continual flow from one town/city to the next. So yes, lots of towns to consider. In the greater Salt Lake valley, most growth is on the south end of the county...Draper, South Jordan, Herriman. In Utah County, areas like Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs have experienced a lot of growth in the past few years. Yes, I know I'm not citing any sources nor sharing any actual statistics. If someone wants to supply that, go ahead. My sister works for Alpine School District in Utah County. She's the one who has told me about the growth.

Maybe consider things like traffic flow for husband's commute...maybe look at housing that would make his commute opposite of rush hours.

I would recommend renting first to decide where you'd like to live, and even if your husband likes the people he works with. Also if you buy a house, avoid facing north--or avoid having front steps or a driveway that faces north. Takes a long time for snow to melt on north facing surfaces.

Some homes have swamp coolers to cool homes during hot months. These require maintenance at least 2 times per year, but save oodles of money on your power bill. And depending on your homes layout they can efficiently cool your home on low (under 35%) humidity days--which are quite common here. A swamp cooler typically cools your home 20 degrees lower than the outside temperatures.