SLC: Where to visit? Where to live?
 

I may have an opportunity to relocate to SLC and will be taking a trip there to scout out the area. Are there any must-see sights for a first time visitor? I can be flexible in where I stay.

While I'm visiting, I would like to check out a few neighborhoods while I am there that might be good places to live. Are there any neighborhoods where young professionals and/or recent college grads tend to congregate? Any places with noteworthy restaurants, bars, galleries, etc.? For any of you who know both Dallas and SLC, I live in Uptown Dallas now and would love to find a neighborhood with a similar vibe.

Oh, and given all the stereotypes about Utah I have to ask: will I actually be able to find a good martini, single malt whisky, or beer in Salt Lake?

Herb, I'm in the same situation as you, good possibility of relocating to SLC in the next 6 months. I've been to SLC before, but only as a means of skiing in Park City or at Alta & Snowbird.

As a single, white, all-American red blooded male in their mid-20's I wonder if this is a good place to stay awhile or not. I've lived my life in Detroit and in Philly for a while. The ability to do a lot of outdoor activities is very appealing. I'm concerned about the over-influence of the LDS in the community though. Is it easy to meet normal women out there? It there good nightlife?

Any info would be appreciated, thanks.

Having been to SLC on business I found that there is indeed a brew-pub in downtown SLC, it's called Squatters. I recall hard-A establishments must be a "club" and requires a "membership."

Well, as a Mormon, I can't comment from personal experience about bars and such, but I don't think you should have any trouble finding them. (Bars that serve stronger drinks than beer and wine are all called private clubs in Utah, but you can join one easily, for a very low fee.) Get it straight from the horse's mouth:
http://www.alcbev.state.ut.us/Liquor..._visitors.html
Personally, I think Salt Lake City is a fantastic place to live. Salt Lake City itself has about 250,000 residents, but the "city" blends seamlessly into suburbs. The entire urban area is known as the Wasatch Front, and consists of the cities (with their surrounding suburbs) of Provo, Salt Lake City, and Ogden. The entire urban area is about 1.8 million people.

I live in a suburb of Salt Lake City called Kearns. My wife and I used to live in an area the actual city near downtown called The Avenues (which is a very trendy upscale area) but when we decided to buy a house, instead of rent an apartment, we found that we could not at all afford anything there. Another very upscale area of the actual city is called Federal Heights. Parts of the Capitol Hill neighborhood are also thought to be highly desirable.

For the actual city and its suburbs, there is an East Side / West Side divide, with the East Side (closer to the mountains) being thought of as more desirable. And thus higher priced. However, the further south you get in the suburbs, the less pronounced the divide becomes (largely because the valley becomes more narrow on the east side, thus forcing people further towards the west. The dividing line is basically I-15. However, there are a lot of nice places to live on the West Side. (My wife and I live in a portion of Kearns that is nice.) Also, there is greater diversity on the West Side. But better schools on the East Side.

Basically, from what those of you who have previously posted in this thread have stated, I think you would all be happier living close to Salt Lake City's downtown, since that is where the majority of bars, clubs, and events are located. For a list of the bars and clubs, click here:
http://www.downtownslc.org/ and then the link called "Downtown Nightlife Guide". You should also read the page on this site called "Living Downtown Guide".

One of the posters asked about Don't Miss sites. Well, obviously, I am going to recommend visiting Temple Square. Be sure to tour the Conference Center.
http://www.visittemplesquare.com/home.asp
But there are some other Don't Miss things to see in Salt Lake City. You have to see the main Public Library building. Seriously. http://www.slcpl.lib.ut.us/details.j...id=7&page_id=5

Another thing about Salt Lake City that no other city has is Memory Grove and City Creek Canyon. This is a nature area in Downtown, that is an easy walk from Temple Square. The think about it is, once you get there, you keep walking and walking and walking and if you walk long enough you will find yourself in Wyoming. In other words, it is a nature park that doesn't end, it just becomes increasingly more wild.
http://protophoto.com/subject.html?subject_id=129

I've been to Squatter's. It's pretty good food and has good drinks (and stays open late).

SLC may be more conservative than other cities of it's size, but I think it would be a nice place to live. The city is growing and with that there are more things to do and new, diverse places to eat.