Salt Lake City, UT

[Guest dym]

Please tell me about it!!!

[morfinx]

Please tell me about it!!!

You going to UU? I grew up in SLC. It's a nice place that is nestled in the valley. It's a very beautiful city in my opinion. You can definitely get around the campus without a car, there are shuttles and also busses. My father got his PhD from UU, so I used to walk all over the campus to see him by myself. Back then I wasn't old enough to drive so I had a bus pass and went everywhere around town with it. Streets are very easy to navigate, everything originates from the city center which is the Mormon Temple, and streets are all numbered, such as N 1100th St. The streets are all perpendicular to each other. People are generally very nice, although if you are not white, there are a few closet racists. The weather gets cold in the winter, but not bitter cold. It does snow often in the winter, so winter tires are a must if you plan to drive.

Anything else just ask.

[Guest agrippa]

In terms of housing costs, Salt Lake is a good deal ( I realize this as I get ready to go to much more expensive places for my Grad study). You can find a good apartment for under $500, and if you want to go really cheap (say around 300) it is possible. The U, if that is where you are going, is considered a 'commuter campus, meaning that the vast majority of students live off campus. As such, parking can be a little difficult at times, but the campus is designed to hold a lot of cars. Salt Lake is, in my opinion, a good size. It is large enough to have good culture (the Symphony and the Ballet are both tops-- if you are into that), but small enough not to be overwhelming. In terms of the culture, it is somewhat difficult to say because I grew up here. However, I am not a memeber of the dominant faith and have found it easy enough to engage in social drinking and whatnot (check out Squatters Brew Pub, and the Desert Edge which has 1/2 price pitchers for students). Hope this helps somewhat

[Guest dym]

In terms of housing costs, Salt Lake is a good deal ( I realize this as I get ready to go to much more expensive places for my Grad study). You can find a good apartment for under $500, and if you want to go really cheap (say around 300) it is possible. The U, if that is where you are going, is considered a 'commuter campus, meaning that the vast majority of students live off campus. As such, parking can be a little difficult at times, but the campus is designed to hold a lot of cars. Salt Lake is, in my opinion, a good size. It is large enough to have good culture (the Symphony and the Ballet are both tops-- if you are into that), but small enough not to be overwhelming. In terms of the culture, it is somewhat difficult to say because I grew up here. However, I am not a memeber of the dominant faith and have found it easy enough to engage in social drinking and whatnot (check out Squatters Brew Pub, and the Desert Edge which has 1/2 price pitchers for students). Hope this helps somewhat

Yup, it helps a lot!!! More please!!!

[Guest dym]

You going to UU? I grew up in SLC. It's a nice place that is nestled in the valley. It's a very beautiful city in my opinion. You can definitely get around the campus without a car, there are shuttles and also busses. My father got his PhD from UU, so I used to walk all over the campus to see him by myself. Back then I wasn't old enough to drive so I had a bus pass and went everywhere around town with it. Streets are very easy to navigate, everything originates from the city center which is the Mormon Temple, and streets are all numbered, such as N 1100th St. The streets are all perpendicular to each other. People are generally very nice, although if you are not white, there are a few closet racists. The weather gets cold in the winter, but not bitter cold. It does snow often in the winter, so winter tires are a must if you plan to drive.

Anything else just ask.

Thanks for the info. Tell me all about it!!! 8)

[Guest Iris]

Hi,

The information youall shared was great, I am an international student and will be joining Uof U in the fall , I was just wondering if there is some other information I need to know?

Do grad students stay in the in campus housing?

Thanks a lot

[hadley13]

Any other folks have more current thoughts on SLC?

[grifter]

What would you like to know?

So much to say...in my opinion, SLC is stellar. I would suggest looking for housing in either the Sugarhouse area or the Aves. Depending on what you want, you will be able to find it these areas. There is a whole range of options to choose from. If you are in to live music, SLC has a very good scene and some great clubs whose names change so frequently that I can't keep up. I highly recommend Kilby Court (basically a garage...but it can be surprising what acts come through), In the Venue (formerly Bricks) and Saltair.

There are plenty of good places to eat in the city and near campus...no shortage of that.

I guess that SLC's main draw, for me, is that it is a gorgeous place--right on the Wasatch Front. The mountains are right there, and they offer plenty to do by way of outdoor activity. SLC gets all 4 seasons, and they are gorgeous. Autumn on 13th street / campus area is just stunning. The winters are far more tolerable than they are in neighboring Idaho or Wyoming, with the lake serving as a moderator of the extremes...producing really rich, powdery snow that north Utah is famous for. One thing about SLC that some people struggle with is its unique smell. Sometimes you get a strong scent that blows in off the lake that has a sort of alkaline-brine-shrimp tinge...closely oceanic, but a little different. It takes some getting used to, but it becomes pleasant, and I personally find it wonderful...it isn't horrid, just very singular. Utah is a dynamic state altogether, geographically speaking, with vast redrock tracts and geological anomalies to the south to high alpine forests and rugged mountains to the north. And SLC isn't nearly as homogeneous as people make it out to be. It has diversified incredibly within the last decade.

A lot of this info is vague. I could respond with more detail to a specified request. Cheers..

[taro_curly]

I will be heading to UoU this Fall. Can anyone tell me about off-campus housing options near the U? What are the good places and by how much will it cost? I am a graduate student, so I would prefer to stay in places with other grad students. On an unrelated note, is SLC a bicycle-friendly city? Is it possible/sensible/safe to get around on a bicycle?

[philgradap979]

Bump!

I need info on affordable, family friendly housing in quiet neighborhood near University of Utah.

(Or perhaps, just as important, I could use information on neighborhoods that won't meet this criteria, so I know to stay away!)

Affordable, df, 2 bedroom for <$800

Qiuet, df, safe, away from hordes of undergraduates

Family-Friendly, df, welcoming, near stuff to do for a married couple w/elementary aged son

[ItsBrainScience]

I am originally form back wast and came to Utah to do my undergrad at Utah state university.

Salt lake city ROCKS!! people from my school commute down their all the time. It has a very city like and liberal aspect to it as well as a very old classic and conservative vibe.

The university of utah is a great school with tons of events, and not lame stuff like "Frisbee night" or "night tag". They have alot of really good bands that come to the school (the students from USU commute to the U's events very often), and their football team rocks! All their sport teams are really good and alot of people attend the games, which are very entertaining.

The graduate school ( faculty members and their graduate students i have worked with on publications, in labs) is very hard working and intelligent, but don't ever be afraid to ask them for anything, they are the nicest people!

The state is VERY religiously oriented. The dominate religion is LDS but those who are members of a different faith are very active in their own faith as well, from my experiences. Salt lake is more religiously liberal and non judge mental that USU, the farther north the more discriminitive people are about religious beliefs. It will seem a bit shocking at first how religious people are and how nice. The culture is very overwhelming at first and very conservative, but i tihnk in SLC you will not face as many of those problems seeing as though they have a very highly ranked school with a very diverse group of people in the graduate department. let me know if i can be of any more help!

[gstarkey]

I'm originally from Berkeley, CA, but my parents just moved to SLC a few years ago (for the skiing...the snow in the Wasatch range is unbeatable). I was a little wary of the city being dominated by religion, since I'm Jewish and very socially liberal, but I've been very pleasantly surprised. I definitely agree with ItsBrainScience's statement that the city in general is pretty non-judgmental. I've found the people to be friendly and open...I've never been preached at, talked down to, or criticized. Now, my impression may be quite different from those of people who live there throughout the year -- I mainly visit during the winter for skiing and the summer for hiking/biking -- but I have found that the people in SLC do not fit the mold that people usually use to stereotype the city. In a nutshell, if you like to spend a lot of time outdoors, and are open-minded with regard to religion, you'll be happy with SLC. And if you're a hardcore winter athlete, you'll be right at home.

[gimlet]

Bump!

I need info on affordable, family friendly housing in quiet neighborhood near University of Utah.

(Or perhaps, just as important, I could use information on neighborhoods that won't meet this criteria, so I know to stay away!)

Affordable, df, 2 bedroom for <$800

Qiuet, df, safe, away from hordes of undergraduates

Family-Friendly, df, welcoming, near stuff to do for a married couple w/elementary aged son

East Salt Lake (where the U is located) is generally pretty nice and safe. All of the city's museums and the Planetarium are easy to get to if you live on the East side. There is also good hiking along the Wasatch Front. The Avenues or along South Temple or Sunnyside or the 9th and 9th neighborhood would all be nice areas to look at. 9th and 9th boasts Liberty Park, has a great playground and water play area for kids. I don't know much about the schools, but all of those areas have bus routes or TRAX that will get you to the U. Parking is not too bad at the U either, but be advised that most congestion happens on Foothill Dr. and 400 South.

I would avoid the larger complexes on Foothill Dr. I've been to a lot of parties on Elizabeth and Douglas streets (near campus) so you would probably not want to live in that area either. The area around Westminister College is also very student dense. Federal Heights (like cost prohibitive) is where all of the frats are and should be avoided. Fortunately most students at the U are commuters so they aren't as highly concentrated around the school as in other places. You could probably get more square footage bang for your buck in West Salt Lake but they struggle a lot more with crime and their schools are not as good. Stick close to the U or downtown and you'll be fine.

[was1984]

You could probably get more square footage bang for your buck in West Salt Lake but they struggle a lot more with crime and their schools are not as good. Stick close to the U or downtown and you'll be fine.

When you say more crime in West Salt Lake, what are we talking about? Are we talking about property crime, or violent crime? My car is a piece of crap, so if I could save some money I might consider somewhere out west along the TRAX line as long as I won't feel physically threatened.

[gimlet]

When you say more crime in West Salt Lake, what are we talking about? Are we talking about property crime, or violent crime? My car is a piece of crap, so if I could save some money I might consider somewhere out west along the TRAX line as long as I won't feel physically threatened.

It depends on where you live. West Salt Lake (it is generally referred to as West Valley although there are other towns than West Valley City) has a lot more gang activity and has in the past few months seen several arsons. There are some really nice newer developments out there, and I know plenty of people that haven't had any problems. Utah in general is a lot safer than most other places. My car insurance went down by half moving from Western Washington.

I think probably more disconcerting would be commute times using TRAX or bus. For example, Taylorsville is alright, but with TRAX it will take you about an hour to get to or from the U. It's only a 30 minute drive by car (with basically zero traffic-- I-215 is awesome that way). 2 hours a day is a pretty big time commitment for a grad student (I live near the U and my daily round trip commute is 15 minutes) and to do that commute during the frigid snowy winters is not fun. Most people I know who live in the West Valley drive during the winter. I think unless you are looking at buying a house, it makes a lot more sense to live close to the U. Cost / benefit, you know?

Not really related to your question, to live in the West Valley-- and arguably Salt Lake in general-- you will really want to have a car. Things are very spread out unless you're on the University TRAX line or in one of the older neighborhoods on the East side. Sorry that was a little scattered.

[origin415]

I just got accepted here, and I was wondering if anyone knew some of the best neighborhoods to live where I can get around with only public transit and a bike? I'll be visiting and definitely want to check out potential neighborhoods to live in.

In general, how bike friendly is the city/campus/weather? How good is is the public transit?

Is there anything I should try to see in the city while I'm there visiting? I know nothing about SLC, really.

Thanks.

[joro]

I'll be headed here this Fall. I'd really like to know what apartments are nice and close by the school. And any suggestions on safe apartments would be pretty good.

Edited April 26, 2010 by joro

[Chester]

Hi,

I read that Salt Lake City has a serious smog problem in the winter with inversions and an ozone problem in the summer.

I have allergies, so poor air quality affects the quality of my life - on the other hand U of U would be a very good match to my research interests.

Can somebody please tell me from experience if the smog/ozone problem is an overstatement or a real problem?

Thanks very much.

[was1984]

Hi,

I read that Salt Lake City has a serious smog problem in the winter with inversions and an ozone problem in the summer.

I have allergies, so poor air quality affects the quality of my life - on the other hand U of U would be a very good match to my research interests.

Can somebody please tell me from experience if the smog/ozone problem is an overstatement or a real problem?

Thanks very much.

It's a real problem, but you can always go into the mountains to escape the inversion. I have some allergy problems as well and I've had fewer issues here than other places I have lived.

[Cashmere]

I just got accepted here, and I was wondering if anyone knew some of the best neighborhoods to live where I can get around with only public transit and a bike? I'll be visiting and definitely want to check out potential neighborhoods to live in.

I'm in the same boat. I will soon be visiting Salt Lake City and though I'll likely get a thorough feel for the area after a few chats with current grad students, it is always nice to make as broad of a query as possible; does anyone have any information on what neighborhoods most grad students prefer to live in? Also, how's the beer culture in SLC? I'm a huge craft beer fan and would love to find a couple great bars that serve local brews. I have also heard that Utah has some strange liquor laws in comparison to the rest of the country, are there any locals that can weigh in on this?

[was1984]

I'm in the same boat. I will soon be visiting Salt Lake City and though I'll likely get a thorough feel for the area after a few chats with current grad students, it is always nice to make as broad of a query as possible; does anyone have any information on what neighborhoods most grad students prefer to live in? Also, how's the beer culture in SLC? I'm a huge craft beer fan and would love to find a couple great bars that serve local brews. I have also heard that Utah has some strange liquor laws in comparison to the rest of the country, are there any locals that can weigh in on this?

I moved here a couple of years ago for a master's program. It's relatively inexpensive to live right near campus, so most students live in the area. I did this last year and could easily walk to campus. Be aware though that the campus is up in the foothills, and just about all of the housing is downhill. You'll get in really great shape. There are also plenty of city buses that are included with your tuition, if you're more lazy.

This year I live further away in a really nice house very inexpensively. This is also a great option because parking permits on campus are really cheap. It's only about $150 for the top-tier student parking permit for the entire year. Suburbia is definitely more, shall I say, religiously inclined, but as long as you live somewhere in Salt Lake City proper you won't be overwhelmed. There are some more sketchy neighborhoods on the western side of town, but overall SLC is very safe.

The beer in SLC is good, but limited. Most people actually drink local brews around here, but there isn't a whole lot of variety. Squatters/Wasatch is the most popular brand, though there are a few others. Utah does indeed have some strange liquor laws, which we all have opinions on, but in general they aren't that irritating. You will find that many brands do not import to Utah because of the laws (part of why people drink local), and that alcohol is a bit on the expensive side (because of the taxes). As a beer lover myself, it hasn't been too bad.

The biggest upside for SLC is the phenomenal skiing, climbing, and mountain biking, which are all some of the best in the entire world. Make sure you give yourself time to do these things if you are inclined to be outdoorsy, as it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you are not outdoorsy, I would caution you against coming here. Most other students and the non-Mormon population as a whole is an outdoor culture, and you might have trouble making friends.

[eklavya]

Most other students and the non-Mormon population as a whole is an outdoor culture, and you might have trouble making friends.

just thought i'd elaborate on this point so that you folks don't form a biased opinion beforehand. Mormons are extremely outgoing as well. and that comes from me, a hardcore critic of religious organizations. during my undergrad at the U, i had plenty (almost all that i befriended during my classes/sports/volunteer works) of Mormon kids who were crazy about outdoor activities and sports. they were the ones who actually taught me snowy activities, rock-climbing (in case this hasn't been brought up in the thread somewhere, Utah is GREAT for rock climbing too), desert-camping, and few others. but of course, for anything that involves drinking and such, you'd potentially want non-Mormon friends.

[was1984]

just thought i'd elaborate on this point so that you folks don't form a biased opinion beforehand. Mormons are extremely outgoing as well. and that comes from me, a hardcore critic of religious organizations. during my undergrad at the U, i had plenty (almost all that i befriended during my classes/sports/volunteer works) of Mormon kids who were crazy about outdoor activities and sports. they were the ones who actually taught me snowy activities, rock-climbing (in case this hasn't been brought up in the thread somewhere, Utah is GREAT for rock climbing too), desert-camping, and few others. but of course, for anything that involves drinking and such, you'd potentially want non-Mormon friends.

Thanks for clarifying. I wasn't trying to imply that you can't make Mormon friends. They are great people, and are likely to invite you to do things with them. However, in my experience it's harder to develop really good, deep friendships with Mormons. This is partly because most Mormon grad students are already married, partly because they have a built in network of friends at church, and partly because of differing world views.

You'll have no shortage of things to do, right away, if you come here. If you don't like to be outside, though, you'll find that most of the things people will invite you to do take place outside. That was really my point.

[Chester]

How about the food? Good, but affordable restaurants? Hip places? Ethnic / organic / vegetarian / alternative choices?

Thanks.

[was1984]

How about the food? Good, but affordable restaurants? Hip places? Ethnic / organic / vegetarian / alternative choices?

Thanks.

I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of ethnic food choices in SLC. Mormons come from all over the world to live in SLC and bring their food with them, so there is actually a lot of variety. I can't speak to organic/vegetarian stuff because I don't seek that sort of food out. There are enough progressive people here that I'm sure that there's at least a decent selection.