salt lake city neighborhoods

[the dufferz]

While driving through Salt lake city, I noticed that there were Mormon churched that seemed to be in almost every housing development. Are these development owned by the church and do you have to be Mormon to own one of these homes?

[Wyody]

Well, noooo - they aren't owned by the Church (maybe one) and you don't have to be LDS to live in them ... but keep in mind that the faithful live their lives hoping for a spot next to or near the church (in general) and the closer you are, the more likely your neighbors will be staunch - which could have an effect on your own comfort-level.
Also keep in mind that it's the dominant religious-order in the state so, rather than seeing the standard city blocks where it goes ... 1)Baptist church 2)gas station 3)tavern 4)Pentacostal church then, on to the next block where it goes 1)Catholic church 2)gas station 3)tavern 4)Presbyterian or Methodist church ... you only see the one church usually in a whole neighborhood and occasional sightings of other denominations. The LDS had the entire west blocked out (see: Lake Bonneville) years before contingents of other affiliations settled within their empirical-boundaries and so, nearly every neighborhood and/or town was sectioned as LDS wards. Note also that every highway in Utah lines up to go true north-south through town and every town is also set-up as 8 blocks to the mile in any direction -- a waffle-iron grid, if you will.

[the dufferz]

Originally Posted by Wyody

. Note also that every highway in Utah lines up to go true north-south through town and every town is also set-up as 8 blocks to the mile in any direction -- a waffle-iron grid, if you will.

Wow. just google earth'd that. that is something else! Pretty good designing.

Lucky they did not settle in Seattle. With 7 original hills surrounding the downtown area, straight lines that last a mile are pretty well impossible!

[Wyody]

Originally Posted by the dufferz

Wow. just google earth'd that. that is something else! Pretty good designing.

Lucky they did not settle in Seattle. With 7 original hills surrounding the downtown area, straight lines that last a mile are pretty well impossible!

It took me almost six-months to find my way around Salt Lake City before somebody told me the "waffle-iron" thing - after that, never a problem. It's really smart - the pioneers were really smart - the programs and methods they set up were amazing from a social standpoint! I come from the east where everything spider-veins towards the county-seat so, the grid really helps. So, an address like "1045E 2050S" is easier to find than latitude-lines on a map! You know you must go East from the main drag and south from zero (In Salt Lake, Main Street is the main (zero) for E-W while North Temple is zero for N-S. However, State Street (100E) is the main N-S drag thru the valley. (whew, just got myself lost on a grid!)

[isabel]

Okay, Wyody...you may be the person I need to ask about this. We are now looking at Utah...because Idaho prices are leaving us behind quickly. So where in Utah? The company that my hubby is looking at has stores in Ogden and Salt Lake. Mind you we want a real bargain in a good neighborhood.
Talking about under $175,000. 3 BR, 2 BA, over 1500 sq. ft. and under 30 years old.

Got any ideas anybody? Any favorite neighborhoods or towns within 30 miles of either of these cities?

Izzy

[Wyody]

Originally Posted by isabel

Okay, Wyody...you may be the person I need to ask about this. We are now looking at Utah...because Idaho prices are leaving us behind quickly. So where in Utah? The company that my hubby is looking at has stores in Ogden and Salt Lake. Mind you we want a real bargain in a good neighborhood.
Talking about under $175,000. 3 BR, 2 BA, over 1500 sq. ft. and under 30 years old.

Got any ideas anybody? Any favorite neighborhoods or towns within 30 miles of either of these cities?

Izzy

Izzy, my current hot-spot is Layton - up on the hillside. Now, the higher you go, the pricier but foreclosures in the entire area have been crazy the past few years - So. Ogden, Layton, Centerville ... even Bountiful but I'm betting Bountiful would be too pricy.
There's also Huntsville - up Ogden Canyon (12th St.). I can't recall exactly but it's about 14 miles to Ogden. Pineview Resevoir on the near end - and up above at 9500 ft, headed up Monte Christo (which eventually leads you over to Woodruff Ut and Evanston WY) is Causey Resevoir. Problem traditionally is the one-lane road thru the canyon and if there's an accident, you're outta luck. Mountain Green - near Morgan up I-84 from South Ogden has some goings on and a bunch of new houses when I came thru in February. Last I knew, Huntsville was still lacking your basics except for the three-bars, the little town grocery and a hardware store. The monastery was also about to stop baking bread 'cause the monk who did it for so long is/was close to the end and couldn't find the right student. Huntsville is also in what is officially called "Ogden Valley" and there are a few towns over there - Liberty for one, Eden another - near Wolf Mtn Ski area. There's a road down to North Ogden as well - depending on where hubby's base is.
I'm assuming you don't really know your neighborhoods in SLC ... and to tell you the truth, I'm not sure there's one I'd recommend for a mature couple. Sugarhouse is still good but better for the younger set. East Bench isn't too bad between about 20th South and 53rd. Draper has gone hog-wild over the past decade and two. Little farm town now full of triple-split-level/light-switch-makin'-ice-cubes big ol' houses ... ranchettes. It's at the south end of the Salt Lake Valley - 17 miles to downtown, give or take. Layton is still my recommendation - looking for foreclosures. Then, So. Ogden then, so long as you're LDS, Centerville.
There's also the option of living out toward Tooele - about 20 miles or so into town from there. It's west of Salt Lake - but there is the "Depot" there - where they keep the nerve-gas, bombs, etc.
Hope this helps. From my last information, $194 should still get you a pretty nice place. Example - a couple years ago in Layton - on the bench - a friend of mine got a foreclosure - it should have sold at $450G. My friends got it for 250G - that's a big decked-out place with a regular garage and another big enough to pull two motor-homes in ... complete with sewer hook-up.
Holla

[PDXnative]

We have family that lives in Layton. Nice little area with a military base and an awesome air force museum that is FREE. It is also a short drive to Snow Basin Ski area which is my favorite place to ski anywhere!!!

SLC has hispanic and Tongan gangs. Yes, people from Tonga, so check the area you are moving into if looking there. There are many "Bad neighborhoods" around SLC.

You might want to look at Southern Utah like St. George area. Beautiful area down there!!!