Need Some Advice From Utahans

[_ed_]

Hi There!

I'm currently in the process of selecting a law school to attend, and right now U.Utah is high in the running. I'm looking for some basic opinions about Salt Lake City and Utah in general. I visited SLC a few weeks ago and was very impressed. I'm a huge outdoor addict, so I know how great access is to skiing, climbing, etc. I know much less about the actual town. The biggest downside people told me about was that there was no "night life," which is irrelevant to me.

If you've got a few moments, please sell your state to me! Any opinions on any matters would help my choice. Oh - I'm not Mormon, and I'm pretty liberal on nearly all topics.

Thanks!

Ed

[Utah_Lefty]

1. You're not getting much help here.

I'm kind of an old fart so I don't know if my answers will help but I can tell
you a few things.

You mentioned skiing and ours is really outstanding. There are quite a few resorts
that are within 30 minutes of the University of Utah area, no matter what your skill
level is you will find something accommodating.

There are a lot of great camping spots in the area, many scenic drives and biking
and hiking trails too.

If you like spectator sports we have a Major League Soccer team, an NBA team, a
AAA baseball team and minor league hockey. The U has a nationally ranked womens'
gymnastic team and the mens' and womens' basketball teams are usually quite good.
Rice Eccles stadium is a great venue for the football team and they have been doing
generally well the last few years.

I'm not really an arts person but my wife has season tickets at the Pioneer
Theater Company, which is also located on the University of Utah campus. They have
quite a few good plays each year. The Capitol Theater brings in national tours
of the bigger plays and the Salt Lake Acting Company always has an interesting schedule.

I'm not sure if you're married or single, generally speaking the suburbs, Davis County and
Utah County are more geared toward families and family entertainment and are more GOP/conservative.
The Avenues, Sugarhouse and the 9th and 9th area tend to be a bit more eclectic.

Let me know if you have any specific questions and I'll do my best to answer them.

[Speckledtortie]

2. U of U

I am a paralegal for an intellectual property firm and I know that the U of U's law program is very good. If you love the outdoors (which it sounds like you do) you will really like it here. The skiing is great and Southern Utah is beautiful for hiking and camping. There is night life here, but you just have to deal with funky laws.

The most repressing part about Utah is how conservative it is and not a lot of diversity. As mentioned in the previous post, the Avenues and Sugarhouse are more eclectic and also close to the U of U.

I lived in Seattle for about eight years and have recently moved back to Utah and I must say I really miss all the liberals in Seattle.

Good luck.

[Paxrasmussen]

3. Not so bad

Well, if you like the outdoors, this is the place to choose! I don't do the nightlife scene much, either, but I love to backpack, x-country ski, hike, etc. The San Rafael desert here is like no place on earth. Our high Uinta mountains are pleaseant and beautiful. Also, good downhill skiiing, of course, if you're into that sort of thing.

Also, we have a lot of pretty cool events and things here that are fun too. Like the Twilight Concert Series. It's free, and they had Michael Franti last night. Had a blast.

If you're downtown or on the university campus, the oppressive monoculture of the mormons is pretty background level. Get out into the suburbs, and you'll hate it.

Hope this helps.

[liberalmuse]

4. I LOVE the U!

I graduated from the University of Utah and love the campus. I would really recommend it. Of course, the huge downfall of living here is the Mormon Bush-supporters, but around the U, in the avenues, downtown and in Sugarhouse you will find a lot of progressives.

Now to sell the state: It's cheap to live here, it's beautiful-I live 10 minutes away from the mountains and some great hiking trails, and there are a lot of hiking trails all around the outskirts of the city. It's also fairly safe here. I don't need to even lock my doors in the neighborhood I live in. I want you to move to Utah because you are progressive, and heaven knows we need some more balance here. Also, if you have anti-Bush stickers on your car, you'll likely be left alone.

The bad: There are a lot of Republicans/Mormons here, and they can make you nuts sometimes, which is the main reason you may not want to move here.