Reviews & Comments
Salt Lake City, UT
My objective view - It's not for everyone -
9/19/2012I have lived in SLC and many other places, so I feel I can be objective here: First it's a beautiful city. It is surrounded by picturesque mountain ranges. There are really very few "ugly" areas. Most neighborhoods have some charm.
The weather is definite four seasons. Winter is cold but seldom severe. Summer gets hot but the dryness really helps. The evenings are cool. Spring is the most unpredictable. Cold and rainy for a few days, then gorgeous and warm for a few days, then repeated this pattern until summer hits. (Of course I've seen springs where it won't stop raining or springs where it's sunny every day from April on). Fall is exquisite. Beautiful colors and temperatures. If you love the great outdoors, you will LOVE it here! Fishing, hiking, snow-skiing, water-skiing, golf, walking, bicycling. It's ALL here. If you are not an outdoorsy person you may get bored (especially in winter if you don't ski).
The Economy: it seems to be VERY cyclical here. The pay is very low (they're tightwads) and good professional jobs are not very plentiful. Hourly service jobs pay pretty low. The cost of housing is very high considering the poor wages. Renting, in my opinion, has always been fairly reasonable.
Crime: Not bad overall for such a large city, but it's gotten worse... in the northwest quadrant of the valley mostly. There are gangs in that area.
The people: I think the people are really pretty very friendly overall (compared to say...Phoenix and other cities). However, the Mormons don't really want to associate with non-members. Most of their friendliness I find to be superficial and/or forced. They know how to act around each other but not around strangers (Non-LDS). They are just so engrossed in their church life. I personally don't care for most Mormons but I have worked for some and have been neighbors with some who don't discriminate. If you are not a church member you can make friends with other non-LDS pretty easily if you just put yourself out there. Go to a different church or join a club or organization (PTA, Masons, Elks, bowling league, fishing club, coffee groups)...Once you start meeting nice people in SLC they introduce you to their friends and your social life will blossom.
Kids: I do think it's a good place to raise kids but the Mormon kids can be cliquish. As I explained earlier non-Mormon kids need to get out and
find other kids of their ilk.
Culture etc.: This a good community for arts, entertainment and food. Good dance company, symphony, public radio and arts festivals. For young people there is some good night-life. The University of Utah provides a lot of culture. The actual part of the valley that comprises Salt Lake City proper is actually fairly liberal. The suburbs are the conservative parts.
Education: Top notch in my books. Good schools and University. Mormons value education.
In conclusion: if the dominant Mormon culture is a deal-breaker for you then don't aggravate yourself by moving here. That being said, they DO care about their community and it shows. But they do make the rules.
Phoenix, AZ
re: A natives view - 8/20/2012 -
9/19/2012SO true!
Winston-Salem, NC
Don't bother if you didn't grow up here -
9/16/2011I have lived many places and I can say that WS has a lot of beautiful neighborhoods. It is laid back, the traffic isn't bad and the costs aren't bad.
The bad news?
The people are cliquish!!! If your daddy didn't go to Kindergarten with THEIR daddy they don't want to know you. They are very stand-offish and vicious(albeit in a subtle way). They are lazy and unimaginative. NO real work ethic here. They don't want to venture out of their little comfort zones. They think anyone from outside is an uppity snob. They are very conflicted: they want money to spend but they are nnot willing to work hard for it. Not a good place to make friends. If you are a loner then you won't mind it. But if you want a social life and/or if you are single go elsewhere.
The small towns surrounding it are worse.
Texarkana, TX
Nice place...but -
9/16/2011It's a nice city to raise children in; very safe; friendly people.
The job situation is not great. The pay isn't high either. There's not much professional employment unless you know the right people. Schools are good though. No nightlife! Not an easy place to be young and single.
Texas side is the good side. Arkansas side is a scary ghetto dump.
Phoenix, AZ
Horrible City - Don't move there -
9/16/2011Phoenix is hot, ugly and polluted. There are few good jobs there. The pay is awful compared to the cost of living. It is a buyers market for labor so they don't HAVE to pay decent money.
The people are rude, snobby(don't you just love uneducated snobs?), ill-mannered, ruthless, cruel, selfish, shallow, stand-offish, aloof, uncaring, poorly educated, and critical(do as I say, not as I do). There is a lot of white trash and most people there came to Phoenix because they couldn't make it anywhere else. They wore out their welcomes back home. They strut into town thinking they are conquering heroes.
As far as multi-culturalism is concerned, if gangs, crime, drugs and government dependency is YOUR definition of it then good for you - but not for me. Bad behavioe seems to be rewarded in Phoenix.
There is ZERO culture. Culture in Phoenix consists of vomitting in the parking lot of a sleazy country western bar parking lot after you've had too many Miller Lites.
The crime is terrible. Domestic violence is a huge problem. Gangs are everywhere. I read once where it was estimated that 25% of the adult population in Maricopa County was functionally illiterate. That's probably a huge understatement.
The schools suck. The teachers and administration are really arrogant don't give a flip if you don't like something they do.
The traffic is awful. Gridlock while it's 115 degrees is hell.
If you are thinking of moving from a snowy city...don't. Learn to deal with cold winters becasue the trade-off is just not worth it.