Black in SLC (Salt Lake City, Draper, Park City: transfer, university, live in)

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by DCmum

All- What's the best way to get from SLC to Park City if I'm not driving? Are there any shuttles/public transportation available, or is Uber my best bet?

I'd use Lyft. It's generally a better option in Salt Lake than Uber.

[DCmum]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

Well, as others have mentioned, Salt Lake City is not really well-known for its food. (I'd stop a long way short of calling it a foodie's worst nightmare, though.) There are, however, a few exceptions. Red Iguana (on North Temple Street) is actually nationally known Mexican food, so it's a must. It will be crowded, though, so you might want to try to hit it during the off-hours.

For Indian, definitely the Bombay House. It's really the only one in Salt Lake that's really exceptional.

For Thai, try Laan Na Thai, Chanon Thai, or Thai Chili.

I have heard good things about Osteria Amore for Italian, but I haven't actually tried it. Caffe Molise is also pretty good. Haven't been to Walter's Osteria (it's extremely pricey) but you might want to keep it in mind for a special event in the future.

Wait for the Greek Festival that's tentatively scheduled for September 6, 7 and 8, and then chow down. This is an annual event that is huge in Salt Lake.

Okay, so I'm really not a huge foodie, but my 41-year-old son definitely is. If you are on Instagram, check out his food page: stanima_lunchmob. (Yes, that's the correct spelling.) His Instragram food page is "for undiscovered hole in the wall gems in Salt Lake that fall through the cracks" (his words).

By the way, did you decide to stay in Sugarhouse or Downtown?

We are staying Downtown, 300 West St- couldn’t find many options for our days in Sugarhouse. Anything I should know about that area? Thanks for sharing the restaurants and your son’s IG, started following him, he has a ton of recs there that look interesting. Still debating if I should uber/lyft or rent a car. Seems like the rent a car option might give me more flexibility though I hate driving ughh! Maybe I should get a car for a couple of days to visit Park City and other areas further from SCL and Lyft when I’m in the city

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by DCmum

We are staying Downtown, 300 West St- couldn’t find many options for our days in Sugarhouse. Anything I should know about that area?

Honestly, it's not the greatest part of downtown, although there are some very nice hotels in the area. If it's right on 300 West, I'm guessing it's either the Hampton Inn or the Hyatt House, either of which would be fine as hotels go. The Hampton Inn is right next to Pioneer Park, which is kind of a hangout for the homeless. You may be approached by panhandlers in the area, but they're not aggressive, just annoying. The Hyatt House is in a little better location. I don't want to scare you, because they're both probably fine. The thing is, I suspect they're very popular with people who are here for a ski vacation. They get up every day and go skiing, and then go back to their hotel at night. The area is probably safe enough during the daytime hours, but I wouldn't go for a leisurely stroll around the block there at night. You probably wouldn't be doing that anyway, as there isn't much to do until you go two or three blocks east. At any rate, I looked both hotels up in Trip Advisor (as you likely did) and both were rated very high. If you're staying at the Hyatt House, the Clark Planetarium is really close by.

Thanks for sharing the restaurants and your son’s IG, started following him, he has a ton of recs there that look interesting.

You're very welcome.

Still debating if I should uber/lyft or rent a car. Seems like the rent a car option might give me more flexibility though I hate driving ughh! Maybe I should get a car for a couple of days to visit Park City and other areas further from SCL and Lyft when I’m in the city

I don't hate driving, but I do hate driving in cities I'm not familiar with. I'll tell you what I'd do. Sundays in Salt Lake City are DEAD. Even the City Creek Center, a huge mall right in the center of town (which you really ought to visit) is closed on Sundays. Virtually all of the smaller stores, and even some restaurants in the downtown area will be closed Sundays, too. I'd do some walking. Anywhere east of West Temple Street should be fine. The blocks are long -- just under 7 blocks to the mile. But if you will notice the street addresses as you walk, you ought to be able to get a pretty good feel for how the city is laid out, without the stress of being behind the wheel of a car at the same time. I could actually recommend a couple of good walks for you if you'd like. Of course, if you're not much of a walker, that idea might not appeal to you.

I would definitely recommend you rent a car to go up to Park City. You'd be on the interstate 90% of the time and with a GPS, you'd have a really hard time getting lost. It would be about a 30-35 minute drive from downtown.

Like I said before, I work part-time in the visitor's center (90 South West Temple). They haven't called me back yet since Covid broke out, and I think there is only one person (the manager) manning the place right now. He's extremely knowledgeable and could probably give you some good advice regarding your decision to rent a car or use Uber/Lyft. If you go there, tell him Kathryn sent you.

[DCmum]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

Honestly, it's not the greatest part of downtown, although there are some very nice hotels in the area. If it's right on 300 West, I'm guessing it's either the Hampton Inn or the Hyatt House, either of which would be fine as hotels go. The Hampton Inn is right next to Pioneer Park, which is kind of a hangout for the homeless. You may be approached by panhandlers in the area, but they're not aggressive, just annoying. The Hyatt House is in a little better location. I don't want to scare you, because they're both probably fine. The thing is, I suspect they're very popular with people who are here for a ski vacation. They get up every day and go skiing, and then go back to their hotel at night. The area is probably safe enough during the daytime hours, but I wouldn't go for a leisurely stroll around the block there at night. You probably wouldn't be doing that anyway, as there isn't much to do until you go two or three blocks east. At any rate, I looked both hotels up in Trip Advisor (as you likely did) and both were rated very high. If you're staying at the Hyatt House, the Clark Planetarium is really close by.

You're very welcome.

I don't hate driving, but I do hate driving in cities I'm not familiar with. I'll tell you what I'd do. Sundays in Salt Lake City are DEAD. Even the City Creek Center, a huge mall right in the center of town (which you really ought to visit) is closed on Sundays. Virtually all of the smaller stores, and even some restaurants in the downtown area will be closed Sundays, too. I'd do some walking. Anywhere east of West Temple Street should be fine. The blocks are long -- just under 7 blocks to the mile. But if you will notice the street addresses as you walk, you ought to be able to get a pretty good feel for how the city is laid out, without the stress of being behind the wheel of a car at the same time. I could actually recommend a couple of good walks for you if you'd like. Of course, if you're not much of a walker, that idea might not appeal to you.

I would definitely recommend you rent a car to go up to Park City. You'd be on the interstate 90% of the time and with a GPS, you'd have a really hard time getting lost. It would be about a 30-35 minute drive from downtown.

Like I said before, I work part-time in the visitor's center (90 South West Temple). They haven't called me back yet since Covid broke out, and I think there is only one person (the manager) manning the place right now. He's extremely knowledgeable and could probably give you some good advice regarding your decision to rent a car or use Uber/Lyft. If you go there, tell him Kathryn sent you.

Why did I think all this time that you were a man? Thank you so much, will stop by the visitor center! It's at the Hyatt House, oh boy! it's hard to tell what a good part of town is while looking online, so I only went with reviews. When you say don't stroll around at night, what time are you referring to : after 8 pm?10pm? We might be out having a late dinner or walking around the city at night a couple of nights I suppose just to see what's out there and probably lyft home. I love walking, so yeh keep those coming, will try to explore the city walking as much as I can, saw that it might be rainy a couple of days, hopefully it's not too bad so we can still get to visit places. What kind of activities would be open on Sundays? I was trying to plan a few things then, but reading this now, wondering if that would be a good day for Park City? Are things open in PC on Sundays or do they also follow the same schedule?

[DCmum]

I also have these apartments on my list to visit. Any insights on safety or other things to note about the areas they are located at? Are any of the locations below better than others?

Brixton 660 Wilmington Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Dixon Place 2170 S Mcclelland St, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Gateway 505 505 W 100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Quattro 385 S 400 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Hardware village 455 W 200 N, Salt Lake City, UT 84103
Bringham apats 201 E South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
The morton 45 S 200 E #601,*Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Blue Koi 1712 S 900 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84105
Sugarmont 2191 S McClelland Street Salt Lake City, UT 84106

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by DCmum

Why did I think all this time that you were a man?

LOL! I don't know, but you're not alone. For some reason, pretty much everybody does. By the way, there is a picture of me in my profile, if you'd like to put a face with the name.

Thank you so much, will stop by the visitor center!

I have texted Bill (the manager) to confirm when they are open these days. Since he'd likely be the only one there, he may be taking weekends off. Normally, it's open on both days of the weekend, but as you know, nothing's "normal" nowadays.

It's at the Hyatt House, oh boy! it's hard to tell what a good part of town is while looking online, so I only went with reviews. When you say don't stroll around at night, what time are you referring to : after 8 pm?10pm? We might be out having a late dinner or walking around the city at night a couple of nights I suppose just to see what's out there and probably lyft home.

Then you should be totally fine. Any place you'd be eating late would likely be east of West Temple Street, which would be entirely safe, and if you took a Lyft back, you'd have nothing to worry about. Most of Salt Lake City is really safe. West of West Temple Street is just a little bit iffy. This would mean 100 West, 200 West, 300 West, 400 West, etc. The one exception to this would be if you go to Red Iguana on North Temple Street. It's not a great area, but the restaurant is so popular than I'd say it's safe even if it's not in the best area. The same holds true with regards to the Planetarium. It's right on the light rail line (Trax) and is busy enough that you'd be fine there after dark. There's really not a lot to see right in the area you're staying, but it changes from "not so great" to "just fine" within less than a half a mile.

I love walking, so yeh keep those coming, will try to explore the city walking as much as I can, saw that it might be rainy a couple of days, hopefully it's not too bad so we can still get to visit places. What kind of activities would be open on Sundays?

Okay, I provided this same information to another person a while back. He specifically wanted to know about walking tours, of which there are basically none. That doesn't mean there aren't some nice walks in the downtown area. It's just that there are no "official" walking tours. Rather than retyping it all out here, I'm just going to direct you to Post #28 of the thread called "Summer Travel to Salt Lake City."

Be back later with more.

[DCmum]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

LOL! I don't know, but you're not alone. For some reason, pretty much everybody does. By the way, there is a picture of me in my profile, if you'd like to put a face with the name.

I have texted Bill (the manager) to confirm when they are open these days. Since he'd likely be the only one there, he may be taking weekends off. Normally, it's open on both days of the weekend, but as you know, nothing's "normal" nowadays.

Then you should be totally fine. Any place you'd be eating late would likely be east of West Temple Street, which would be entirely safe, and if you took a Lyft back, you'd have nothing to worry about. Most of Salt Lake City is really safe. West of West Temple Street is just a little bit iffy. This would mean 100 West, 200 West, 300 West, 400 West, etc. The one exception to this would be if you go to Red Iguana on North Temple Street. It's not a great area, but the restaurant is so popular than I'd say it's safe even if it's not in the best area. The same holds true with regards to the Planetarium. It's right on the light rail line (Trax) and is busy enough that you'd be fine there after dark. There's really not a lot to see right in the area you're staying, but it changes from "not so great" to "just fine" within less than a half a mile.

Okay, I provided this same information to another person a while back. He specifically wanted to know about walking tours, of which there are basically none. That doesn't mean there aren't some nice walks in the downtown area. It's just that there are no "official" walking tours. Rather than retyping it all out here, I'm just going to direct you to Post #28 of the thread called "Summer Travel to Salt Lake City."

Be back later with more.

So good to put a face on your name. Yes this whole time I've been imagining you as a man #MindBlown There is actually a walking tour I found on AirBnB Experiences, couldn't book it as I'm having issues with AirBnB, so Im bummed about that. I will try to follow your recs from that post you linked. There is another apartment that I have on my plans to visit at 255 N 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84103. It seems like most apartments downtown are in that 300-400W that might not be safe, which is bizarre. I guess, I will have a better idea once we are in town. Thank you for reaching out to Bill about the info on the visitor's center, I really appreciate it.

Other apartment Im looking at : blue Koi 1712 South 900 East & Pierpont by Urbana 315 Pierpont Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 84101- City Creek Landing 30 S Main ST, Meridian 30 North Orange Street

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by DCmum

I also have these apartments on my list to visit. Any insights on safety or other things to note about the areas they are located at? Are any of the locations below better than others?

Brixton 660 Wilmington Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Dixon Place 2170 S Mcclelland St, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Gateway 505 505 W 100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Quattro 385 S 400 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Hardware village 455 W 200 N, Salt Lake City, UT 84103
Bringham apats 201 E South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
The morton 45 S 200 E #601,*Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Blue Koi 1712 S 900 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84105
Sugarmont 2191 S McClelland Street Salt Lake City, UT 84106

I'm going to comment based primarily on the zip code. 84103, 84106 and 84111 would be great. 84105 would be okay, but not wonderful. I can't tell you anything specific about any of the apartments, but some of the pictures look amazing! You are going to be busy next week!

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by DCmum

So good to put a face on your name. Yes this whole time I've been imagining you as a man #MindBlown There is actually a walking tour I found on AirBnB Experiences, couldn't book it as I'm having issues with AirBnB, so Im bummed about that. I will try to follow your recs from that post you linked. There is another apartment that I have on my plans to visit at 255 N 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84103. It seems like most apartments downtown are in that 300-400W that might not be safe, which is bizarre. I guess, I will have a better idea once we are in town. Thank you for reaching out to Bill about the info on the visitor's center, I really appreciate it.

Other apartment Im looking at : blue Koi 1712 South 900 East & Pierpont by Urbana 315 Pierpont Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 84101- City Creek Landing 30 S Main ST, Meridian 30 North Orange Street

I'd definitely stay away from zip code 84116 (The Meridian, although the pictures look like it's really nice). You didn't list anything in 84115, but I'd stay away from that area, too. 84109 is also nice and safe should you happen to find anything there.

I texted Bill today. He said he'll be there on Friday. The visitors center is open till 5:00 PM, and it's not far from your hotel. I don't know if you'll be getting in too late to stop by there, though. He won't be in on Saturday or Wednesday but he said someone from "Visit Salt Lake" is covering from him. It's somebody from marketing and I'm not sure how much they even know, since it's really not their department. I'd try to get there when Bill is. They've always been open on Sundays, but I don't know what the situation is right now. He said he'll be there the rest of the week (Mon-Fri, except Wed) but may have to shut the center temporarily if he has a meeting or anything. This is really atypical, because there always used to be someone there. If you get in early enough on Friday, I'd suggest you go then. If not, you could try Monday or Tuesday. See if they have a new Visitors Guide out. It gives you some information on the various Salt Lake area neighborhoods, along with some ideas for what to do in the area. Also ask for a map of the city, and a map of the state (even if you won't be using the state one right away). They're all free.

[Katzpur]

It's looking like we're going to be having some pretty decent weather while you're here. The temperatures in early- to mid-May are generally between 60 and 65, so what you're going to be experiencing weather-wise is pretty typical. There's a chance of rain on a few of the days you're here, but I suspect that the worst you'd see are a few light showers. A couple of weeks ago, it looked like we were going to have a cold snap while you were here, but that's apparently changed.

Keep in mind that Park City is at a higher altitude than Salt Lake, so it will be a little bit cooler there. About Park City... You're going to be getting off I-80 at Kimball Junction. Almost immediately after you get off the interstate, there is a large visitors center for the Park City area. I'm assuming it will be open every day. There is also a smaller visitors center on Main Street in Park City. Also, right off the Kimball Junction, there is a huge outlet mall, and the Olympic Park is right in that area, too. Street parking in Park City itself is a nightmare, but there is at least one large covered parking lot. Be sure to walk up and down Main Street and Park Avenue. They are absolutely charming. There are a lot of very good restaurants in Park City. Maybe someone at the Visitors Center can recommend one. If you do end up going on Sunday, remember that it's Mother's Day and you'd likely need a reservation for any of the more popular spots. I'm not sure exactly what's happening in Park City right now. Obviously, there's a lot going on in the winter, and also in the summer. You'll be there off-season so if you do find it disappointing, give it another shot in the summer. And keep in mind the Sundance Film Festival which is there in the winter.