Park City...is it really that different? (Provo, Sandy: crime, houses)

[kwm03160]

Yes, Park City is has a very different feel. Also, did you live in Salt Lake proper AND Sandy? In my experience, Salt Lake and Sandy should not be dumped in the same "bucket." I lived in Sugar House for a while before moving out to the suburbs (West Jordan), and there is a BIG difference. Sandy is VERY conservative. In general, the further south you go in the Salt Lake Valley, the more conservative it is. If you haven't tried Sugar House or the Avenues, I would give it a shot. The commute from Park City to Salt Lake can get hairy in the winter, and there will be days Parley's Canyon will be closed. Will your husband be able to telecommute those days?

[skibarbie]

Well my sweet hubby thought the PC to SLC commute would be nothing compared to his drive in Los Angeles. After 2 years, he was begging to move to the valley! 90% of the time, it is a beautiful and easy drive. I am now finding out that the other 10% can and is really bad-as I am the one doing the commute now. I do wish that Utah would make the whole "chains/awd" a law instead of an advisory. Mr thinks that I should have my head examined for going back up there to work-but what the hell, I love my job.
I don't know how long ago your hubby left SLC but I wonder you all have been back since SLC has hit the less than 50% LDS mark..

[osugirl2]

There are definitely drawbacks to the commute, especially in the wintertime, but if I had the chance to live in Park City, and I could afford it, I'd pick it in a heartbeat. It's beautiful, it's above the inversion crap, and it's fun (in my opinion). If your husband doesn't mind the commute and the fact that he could get snowed in sometimes in the winter go for it. I would most definitely invest in and AWD vehicle though.

[dcisive]

I think that air quality alone would be at the top of my list for reasons to move to Park City. I for one could not afford it so it's not even in my long list of possibilities. Indeed I think anyone preparing to move or considering a move to Park City had better have the income to support it. Indeed it is a considerably higher financial caliber to aspire to. Hence some of the attitudes from some of the folks up there. Not all by any means, just expect some of that for sure. It's a natural effect of affluence. You'll get some of that even in Draper, Highland and such. Not a big surprise. The commute could be a real bear at times no doubt. Especially when they just flat shut Parley's Canyon DOWN altogether. But hey, if you've got the $$$$ I'd say go for it by all means. It has long held the feeling of being OUT of Utah altogether to me. Virtually NO real LDS influences per se, more like being somewhere like the mountains of California.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Charlie Gibson, the ABC News anchor, has long had a place in Deer Valley, adjacent to PC> That gives you some idea of the money up there and the glitz.

[ShouldIMoveOrStayPut...?]

I sense form this thread one of the main complaints of PC is a lack of character and or "soul" of the community due to a disconnection that affluence combined with many residents being part time can create.

Indeed, decisions by many can be made more because people seek the status the town offers and/or their accountant or financial advisor feel they need a tax shelter or additional rental income from times they are not there, or they sell and move because they can write any loss of equity off against income or roll a potential profit to another area and property.

Block parties, bake sales, neighbors helping neighbors, tightly knit neighborhoods, etc. are lost on people who decide to arrive or leave on the above mentioned reasons.

It reminds me of an episode of "Northern Exposure" where the Astronaut Maurice Minnifield purchases a fine Guarneri Violin strictly as an invesment to be locked away in a climate controlled vault until such time as it appreciates in value. This action so bothers a concert violinist distaught over the fact that the violin should be played and heard by as many people as possible he is driven mad and has to be institutionalized.

At any rate, I do not think that the teenagers in neighborhoods such as Prospector, Summit Park, Highland Estates, Park West, etc. are getting Cadillac Escalades and taking month long vacations in Hawaii, at least from outward appearances. I will be arriving back in town in two weeks and will take another look, however.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by Alexvegas

Like I said in my first post, Park City is the only place we are considering in UT as we already lived in the Salt Lake suburbs, and my husband knows the Salt Lake valley inside out as he lived there from birth to age 23. The commute doesn't bother him, he is commuting SLC to Vegas right now so SLC-PC is nothing compared to that for him. I love hearing everyone different views on the matter though, thanks!! Keep it coming!!

My sister lives in Holladay and has commuted to Park City to work for over twenty years. She figures she has made the trip over 12,000 times. (She is in education, and taught in Park City for years; now she is in administration.) Anyway, she can count on one hand the number of times she was unable to make the drive because of weather conditions. True, she has had some very nasty commutes over the years and there have been times when she was really pretty nervous (very unusual for her when it comes to driving), but overall, she hasn't ever found the drive to be so bad that she's considered changing jobs because of it.

I think that most of the comments about Park City itself are probably right on. It's a more liberal environment and a lower concentration of LDS there than elsewhere in the area, but unless you have money to burn, you might find that you're just trading in one set of problems (religious isolation) for another (keeping up with the Joneses). Good luck!

[osugirl2]

I don't think it would be fair to say that Park City lacks "soul" and definitely not character. It's just a different vibe than the rest of the state. The OP said that they have lived in Utah before, so they are probably aware of the $$ differences. It probably would be difficult to get the sense of community and family friendliness feel, though there are plenty of things to do with your family up there, but not everyone is looking for that. I've read several of the other threads on here about Park City and some of the residents have mentioned friendly neighbors and neighborhood happy hours and such, so it does seem possible to achieve the community feel. FWIW, I saw tons of families with kids when I was there last, and it was at the end of ski season when most of the tourists had left. As with anywhere else, it would probably be best to find a rental first to make sure you like the area before committing to a purchase.

[ShouldIMoveOrStayPut...?]

First off let me state I am a fan of PC. In stating the Soul /Character point I am attempting to address poster's concerns and observations regarding superficial and arguably decadent behavior that upper status communities can often contain (Cadillac Escalades for 16th birthdays, parties with alchohol and prescription drugs, etc.)....Character regarding behavior choices, not meaning the fit, finish, feel, and architecture/archetype of the community.

And, of course this does not apply to all PC residents or neighborhoods. When I was there back in May I met a fair share of family friendly folks, very down to earth, but also a concerningly high number of "Poseurs"

Audi Q7 parked right in front of the whole foods market entrance at the Redstone center with a 30 something snowbunny loading groceries to save an extra 20 foot walk while elderly residents must now navigate around to get to their own properly parked vehicles.

One observation is the real estate does not seem to be changing hands all too quickly, many of the homes I have been viewing on Craigslist and Trulia have been listed now for two years or more, and lots of multiple price reductions as well.

[osugirl2]

Originally Posted by ShouldIMoveOrStayPut...?

First off let me state I am a fan of PC. In stating the Soul /Character point I am attempting to address poster's concerns and observations regarding superficial and arguably decadent behavior that upper status communities can often contain (Cadillac Escalades for 16th birthdays, parties with alchohol and prescription drugs, etc.)....Character regarding behavior choices, not meaning the fit, finish, feel, and architecture/archetype of the community.

And, of course this does not apply to all PC residents or neighborhoods. When I was there back in May I met a fair share of family friendly folks, very down to earth, but also a concerningly high number of "Poseurs"

Audi Q7 parked right in front of the whole foods market entrance at the Redstone center with a 30 something snowbunny loading groceries to save an extra 20 foot walk while elderly residents must now navigate around to get to their own properly parked vehicles.

One observation is the real estate does not seem to be changing hands all too quickly, many of the homes I have been viewe bing on Craigslist and Trulia have been listed now for two years or more, and lots of multiple price reductions as well.

I know you weren't saying you weren't a fan and that it was the feeling you were getting from some of the posts . I'm sure that there is some of the behavior you're describing. I had the opportunity to live in an upscale community for about 8 years. It was full of multi-million dollar homes, famous people and over indulged teenagers (my boyfriend was one of them once upon a time.....lol), but despite that, the community still had a nice feel to it and there were plenty of people who were young, and middle/working class. It was a great place to live, and I would have had no problem raising my son there. If I hadn't taken the job I took in Utah, I would have probably found myself back there when my son reached school age because of the great school system, and simply because I loved the place.