Considering relocating from CA (Salt Lake City, West Valley City: apartments, to rent, insurance)

[xMissPoisonGirlx]

Hello,
My husband and I are in our mid/late 20's and we considering relocating. We are both currently living in Orange County, CA. We are looking for very specific things and we are thinking UT may be the place for us but we are not 100% sure. I was hoping to get some feedback about the state. We also had been looking at CO but like UT a bit more. We are planning a trip to visit this year also.
Im going to tell you what we are looking for and what we are looking to avoid so maybe residents of UT can tell us if they think this would be the right or wrong place for us. I apologize in advance if anyone is offened by my preferances but it would be hard for me to tell you what Im looking for without expressing them. Sorry if my preferances dont match your own.
My husband and I are looking for a safe community with friendly people and low crime rates. We are looking for an area with well behaved children and teenagers (parents who take an interest in raising their kids with manners). We are looking for an affordable place to rent/buy apartments/homes. We are looking to be around other faith-filled/religious people (we are Christian but any religion is fine). We are looking for an area with a low or decent unemployment rate. We are looking for a place in which it is affordable enough that with two working people we can afford an apartment in a nice area even with just average jobs. We prefer a suburb area that is within 20 minutes driving distance to the city.
What we are NOT looking for is a place that is strongly unreligious or pro gay marraige or pro abortion. We dont want a place with a very high unemployment rate or very high cost of living. We dont want to live in an area with high crime or drugs. Weather and outdoor activities will not be a deciding factor in where we move, as other things are more important to us.
Based on what we are looking to be surrounded by and the type of people we would like to be among would you say UT would be a good match?
Can any UT residents tell us personally what they think the main Pros and Cons are of living/moving there?
Thanks to everyone in advance for your honest suggestions!

[kaytidid]

Other than the low employment rate (which is a bit high in Utah, as well as the rest of the country), that pretty much covers just about 90% of any area in Utah.

Also, one can never be 100% sure about a life change...I sure as heck wasn't sure when we moved from the east 15 years ago, but it was the best change we could have made.

I love the area that I live. Search through some of my old posts about my area. I think it is the most awesome place in Utah.

[Mauka]

Yea, Tooele is nice, a little far out but nice and safe. It's a reasonable drive into SLC for work.

You can live in pretty much any of the southern or western suburbs except for West Valley City. The northern suburbs will work for you as well.
You may want to check out Centerville.

[irman]

@ xMissPoisonGirlx
Geesj ... you do not want much do you .....

There may not be such place you are asking for, so the best thing to do is look at different areas, experience on your own, if you feel good walking through that area. Trust your gut.

Go home, think about it, come back again and make the best of your choice.
Whatever your choice will be, it will NOT be even close to Orange County.

When we came here a umpteen years ago (from the Pleasant Valley area), we looked for weeks where to settle. Then one day we saw it and we did not want to look further. Just felt good and peaceful. Con not imagine living anywhere else.

Moving from one State to another, especially when the next State is so much different, you'd better make sure you like what you are getting into.

[jskains]

We took the "lets find a place to land approach". We landed in Sandy. Once we are established and know the neighborhoods better, we will make a better decision. But we are renting our first place. When we are ready to buy, we will find a place likely further south (my eye is on Lehi).

[5sharps]

Had a temp job @ Hill AFB for the last 7 months. Lived in very nice LDS managed apartments, Colonial Court II in Ogden. Grew up in OC and live in Temecula. I talked with a lot of people and the LDS effect is very much alive in certain neighborhoods. Newer areas with newer housing, Layton area and above would be ok. Decent shopping in that area and not too far to go to SLC or the airport. Quicker then OC, traffic is find on the fwy's. this link will show traffic cams:
UDOT - Utah CommuterLink

Shopping is best on a Sunday, you and 25 other people will be at Costco. The place is empty compared to all Costco's or Sams on a Sunday in OC. Costco in SLC sells Prime graded beef at a very decent price, most Costco's sell Choice.

BEWARE THOUGH OF THE DRIVING HABITS:
Green light means go, yellow means go faster and red means keep on going. THEY DONT STOP OR MUCH LESS SLOW DOWN. Daily, I saw the local "UTARDS" run red lights. No wonder why they have 'no fault insurance'. Also unlike the green arrow we have here in CA for the left turn, the Utards keep turning left even after it turns to a green light, which they are "suppose" to yield to oncoming traffic. Freeway driving: we have the reflectors on the lanes which help us stay in our lane, Utah has nothing and also because they don't have any restrictions on cell usage, the Utards are all over the lanes drifting back and forth, texting, dialing, talking. I must have been the only one wearing an earpiece to talk on the cell while driving.

Yes it is a pretty place to live when it's not blowing. When the wind blows from the west, Utah will and does have the dirtiest air in the nation. The inversion layer with its smog, (no vapor recovery on gas pumps) the crap that is picked up from the dry areas of the Salt Lake that blew into North SL area made it look like fog in the middle of the day. When it rains, its like acid rain, the drops leave salt like spots all over your car. Also when it snows and you are driving beware that cars don't drive next to or in front of you as you will get a wave of snow slush thrown at you. Some drivers know how to drive, must be relo's from CA. Also a turn signal is only used at the very last moment if at all.
Still most people are very nice, and the Walmart in North Ogden where most are Hispanic were some of the nicest people. Gasoline is higher, go figure and the octane is 85, not the 87 most cars need. So I mixed both grades. Food prices mostly same with milk being less. Housing is more, most houses have basements, and the price reflects it. Though here in Temecula we still
have great prices due to all the inventory. No Trader Joe's and In-N-Out is slowly making it way up the state. Yes it's not the same state as it was when I attended U of U in '74. You are close to the mountains, Wyoming, Idaho and Wendover NV for the Vegas thing. You can get a permit to carry a concealed weapon, unlike CA where all the bad pack w/o a permit. Don't use you car horn as you will get shot at or followed.
The local police don't issue many traffic tickets, as someone ran a very red light in front of a Ogden Police. And the local highway patrol will stand outside their cars in the emergency parking lane with their radar guns pointing at you. In CA they would be ran over, and in Utah they do.
You will also need to get a Smog and safety test every year no matter how young your car is.
The winter is nice, when it's not snowing, you'll have your snow scrapper, shovel and winter clothes. Your landscape will go away. Utah is a prime area for a synthetic turf business; green all winter long.
I would choose Colorado over Utah; more spread out, open areas, better lifestyle. My Step sister and husband who are LDS would never move to Utah, just because they are not of Utah decent. They even fear LDS effect, and they're LDS!
Utah is a nice place to visit. If I were to move back I would live up in Morgan or Eden or buy a condo in Park City, but only as a second home. Logan is nice and secluded. But we missed the ocean, the sound of the waves, sunsets, dining, and weather.
Good Luck

[MrAnderson]

The winter's in Utah are nice except when it snows? That's odd. So you like it just sunny and freezing?

Anyway, you described just about any Utah city except Salt Lake City. The crime cities to avoid would be West Valley, Midvale, and Taylorsville, kearns and Magna.

[xMissPoisonGirlx]

It sounds like UT has most of what we are looking for. Is the driving really that bad?? Thats scary!

[kaytidid]

It isn't THAT bad. You are coming from CA..you will feel right at home

[Mauka]

MissPoisonGirl,
The worst driving I have experienced is actually in Utah County, which is the only negative I have toward the area. I don't know why it is the way it is, but I think it has to do with the roads. There are not enough wide surface roads for the population, iand the freeway probably needs another lane. It probably has more to do with growing pains than anything else.

Other than that, the driving is ok, it can get a little sketchy during the winter but that's about it.