Is Utah loosing its appeal?

[Gravy]

the grass is always greener on the other side.

Also the grass is greener where it gets watered.

I think this whole thread has reinforced the thought in me that we've got to be better stewards of what we personally oversee whether it's our children or communities.

 

[moab_cj5]

Utah sucks. Everyone should leave... Colorado is nice, and almost everything you could want is legal there. They have mountains, bigger than Utah. They have plains, much larger than Utah's. They have Denver, much better than SLC. Its the perfect destination for anyone that doesn't like Utah.

Other than 5 years in Kansas and 2 years in Ukraine, I have always been in Utah. The current changes aren't for everyone, but as others have pointed out, the secret spots aren't so secret anymore, and there are people everywhere. COVID had a lot to do with the outdoors rebirth when people couldn't travel so they invaded the outdoors. I think that is both good and bad as people need more tackle box and less xbox in their lives, but it does crowd the areas we are accustomed to being vacant. I don't know if the genie will ever be put back in the bottle, but I suspect interest will wane as travel continues to open up and people get eaten and mauled by various wildlife that will scare them back to the comfort of their concrete village.

If more folks responded to each other with kindness, and put down their phones more often and talked to their neighbors, it could really help heal many societal woes.

 

[Herzog]

I have watched a steady decline of people's morals and ethics over the past couple of years in particular which has made me not want to deal with people like I once did.

Ain't that the truth.

 

[N-Smooth]

I don't know if the genie will ever be put back in the bottle, but I suspect interest will wane as travel continues to open up and people get eaten and mauled by various wildlife that will scare them back to the comfort of their concrete village.

I think it’ll get closer to normal after a couple years. If nothing else I think the casual outdoorsy people will go back to life pre-COVID but the people that moved here to be outdoors more will keep it up. That should be fine though since they’re probably more considerate.

 

[Houndoc]

We are all part of the change- l live in a fast growing community where a lot of people complain about the growth. But most of the complaints come from people who moved there as adults (I have been there little over 20 years), including some who have moved in within the last 2-3 years.
I have Utah roots as far back as 1847 with a wife who immigrated as a teen, so my family reflects pretty much the full spectrum.
Most of us would like to move somewhere and then lock the gate behind us and not let anyone else in. But doesn't work that way.
While I agree on the crowd issues when getting outdoors, I love the increased diversity in Utah (religious, ethnic, cultural). Makes for a more interesting place to be.

 

[Corban_White]

I bought a house in Lehi right after I got married in 2005, when it was still "small". We lived there for 16 years until I finally had to get away from all the people. Yeah, we do miss being 1-2 hours away from family instead of 10-12, and we have a bunch of friends that we don't see nearly as much as we would like, but yesterday (Labor Day) we went on a quick (1 hr) ATV/dirt bike ride before dinner. We left from the house on our machines and only saw one other rider in that hour. The traffic on the highway was backed up for miles and miles most of the weekend, which is definitely an inconvenience we deal with for living here, but other than that, living in a small town that is 90 minutes from anywhere besides national forest is pretty awesome. There are a few challenges, mostly associated with the number of second homes and retirees, but we definitely don't regret the move. The grass was certainly greener for us! Which is kind of ironic since we left the land of manicured lawns, curbs, gutters and sidewalks for the land of gravel and natural vegetation yards and dirt roads.

 

[Kevin B.]

My Utah roots got cut and I'm trying to grow them back. My great grandparents got married in Tooele and great grandfather is buried up in Brigham City. Great grandmother moved to Oregon with the rest of the family and that's where most of my people are now.

Wife's family is from the Brigham City/Cache Valley area and I've been thinking that'd be where I wanna go once we're ready to leave Salt Lake, but Bend OR is looking pretty good. Bend got "discovered" decades ago when the Californians first started invading Oregon, and it was Park City style hot for a long time. That rush has since died off as other places got trendy and real estate in central Oregon is coming down in price. That may be where we end up, I dunno.

 

[Greg]

Utah sucks. Everyone should leave... Colorado is nice, and almost everything you could want is legal there. They have mountains, bigger than Utah. They have plains, much larger than Utah's. They have Denver, much better than SLC. Its the perfect destination for anyone that doesn't like Utah.

Other than 5 years in Kansas and 2 years in Ukraine, I have always been in Utah. The current changes aren't for everyone, but as others have pointed out, the secret spots aren't so secret anymore, and there are people everywhere. COVID had a lot to do with the outdoors rebirth when people couldn't travel so they invaded the outdoors. I think that is both good and bad as people need more tackle box and less xbox in their lives, but it does crowd the areas we are accustomed to being vacant. I don't know if the genie will ever be put back in the bottle, but I suspect interest will wane as travel continues to open up and people get eaten and mauled by various wildlife that will scare them back to the comfort of their concrete village.

If more folks responded to each other with kindness, and put down their phones more often and talked to their neighbors, it could really help heal many societal woes.

Knock it off, Colorado sucks... I'm moving to Idaho.

 

[Tonkaman]

My father grew up in Jackson Hole. He eventually felt priced out and moved. He ended up in Heber City where I was raised. We have both since left Heber because we were priced out.

The joke is on him though. If he had kept properly in either of those cities he would be filthy rich!

 

[spaggyroe]

Utah has been good to me, but I admittedly have reached a point where I am open to a change of scenery. I grew up in Utah, on a farm with mucho open land. Now I live in Lehi and can't even stand to go out to a restaurant due to the volume of humans. We've been here over 14 years and the growth around us has been explosive. I used to LOVE to go explore AF Canyon but I find myself going up there ~30% as much as I used to due to the crowds.

Now that I'm getting older, I am starting to look at options for a condo or other small vacation home that could eventually become a permanent home. I want:
- Somewhere with warmer winters
- Somewhere near the ocean would be a plus.
-NOT California
- Lower tax rates would be a plus.
*I'm not opposed to moving out of country either.

I feel that real estate will continue to drop through 2023, so next year might be the time for us to buy that condo / vaca home.

My wife has something like 13 years until she is eligible for her full pension, so we'll be around this area until then. After which, I think it's HIGHLY likely that we are out of here.

 

[Coco]

Short answer, Yes. Utah has lost its appeal.

I am with a lot of people on here. Utah is becoming too crowded, with too many californians moving in, and high density housing going up. I have lived here my entire life and have always considered Utah home, but not as of late. The lack of infrastructure or water but mindset of hey lets keep building and allowing more and more people to move here anyway is utterly frustrating. My wife and I bought our house in Lehi right as the pandemic was kicking off. Since then it seems we have more high density housing coming in, 2 car washes, and lots of restaurants, gas stations, etc. If you want to live here, that's fine, but buy existing, and leave your stupid politics at the state line you left! You left your shit show of a state for a reason, don't come to our state and try to change it to what you just left! That is my biggest pet peeve.

I have asked my wife several times if she would consider moving to Idaho, or central Utah just to get out of the valley, and be around 'less' people. She wont move unless her mom passes away or comes with us. I can't say I blame her as our kid is her first grandbaby, but I told her we could visit on weekends. It is nice having both of our families so close to us, but its hard to not weigh the couple hour drives that would be needed to get away from so many people. I know my parents are starting to plan and make preparations to move somewhere out of the valley in the next 5-7 years when my mom retires. She has said she doesn't want to work when they move, so she wants to finish out her career first. Can't say I blame her.

Another problem I have been having as of late working in retail, is the sheer amount of people that think they are entitled to anything and everything right now (like others mentioned the ME ME ME mentality). I haven't hated my job more than I do currently just dealing with the general public. There has been a couple times where I was seriously considering walking out.

I LOVE all the outdoor activities Utah has to offer, but I am willing to drive further to get to them if I was to move away. Though the crowds and chaos at said destinations would just bring it all back to reality.

Somewhere with a little less hustle and bustle would be really nice, plus a change in scenery for my employment, and/or a little more respect for one another and understanding of how things work would be a breath of fresh air.

 

[Rot Box]

On that note little ol’ Cache Valley now has an In-N-Out and the line is literally out the door and around the corner… eff me 😣.

I’ve been through 45 of the 50 states and while there are some really-really great places in this country Utah is still my favorite. Do I love it to death? Maybe I’m part of the problem? I used to know where to escape the crowds around here even on holiday weekends but lately my favorite places are overrun with people and the people are EVERYWHERE all the time.

Did the internet kill these great places? Probably. I’ve been venturing further and further into Idaho and Wyoming. I’m sure the locals see my Utah plates and roll their eyes. Hmm I dunno what to think 🤔

 

[RustEoldtrux]

I moved from WVC to Wyoming in 1980 because of the crowded conditions. I go to the Wasatch front now if only if absolutely necessary. Recently moved to SW Colorado, where it's a bit more crowded, but the winters are easier on my wife.

 

[Spork]

Having flashbacks to a quote...
You can never go home.

You can never go home again. by Lord Merlynn

So many roads Ive travelled / in this dark and dreary life. / And yet so many roads laie b. Published at the web's largest poetry site.

allpoetry.com

You can never go home again.​

So many roads Ive travelled
in this dark and dreary life.
And yet so many roads laie before me
that I have yet to step upon.
The past is always with you
haunting you, beckoning you,
calling you to return just one last time.
And yet, when you get to where
you have been before,
nothing is the same, and you feel unwanted.
Walking down a street where you used to live,
the house you lived in
has been torn down, and is no longer there.
Only memories remain
of a lifetime, lived so long ago.
People that you have once known,
but do not know you anymore.
Wave and smile blankly at you in the street.
The pain, a lingering lump in the throat.
Choking down tears left unshed.
Sorrow bubbles up from deep inside.
You move on, for everything changes;
And you can never go home again.

 

[J-mobzz]

Just out of curiosity who has neighbors that somewhat recently moved from California? Most the people I meet that have moved from out of state in the past 10 years have not come from California. And actually thinking about it I can’t really recall knowing or meeting anyone from California.

 

[jeeper]

Just out of curiosity who has neighbors that somewhat recently moved from California? Most the people I meet that have moved from out of state in the past 10 years have not come from California. And actually thinking about it I can’t really recall knowing or meeting anyone from California.

I don't have any recent neighbors.. but as an appraiser, California is by far the most common place for people to move from that I meet. These are usually avenues and east salt lake neighborhoods.

 

[BCGPER]

Also the grass is greener where it gets watered.

I think this whole thread has reinforced the thought in me that we've got to be better stewards of what we personally oversee whether it's our children or communities.

Just out of curiosity who has neighbors that somewhat recently moved from California? Most the people I meet that have moved from out of state in the past 10 years have not come from California. And actually thinking about it I can’t really recall knowing or meeting anyone from California.

I’m I Arizona, about an hour from the California border. Most all of the new neighbors moving in are from California, or oddly enough, New York. But, there are no decent jobs here so most are like me who cashed out and retired early.

Salt lakes traffic, snow, and smog finally drove me out. It’s such a nice change to be able to see the stars at night here.

 

[mbryson]

Jealous of you but happy for you guys

 

[Trate D]

Just out of curiosity who has neighbors that somewhat recently moved from California? Most the people I meet that have moved from out of state in the past 10 years have not come from California. And actually thinking about it I can’t really recall knowing or meeting anyone from California.

About 2 yrs ago the house next to us was unfortunately bought by a rental company. The renters for last year and a half has been a family from California. He said they moved for all the usual reasoning. Taxes, housing cost, quality of life. They seem like great people and constantly say they will never go back and still complain about who runs it and how California is being run into the ground. They love off road and camping and say they couldn’t be happier here. Says that everywhere they go is still less crowded than the places they were going to in California.

Me being a terrible mostly keep to my-self neighbor have forgotten what part of California they moved from...

 

[nnnnnate]

Out of the about 65-70 houses that have built in my subdivision all but about 5 have direct ties to West Valley/Magna area. One couple came from SoCal but she grew up less than a mile down the street from us. One family came from Idaho. My boss moved from Midvale. Another family came from west Kearns. Everyone else grew up out here or lived here for years before "upgrading" to a bigger/nicer home. I was really surprised by this but I've made it a point to go welcome people into the area when they move in and we hold a block party the Saturday after Labor day every year. We had it Saturday and had another decent group of people.