Moving to Salt Lake City | What to Know
/Salt Lake City Relocation Guide
You've decided to make the move to Salt Lake City! Maybe you've just received a job offer, you want to be closer to family or you just love the beautiful lifestyle we have here in Utah. Once you begin thinking about making a move to Salt Lake, there are some things you'll want to keep in mind as you transition. As a Real Estate Agent, here are my top tips on making your move to Salt Lake City a smooth one.
Learn About Salt Lake City's Best Neighborhoods
Little else will probably impact your new life in Salt Lake more than where you live. Your neighborhood is going to set the tone for the restaurants you visit, the people you meet, and the quality of life you enjoy. I've lived in seven different states in my adult life and every time I've moved I've spent countless hours on Google maps just trying to figure out what this new city looks like. The second thing I do research and read every single thing I can find about the neighborhoods of where I'm going. Salt Lake is a diverse city with many different neighborhoods to suit just about anyone (and that's saying nothing of the suburbs where you'll find even more areas that might fit your lifestyle). So research your heart out and get a feel for the different areas of Salt Lake. Soon you'll start to picture yourself in one area in particular. I've written my own blog post about my favorite Salt Lake neighborhoods here which is a great place to get started on your research.
Find a Trusted Real Estate Agent in Salt Lake City
I can't tell you how many times I've moved and my real estate agent was literally the only person I knew in town. Having a trusted, knowledgeable real estate agent can sometimes make all the difference in a big move. One service that I offer to my out of town movers is a driving tour of the city so that you can see the neighborhoods and landmarks you've been researching on Google. Make sure you find someone who will go above and beyond to help make your transition to the area a smooth one.
Learn Salt Lake's Grid System
I've lived in a lot of cities and I've never lived anywhere so easy to navigate. The very first planners of Salt Lake were a meticulous bunch and I silently thank them every time I can navigate myself around this city. Salt Lake and the suburbs are set on a numbered grid starting from Temple Square so if you know your cross streets, you know exactly where you are positioned in the city. I meet transplants all the time and the ones who have learned the grid system know their way around our city so much better than the ones who haven't learned it. Don't worry, it's easy once you get the hang of it. Each street to the North, East, South, and West of Temple square are numbered and given a direction so 100 South is 1 block South of the Temple and runs East and West, 200 East is 2 blocks East of the Temple and runs North and South and so forth. Pull up Google Maps and start studying- you got this!
Find Things to do in Salt Lake City
Once you get here, one of the best ways to feel connected to your new city and meet people is to get out of the house and attend events. It might seem simple now, but when you've just moved to a brand new city, it's difficult to find out what fun things are going on. I put out a monthly email of events going on in the Salt Lake Valley. It's a great email to receive because it comes to your inbox just once a month and you'll have a list of great events to get you out and meeting people. If you want to start receiving it, enter your information to the top right of this page to subscribe. Rest assured, once you get out of the house the people in Salt Lake are incredibly friendly. Strike up a conversation and you just might meet a fellow transplant (this city is full of them!).
Find Your Social Group
When I first moved to Salt Lake, I knew I needed to find some groups to join because it's an easy way to meet a lot of people similar to you in one setting. The groups I found that fit my lifestyle were Fit4Mom (a workout, support, and play group for moms and children) and The Junior League of Salt Lake City (a social and volunteer organization for women). Through these groups I've met some incredible friends and added a lot of great events to my calendar. Meetup is a great website to find groups with similar interests- or start your own!
Explore Beautiful Utah
One of the greatest things about living in Utah is being so close to all of the beauty here. I recently met some people from the East Coast who had taken two weeks off of work to fly out to Salt Lake, rent an RV, and drive all over the state visiting the national parks. I was so struck by the amount of time, effort, and money they were undertaking and I live right next to it! What an amazing opportunity to see some of the most beautiful places and ski the best snow in the entire country! If you love being outdoors, then there's almost zero shortage of things to do here in Utah! This is my favorite website to find great hiking trails and here's my guide to Capitol Reef National Park which is not far from Salt Lake.
Discover Salt Lake City's Best Restaurants
In my opinion, one of the best parts of moving to a new city is discovering and trying new restaurants. I love reading a new menu for the first time. I run an Instagram account where I post my favorite food and drink finds all over the Salt Lake Valley. Follow me and get some great ideas on new places to try!
Congratulations on your move to Salt Lake City and welcome to the neighborhood!
