The Great Salt Lake City (SLC) has a quirky history that has drawn in crowds of diverse people — especially now that remote work is becoming more common and people are moving to Utah for close proximity to outdoor recreation. Here’s what all of us natives know is true in these Salt Lake City facts.
Truths that everyone from SLC will agree on
1. We really do have the greatest snow on Earth — which is why so many world-class winter athletes come here to train.
2. The inversion is real and it ruins lives. It’s like another allergy season, only worse because the air smells weird and you can see the pollution you’re breathing in.
3. Even though you can float in the Great Salt Lake, why would you want to? It’s full of disgusting brine shrimp and the water burns your eyes. And, it stinks.
4. Temple Square lights are a must at Christmas.
5. Yes, there’s a high concentration of Mormons. No, they aren’t polygamists. Yes, they make lots of green Jell-O.
6. John Stockton and Karl Malone are the greatest basketball players to walk the Earth, which makes the Utah Jazz the greatest team to exist.
7. Snow stops nothing. If there is two feet of snow, school might be delayed for a couple of hours — but only if you’re lucky.
8. Everyone knows the right way to say “Tooele,” but no one can say “mountain” correctly.
9. Avoid Temple Square and the surrounding areas during the first weekends in April and October unless you want mobs of Mormons to run over you at the General Conference.
10. No matter how many times your parents tell you it’s dangerous to “shoot the tube,” you’ll still do it. It’s a rite of passage.
11. Fry sauce is the only condiment you need.
12. You don’t “skip” or “ditch” class, you “sluff.”
13. The only rivalry that really matters is BYU vs. U of U.
14. Seasons? What are those? It’s highly possible that you’ll get some snow in May, or you’ll wake up to three inches of snow on the ground but have blue skies and 50-degree temperatures by noon. It’s bipolar weather.
15. Pioneer Day (July 24), known to some as “pie-and-beer” day, is basically another version of the Fourth of July. Parades, fireworks — the whole nine yards.
16. Other states have “construction season,” and we just have construction that lasts all year long.
17. If you didn’t get your picture taken in front of the Cents of Style wall, did you even go to Salt Lake?
18. If you want to gamble, you’ll need to take a drive and visit Wendover on the Utah/Nevada border. You won’t find a (legal) establishment for gambling in the state of Utah.
19. The city streets laid out in a grid pattern offers better traffic flow and walkability. We totally take it for granted, until we go to a city that doesn’t utilize it.
20. The air is somehow the driest that you’ll ever experience. You’ll become very well-acquainted with lotion and lip balm to keep your skin from drying out and feeling like a reptile.
21. Pronunciation of the letter “t” is merely optional in many words and names—”Layton” is “lay-uhn,” “Peyton” is “pay-uhn” and “fountain” is “fou-ehn.”
22. There are multilevel marketing schemes galore, and people are always trying to sell you something you don’t want, whether it’s LuLaRoe leggings or doTERRA essential oils.
23. Everything closes early. Most places stay open until 9 p.m., but you’ll also come across plenty of places that close even earlier than that.
24. Speaking of opening and closing, you’ll find that many stores are completely closed on Sundays and those that are open likely have shorter store hours than usual.
25. Along with the dryness, the air quality is never good. Because Salt Lake is in a valley that’s completely surrounded by mountains, it creates a bowl effect and traps the smog — which you inhale daily.
26. You’ve never seen so many aggressive minivans on the freeway and you best stay out of their way.
27. Everyone is a “photographer,” which actually means they bought themselves a nice camera and snap pictures of everything they do.
28. Nightlife? What is that?
29. If you want anything that’s more than 5 percent alcohol, you’re going to have to find a state liquor store. The maximum alcohol content they can sell at grocery and convenience stores is 5 percent.
30. Rock climbing isn’t just an activity — it’s a personality trait and you’ll always find someone that will go on a climbing trip with you.
Ready to make the move?
Are you ready to take the leap and move to Salt Lake City? If you like these Salt Lake City facts, then start your housing search and find an apartment in Salt Lake City!
