Reader comments
Suburbs in Utah are flourishing

Anonymous | 12:42 a.m. July 10, 2008

Life in the burbs is, so fifties. You have your strip malls, corporate theme resturants and homes that look the same.

Rich | 1:32 a.m. July 10, 2008

I live in Farmington, which is definitely a suburb, even though it's a town or village. That's because the vast majority of workers in Farmington travel outside the town to work. And Farmington has a very small commercial district, meaning that everybody here spends most of their money in other towns. The Legislature lets most of the sales tax money stay in the towns where it is spend, so Farmington can't afford to hire enough police officers, take part in the South Davis Recreation Center, provide enough parks for the rapidly growing west side, etc. We pay for other communities to have those amenities because we shop at Wal-Mart in Centerville or the mall in Farmington or the auto stores in Riverdale or Murray. Things will eventually change, but until my town gets to keep more of the tax money that is taken from its citizens, it will always be a suburb in my eyes.

Rich | 1:34 a.m. July 10, 2008

Sorry, I meant the mall in Layton.

I wish the DN reader comment software allowed for editing the way the SL Trib comment software does.

Comments continue below

RE: Anonymous 12:42 a.m. | 4:12 a.m. July 10, 2008

> Life in the burbs is, so fifties.
> You have your strip malls, corporate
> theme resturants and homes that look
> the same.

Plus it's safe, clean, convenient, and family-friendly. The horror!

Bob G | 5:46 a.m. July 10, 2008

I wouldn't call it flourshing, more a fact of congestion. What do census reports have to do with a city flourshing? Besides, the census reports are years behind current data. If increased congestion, increased traffic, increased crime, increased taxes, larger police and fire departments, and more corruption in government are results of 'flourshing' then this might be true. Uncontrolled and unregulated growth in a city is detrimental to life and the pursuit of happiness. Business are allowed to enter residential neighborhoods and take a large chunk of land and turn it into an eyesore to the residents that have moved to residential locations to get away from business districts. But the cities encourge and promote businesses moving in residential areas and disrupting a once peacful and serene home. If crime, taxes, and congestion declined I would call this flourshing. Everything else is cause for alarm and is disconcerting and distasteful.

JCH | 6:24 a.m. July 10, 2008

"Are flourishing" should read, "were flourishing."

Census data ending in 2007 doesn't truly account for the stark end of the Happy Driving Age, as it announced itself to Utahns only in early 2008.

Ms. Bulkeley, can you ask your editors to run a brief story on the suburbs' flourishing foreclosures and bankruptcies next week? How about flourishing psychotropic meds addiction? Or flourishing obesity? Any of those.

lowonoil | 6:54 a.m. July 10, 2008

This article should be titled "Suburbs in Utah WERE flourishing. The suburban housing market is disintegrating. Building has slowed to a crawl, and many of the of the existing residents are trying to get out of their homes before they are forced out by bankruptcy.
This looks like market propaganda trying to lure potential buyers into an unjustified confidence in the future of the suburbs. To find out what's really happening in the suburbs watch the documentary "The End Of Suburbia"

Still more attractive | 7:33 a.m. July 10, 2008

Most of the Salt Lake City elitists who criticize the suburbs have never been south of 21st South. They think the world ends there. Most couldn't tell the difference between South Jordan, West Jordan, and West Valley. From my experience, I would much rather live in the suburbs than Salt Lake City. The schools, shopping, and neighborhoods are vastly superior.

old dude | 7:49 a.m. July 10, 2008

Anonymous stated: "Life in the burbs is, so fifties. You have your strip malls, corporate theme resturants and homes that look the same."

You do realize strip malls and coporate theme resturants didn't exist in the 50's, right? In fact malls were in the future in the 50s. As was urban sprawl. Think of the 40s with indoor plumbing, TVs, and fridges, then you'll have it.

A No-brainer | 8:03 a.m. July 10, 2008

All we need to do is look to Los Angeles as to what will happen to our suburbs in the next 30 years. There will be 5 to 6 families living in a house that, in the 20th century, housed 1 family. There will be 10 cars parked on the dead lawn. Bars will be on the windows of those homes. English won't be spoken in those homes. Sounds like the American Dream, doesn't it!

JCH | 8:51 a.m. July 10, 2008

Some commenter using the nom de plume "Still more attractive" makes a remark about "SLC elitists." Huh. Okay.

Then, this was brilliant, "S.m.a." suggests that these elitists couldn't tell the difference between three of Utah's greatest monuments to civilized living arrangements: South Jordan, West Jordan, and West Valley.

Okay, dear "S.m.a.", I give up. You got me. I grew up in SLC, right by East High. I rarely ventured south of 21st, and then only with feet dragging. I hate SLC's suburbs.

But you tell me: what are the essential distinguishing characteristics, however nuanced, of South Jordan, West Jordan, and West Valley?

OilMan | 9:23 a.m. July 10, 2008

No one has yet mentioned what will really kill the burbs. Energy prices.

good time to be rich | 9:42 a.m. July 10, 2008

The funny thing is, the developers, bankers, and realtors who are always pushing for more growth and development in a community, live far away from the overcrowded situation they've created in gated communities somewhere telling each other: "Isn't this a fabulous time to be rich?!"

oussan | 9:57 a.m. July 10, 2008

Rich: You whine about tax dollars going to the cities in which they are earned, rather than their non-starter neighbors. Do you really propose a county tax hike to subsidize your city's failings?

The answer is better planning, not more taxes, and suburbs are leading the way in terms of innovative planning - something ignorant suburbs-haters are unwilling to admit. (Check out the now-defunct "Utah Planners' Corner" blog for examples.)

Bob G: You criticize this census data, but provide no data of your own to back up your claims of "increased congestion, increased traffic, increased crime, increased taxes, larger police and fire departments, and more corruption in government." You cannot make sensational statements like these and assume that we will take your heavily biased opinion as fact.

red neck | 10:20 a.m. July 10, 2008

I moved from a very nice suburb in Davis county
I will refer to as "The Desperate suburbian housewives of zion" to a very remote farming community in Cache valley almost 2 years ago,
Do I miss my mansion yes, Do I miss being close to a grocery store yes, would I do it all over again yes..
I cant tell you how nice it is to live where it is quiet and the benifits of non city life are truley amazing, where people are spiritual not religious(yes their is a diffrence) the nicest part of all however is not watching the Jones trying to keep up with the Smiths, and the Smiths keeping up with the Hansens, and the Hansens keeping up with the Taylors....
This is why Utah is in bankrupcy......
Yes being a red neck is under rated for sure..

To: Still more attractive | 10:55 a.m. July 10, 2008

As somebody who grew up in the suburbs and now lives in Salt Lake City, I would like to know in what way are the "schools, shopping, and neigbhorhoods [in the suburbs] are vastly superior." The schools in SLC have smaller class sizes and are at least as good as the schools I went to in Granite School District, if not better. Shopping at the Gateway beats anything in the burbs. Again, at the very least, it is hard to argue that Fashion Place, South Town, or Valley Fair are "vastly superior." Finally, my neigborhood in Canyon Rim includes outdoor events, parks, nice neighbors, and local businesses. How are the suburb neighborhoods "vastly superior" to my neighborhood? If you are going to make such a strong statement, at least back it up with something. Anything.

Re: A No-brainer | 11:21 a.m. July 10, 2008

. . . guess you havenï¿½t been to Kearns lately. The conditions you describe are already there.

Re --Suburbia | 11:45 a.m. July 10, 2008

My reaction after reading the above comments is that people must be bored and have a lot of time on their hands to get so excited about a PR piece like this. This is getting almost as bad as the stupid Utah/BYU fan feud.

Anonymous | 12:50 p.m. July 10, 2008

More people.
More problems.

ME | 2:06 p.m. July 10, 2008

More People
More Solutions

It's Already Happening... | 4:08 p.m. July 10, 2008

Sky-high Gas Prices and record Foreclosures are already beginning to exact a toll on the suburbs.

Re "Anonymous | 12:42 a.m." | 4:13 p.m. July 10, 2008

Anonymous says:
"Life in the burbs is, so fifties. You have your strip malls, corporate theme resturants and homes that look the same".

He should say:
"Ahhh Urban life, it's so slum infested. We have the same resturants as the burbs plus some where you don't even need to wear pants! My rented cement cubicle apartment is much much different from the cement cubicle accross the hall. I know this is snobby, but I feel sorry for people in the suburbs where people own their homes and the land because all the houses and yards look the same to me. We have the same stores in our mall as the suburbs, but in the megopolis you have the thrill of trying to get from your rented apartment to your taxi without getting mugged or raped. And if your luck runs out and get mugged or raped, you don't need to worry about being embarassed because people will just walk right past you and pretend they don't see you".

Ahhh, life in Gotham City...

Anonymous | 4:39 p.m. July 10, 2008

So when do we see the solutions?

I live in Ogden | 5:23 p.m. July 10, 2008

Ogden is a wonderful suburb of Salt Lake City. It was recently ranked as the best city to live in, in the State. Ogden's trasnformation is truely remarkable.

Re: Anonymous | 5:35 p.m. July 10, 2008

You see the solutions when you clearly define the problem, come up with many possible ideas, choose the best one and implement it.

For the ignorant suburbanites | 5:55 p.m. July 10, 2008

I grew up in suburban Los Angeles and Salt Lake. Now I live right downtown. I'll take it anyday over suburbia. I haven't used my car in months. The last time I put gas in my car, it was still under $3.80 though still a rip off. Most of the violent crimes I've heard of recently occured in a West Valley neighborhood, or a Lehi church parking lot. I've never been mugged. The last time something was stolen from me, I was in Draper. I'm healthy because I walk everywhere, and it costs me nothing. Rather, I enjoy the beauty and vibrance of downtown, and the bustling of local businesses, where spending my money is enjoyable.
When my family tell me to be careful where I live, I laugh in spite of myself.
And I admit, I do try to avoid venturing south of 21st if I can help it.

Where lies blame? | 9:07 p.m. July 10, 2008

Yes, energy prices are hurting the suburbs. But let's not blame the cost of gas - the fact is most families spend too much, save very little, and buy homes they can hardly afford to live in. The price of gas doubles and we blame the oil companies when really, if people were more responsible with their money, they could take a hit on prices and live.

I bought my SUV used and paid it off quickly - gas could go to $8 a gallon and I would be fine. I don't like high gas prices, but overconsumption is too often overlooked.

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