Wisconsin vs. Utah (moving)

In My Humble Opinion
1

A few months ago, I solicited opinions on where I should move. At this point, I’m deciding between moving to Salt Lake City versus Milwaukee. I’m very torn - the jobs are more or less equal, so that’s not a major consideration. I tend to be a bit of an outdoorsy person - I run a lot - and will be looking to rent rather than own.

So, any opinions? I’m not a huge fan of the cold, but I’ve grown up in the Midwest. I do tend to like a lot of greenery (Utah struck me as rather brown, but then I interviewed there in late November) - I spent some time in North Dakota one summer and found that the endless plains and no trees somewhat bothered me. I am single, a fact which seems to bother my mother more than me, but whatever.

Thank muchly for any info anyone might have.

2

How important is beer to you? :wink:

Milwaukee has a lot going for it, more than its stereotype would suggest. I find it much more diverse than Salt Lake City, too.

But the mountains and parks and ski resorts of Utah are quite the draw too.

3

How important is skiing to you? Utah has amazing snow… Wisconsin, not so much.

4

Utah has a lot of outdoors stuff to do, but IME it’s brown a lot of the time. It’s pretty deserty, after all. I don’t know anything about Wisconsin, sorry.

5

The mormons scare me…

6

Mormons only make up 40% or less of the population of Salt Lake City itself, and not all of those are active, practicing Mormons, so really I don’t think that’s a reason to stay away. As a lifelong resident, I suppose I may not be the best one to ask, but I love Salt Lake. I’m not sure there are many better places for outdoor activities than Utah, and the city itself is quite nice, if not all that big or diverse.

7

There’s a lot more National Parks in Utah; a lot more public land as well. A four hour drive will get you out of the cold and into Southern Utah. Generally, if you leave the Mormons alone, they will leave you alone. They can sense fear though.

8

And then…we ATTACK!

What do you think these horns are for, anyway?

9

Brown?! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Maybe in the basin, but certainly not in the SLC area. Granted, it’s brown in November and December before the snow really starts flying, and in March and early April when it all starts to melt and the trees don’t know if they should blossom or not. In the summer time, once you drive 5 minutes out of the city into the mountains, everything is stunningly, unbelievably green. It’s so beautiful that I forget how much I hate the goddamned snow and how motherfucking cold it gets in January. There’s an abundance of trees, plants, animals, flowers, lakes, and of course, the ski slopes.

Utah has weird liquor laws, but they’re fairly easy to get accustomed to. While they can be a little annoying and inconvenient, the state run liquor stores are well stocked. It’s not like being sent out to live on the edges of civilization. There are a lot of microbreweries in the region, and they make some very tasty beer. I’m not saying it’s the best beer you’ll ever drink, but it’s not bad. There’s a pretty good night life in downtown SLC and in Park City, and due to the influence of the Sundance Film Institute, there’s a really great indie movie scene in the city. There is also a decent music scene with a lot of great local bands and small, cozy venues. Utah doesn’t attract the big names, but between myself and my sisters, we’ve seen Wilco, Eric Clapton, The Police, Interpol, Arcade Fire, Swell Season and Tilly and the Wall in the past year.

The transit system in SLC is fantastic. My husband and my sister get around the entire city, running their errands, going to school and work, without a car. The SLC library is brand new and gorgeous. The University keeps the arts and culture thriving, including a brand new Natural History Museum. I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of driving around the valley this past month, and I’ve discovered a lot of wonderful ethnic markets and restaurants. True, the city isn’t terribly diverse, but there is diversity, and it manifests itself in different ways.

I’m pretty ambivalent about this place, but all in all, I can’t say it’s a bad place to live.

10

For someone who likes outdoor activities, I’d pick Utah. The desert can be pretty in its own way.

11

Not to start a shitstorm, but if you’re not Mormon you’ll probably make a lot more friends in Milwaukee.

12

The OP is thinking about movie to SLC not Provo. There are plenty of non-Mormons in SLC.

Incidentally, nobody should ever move to Provo.

13

(Bolding mine)
Delicate Arch
Bryce Canyon
La Sal Mountains
Wasatch Mountains
Lake Powell
Monument Valley
Zion
I hear Wisconsin is nice though…:rolleyes:

14

Utah is very nice and has some beautiful scenery. But if it were me, I’d probably move to Milwaukee, just because even in Denver I get tired of feeling like I’m living at an outpost.

(Note that there is plenty to do in Denver, plenty to do in the mountains, but if I want an urban kind of change of scenery, I have to take an airplane someplace.)

15

I’m talking about SLC. Personal experience, YMMV, etc etc.

16

Well, I’ve lived in Milwaukee for 8 years. It’s a great place to live if you’re in a cool neighborhood, and the summers are really incredible - relatively mild weather and tons of festivals and other fun things to do. The winters really wear on me though, especially the last few years. I don’t know how they compare to SLC, but at least in Utah you have skiing and great scenery. Not so much of that in Milwaukee - you’re pretty much inside for most of the winter.

Nothing against Milwaukee, but if I were an outdoorsy person I’d choose SLC.

17

If you can’t find outdoor recreation in Wisconsin, you’re still in your room. We have state parks all over the place, huge state forests, and large national forests. You have the driftless area and the glaciated areas in Wisconsin, so you can find almost any terrain you want except mountains. The state was settled by so many ethnic groups that you can visit special events all year long if you like. Had the choice been between Wisconsin and Hawaii I’d have said Hawaii.

18

If it were me, I’d choose Milwaukee. I like the Midwest. It’s just a bit of a train ride to Chicago! Delicious cheese curds!

I like Utah, too, it’s really beautiful, but I would feel uncomfortable living in such a politically conservative area. (The actual Mormonosity wouldn’t bother me, but the political stances there would.)

19

Have you visited both cities? What were your impressions of them? What kind of a climate do you prefer? Are you Mormon?

I just did a huge driving trip, and we took I-80 most of the way from California through Utah, etc. on our way back to Minnesota. Utah was fucking ugly. Salt Lake City was ugly. I am sure there are places in the state that are beautiful, especially if you appreciate the desert aesthetic. We drove through a lot of desert area that was gorgeous – this stretch was NOT. I’m not saying it’s entirely fair to judge a place based on a stretch of interstate, but holy shit, I would never move there ever. EVER.

Milwaukee, hands down.

Wisconsin, though it has some serious winters, has outdoor recreation galore. Milwaukee has an attractive downtown, Lake Michigan is right there, and it’s about a 2 hour drive to Chicago.

Salt Lake City is a 2 hour drive to a bunch more flat brown desert.

Milwaukee has a nice night life. In Salt Lake City, unless things have changed, you can’t just walk into a bar and order a drink. Someone has to “sponsor” you.

Milwaukee is green, and the whole state has rolling hills and forest and lots of rivers. Salt Lake and its surrounding area scream that humans don’t belong there. The city would dry up and blow away if not for the many artificial pipelines keeping it going.

Milwaukee. Seriously.

20

I have some dear friends who moved from San Fran to Madison. As much as they still love SF, they love Madison (which is quite close to Milwaukee) and are extremely happy with the move.

Joe