History
On July 24, 1847 143 men, three women and two children members of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints founded Salt Lake City on the eastern
shore of the Great Salt Lake. They were led by Brigham Young who led the
Saints after the death of the religion's founder Joseph Smith, Jr.. Upon
arrival to the Salt Lake valley, Young reportedly confirmed a vision by
saying, "It is enough. This is the right place. Drive on." Originally named
"Great Salt Lake City", the city became Utah's state capital on January 4,
1896.
In 2002 Salt Lake City played host to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
Government & Politics
Since 1979 Salt Lake City has maintained a non-partisan Mayor-council form
of government. The full-time mayor is elected to four year terms without
term limit. The last such election occurred in 2003. Salt Lake City's seven
part-time city councilors are also elected to four year terms. Three council
elections are held the same year as mayoral elections and the other four are
staggered two years from these votes. Each council seat is defined by
geographic boundaries, so each councilor represents about 26,000 citizens.
Elected officials of Salt Lake City as of 2004
Rocky Anderson – Mayor (term expires 2007)
Carlton Christensen – 1st District Council Member (term expires 2005)
Van Blair Turner – 2nd District Council Member (term expires 2007)
Eric Jergensen – 3rd District Council Member (term expires 2005)
Nancy Saxton – 4th District Council Member (term expires 2007)
Jill Remington Love – 5th District Council Member (term expires 2005)
Dave Buhler – 6th District Council Member (term expires 2007)
Dale Lambert – 7th District Council Member (term expires 2005)
Although the mayor is officially a non-partisan position, Salt Lake City has
elected Democratic mayors for almost the last 16 years. City council members
tend to be local well-knowns elected under specific issues (school zoning,
economic development, etc.) The metropolitan area's political demographics
are unlike much of the rest of Utah and its cities and counties where mostly
Republicans or conservative citizens dominate and are represented by
politicians of similar persuasion.
City layout
The city itself is laid out in a grid plan with most streets running
precisely north-south or east-west. The origin of the grid is the south-east
corner of Temple Square, the location of the Salt Lake Temple of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Street addresses are
coordinates within the grid system. 100 units is equal to 1/8th of a mile,
the length of blocks in downtown Salt Lake City. For instance, one might
speak of the intersection of 700 East and 3300 South or 7th East and 33rd
South. Both styles indicating the same coordinate. Blocks become more
irregularly spaced farther from the city center, but the entire county uses
the same unit length and origin.
Neighborhoods
Salt Lake City has quite a number of informal neighborhoods that are well
known throughout the city and even noted on most local maps. One of the most
recognizable is The Avenues to the northeast. The Avenues are a district of
old houses built at a similar time on perfectly rectangular blocks defined
by streets named after letters of the alphabet, and avenues (1st, 2nd, etc).
Other neighborhoods include:
Downtown - towards the north-central, just below the mountain slope
Central City - the main residential area of the city, located mainly south
and southeast of downtown
Sugar House - commercial/residential district to the southeast
Federal Heights - affluent district high up the mountain slope to the
northeast
The Avenues - crowded district just northeast of downtown, first
neighborhood
East Bench - residential region on the mountain slope to the east
Capitol Hill - affluent district above downtown, near the capitol
Rose Park - poorest neighborhood, situated to the northwest
Glendale - another poor neighborhood located to the southwest
The east side of town (Sugar House, Capitol Hill, Federal Heights, etc.) is
often characterized as the "good" side, whereas the westside (Rose Park and
Glendale) is the "bad" side. These characterizations are based on historical
prejudices. When the railroad first came to Salt Lake, it ran primarily
through the west side, and large industrial complexes grew up around it.
Many primarily non-Mormon immigrants settled there to work, whereas the
majority of Mormon citizens stayed on the east of town. After World War II,
much of the affordable housing was built in Rose Park and Glendale. As these
families gained wealth, they moved to more desirable homes on the east. The
neighborhoods were left with mostly poorer residents, and crime became
rampant. These distinctions are still apparent.
The LDS church also divides the city (and other locations where it is
strong) into stakes and wards. A stake is roughly analogous to a diocese,
and a ward is similar to a parish. Due to the pervasive influence of the LDS
church within Utah, even those who aren't members of the LDS church are
often aware of what ward they are in.
Transportation
The freeways in Salt Lake City are: I-15, running north/south; I-80, running
east/west; and the I-215 Belt Route, running 3/4 of the way around the city.
Other highways include Utah 201 (also called "the 201" or the "21st South
freeway") and US 89 (known as State Street within Salt Lake City, but runs
the length of the state from north to south.). Regular maintenance on these
roadways had been delayed for a few years, but in anticipation of the 2002
Winter Olympics, major overhauls were made.
Plans exist for a freeway running the length of the west side of the valley
from Brigham City in the north to Nephi in the south, connecting with I-215
in Salt Lake County. This freeway is know as the Legacy Highway and has
caused quite a bit of controversy. It is currently stalled because
environmentalists' lawsuits forced the re-evaluation of the environmental
impact statement.
A light rail system, known as TRAX, had also been planned for years. In
anticipation of the 2002 Winter Olympics this system was funded and built.
It began service on December 4, 1999. Plans for a future link into other
parts of the city are already in the works, including several proposed
lines. Suggestions include a line to Sugar House, a link to the airport, and
several alternative plans to bring TRAX into West Valley City, West Jordan,
and Draper. It is administered by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA), was
added to link downtown with the suburbs, as well as the University of Utah.
There are also plans for a commuter rail that by 2020 should extend from
Brigham City, north of Ogden, to Payson, which is south of Provo. This is
the approximate length of the Wasatch Front. The first segment, between Salt
Lake City and Ogden, is expected to be completed by 2007.
UTA also runs the bus system in Salt Lake. The combined bus and rail
services reach almost everywhere within Salt Lake City, and many points in
the valley and beyond, serving the entire length of the Wasatch Front. Other
services provided by UTA include a paratransit service, which has curbside
pickup for disabled riders, express busses running between Salt Lake and its
major suburbs, and winter service to the ski resorts in the Wasatch
Mountains.
Salt Lake City is serviced by the Salt Lake City International Airport. In
2004 Delta Air Lines announced that they were considering removing Salt Lake
as a major hub. Many people were worried this would hurt the city's economy,
as the airline brings millions of people into the city each year. In the end
Delta decided not only to keep Salt Lake as a hub, but also to expand it.
The airline announced they would add 58 flights (including 13 nonstop)
beginning in February 2005, while cutting back on its service to Dallas/Fort
Worth International Airport, thus "de-hubbing" it.
Three taxicab services exist in Salt Lake City. They are Ute Cab, City Cab,
and Yellow Cab. Recently there has been a controversy over city government
not allowing new taxi services to form. Many believe the three existing cab
companies could use more competition and accuse Mayor Anderson, a former
cabbie, of preferential treatment.
Major attractions
Salt Lake City's downtown core houses an impressive collection of old and
new structures with several twenty-plus story steel and glass towers
adjacent to late nineteeth century brick and mortar. The tallest building in
the city is the Wells Fargo Center, at 24 stories and 422 ft, although the
LDS Church Office Building has more stories, at 28, and is only slightly
shorter, at 420 ft. Furthermore, the Church Office Building actualy appears
higher as it's on slightly higher ground.
Other important buildings are the Delta Center, One Utah Center, the Salt
Lake City Public Library, the historic Tabernacle, the Salt Lake LDS Temple
(which is Utah's number one tourist attraction), and the newer LDS
Conference Center which seats about 20,000. Another popular attraction is
the architecturally unique Salt Lake City main library, which ranks number
two among Utah's most popular tourist destinations (right after Temple
Square and before Zion National Park).
The Wells Fargo Center is sometimes referred to as the American Stores
Tower, but American never moved in as it merged with Albertsons in 1999.
Hogle Zoo is at the foot of the mountains on the east bench, and Liberty
Park just southeast of downtown.
Future plans for Salt Lake include the Living Earth Aquarium (which is
already running on a limited scale at the Gateway Mall) and the Leonardo,
which will be a multi-faceted art, culture, and science center. The Leonardo
will be housed in the old Salt Lake City main library building.
Recreation & Sports
Winter snow-skiing included destinations such as Alta and Deer Valley (which
both allow only skiing). Both skiing and snowboarding are available at
Snowbird, Park City, Solitude, Brighton. These and other ski resorts can be
reached in less than a half-hour drive from some places in the metro. The
proximity of the ski resorts adds to the Utah boast of the "Greatest Snow on
Earth". The ski resorts see frequent storms which deposit light, dry snow
due to a phenomenon called the "lake effect" where moisture picked up over
the Great Salt Lake precipitates in the Wasatch Mountains.
Salt Lake City is home to the Utah Jazz National Basketball Association
team, as well as the Salt Lake Stingers minor league baseball team. The
Stingers are the Anaheim Angels Triple A affiliate. The city also hosts a
hockey team, the Utah Grizzlies and a minor league mens' soccer team, the
Utah Blitzz. MLS announced that Salt Lake City will receive its latest
expansion team in 2005, which will be named Real Salt Lake.
Culture & Celebrations
Although the city is often stereotyped as entirely Mormon, it is in fact
culturally diverse. The city is the location of many cultural activities
(http://salt.lake.city.eventguide.com/), Mormon and otherwise. Some popular
annual cultural celebrations include:
First Night - New Year celebration.
Days of '47 - Salt Lake City's largest parade. Occurs every July 24th on
Pioneer Day, a Utah state holiday comemorating the Mormon pioneers' entry
into Salt Lake Valley.
Greek Festival - In September. Weekend festival celebrating Utah's Greek
heritage.
Portions of the Sundance Film Festival.
Economy
The economy of the city is primarily services-oriented. While nearby
Kennecott Copper Mine provided a strong source of income during the 19th
century, the city has evolved to an economy built on transit hubs,
call-centers, and seasonal tourism. The 2002 Olympic Winter Games gave a
great boost to the area's economy.
Higher education
Post-secondary educational options in Salt Lake City include:
the University of Utah
Westminster College, Salt Lake City
Salt Lake Community College
the BYU Salt Lake Center
LDS Business College
Media
Salt Lake has many diverse media outlets. Major ones include:
KSL-TV, channel 5 is one of Utah's oldest television stations. Other media
include newspapers, such as the Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret Morning News, and
the Salt Lake City Weekly.
Salt Lake City in film
The following are films which are set in or around Salt Lake City, Utah:
SLC Punk!
Brigham Young
Plan 10 From Outer Space (a spoof based on Plan 9 From Outer Space)
Airport 1975
Note that Utah is a right-to-work state, and as such, has become a popular
filming location, because actors and labor are not required to follow rules
for the Screen Actors Guild. Salt Lake City provides a good, generic western
US urban landscape, often playing the substitute for Los Angeles, Denver, or
unnamed cities.
Films shot in Salt Lake City
The Philadelphia Experiment
Halloween sequels after Halloween 3
Television shows shot in Salt Lake City
Touched by an Angel
Promised land
The TV miniseries of The Stand
Geography & Climate
Salt Lake City is located at 40°45'17" North, 111°53'33" West (40.754700,
-111.892622).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
285.9 km˛ (110.4 mi˛). 282.5 km˛ (109.1 mi˛) of it is land and 3.3 km˛ (1.3
mi˛) of it is water. The total area is 1.17% water.
The city is located in a large valley, the Salt Lake Valley, separated by
the Wasatch Mountains to the east and the Oquirrh Mountains to the west.
Like most of the cities stretching north and south of Salt Lake City (See
Ogden and Provo), it lies at the base of the Wasatch Mountains which in some
places rise impressively 6,000 feet above the valley floor. This metro area
is known commonly as the Wasatch Front.
Winter weather is not as harsh as in some other locations within the Rocky
Mountain region because of the moderating effect of the Great Salt Lake to
the northwest of the city. Temperatures seldom fall below 0°F/-18°C for any
length of time. However, temperature inversions in winter commonly result in
cold, foggy weather in the city while the surrounding mountains enjoy warmer
temperatures and sunshine.
Summers are likewise moderated somewhat by the lake, and also by the city's
elevation (4,290 feet at Temple Square). Days over 100°F/38°C occur on
average 8 times per year, but such days are not terribly uncomfortable due
to the typically low humidity, which, combined with the altitude, produce a
large daily range in temperatures, and hence, rather cool nights, in summer
(both precipitation and humidity are highest in late winter and early
spring, and lowest in late summer and early autumn).
Snowfall is frequent from December through March, but it is unusual for any
one storm to accumulate more than 12 inches/30 cm on the valley floor
(average winter temperatures in the city are not quite cold enough to
support a stable, constant snow cover all winter long every year). Bench
locations near the mountains often receive substantially more. The summer
monsoon rising from Mexico and Arizona occasionally pass through the region
starting in mid-July and continue through September, bringing intense
thunderstorm activity; otherwise, summers are generally dry.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 181,743 people, 71,461 households, and
39,803 families residing in the city. The population density is 643.3/km˛
(1,666.1/mi˛). There are 77,054 housing units at an average density of
272.7/km˛ (706.4/mi˛).
The racial makeup of the city is:
79.20% White
18.85% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race
8.52% from other races
3.54% from two or more races
1.89% African American
1.34% Native American
3.62% Asian
1.89% Pacific Islander
There are 71,461 households out of which 27.0% have children under the age
of 18 living with them, 41.1% are married couples living together, 10.2%
have a female householder with no husband present, and 44.3% are
non-families. 33.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.7%
have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average
household size is 2.48 and the average family size is 3.24.
In the city the population is spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18,
15.2% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 30 years. For every 100
females there are 102.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 101.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $36,944, and the median
income for a family is $45,140. Males have a median income of $31,511 versus
$26,403 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,752. 15.3% of
the population and 10.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 18.7% are under the age of 18 and 8.5% are
65 or older.
Religious affiliation
About half of Salt Lake City's population are members of the LDS Church.
This rises to about 90% for the State's more rural municipalities, averaging
about 75% for Utah as a whole.
Trivia
Salt Lake City is recgonized as the birthplace of modern computer graphics,
an accomplishment credited to researchers at the University of Utah.
The world's first Kentucky Fried Chicken (now KFC) was established in 1952
by Harland Sanders and Pete Harman in what is now South Salt Lake.
Salt Lake City has a law against carrying an unwrapped ukulele on the street.
