Salt Lake City is the capital of the state of Utah. It has a population of about a million and a half people in the whole metro area, which goes North to South from the Great Salt Lake (which lends its name to the city) to the Utah Lake, about 40 miles South. It is 4,200 feet over sea level in the valley, surrounded by mountains which go over 10,000 feet. The mountains are impressive, as you can see in the picture.
Salt Lake City is worldwide famous for being the capital of the mormon church. The mormon temple is the city center, and all streets are numbered starting at the temple. Although we must say that the percentage of mormons is decreasing every day as the city becomes more and more cosmopolitan. It also became famous because of the 2002 Winter Olympics, which, as it already happened in Barcelona, brought many improvements to the city, and since I left in 1996, the city has a new tram, the interstate I-15 has been widened and improved and the airport has a new terminal, to mention a few examples. There are eight ski resorts at less than an hour drive from downtown, and Utah brags about having the greatest snow on Earth. Skiers say it really is exceptional, due to the dry climate of the area. And of course, the Utah Jazz play here.
I lived here between 1991 and 1996, I got my PhD at University of Utah, and the main reason to come back was to visit my advisor, and some friends who remain here. It is quite weird the effect that it has going back to a city you know well after a few years: everything is more or less the same, but everything has changed a little also. You feel like you know everything, as if you never left, but then you realize the small things that have changed, a store you liked has closed, that building is new, etc. I am especially fond of Salt Lake, five years is quite a long time.
Mormons make the city slightly different. It used to be quite difficult to have a good cup of coffee, since mormons don't take stimulants. Nowadays there's plenty of Starbucks as everywhere else. But the large percentage of mormon population makes that the possibilities for naughty entertainment, night clubs, discos, strip clubs, is quite limited for a city this large. Bars where they serve hard liquor (that is, anything but beer) have to be, by law, private clubs that only admit members. But anyone can become a member for a night at the door paying a 5 dollar fee. A low-class bar Albert and I used to go (the "Norwood Club") used to have promotions like "become a member for a dime". You make the law, I'll find the loophole. These days, this private club business is an anachronism, but it's kind of cute.
So, it is a very pretty city, very green, great mountain backdrop, very clean, but at the same time quite boring and conservative, with a limited entertainment offer, except if you are the outdoors/mountain/hiking/skiing type, in which case the opportunities are endless. People are extremely friendly, and many have visited Spain or other Spanish-speaking countries, since mormons have to go on missions for two years. Yes, it's these kids you see in shirts and ties with a book underarm and a black plaque with its name in the left breast. But this fact also makes it quite international. American Express has its international center here, where more than 130 languages are spoken, most of them by mormons who learned them in their missions.
Salt Lake City, a very peculiar place, very pretty, and sociologically very interesting. You have to live here to fully grasp it.
And by the way, if you like basketball, you will enjoy knowing that the Second South Street has been renamed "Karl Malone Way" :)
