Salt Lake City, UT

Salt Lake City, sometimes called Salt Lake or SLC, is the state capital of Utah. The city was settled in 1847, when Mormon prophet Brigham Young led a group of Mormon pioneers to the area after fleeing the Midwest. Salt Lake City remains the headquarters for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known as LDS or the Mormon Church.

Home to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games and recognized as the industrial banking center of the nation, Salt Lake City is the largest city in Utah. The population of Salt Lake City is approximately 180,000. The entire metropolitan area includes Salt Lake City, Summit and Tooele counties, and has a total population of more than one million people.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Salt Lake City's economy is mostly service oriented. The major industries are professional and business services, government, utilities and transportation and trade. Interstate 15 is a major corridor for freight traffic, and thus Salt Lake City is home to many regional distribution centers. Salt Lake City and its economy continues to grow largely because of the strong diversity among the types of companies that make up the city's economic base.

Government offices, regional and national, are among the largest employers in Salt Lake City. The city has several other major employers:

• Delta Air Lines
• Salt Lake City International Airport
• University of Utah
• Sinclair Oil Corporation
• AlphaGraphics
• Sinclair Oil
• Zions Bancorporation

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

• Marmalade District: Once notorious as one of the city's seamier neighborhoods, this district has recently been discovered and gentrified by young singles and couples.
• Sugar House: Known as one of the most diverse, progressive areas of the city.
• The Avenues: Regarded by many to be one of the most coveted places to live in Salt Lake, with breathtaking views and luxurious homes.
• Historic Main Street: Filled with shops and restaurants, Main Street is home to specialty boutiques, locally owned shops and national retailers. Salt Lake City has 10 shopping malls and countless open-air shopping venues.

EDUCATION

Salt Lake City places a strong emphasis on continuing education and has several colleges in the city limits:

• University of Utah
• Westminster College of Salt Lake City
• LDS Business College Institute
• Stevens-Henager College
• Eagle Gate College
• Salt Lake Community College
• Columbia College of Missouri-Salt Lake City Campus

BEST BETS

With a rich history and a diverse population, Salt Lake City offers a variety of cultural institutions. There are multiple museums, including LDS Church History Museum, which spans nearly two centuries of LDS history and includes clothing, tools, furnishings, documents and rare artifacts. The University of Utah is home to a fine arts museum, a museum of natural history and two dance theatres, while the Gateway area has the Utah Children's Museum.

Of course, Salt Lake City is also home to the famed Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which was founded in 1847. The choir conducts a weekly program called Music and the Spoken Word, the longest-running, continuous, network broadcast in the world.

EVENTS

• Pioneer Day: Held every July 24th, this festival commemorates the anniversary of the Mormons' arrival in Salt Lake City. The day is celebrated with a children's parade, horse parade, rodeo and fireworks. The festival also includes the Days of '47 Parade, one of the largest parades in the United States.
• Utah Pride Festival: This June festival includes the Gay Pride Parade, the second-largest parade in the state of Utah. The festival is intended to provide support for the large gay population in Salt Lake City.
• Greek Festival: This festival is a celebration of the strong Greek heritage in the area. Held the weekend following Labor Day, the festival centers on the Greek Orthodox Church. The event is three days long and features music, dance, cathedral tours and authentic Greek cuisine.
• Utah Arts Festival: This lively festival serves as a popular performance venue for artists and musicians in the area.
• Sundance Film Festival: Held in January, this festival is a big draw for national and international independent filmmakers. The festival regularly draws celebrities from around the world.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

• Utah Jazz, professional National Basketball Association team
• Real Salt Lake, professional soccer team
• Salt Lake Bees, Triple-A minor-league baseball team affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Utah Grizzlies, minor league hockey team
• Salt Lake City Saints, professional American Basketball Association team

LOCAL MEDIA

• The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News are the city's daily newspapers. Salt Lake magazine is a bimonthly publication, offering Utah residents information on local issues, dining, entertainment and more.