Monday, December 6, 2010

Personal Blog 2- An Overview of Salt Lake

The final expedition on our Walkabout adventures was a perfect conclusion to the city. There existed numerous parallels between them, two of which I shall comment on.
First and very obvious: the organization. If a person went to the website with a specific purpose, they would have no troubles finding the link they needed. For instance, a future business owner wanted a better understanding on how to start a business, it was right there. This is very fitting to the city because the city itself is very organized. The first thought that rose into my mind was our "edges walkabout" where we looked at the Shoreline trails and Highway systems that make the city very accessible. The set boundaries make it very easy to understand what is Salt Lake and what is not. Another very obvious clue of organization is the road names. The grid system makes directions and comprehension of the city very easy for those who live here and tourist who do not. Salt Lake is a very organized city, in their website and in actual life.
Number two: the "go green" aspect of Salt Lake. On the website, it was extremely interesting to note you could pay water bills and parking tickets on the website. Though you still receive paper tickets or bills, no paper is wasted in envelopes or checks. Even though this is a small step, it is the thought behind it I point out. Salt Lake overall is encouraging green activities. For instance, the Trax which puts less cars on the road. Even around campus, almost all students carry re-usable water bottles as opposed to plastic. The little details here are what I notice as a newcomer.
When I told people I planned to attend the University of Utah, the majority of people asked me "If I was mormon?" No offense intended here, I am not. Honestly, I came here for the skiing (yes I am a ski bum) and the outdoors aspect of Utah. People outside the state of Utah do not understand its magic as I call it, including Salt Lake. Living here, I have learned so much more about the city I ever thought was possible. Personally, I am okay with others' obliviousness. Utah (including Salt Lake City) is the world's best kept secret.

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