Gateway Heights: Greek and Japan Town Sites

Gateway Heights: Greek and Japan Town

200 W to 500 W

By: Britany, Chelsea, and Lauren

On Saturday, November 13th, our group went on our fourth walkabout to Greek and Japan towns in the area of Gateway Heights. Japan and Greek town are located near the Gateway mall and Pioneer Park. It is between 200 W and 500 W. We traveled to our destination by light rail to the old Greek town stop and walked to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Japan town consisted of a single, long street. It was full of old run down buildings with a single Buddhist temple at the end of the street. We were surprised to find the street in such a disarray considering the many Japanese cuisine restaurants that are scattered throughout the Gateway Mall and the surrounding area of Gateway Heights.

Greek Town wasn't as clearly defined as Japan town. The only evidence of its location was the Greek Orthodox Church and the houses that surrounded it. Each of the houses had distinctive architecture. The surrounding houses seemed to have little piece of Greece in each of there exterior designs. On the outskirts of the neighborhood, there were individualized shops and restaurants. We were surprised at the number of people out-and-about on such a chilly night.

The shops in Greek town appeared very welcoming and the majority felt locally owned. As we walked by we could smell the fresh baked goods of the waffle house or see people inside getting warm or having a late dinner with friends. Overall Greek town felt very inviting aside from the dark creepy alleys that were scattered in between the clusters of shops. One would not want to venture out alone; however, in a large group of close friends it was fine.

The walkabout overall showed us how salt lake is slowly losing a lot of its old culture. We are losing a part of our history and what has made salt lake what it is today. If Japan and Greek town were more well kept, more people would flock to enjoy its natural treasures and hidden secrets. Salt Lake is being taken over by giant glossy buildings and expensive architectural designs.

The walk about opened our eyes to a new side of Salt Lake that we had no idea existed. We all enjoyed our time in Japan and Greek towns.