First Impressions- Maddy Oritt

I've lived in Salt Lake City my whole life, but there is always more to be learned about a place and its people. Usually when I look down on the city from a high vantage point, it is from a hike in the foothills behind the hospital complex or the upper Federal Heights neighborhoods. Being so close to the city, yet having such a unique perspective, was very interesting. It surprised me a little bit to see how flat the valley is, rising abruptly to the foothills and the mountains beyond. Salt Lake City itself is not hilly until one reaches Capitol Hill, the Avenues, and the Foothill area. One of the things I like best about living in Salt Lake City is its natural geography, especially the close proximity of the mountains. Our downtown area is very small in relation to other cities, and it is easily defined. The height of the buildings drastically decreases outside the easily marked rectangle of the central business district.

I'm very excited for this class because I think it will be a very different approach to getting to know a subject or topic, namely SLC. I hope make a more intimate connection with the city and discover in a different light, almost as if an outsider.

First Impressions - Tim Slover

My first truly panoramic view of Salt Lake City was seen from the top of Rice Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah. Before that, my experiences were limited to that of the pedestrian, walking around and assimilating small bits of city blocks, parks and stores. Although I find that kind of guerrilla experience equally useful (and far more intimate and personal), it's not the same as seeing the whole of the city spread out before you. It feels like I'm a tick living on an elephant's back, completely sure I know and understand the whole of my environment, and then I suddenly become aware of the entire elephant, realize that it's alive and moving and enormous, and occupies yet another much larger world it doesn't really understand either. In this case, Salt Lake/the elephant, swarming with cars, insects, and people, sits in a remarkably barren desert. You can trace almost definitively the line where the suburbs end and the desert begins. And, strangely, this makes me feel both important and insignificant all at once. Important because I'm a piece in a larger puzzle, and insignificant because I'm only one piece of trillions.

My First Impression of the City (Bryn McNerny)

Although I have been to Salt Lake City and the surrounding area multiple times prior to moving to the U, I have never had the chance to analyze and experience it. Without spending much time in the heart of Salt Lake City so far, as a new inhabitant, I have an overall first impression. One obvious difference between Salt Lake and almost any other city I've visited, is the cleanly state in which the city is kept. It appears safe and family-friendly. When walking along the streets, I get the feeling Salt Lake is a city on the rise, with developing urban aspects vital to a city's survival. The atmosphere is both business-like and slightly relaxed, almost friendly. I notice the grid-like structure in which the city was planned, allowing for easy transportation and making the city accessible to tourists. I notice the high-rise buildings commonly found in an urban society and the contrasting, surrounding mountains, unique only to Salt Lake, giving the entire valley an aesthetic appeal, a nice touch for those that enjoy outdoor recreation. Clearly, Salt Lake is a city for people of all diverse backgrounds and interests.
I look forward to delving deeper into the city through this class, and also, on my own personal time. I want to discover all the city has to offer, to understand what separates Salt Lake City from all others. I hope this class experience allows me to better appreciate both this city and cities I will visit in the future.