Moving to St George Utah soon.

[NewEra]

I’m going into business with a long time friend and my wife landed a great job at Rocky Vista University.  24 years in upstate Ny. 24 years in Vegas. Looking forward to 5-10 in St. George before I retire on a beach.

 

anyone here from that area?  My current game plan is to take the 2 hour drive to Vegas and keep business as usual at moondoggies for bills games.  Any bills backers bars?

[Big Turk]

Congrats on the new life adventure! 

 

Have a friend who's father lives in Park City.

[GottaRun]

Congrats - Utah has to be top 2 for most beautiful state

[HOUSE]

Utah has to many bee hives

You will be sorry 

[Mikie2times]

2 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

Utah has to many bee hives

You will be sorry 

My brother is a flower in Utah and says he is constantly violated 

[Punching Bag]

Milk the private, for-profit medical school for all you can.

Maybe you can open branch work in other campus in Parker, Colorado; only 10 hours away.

[PrimeTime101]

2 hours ago, NewEra said:

I’m going into business with a long time friend and my wife landed a great job at Rocky Vista University.  24 years in upstate Ny. 24 years in Vegas. Looking forward to 5-10 in St. George before I retire on a beach.

 

anyone here from that area?  My current game plan is to take the 2 hour drive to Vegas and keep business as usual at moondoggies for bills games.  Any bills backers bars?

https://www.buffalorising.com/2020/09/rocky-mountain-mafia/

 

may help

[mrags]

Congrats on the move. 

[John from Riverside]

3 hours ago, NewEra said:

I’m going into business with a long time friend and my wife landed a great job at Rocky Vista University.  24 years in upstate Ny. 24 years in Vegas. Looking forward to 5-10 in St. George before I retire on a beach.

 

anyone here from that area?  My current game plan is to take the 2 hour drive to Vegas and keep business as usual at moondoggies for bills games.  Any bills backers bars?

I lived in Victor Idaho I think that’s pretty close to where you’re going

 

When I was there, Mormonism was strong don’t know how it is today

[Matt_In_NH]

11 hours ago, HOUSE said:

Utah has to many bee hives

You will be sorry 

Buy some murder hornets on eBay they make short work of typical loser bees. 

Edited July 15, 2023 by Matt_In_NH

[Solomon Grundy]

4 hours ago, NewEra said:

I’m going into business with a long time friend and my wife landed a great job at Rocky Vista University.  24 years in upstate Ny. 24 years in Vegas. Looking forward to 5-10 in St. George before I retire on a beach.

 

anyone here from that area?  My current game plan is to take the 2 hour drive to Vegas and keep business as usual at moondoggies for bills games.  Any bills backers bars?

Congratulations!! You are truly embarking on a @NewEra😎

[SinceThe70s]

 

Had a good meal at the Black Bear Diner passing through the area a few years ago. Beautiful part of the country.

 

Good luck with your business venture! 

 

 

[billsfanmiamioh]

Drove though there on our way to Zion when wife was pregnant. Great trip! Cool area of the country for sure. 

[Shaw66]

Look out, St. George!  A new era is coming!

[NewEra]

Thanks for the well wishes!  It really is a beautiful area.  40 mins from Zion is a huge selling point.  So many parks and camping locations.  
 

if anyone is ever in town before hitting up Zion, stop by Farmstead bakery.  It’s become a pillar of the community.  My business partner owns it (as well as Kairos, a Greek restaurant).  He was just granted a liquor license and we’ll be opening up a local watering hole/kitchen.  He also said the city generally backs the Utes and Kincaid was the fan favorite.  Contemplated making it a Bills bar….. but then I’d probably have to work it.  No thanks

[Tipster19]

I’ve been there a few times and my daughter lived there but now lives in Hurricane (pronounced Hurrican), Utah, less than 20 miles east of St George. Couldn’t ask for a more beautiful place to live, Utah is now the state to be in, thinking about moving there myself. Mount Zion is impressive as well and there is a lot of man made lakes all around, you’ll enjoy living there.

[Nextmanup]

The land is nice; it's the PEOPLE that are the problem.

Good luck!
 

 

[Utah John]

A lot depends on whether you're Mormon.  We lived in Salt Lake City for 10 years and mostly enjoyed it, but SLC is an enclave of the United States inside the Kingdom of Zion.  Being a gentile (that's the word they use for non-Mormons) anywhere else in Utah, except for Park City and Moab, will make your life tough.  

 

If you're Mormon and going into business in St George, you have a good shot at success.  If you're a gentile, forget it.  The deck will be completely stacked against you.

 

And, bring your own water.  St George has been growing rapidly but lacks a reliable source of water.  There is a serious attempt in the Utah legislature to develop a pipeline from Lake Powell to St George.  That's Lake Powell on the Colorado River, which you might have heard is going dry (not this year, fortunately) due to too many demands on its water.  This insane pipeline idea might actually be approved because of the clout of the Mormons in Congress.  

 

Utah is very beautiful, as others have noted.  St George is fairly close to Zion and Bryce Canyon, and a few hours away from Capitol Reef.  If you like outdoor activities, it's great, not necessarily in the ferocious heat of the summers in southern Utah but otherwise it's fine outside.  

[NewEra]

40 minutes ago, Tipster19 said:

I’ve been there a few times and my daughter lived there but now lives in Hurricane (pronounced Hurrican), Utah, less than 20 miles east of St George. Couldn’t ask for a more beautiful place to live, Utah is now the state to be in, thinking about moving there myself. Mount Zion is impressive as well and there is a lot of man made lakes all around, you’ll enjoy living there.

It really is the place to be.  Mormons or no Mormons.
 

Comparing St. George to the current version of Las Vegas is laughable.  Vegas is a hot mess.  I’m a bit worried about the infrastructure of the streets.  With so many people moving there rn, I wonder how long it will take for it to become a construction zone and encompassed with terrible traffic.

[NewEra]

4 minutes ago, Utah John said:

A lot depends on whether you're Mormon.  We lived in Salt Lake City for 10 years and mostly enjoyed it, but SLC is an enclave of the United States inside the Kingdom of Zion.  Being a gentile (that's the word they use for non-Mormons) anywhere else in Utah, except for Park City and Moab, will make your life tough.  

 

If you're Mormon and going into business in St George, you have a good shot at success.  If you're a gentile, forget it.  The deck will be completely stacked against you.

 

And, bring your own water.  St George has been growing rapidly but lacks a reliable source of water.  There is a serious attempt in the Utah legislature to develop a pipeline from Lake Powell to St George.  That's Lake Powell on the Colorado River, which you might have heard is going dry (not this year, fortunately) due to too many demands on its water.  This insane pipeline idea might actually be approved because of the clout of the Mormons in Congress.  

 

Utah is very beautiful, as others have noted.  St George is fairly close to Zion and Bryce Canyon, and a few hours away from Capitol Reef.  If you like outdoor activities, it's great, not necessarily in the ferocious heat of the summers in southern Utah but otherwise it's fine outside.  

Thanks for the feedback!  

 

The Mormon influence was the only thing we were worried about. My business partner isn’t Mormon and yet he’s thriving.  He’s been there for 2.5 years and has become one of the cities pillars.  His bakery has a line leading outside every day of the week.  He speaks at community events and has business relations with many of the cities top dogs, per se. The cities influx of residents has been mostly led by gentiles.  The ratio isn’t what it once was and is moving further and further away from the mean.  That said- I’m sure you know much more about the area than I and I believe you when you say it will be a challenge.   
 

The area is severely lacking in good food and drink options and even more so- great service. We earned our stripes together working in high end VIP hospitality venues for over 20 years and making our customers feel special is the focus of the brand (along with great food and drinks!).  Can’t wait.

[nucci]

15 hours ago, GottaRun said:

Congrats - Utah has to be top 2 for most beautiful state

what's the other?

[Augie]

11 hours ago, NewEra said:

Thanks for the well wishes!  It really is a beautiful area.  40 mins from Zion is a huge selling point.  So many parks and camping locations.  
 

if anyone is ever in town before hitting up Zion, stop by Farmstead bakery.  It’s become a pillar of the community.  My business partner owns it (as well as Kairos, a Greek restaurant).  He was just granted a liquor license and we’ll be opening up a local watering hole/kitchen.  He also said the city generally backs the Utes and Kincaid was the fan favorite.  Contemplated making it a Bills bar….. but then I’d probably have to work it.  No thanks

 

Best wishes on the new location and adventure! It must very very exciting! 

 

I can’t help you as my only trip to Utah was flying into SLC then heading to Park City. I was surprised it was hard to find a place to have lunch in SLC, but of course we didn’t know where to look. We finally spotted a major hotel franchise and figured we could get food there. With teenage boys, food is a serious thing! This is more than 15 years ago so no telling what has changed. It felt like downtown was closed up. In Park City I was surprised by the liquor laws. Do they still have 3.2% beer? That’s what you could have in Ohio when I was in college if you were between 18-21. College kids looking for a buzz made a LOT of bathroom trips! 

 

In Park City there was a place I went for several nights (after the kids went to bed) for drinks. Maybe my 3rd or 4th night in there (Hey, I liked the place!) I was asked about my membership. Like Ghostbusters, if someone asks if you are a God, the answer is yes. My confusion made it apparent I was an outsider and a hassle commenced. I hope things have changed enough (or you have regulars who know the ropes) to make this less of “a thing.” 

 

Again, wishing you and the family all the best! 

Edited July 15, 2023 by Augie

[Comebackkid]

Congrats but you're going to bake.  Pretty state but St. George is HOT

24 minutes ago, nucci said:

what's the other?

Colorado

[NewEra]

38 minutes ago, Comebackkid said:

Congrats but you're going to bake.  Pretty state but St. George is HOT

Colorado

I’ve been living in Las Vegas the last 24 years, working mainly outside for 12 hours a day.  I’m not worried about the heat.  My current concerns revolve around religion, looming construction and driving to from Vegas for every Bills game and when we go on vacation.  Vegas is the closest major airports.  
 

The heat is 3 months-  the rest of the year is beautiful 

Edited July 15, 2023 by NewEra

[NewEra]

37 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Best wishes on the new location and adventure! It must very very exciting! 

 

I can’t help you as my only trip to Utah was flying into SLC then heading to Park City. I was surprised it was hard to find a place to have lunch in SLC, but of course we didn’t know where to look. We finally spotted a major hotel franchise and figured we could get food there. With teenage boys, food is a serious thing! This is more than 15 years ago so no telling what has changed. It felt like downtown was closed up. In Park City I was surprised by the liquor laws. Do they still have 3.2% beer? That’s what you could have in Ohio when I was in college if you were between 18-21. College kids looking for a buzz made a LOT of bathroom trips! 

 

In Park City there was a place I went for several nights (after the kids went to bed) for drinks. Maybe my 3rd or 4th night in there (Hey, I liked the place!) I was asked about my membership. Like Ghostbusters, if someone asks if you are a God, the answer is yes. My confusion made it apparent I was an outsider and a hassle commenced. I hope things have changed enough (or you have regulars who know the ropes) to make this less of “a thing.” 

 

Again, wishing you and the family all the best! 

Thanks @Augie-  while my specifics are lacking atm, I’m confidant that the ABV limits are only specific to grocery stores now (5.0abv and below).  Liquor stores and bars can serve higher abv.  Cocktails are limited to 1.5oz main spirit, up to 2.5oz with secondary alcoholic flavoring.  Heavy pours not allowed, which is great for business.

 

 

[uticaclub]

1 hour ago, nucci said:

what's the other?

NY but only because of The Ralph

[Riverboat Ritchie]

Visited there on way to Zion from Vegas. Seemed like a great town but housing expensive. Anyhow, we were traveling on a Sunday and watched Bills Browns game (ugly game) at Buffalo Wild Wings. There were a few Bills fans there and we got the overall volume to be on Bills game. 
 

zion is great. Enjoy. 

[pi2000]

Utah is beautiful.   Used to snowboard Brian Head every winter.    Now hunt elk along the Wyoming border every October.     Great place for outdoors stuff.

[Augie]

41 minutes ago, NewEra said:

Thanks @Augie-  while my specifics are lacking atm, I’m confidant that the ABV limits are only specific to grocery stores now (5.0abv and below).  Liquor stores and bars can serve higher abv.  Cocktails are limited to 1.5oz main spirit, up to 2.5oz with secondary alcoholic flavoring.  Heavy pours not allowed, which is great for business.

 

 

 

The thanks/Beer emoji was the only acceptable option! 😂 

[NewEra]

24 minutes ago, Riverboat Ritchie said:

Visited there on way to Zion from Vegas. Seemed like a great town but housing expensive. Anyhow, we were traveling on a Sunday and watched Bills Browns game (ugly game) at Buffalo Wild Wings. There were a few Bills fans there and we got the overall volume to be on Bills game. 
 

zion is great. Enjoy. 

Yeah the real estate isn’t cheap.  It’s similar to Vegas and seems to be on the rise whereas the real estate in Vegas is at a stand still.  Looking at 500-600k for a nice 2100+ sq foot home in a nice area.  
 

Luckily there isn’t any inventory in LV, so houses are selling quickly (despite the interest rates).  We’re contemplating renting out our Vegas house but will probably sell so we can apply it to our new home and keep our mortgage down.  

[Rocky Landing]

19 hours ago, NewEra said:

I’m going into business with a long time friend and my wife landed a great job at Rocky Vista University.  24 years in upstate Ny. 24 years in Vegas. Looking forward to 5-10 in St. George before I retire on a beach.

 

anyone here from that area?  My current game plan is to take the 2 hour drive to Vegas and keep business as usual at moondoggies for bills games.  Any bills backers bars?

Up until a few years ago, my family and I would spend two days a year in St George on the way to, and from Park City for skiing. It's a wonderful little town-- emphasis on "little," and surrounded by stunningly beautiful desert. There's a handful of terrific restaurants, considering the size of the town, and also a thriving local arts scene. It always struck me as a friendly mix of conservative, and liberal with people being pretty accepting of each other. Plenty of hippies, but also plenty of cowboys open-carrying their side arms. But very friendly. 

 

I don't know if it's been resolved, or not, but there have been serious issues with their water supply, as the town has been very rapidly growing without enough water to meet their needs.

 

Good luck, and congratulations on your new life, in a beautiful town!

[NewEra]

4 minutes ago, Rocky Landing said:

Up until a few years ago, my family and I would spend two days a year in St George on the way to, and from Park City for skiing. It's a wonderful little town-- emphasis on "little," and surrounded by stunningly beautiful desert. There's a handful of terrific restaurants, considering the size of the town, and also a thriving local arts scene. It always struck me as a friendly mix of conservative, and liberal with people being pretty accepting of each other. Plenty of hippies, but also plenty of cowboys open-carrying their side arms. But very friendly. 

 

I don't know if it's been resolved, or not, but there have been serious issues with their water supply, as the town has been very rapidly growing without enough water to meet their needs.

 

Good luck, and congratulations on your new life, in a beautiful town!

Thank you!  The feedback I’ve received from by friend mimics that of what you stated.  
 

yes….. water is in short supply.  Similar to Vegas but likely even more limited.  
 

it really is such a beautiful area.  Can’t wait to explore.  We’re looking into some e-bikes with off road capabilities.  

[Rubes]

Cool to hear we'll have another Bills fan in Utah! I've been in SLC for the past 26 years, been all over this state and the surrounding areas. I agree that it's an amazing place, love it here.

 

I would say that it's true that if you're not Mormon, some things can definitely be more difficult. Politics is one—if you're not Mormon, and especially if you're not Republican, forget it. Raising non-Mormom kids outside of SLC or Park City can be pretty tough for them, depending on where. And I think what @Utah John said earlier about running a business, especially outside SLC or Park City, is true to an extent, but probably less so in the last few years, owing mostly to the incredible migration of people here to Utah—largely from California. So many ex-Californians here now, even in towns like St. George.

 

The food selection has traditionally been less than great in southern Utah, but it's gradually improving. One thing I must recommend: if you like pie, there are two stunningly good but small pie bakeries around St. George: Croshaw's and Veyo Pies. Croshaw's is in St. George; Veyo is in the town of Veyo about 20 minutes north of St. George in a really pretty area.

 

Cedar City is also less than an hour north, and though it's a small town it's also a college town with some neat little places, and they have a nationally recognized Shakespeare festival every fall, if you're into that sort of thing.

 

If you ever get up to SLC look me up, we have a great Bills bar pretty close to my house. Congrats on the move!

 

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

My wife and I didn't know anybody when we moved to St. George in 2014, and we both love it here.  It's too hot from about mid-June to mid September, but the rest of the year is beautiful.  We have a view of a sometimes snow-capped 10k+ foot high mountain in the winter, almost never get snow at our home's 2800 foot elevation (and on the rare occasions that we do it melts by noon), and enjoy lots of places to hike.  Zion National Park is about 45 minutes away and it's amazing, but can get over-crowded.  There are lots of less-traveled trails closer to St. George, with nice but less stunning scenery.  Snow Canyon state park is much closer and it's a gem.

 

Not everybody likes the desert, but with lots of red rock vistas, it's gorgeous here.  I'm not a golfer, but friends who are say they have lots of local options.

 

There are no Bills-backers bars.  There are several places you can watch NFL games, but I don't mind watching the games on a slightly delayed basis, so I've had the NFL [Game Day ?] streaming service for several years now.  That works fine for me.  I'm a lifelong Bills fan who grew up in Erie County, but probably a bit of an outlier on Two Bills Drive because I don't care for the "homer" attitude prevalent at the only Bills Backer bar I ever went to.  When a Bills DB drags down a WR 2 seconds before the ball arrives and everyone around you whines about how bad the penalty call was, that ain't my cup of tea.

 

As others have said, the area is predominantly Mormon, but is getting less so over time.  St. George has recently been the fastest growing small city in the country (may still be - - not sure).  The metro area is approaching something like 200k people, with lots of in-migration from other states.  If I could have closed the door behind me when we moved here I would have, but word gets out.

 

We aren't Mormon, but have many local friends who are.  My only reservation about the local Mormon culture is that it can be tough on non-Mormon kids.  That's not an issue for an old guy like me, but I'm told that non-Mormon kids in school can have a hard time fitting in when some non-school social activities organized by a Mormon church aren't open to non-Mormon kids.  My understanding is based solely on hearsay and not first hand info, so it could be wrong, but I've heard that  more than once. 

 

Health care is surprisingly good for a small city.  A medical profession relative who lives elsewhere says the local hospital is a regional medical center known for being high quality.  Thankfully we've had little occasion to use it, but local friends have had good experiences.  I suspect that the local quality of life makes it a bit easier to recruit the necessary staff.

 

You probably already know about the good shuttle van service between St. George and the Las Vegas airport, which is frequent and cheap because there are two competing companies.

 

If you need a local real estate agent, I can recommend one who was extremely helpful to us when we moved here from a different state.

 

Good luck with the move and new business venture.  I'll check back on this thread to see if you have questions.  Will answer them if I can.

 

 

 

 

[NewEra]

3 hours ago, Rubes said:

Cool to hear we'll have another Bills fan in Utah! I've been in SLC for the past 26 years, been all over this state and the surrounding areas. I agree that it's an amazing place, love it here.

 

I would say that it's true that if you're not Mormon, some things can definitely be more difficult. Politics is one—if you're not Mormon, and especially if you're not Republican, forget it. Raising non-Mormom kids outside of SLC or Park City can be pretty tough for them, depending on where. And I think what @Utah John said earlier about running a business, especially outside SLC or Park City, is true to an extent, but probably less so in the last few years, owing mostly to the incredible migration of people here to Utah—largely from California. So many ex-Californians here now, even in towns like St. George.

 

The food selection has traditionally been less than great in southern Utah, but it's gradually improving. One thing I must recommend: if you like pie, there are two stunningly good but small pie bakeries around St. George: Croshaw's and Veyo Pies. Croshaw's is in St. George; Veyo is in the town of Veyo about 20 minutes north of St. George in a really pretty area.

 

Cedar City is also less than an hour north, and though it's a small town it's also a college town with some neat little places, and they have a nationally recognized Shakespeare festival every fall, if you're into that sort of thing.

 

If you ever get up to SLC look me up, we have a great Bills bar pretty close to my house. Congrats on the move!

 

Thanks so much for taking the time-  I’ll be in touch when we head north!

 

No kids- not republican but not democrat either.  But I am Trump > Biden.  I’m a confirmed catholic thanks to my parents…. No longer religious.  The Bills are my religion.  I keep my mouth shut regarding politics and religion.

[Mike in Horseheads]

I remember Dan Patrick saying after the SLC Olympics that if you knew where there were all night bars to hang at usually down a alley where ya needed the password.

... I worked with a lady that moved to NYS from Utah. She said when she was younger she worked at a convenient store in Idaho and when the lottery grew the parking lot was full Utes plates flocking in for the big payday lol

... Good luck in the new venture @NewEra

[GottaRun]

7 hours ago, nucci said:

what's the other?

Utah is #1 for me, just basing it on the scenic beauty of the state and nothing else.  I say top 2 because I haven't hit every state yet, but I'm having a hard time thinking there are 2 states out there better looking than Utah.  

[MJS]

8 hours ago, NewEra said:

Thanks for the feedback!  

 

The Mormon influence was the only thing we were worried about. My business partner isn’t Mormon and yet he’s thriving.  He’s been there for 2.5 years and has become one of the cities pillars.  His bakery has a line leading outside every day of the week.  He speaks at community events and has business relations with many of the cities top dogs, per se. The cities influx of residents has been mostly led by gentiles.  The ratio isn’t what it once was and is moving further and further away from the mean.  That said- I’m sure you know much more about the area than I and I believe you when you say it will be a challenge.   
 

The area is severely lacking in good food and drink options and even more so- great service. We earned our stripes together working in high end VIP hospitality venues for over 20 years and making our customers feel special is the focus of the brand (along with great food and drinks!).  Can’t wait.

The people are nice. Don't know what anyone else is talking about. You'll have good, friendly neighbors I'm sure.

[TheBrownBear]

St George is beautiful. I was in Zion a couple of weeks ago.  Just astounding scenery all around in that part of Southern Utah.  

 

Of course, it's really hot there, but you're already used to Vegas weather.  It's clean, safe, lots to do there and the area is growing.  I think you'll love it there.  

[scuba guy]

1 hour ago, NewEra said:

Thanks so much for taking the time-  I’ll be in touch when we head north!

 

No kids- not republican but not democrat either.  But I am Trump > Biden.  I’m a confirmed catholic thanks to my parents…. No longer religious.  The Bills are my religion.  I keep my mouth shut regarding politics and religion.

So I do trips all over the world with my scuba classes.  2004 we did something completely different got a group of people together and went through the old mining trails around the area. Most of the group were younger school teachers so they had the summer off. There were 14 of us all together sent are 4 wheelers out 2 weeks early. Did the trip in August always in the valleys during mid day and the top of the mountain at night. Finally stayed in one spot 2 days and fished and played. At the end of the trip we rolled though your little town covered head to toe with dust and debris from the trail.  All we wanted was a good beer hot shower gasoline and a great home cooked meal.

 

Well we got gas

Washed are faces in the gas stations bathrooms and rode though town talked to some folk who were really nice and went down the rode to the next pit stop and I mean down the road. We missed a trail head and went the wrong way.

 

Have a great time and those old mining trails are very scenic and very rustic.  We had 5 small chain saws to cut open some of the trails..