South Salt Lake, the little sister of Utah’s capital city, is working hard to nurture a thriving culture where once was mostly warehouses and industry unfriendly to visitors. Now, there are stretches of walkable blocks, enlivened by public art, boutique businesses, cool craft breweries and local distilleries. So you can expect the areas around West Temple in South Salt Lake to keep transforming as people continue to catch on and see the great potential.
Who Lives There?
Median household income: $55,112
Median age: 35.4
White: 62.01%
Hispanic/Latinx: 30.06%
Black/African American: 6.36%
American Indian/Alaskan Native: 2.66%
Asian: 7.36%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 1.16%
Some other race: 15.75%
2+ Races: 4.70%
What’s the Rent?
Median home price: $418,000
Median rent for one bedroom: $1,124
Where Do You Eat?
There are not many places in Utah where you can get the authentic cuisine and hospitality of Afghan people, apart from Afghan Kitchen. It’s a big part of why Wali Arshad decided to open his restaurant in the first place. Be sure to try Afghanistan’s national dish when you visit: lamb shank qabili palau—a slow-cooked lamb shank served with seasoned aromatic basmati rice topped with caramelized carrots and raisins.
Where do You Drink?
Along West Temple in South Salt Lake, you’ll find a surprising number of fine breweries and distilleries, each with a unique…spirit (pun intended). Shades Brewing boasts of their unconventional tactics, evident in the curious flavors of their brews, like the Piña Colada variation of their Kveik 1 Golden Sour. Pop into Sugar House Distillery for a tour and be sure to hit the gift shop on your way out. You won’t be disappointed with any of the handcrafted spirits you choose to take home. SaltFire Brewing loves to experiment with both its brews and their labels, rife with intellectual trappings. Beehive Distilling is passionate about their gin and you can taste it in their Jack Rabbit label. Level Crossing Brewing Co. produces both exceptionally well-done classic beers and ones that explore exciting new trends. Grid City Beer Works is a few blocks west, but worth the visit for their approach to beers “done three ways” and their hard seltzers.
Where Do You Shop?
Clever Octopus Creative Reuse Center is a nonprofit that offers discounted art supplies and craft materials as well as classes and workshops for kids. It can be a little hard to get your bearings at first, but there is a method to the madness (as well as a map on the wall) and great crafting finds to be found—from sewing and quilting to jewelry making and upholstery and everything in between.
Best Break Down
1520 Arts is a nonprofit organization that showcases hip hop arts as a viable career path and promotes it as a respected and legitimate art form. They’re working to help grow the hip hop community in Utah by providing local youth with an opportunity to develop their skills through competitions, workshops, performances and education.
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