EOE: School me on St. George Utah

[Ack535]

Although I have a number of years to go yet, I am looking at retiring to the South Western United States. Playing around on Google, I have come across St. George Utah which looks nice at face value. Economy looks strong there, right next door to Bryce Zion National Park, and mild climate are all pluses in my book.

A big bonus is lots of sport-touring and dual sport riding in the area!

Any thoughts or experiences you can share with me?


Thanks!

[Justin]

Do not have a lot to mention about actually living in St George, but I love the area, and just the proximity to so many national parks and awesome riding make me want to live there  . I think there is something like 10 national parks within 2-3 hours  

[blakebird]

I lived in Las Vegas for 8 yrs, and spent a great deal of time riding.....other places

I used to head out to St. George, get a room and ride all over southwest Utah for the weekend, solo and with the wife.
Lots of good on and offroad riding in the area. St. George is a nice little burg too, has everything you need....multiple bike shops, etc.

[Scratch33]

St. George is like  

Mesquite, AZ is like  

[Ack535]

I lived in Las Vegas for 8 yrs, and spent a great deal of time riding.....other places

I used to head out to St. George, get a room and ride all over southwest Utah for the weekend, solo and with the wife.
Lots of good on and offroad riding in the area. St. George is a nice little burg too, has everything you need....multiple bike shops, etc.

Thanks Blakebird, kind of what I thought about the area.

[blakebird]

St. George is like  

Mesquite, AZ is like  

Mesquite is in Nevada.

Mesquite at one time was growing very quickly....but that tapered off years ago and it's still a sleepy one-road town with cheap rooms and cheap golf.
That's about it.  Mesquite/Bunkerville used to have the nickname Mistake/Blunderville.

[Scratch33]

Mesquite is in Nevada.

    

My experience with St. George is from 8 years ago - I stayed there one night during a cross country ride; went looking for brew pubs and kinda got laughed outta town.  I was advised that Mesquite was where I should've flopped.

My last visit to Utah in 2010 was wonderful though.  We chose Panguitch as home plate and I had a rental GS.

[JimWilliamson]

Perhaps 20 years ago I was driving a U-Haul through there with family moving to CA. We needed a heater hose and were passing through on a Friday or Saturday evening about 7 or 9pm. In the hour or so we were in a gas station parking lot replacing the hot hose, we were amazed at the "strip traffic" of lifted pickups and teenage kids kicking it up. Wasn't a place, even then when I was closer to their age, I wished to be a part of.

Subsequent trips, in the daytime to see grand scenery, found me not re-visiting the main drag in town. That impression jumps to mind whenever I hear the town's name.

0.02

[stealth1]

I recently relocated to SW Utah.
I like St. George. Mild winters but the summers can really cook. But it is low humidity. It is a high growth area.
Only about 110 mi from Las Vegas.
I moved about 45 miles north of St. George to the cooler, smaller, more laid back town of Cedar City. About 3000 ft higher, too.
So far I really like it.
You can pm me if you have any specific questions about the area.

[UHOH]

Although I have a number of years to go yet, I am looking at retiring to the South Western United States.
Playing around on Google, I have come across St. George Utah ...

with time on your hands, be sure you take at least a number of trips down there.   Not just to see the geography (stellar),
but also somehow to find out how you would fit in socially.  I don't know how you do this ...

Have visited lot of times, and I get along fine - 'cuz I'm a visitor spending money (?).  But talked to people who have lived in 3 Utah communities and
as I listened to their personal stories it was like a non-Mormon being treated socially almost like a mixed race person would have been in Mississippi back in 1970.  

One man said it was really rough on his daughter in small town southern Utah school, 'cuz one of her school friends told her (new resident)
that she (the long time Utah resident) couldn't go over to her  house - her mom forbade it because this immigrant's family wasn't Mormon.

Different details, same page for a friend of 50 who married there & moved down; divorced less than a year later because of non-acceptance / social scene incompatibility.  


So look at Cedar City, Utah, not far away but with a college so it's more open to new ideas / new residents (a guess).  
Let us (me, via PM?) know as you go forward.    I like Utah for geography, sometimes wonder about living there.

[Ack535]

Thanks for the advice Stealth1 and UHOH. I often wondered about the whole Mormon thing, and what it would be like to be an outsider. Hard to believe in 2012 such bigotry still exists...

From my standpoint, SW Utah offers great weather, great riding, and a vibrant economy which are all attractions for me. Looks like we may head to Vegas for spring break and I may take a ride up to the St. George area for the day and check it out.

Either way, I really appreciate your input.

[jamesgino]

I  was born and raised in St. George.  I lived there until I joined the Army when I was 25. I would move back there in a heart beat. They have so much to do that it's insane. Four wheeling, shooting, motorcycling, swimming, boating, golfing, art, etc whatever you want they have it with great scenery. It took me moving away to realize how awesome the St. George area really is.

As for the whole Mormon thing. You will see some of that, but not much anymore. There are quite a few places that you can get drinks now. When I was there for Christmas they had a new wing place that was pretty good. I still have plenty of family there. Seems like the housing market is a buyers market still.

It's amazing. I don't know how to put it better than that. They just have everything close by that you could want. Vegas, mountains, the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, etc the list just goes on.

If you have any specific questions about the area let me know. I can get information about specific areas that you may be looking to live. I know some LEO's that could also give you some good info if you would like about which area etc. For the most part its pretty much crime free. Not even a ghetto so to speak. Anyway PM me if you have questions. I make it there at least twice a year when I get leave.

-James

[Ack535]

I  was born and raised in St. George.  I lived there until I joined the Army when I was 25. I would move back there in a heart beat. They have so much to do that it's insane. Four wheeling, shooting, motorcycling, swimming, boating, golfing, art, etc whatever you want they have it with great scenery. It took me moving away to realize how awesome the St. George area really is.

As for the whole Mormon thing. You will see some of that, but not much anymore. There are quite a few places that you can get drinks now. When I was there for Christmas they had a new wing place that was pretty good. I still have plenty of family there. Seems like the housing market is a buyers market still.

It's amazing. I don't know how to put it better than that. They just have everything close by that you could want. Vegas, mountains, the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, etc the list just goes on.

If you have any specific questions about the area let me know. I can get information about specific areas that you may be looking to live. I know some LEO's that could also give you some good info if you would like about which area etc. For the most part its pretty much crime free. Not even a ghetto so to speak. Anyway PM me if you have questions. I make it there at least twice a year when I get leave.

-James

Thanks for the input James. You have prety much confirmed what I had thought about the region.

This is a link to ADV Rider that has got me thinking about St. George as a place to live:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=725976

Say, didn't I sell you something for an FJR or a ZZR once? You're in the Army correct?

[jamesgino]

Thanks for the input James. You have prety much confirmed what I had thought about the region.

This is a link to ADV Rider that has got me thinking about St. George as a place to live:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=725976

Say, didn't I sell you something for an FJR or a ZZR once? You're in the Army correct?

Yeah you sold me a Corbin seat to the ZZR I believe. It was probably two years ago now. I sold the ZZR and bought a V-Strom I think two years ago March.

[UHOH]

Thanks for the advice Stealth1 and UHOH. I often wondered about the whole Mormon thing, and what it would be like to be an outsider. Hard to believe in 2012 such bigotry still exists...

Either way, I really appreciate your input.

You're welcome.  Say, Ack535, in my post, last paragraph, I incorrectly suggested checking out St, George when
 I meant to say check out Cedar City, UT just a short drive away - it has a college;
I'm going to edit my above post to correct my intent.

[UHOH]

As for the whole Mormon thing. You will see some of that, but not much anymore.
There are quite a few places that you can get drinks now.

My comments didn't mention the access to alcohol.  
But you lived in St. George, and I haven't, so your comment has good value.

... but still check the social acceptance scene out, however you can do that.
Don't rely on the statements from a realtor.

[jamesgino]

They still have a state run liquor store, but if you go out to eat somewhere you can always get drinks there. I was never much of a drinker so it never did bother me. Mesquite is close if you really want to shop for drinks.