South Salt Lake

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South Salt Lake, South Salt Lake’s history is closely intertwined with that of Salt Lake City’s. It began in 1847 when Brigham Young brought settlers through Emigration Canyon into the Salt Lake Valley. Originally, South Salt Lake was made up of three distinct unincorporated areas: Millcreek to the north, Central Park (which was the area between 300 East and State Street and 2700 to 3000 South) and Southgate to the south. In 1936 Central Park incorporated as its own town. In the late 1930s the area was greatly in need of a sanitation system since at the time most of the area was using septic tanks or open cesspools which drained into local creeks. Salt Lake City agreed to annex the area to help with the problem.

Many people know South Salt Lake for the old Columbus School building, which is now a branch of the Salt Lake County Library System as well as an auditorium, senior center and several other facilities. South Salt Lake is now undergoing a huge planing process to improve its main thoroughfare (State Street) and provide for more walkability/design in the future. For more info: www.southsaltlakecity.com Granite High School was torn down and a ginormous housing development is being built on 500 E and 3300 S with different local developers partnering to plan the look and walkability of the mixed types of homes. Property taxes are lower in South Salt Lake, and there aren’t as many sidewalks as you’d find in Salt Lake itself. The area is growing quickly and improving on its infrastructure.

A TRAX street-car line runs down 2100 South to the Sugar House neighborhood of southeastern Salt Lake City. It’s a really accessible area as the two major freeways going east/west and nor/south (I-15 and I-80) intersect in South Salt Lake.

In 2012, a Chinatown-like block opened on a run-down lot in the city and boasts the state’s largest Asian grocery store. It hails as the only Chinatown in the Intermountain West area. There’s also a giant indoor Trampoline Park (Wairhouse) and if you’re in to odd history, know that the world’s first KFC is on 3900 So. and State Street with an inside museum of sorts with vintage posters and photos on the wall of the sit down/take out restaurant. Colonel Sanders and his Utah business partner, Pete Harmon, figured out how to make that salty fast food right here!

Places to eat: Left Fork Grill/diner.