City, neighborhood and even single-home welcoming signs help Salt Lakers know where they are
On the Street
By Bryant Heath
Location signs are rather abundant around Salt Lake, announcing everything from the "Welcome to Utah, Life Elevated" slogan that greets hundreds of thousands of travelers driving into town from the airport, all the way down to the historical markers of individual homes that you might see on your neighborhood walks.
Cities and suburbs have them too, of course. The most recent one I've noticed is a scaled model of a water wheel that Millcreek just installed on Highland Drive near 3010 South, at the boundary between it and Salt Lake City.
But it's neighborhood signs that give me the greatest pleasure. Most opt for metallic lettering to announce a guest's arrival into their area. Sugar House has several types, which embrace the ambiguity of its spelling (Is it one word or two? Editor's note: It's two) and 9th & 9th signs have a unique, oxidized green coloring.
But my favorite has to be the signs for Rose Park (photo above)—one of which can be found at the entrance to Riverside Park on 700 North near 1500 West. Not only does the sign contain the neighborhood's namesake in the large lettering, but it also shows fine detail by having it stamped into the concrete of the pedestal as well.
Even neighborhoods without official signage find a way to proudly identify the area. Glendale and Guadalupe both have brightly painted murals by local artists Bill Louis and Valarie Williams, respectively (below photo)—the first of which can be found at Glendale Middle School on Andrew Avenue and Navajo Street whereas the second is located on the backside of Project Open at 500 West and 400 North.
This is why it is more surprising to see some well-known neighborhoods go without. Unless I'm mistaken, both The Avenues and Liberty Wells are currently sign-less, but that's not to say it can't change quickly, though. With the help of recent Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funding from the city, Yalecrest is the latest neighborhood to put up welcome signs this past winter.
The next round of CIP requests—which any SLC resident can apply for—opens up this August, so for those wanting to show a little more neighborhood spirit but don't have the funds to do so, get after it!
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