Ogden's Not Too Bad - Fresno Is Worse
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7/22/2009
I moved here from Fresno, CA for a job transfer in Jan 09, and it has been a bit of a culture shock as well as a bit of a disappointment too. Years ago I lived in Boise, ID and noticed how polite and well mannered the kids were, especially the LDS kids, and expected to find the same here in "Mormon Country".
I'm not Mormon, although I have never had any problems living with them and enjoying their friendship, and I was surprised to see that generally the older kids here in Ogden are basically pushy, ill-mannered and rude, whether they are of Mormon families, or not. And yes, there are gangs here too (well at least wannabe's as compared to Fresno), which are dangerous with their drive by shootings, especially in the older, middle part of Ogden.
Of course crime and other problems depend on which part of Ogden you live in, as the hills and edges are much nicer and newer, and are also more costly. If I were still young and raising my family, I'd search out one of these areas, or perhaps (with a little more money) consider living in North Ogden (a very nice town), or in Davis County.
The City of Ogden is really trying to upgrade a lot of the older run down areas, especially around down town, and is also doing a lot of roadwork so as to reduce the traffic congestion here, and hopefully if these efforts are successful, in a few years Ogden may evolve into a really nice city.
The biggest plus to the area is the recreation, which is great. Wonderful hiking and fishing areas are very near Ogden in the summer, and if you're a skier or snowboarder, Utah snow is very good. Fresno does have Yosemite, but it's not nearly as convenient as recreation areas are to Ogden.
As for me, Ogden will work ok for the next few years, and then I'll retire and move to a small town somewhere in Oregon or Washington, like many of the other retirees on the West Coast do.
J T | Klamath Falls, OR