“Ain’t nothing to do in this boring-ass city,” said Charles Barkley. “Can’t smoke, can’t drink. These people going to heaven.” The former NBA player and commentator was in Salt Lake City for the 2023 All-Star game.

For students new to the University of Utah, it’s important to know where to go for the inevitably long study sessions and what to do for fun. Salt Lake offers neighborhoods with memorable restaurants and amenities to explore, along with amazing events to attend this summer.

Study & Socialize

Kayla Brown, a second-year architecture student at the U, said it’s difficult being between the ages of 18 and 21 in Salt Lake.

“It’s either [activities] offered to high schoolers or stuff you have to be 21 or older to get into,” Brown said.

Curiosity is a sober cocktail bar and coffee shop, doubling as a study and social destination. It is located at 145 E 900 S and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 10 pm. 

3 Cups is also a great option for coffee shops with longer hours and more variety in their offerings. This shop offers wine, gelato, baked goods and charcuterie options in the shopping plaza Holladay Village Square.

If you are looking for a coffee shop with a lot of space to get work done with peers and friends, Publik on West Temple is in a spacious warehouse filled with working spaces that are available to rent out.

Trayvon Peoples, a health and kinesiology major at the U, said that he’s “recently found joy trying new chicken joints” with friends. “Try Mr. Charlie’s Chicken Fingers, that place is gas if you like chicken and waffles,” he said. 

Shop & Eat

Salt Lake’s Chinatown Supermarket is a testament to Utah’s strong Asian community. The largest Asian store in Utah, this sprawling plaza offers 12 restaurants, a K-pop Dance Studio, the Sil Lum Kung Fu Club and routine cultural events for people to attend. It’s located at 3390 S State Street and is open every day until 9 pm, though individual business hours may vary.

Another neighborhood, at the intersection of 1500 S and 1500 E in the Wasatch Hollow, offers a wide variety of outdoor restaurants, bakeries and the King’s English bookshop, along with access to the Wasatch Hollow Park and Sugarhouse Park.

The Salt Lake relic, Emigration Market is also within walking distance of the 15th & 15th neighborhood. Surrounding the market are restaurants like Nomad East and Emigration Cafe. Both of these neighborhoods are full of shade to help with the incoming summertime. 

The Great Outdoors

Maddison Bailey, a biochemistry major at the U, and Sophie Katz, a nursing student at the U, said they enjoy skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer.

“I really want to hike Mount Timpanogos this summer,” Katz said. “The U has great access to trails along the Bonneville Shoreline that break off along the Wasatch Front.”

Salmon Burningham, a biology and Spanish major at the U, said he spends most of his time off campus playing pickleball, hiking or skiing.

“Utah’s activities are all very much the ‘cliche’ outdoor stuff — if you go to the U you have so many great options for outdoor activities and places you won’t find anywhere else,” Burningham said.

Events 

Every summer, Snowbasin Resort hosts its Blues, Brews and BBQ event every Monday from mid-June to the end of July. According to the Snowbasin website, musical acts consist of national and local musicians, along with rotating food and beverage vendors. “The concert series is quickly becoming the most coveted outdoor concert series in all of Utah,” their website boasts. Snowbasin follows this up with the SnowWiesn Oktoberfest, a German-themed festival, from Sept. 4 to Sept. 25.

Park Silly Sunday Market, a farmers market filling up all of Park City’s Main Street, is a summer-long event every Sunday from early June to September. Park Silly’s website says the event “has hosted over 2.5 million people,” and “helped to foster/incubate over 150 small businesses.”

Salt Lake City hosts a collection of large music festivals every year like the Kilby Block Party, the Salt Lake and Ogden Twilight Concert Series, Red Butte Concert Series and the Hive musical festival.

Mind the Gap Music Festival is holding its inaugural event on Aug. 26, 2023, with artists including Beach Bunny, Yaeji and Orion Sun. According to Mind the Gap’s website, the festival aims to uplift marginalized voices “while bringing attention to the gaps in gender equality that still exist in Utah and across the country.”

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