For our fourth walkabout, Group 5 visited the Gateway District, a roughly rectangular region on Salt Lake City’s west side bounded by the edges of 1-15 to the west, 4th S to the south, the Salt Palace Convention Center to the east, and North Temple to the north. We began our walkabout around 4:30 in the afternoon, and the weather was already chilly and a bit windy, but overall, it was a nice time to be outside for a walk. We fit in with the shoppers, event-goers, and other frequenters of the Gateway, but the district is a place of contrasts. On the one hand, there are middle- to upper-class pedestrians going shopping in the mall or taking advantage of one of the many entertainment options that the district has to offer. On the other hand, The Road Home sits prominently to the south of the mall, providing food, shelter, and services to the homeless community in Salt Lake City. Interaction within these groups, not to mention between them, is limited; the people who come here with friends or family to enjoy one another’s company nonetheless avoid contact with those outside of their pre-formed circles.
The Gateway district retains the vestiges of cultural diversity in the form of landmarks, from the Greek Orthodox church in Old Greek Town (also the location of such concert venues as In the Venue and The Complex) to the Japanese Church of Christ and Salt Lake Buddhist Temple of Old Japan Town. We missed the restaurants of Little Italy, but they are still standing. However, the majority of the ethnic influence in the area has been lost due to expanding business and commercial sectors. Because of the commercial appeal of the Gateway Mall, advertising is ubiquitous in the Gateway district. As a significant node within the larger framework of Salt Lake City, this region also has its share of restaurants, theaters, and hotels, as well as the Convention Center and Energy Solutions Arena. Construction is a nearly constant factor, and it can be difficult to find parking, so walking is actually one of the best ways to move throughout the area. In contrast to our previous walkabout to Westminster, our experience in the Gateway district was characterized by lots of people and thus a generally high energy level. Additionally, this place presents itself as much more “public” than the quiet suburbs, even though the truly public nodes, such as Pioneer Park, are limited. At the time of our walkabout, a large group of Occupy SLC protesters were still stationed in Pioneer Park, though they would be evicted by police within a few days.
My reaction to the Gateway district differed from my reaction to the neighborhoods around Westminster. I enjoy walking around in an urban environment, and having lived in and visited many large cities, I felt relaxed and engaged while touring the Gateway district. At the same time, however, the whole experience felt somehow more fresh and exciting (though not necessarily superior to) our neighborhood walkabout. Being new to Salt Lake City, I found that there was much more to assimilate in the Gateway district than in the suburbs, for though I’ve had lots of experience with places like the Gateway, it nevertheless has its own unique flavor.
(Photo credit to Hannah Schryver)
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