FROM ITS EARLY DAYS AS A RESORT TOWN, SARATOGA SPRINGS, UTAH CONTINUES TO BE AN ATTRACTIVE CITY THAT COMBINES DAILY LIVING WITH RECREATION. 

It’s a treat to have such a quiet and restorative launching place to access the tech and business regions in the valley. I personally favor the Saratoga Hot Springs (also known as Inlet Park Hot Springs). This geothermal treasure offers a scenic, all natural soaking experience, free to the public year-round. At the parking lot you’ll find restrooms and a 200 yard path to the water. The level path is half paved then half gravel until you reach the picturesque field. You can’t help but exhale the stress away, surrounded by native plants and the songs of wild birds. Come during the winter and you’ll see the scene transform as steam rises from the spring surrounded by the valley’s snowcapped mountains. You can easily dip back and forth between Utah Lake’s cool waters and the mineral-rich hot spring for some mild hydrotherapy. Whether you’re an experienced hot spring adventurer or a first-timer, this hot spring uniquely integrates natural wonder with accessibility for various ages and abilities.

To care for the land and future guests, remember to leave your soaps, shampoos, and lotions behind (they degrade the natural water quality). Saratoga Springs residents have a lot of love for an environment they intend to preserve for future generations. 

After your nature retreat, you can find everything you need along the Redwood Road shopping and dining hub. If you prefer the more quaint and historic Lehi Main Street, it’s only an 11 minute drive from The Crossings shopping center. With clusters of schools and parks dotting the mountainside, there’s a culture of activity suited for all ages. Saratoga Springs has its own farmers market and a calendar of annual fun! Recently, the town invested 41 million dollars to build a city center that includes a new library overlooking the landscape. This nature-loving community worked to ensure the architecture didn’t detract from the local topography. Its colors mirror the mountain ranges to the east, starting with rich, dark earth that gets lighter as you move up.

The town also boasts a budding community of entrepreneurs.

Locals tipped me off to farm stands and bakeries that they love! Come try a sample at our upcoming open houses and explore what the area has to offer.

I’m excited to introduce a new offering here at cityhomeCOLLECTIVE. Have you been to a soundbath before? Well… this might be a little different. 

I’m calling this a “Song Bath” due to the use of music and singing throughout the experience. Some songs will be prepared, but some will be improvised and written by you and whoever is in the room! You don’t have to do any singing if you don’t want to, but as we listen to what our bodies need to hear and write love letters, I can use the words to whip up something that serenades our bones. I sing with these bowls to get back to a shared human root: vibration itself. We all embryonically came into form surrounded by breath and a heartbeat. Why do ocean waves instantly relax my breathing? Why does a drum move my body from the inside out? Why do I sometimes hum in order to regulate my nerves? 

When I observe what’s happening in the world, the country, the community, and in the lives of loved ones, there’s so much that I wish for. I wish I could do something for the stress, loss, and heartbreak. I wish to weave in joy with what’s heavy. I wish for us to rest. 

With each monthly Song Bath, I’ll collect donations for a different cause. Sometimes it may go to a single individual or family in need. Other times to an organization involved in life-giving work. Keep an eye on our social media to see what each month is dedicated to. So come in comfy clothes! Bring a journal and pen if you like to reflect. Support a community need. And give your body some dedicated time to exhale and come home. 

sunday, July 27th

11:00-12:00 public session & 1:30-3:00 bipoc only session

cityhome underground | 645 E SOUTH TEMPLE 

Check our social media for updates on the next monthly sound bath

I recently attended an event where real estate agents discussed our present housing conditions with legislators. Some local leaders noted the increasing number of potential home buyers who are single individuals and an even larger number with no children, even if they are coupled. Statistics were shared to contribute to what seemed like a case for building more condos, apartments, and starter homes.

I’ll be real with you: I’m part of the demographic they were talking about–and many of my contacts are too. What I hope becomes central to the discussion on housing is designing such buildings and city planning to integrate how we dream of living. That starts with listening to us describe that dream.  Without getting to know me, a builder might assume I just need a 1-2 bed apartment unit with some windows to get by.

Regardless of lifestyle or income, I wish for myself and my neighbors to live well, not just get by. 

A socially conscious architect would learn that I want to garden and need to walk to maintain my health. They would discover I host family and large community gatherings. They would also find I dream of becoming a parent, while I also imagine needing space to take care of my aging family members or siblings in need. I’m interested in housing developments that seek, listen, and accommodate the dreams of where we want to be and how we dream of living. It is possible to make as much of it into a reality now rather than telling us the dream has to wait until “retirement.” 

Ron Molen, well known mid-century modern architect from our very own Salt Lake City, designed with this social mindfulness over 60 years ago.  In creating the 160 home neighborhood of Westshire in West Valley back in 1962, Molen visualized how an entire life could be played out within the indoor and outdoor spaces on each lot. True to the cherished elements of mid-century modern homes, the interiors feel spacious and bright largely due to the floor to ceiling windows. Not to mention the open air atriums, high ceilings, sunken living rooms, and the fireplace that makes a statement. Thinking more on the daily life of each resident, Molen designs go on to add hidden nooks and ample deck or patio space to encourage gathering in nature.

Molen is still involved in encouraging socially conscious design in Salt Lake architecture. He has written a number of articles for the Salt Lake Tribune. Discussing recent apartment projects, Molen voiced how incorporating parks or interaction with flora and fauna is vital for physical and mental health.  “In the current artificial, digital world that often consumes too much of a person’s time, a daily walk through many interconnected parks would help one reconnect with nature’s imprint on who and what we are.”

Perhaps this care for life and community, non-profit work, painting, and swimming is what keeps Ron Molen 96 years young. You can find neighborhoods designed by this notable architect in Westshire in West Valley and Cottonwood Heights. Homes like this don’t always become available for sale, but we work hard to stay in the know. Check back next week to see what we’ve uncovered!

Camlyn is drawn to intentional experiences and to exploring what it means to love where you live. Their relationship to Utah has transformed as they deepen their connection to the land and their community. With the heart of an educator, Camlyn comes to us with a drive to serve. The passion behind their work is to remind us how powerful we are, especially when Life is ready to create with us. Camlyn is known for blending organizing strength with a calm nature, and when it comes to helping you find home, their energy, creative solutions, and community-based mindset will get you where you want to be. They love to start with the question, “Can you describe the feeling and the life you would enjoy living?”

You’re an agent here. Tell us why. What led you to this work? I’ve realized that I spend the majority of my time at home, at work, in relationships, and all my time is simultaneously spent in my body. So I prioritize: What is good for my body? How does the energy in my home feel? Does work nourish me or drain me? Am I present for my loved ones? 

I believe our homes are micro-experiments of the societies we live in. “Home” is an incredible opportunity for us to design the havens that we strive for on a broader scale. When I think about how I’d like to contribute to my community, I would love to help my neighbors settle into a secure home and an overall energy of creativity, freedom, and rest. I resonated with cityhomeCOLLECTIVE and their philosophy around loving where you live, understanding your why, and the confident belief that the home (and life) specifically meant for you is attainable. 

You could be living anywhere, really. Why SLC? Ah, this is significant because I have lived outside of SLC for about half my life, yet some of my most significant growth has happened here. I’m rooted here because I’m finding a unique community that continues to care for and surprise me. If I were hosting a visitor, I would enjoy showing off; starting with this lively nook here at cityhomeCOLLECTIVE and then branching out to our canyons and hot springs, our farmers and their food, the art and film scene, creative workshops, our badass entrepreneurs and community organizers, my favorite places to eat, and our ancient lakes.

What is your definition of home? Where your insides relax. Where love is. Where you unwind and come home to yourself, really. Yes it’s a space, but I also think it’s a practice, a returning, and often a relationship. 

Describe your perfect day. What, exactly, does that look like for you? Waking up naturally after a good rest and meditating. Having three hearty meals, including at least one home-made community/family meal. Time to read, time to write, time to connect with loved ones. Physical movement! Time outside. And some random surprise turn of events, because I like an involved and playful Universe. 

How do you take care of your home and how do you take care of the house that is you? I have some weekly focused time where I clean the place. I tend to my plants. I like to go through each room and make sure it feels open. I love good smells for the nose. I love having tea, food, and blankets ready. And when I come and go, I might occasionally say to the walls, “Thank you, house! I love you!”