I’m a New Yorker who went to Salt Lake City for the first time. These 9 things surprised me.

• Skiers on a lift floated feet above my head.
• Tech workers used breaks to practice their golf swings.
• My first trip to the Salt Lake City area was full of unexpected sights and experiences.

This was my first time on a train with an observation car.

The hotel was as lavish as many I’ve booked in the $500-$1,000-a-night range. My room was 880 square feet, with a living room, a bedroom, and a Juliet balcony. The suite felt extra luxurious with a spacious marble bathroom and thick, cozy satin-lined robes hanging in the walk-in closet.

After a night in Salt Lake City, I headed to Draper, a nearby suburb I didn’t realize was a thriving tech hub.

Salt Lake City is the metropolis of the Silicon Slopes, a region of Utah known for business and tech that also includes Park City and surrounding suburbs such as Draper and Provo.

I expected most of the tech scene to be in the big city. But I found that the nearby suburb of Draper had created a booming tech community. I visited a large building that served as offices and a coworking space for several companies, giving techies the chance to network daily.

I was surprised by all the fun activities inside tech offices.

I got private tours of two companies inside the building — Bamboo HR and Pluralsight (Pluralsight moved its headquarters to Texas in August 2025). The offices were modern and sleek, with intentional color palettes and cozy seats, as I’d expect from any tech office.

Work aside, these spaces had activities for breaks that would make it hard for me to get back to my tasks — pickleball, rentable bikes for trail riding accessible from the property, and, most surprisingly to me, an indoor golf simulator.

That afternoon, I headed from Draper to Park City, where I wasn’t expecting to find luxury housing visible from downtown.

In most wealthy towns I visit, luxury housing is spread out on the outskirts, away from the public eye.

I found that was the case for most of Park City, too.

In the downtown area, however, I spotted many modern and high-end homes layered among older houses on hilltops overlooking the streets. I was surprised and delighted by the idea of living in a luxury mansion in a walkable neighborhood.

In the same area, I was shocked when a skier was lifted a few feet above my head.

I knew Park City was known for skiing, but I didn’t expect to see an active ski lift nearly at arm’s length while strolling through the downtown area.

It made sense when I learned that this part of Park City sits between two major ski hubs — Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort.

Park City had public amenities I don’t often see in New York, such as bathrooms and electric firepits in courtyards.

New York City has public bathrooms, but in my experience, finding one often becomes an unwanted adventure.

So, I didn’t expect to see a vibrant sign pointing to one in downtown Park City. I didn’t go inside, but all the public restrooms in Park City that I saw on Google Maps had five-star ratings.

I also found warm electric firepits surrounded by benches in courtyards between stores and restaurants.

The surprising parts of my trip left me with a fuller picture of Salt Lake City and its surrounding areas. Now I want to go back.

From Salt Lake City’s affordable luxury stays to the unexpected amenities in nearby Park City, these unanticipated delights made me certain I’ll return to the Silicon Slopes.