Salt Lake City’s Westside residents are watching a new partnership grow between the Westside Coalition (WSC) and the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah (HEAL). At their November board meeting, the WSC confirmed HEAL as an advisor to help educate and train community members on how to effectively participate in the upcoming legislative session.
If you’re in downtown Salt Lake City and searching for exceptional coffee, Buzzed Coffee House is a spot you need to check out. Located at 265 State Street, Suite 113, Buzzed Coffee House has brought its Westside roots into the heart of downtown while staying true to its community-centered mission.
A new satellite daycare center has opened its doors at the SPARK apartment complex on North Temple, bringing affordable, high-quality childcare to local families and residents. Operated by Neighborhood House, this center is part of an innovative partnership that combines affordable housing with accessible daycare — a model that Executive Director Jennifer Nuttall calls “the right solution at the right time.”
On a gray Saturday in September, Jess John led a group of seven people along the shores of the Jordan River looking for birds. As she used a laser pointer to direct the group’s attention to various birds and noted their calls, Estrella Segovia repeated the information in Spanish.
Tracy Aviary’s Pai Okwai Nature Center, 3310 S. 1000 W. in South Salt Lake, hosted the bilingual bird walk during Latino Conservation Week, a first step in its effort to reach out to residents in western Salt Lake County. The nature center is currently working on translating into Spanish descriptions for its exhibits and posters detailing common birds in the area, as well as including indigenous names of wildlife on labels. In fact, the nature center adopted the indigenous name for the Jordan River, Pai Okwai.
“Having the indigenous names be highlighted and prioritized, I think, is very important to recognizing just how long these bird species have been here,” said John, the tour leader. “That they've been here significantly longer than most of us have alongside our indigenous communities.”
The bilingual bird-watching tours launched a few years ago as a pilot program and have continued annually, said John, a conservation outreach ecologist.
In this edition of The West View Community Spotlight, we highlight the recent ribbon-cutting of the new Glendale Regional Park and the first-ever Yuletide at the Village market.
The West View has been a cornerstone of Westside community journalism for nearly 15 years, bringing you local stories, amplifying diverse voices, and fostering connections. As we look ahead to 2026, we’re focused on telling the story of the Westside. Your support powers our ability to continue to publish The West View.
“Your privilege is showing. We can all feel it!” Leslie Patino shouted as she left a public comment portion of the Salt Lake County Council meeting on Tuesday, November 4th. A daycare teacher at Northwest Recreation Center and resident of West Valley, Patino was one of dozens of parents, staff, elected officials, and concerned community members who packed the council chambers that day.
The large turnout was in response to the council’s 5-4 Republican party-line decision the week before to abruptly close four county-run daycares in Kearns, Magna, Salt Lake’s Fairpark neighborhood, and Millcreek by December 31, 2025. Roughly 250 to 300 families will be directly impacted by the closure.
Since 2021, Love Your Block has supported neighborhood improvement projects led by residents across the Westside and Ballpark neighborhoods. Originally funded through the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation, the program became a full-time city initiative in 2023 thanks to Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s support through the general fund investment.
But these projects are not possible without YOU. Yes, you — the neighbor reading this, the one thinking about that vacant lot you would love to see turned into a pocket park. Or maybe it is that wall you pass every day with your kids and your dog, imagining it brought to life with color and creativity. Or maybe you have thought about adding a little library to your street to share stories with your neighbors.
We’ve begun that time of year with a certain melancholic feeling to it. Fall.
Urban trees offer vital benefits to our community, such as conserving energy by cooling buildings and streets with shade, providing animal habitats, and filtering the air. However, in Salt Lake City's arid climate, trees don't thrive naturally. This creates a dilemma: keeping our urban forest healthy requires property owners to irrigate, which often feels contradictory to our necessary efforts to conserve water by cutting back on yard watering.
A local park in the Fairpark neighborhood is welcoming back neighbors of all ages after recent renovations. Madsen Park, located at 9 N Chicago Street, has evolved from once-empty land donated by private citizens to a full-fledged park. Now, it’s received upgraded amenities including a new playground and open green space.
Dozens of exhibitors and volunteers packed the Sorenson Unity Center in Glendale, all to help highlight the different kinds of assistive technology available to those in our community with disabilities.
They arrived equipped with knowledge, resources, and tech aimed at helping individuals with disabilities navigate the world with greater ease. The second annual assistive technology fair was put on by the Utah Assistive Technology Program (UATP) at Utah State University.
Cafes that seek to build community offer much more than just a good cup of coffee. They create a space where people come to connect, share, and create. These places don’t only serve coffee, but they serve their communities by making everyone feel at home. And that's exactly what's been brewing at Culture Coffee.
On August 1st, Culture brought the community together with coffee, art, and good vibes at their first-ever local night market.
A dance group established in 1997 continues to thrive and make moves on the Westside and beyond in Salt Lake valley as they explore becoming a 501(c)3 organization. The move is coming with its own challenges, but Westside Dance has overcome many other trials as they expanded over the last 25+ years.
The Other Side Village (TOSV), an all-inclusive living community for the chronically homeless, is currently receiving residents. But before gaining access to one of 60 cottage homes in the first phase of development, future residents are required to attend at least six months of training at The Other Side Village Prep School.
Through TOSV Prep School, those enrolled learn a new way of thinking using a human first, whole person framework that emphasizes self-love, self-trust, accountability, solidarity, community, unlearning negative beliefs, mentoring, self-reliance and honesty.
The Salt Lake City School District recently hosted its largest-ever Talent Ready Apprenticeship Connection (TRAC) Signing Day, celebrating 19 students—the biggest cohort in district history to join the TRAC Advanced Manufacturing Program. Students signed their letters of intent, officially committing to youth apprenticeships with top local employers, including two manufacturers located on Salt Lake City’s Westside, Utah PaperBox and Stadler Rail.
Utah State University is hosting Salt Lake City’s first assistive technology fair, ‘Gadget Galaxy.’ The event will highlight different kinds of technology available for individuals with disabilities. It will take place on Saturday, July 19th from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Sorenson Unity Center in Glendale.
In some parts of Salt Lake City, finding a therapist is as easy as searching online; on the Westside, it’s a different story. A tangle of challenges — from confusing messaging to financial strain — can limit the level of access to mental health services.
The issues regarding access to mental health care for Westside residents are multifaceted. Barriers like cost and limited insurance coverage to fewer nearby providers can hinder availability.
Efforts to improve air quality and expand transportation options for older adults and underserved communities in Utah are receiving a boost through the AARP Community Challenge program. The national initiative supports quick-action projects that make communities healthier, more equitable, and easier to navigate for residents of all ages.
Locally, the nonprofit organization HEAL Utah used the grant to explore solutions at the intersection of transportation, air quality, and public health, with a focus on vulnerable populations most impacted by pollution and mobility barriers.
Baruch Spinoza once wrote, “Fear cannot be without hope, nor hope without fear.” He believed the two are deeply intertwined. Hope carries fear of disappointment, while fear holds hope for a better outcome. In a world where truth and lies coexist, a lack of promises occur, hatred is uplifted, and love is diminished. When everything seems chaotic, what can we do? I propose we face it with values we all know — respect, compassion, gratitude and hope.
On a warm May evening, laughter echoed through the halls of Neighborhood House as over 120 teens and adults with disabilities experienced something many had never had before, a prom of their own.
Hosted collaboratively by Neighborhood House, Columbus Community Center, and the Ability Inclusion Center, The Time of Our Lives Prom was much more than a dance; it was a heartfelt celebration of inclusion, collaboration, and the power of community. From glittering gowns to pasta dinners and some serious moves on the dance floor, every detail of the May 16 event was designed to make each guest feel celebrated, empowered, and unforgettable.
On June 28, The Other Side Donuts (760 S. Redwood Road) will celebrate its one-year anniversary from 9 am to 8 pm. The Salt Lake City business is a social enterprise of The Other Side Village.
Summer means adventure, road trips, late nights, and early mornings enjoying the weather. There’s something about those summer nights that makes everything feel a little more exciting. And with summer approaching, it’s the perfect time to check out what’s happening locally and possibly discover new hobbies.
“My Hometown Salt Lake City is an initiative that combines the strengths of individuals, faith-based organizations, and community partners to help individuals and families in this community improve their residential living conditions, maintain access to available services and community information, connect productively with other neighbors, and serve together.” - myHometown SLC
Throughout the Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club seasons, Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) has stayed true to one mission: showing up for the community – especially those on Salt Lake City’s Westside. And as the offseason begins, the SEG Foundation is looking ahead, listening closely to the needs of those in the community, and finding new ways to deepen its impact where it matters most.
Many have heard or read about the opioid overdose crisis in Utah, but few realize that in 2014, the state ranked 4th in the nation for overdose-related deaths. Thanks to those who raised awareness and worked tirelessly to bring change, we can celebrate that as of 2021, Utah has dropped to 42nd in overdose death rates.
70 years – that’s how long Rose Park Baseball has been supporting Westside youth through the iconic American sport. On April 12th, the latest season kicked off at Riverside Park.
