🥊 Salt Lake Wizard vs. Bike Guy

A More Family-Friendly SLC

In Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s State of the City speech she highlighted the importance of making our town more family-friendly. Currently, families are finding it difficult to afford housing and child care. The city is implementing zoning regulations to let child care facilities open in all neighborhoods. This year, the city also plans to invest $38 million to support housing projects (mostly rentals), with a priority on family-sized units. [Salt Lake Tribune]

• Related: Just how bad is Utah’s child care crisis? [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]
• Also: Our conversation with the mayor about SLC’s biggest opportunities. [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]

AI Taking Over?

The Artificial Intelligence-related job posts in Salt Lake City have surpassed the national average, indicating a growing demand in AI technology. We are home to Silicon Slopes, after all. But is it a threat? According to a study by the Chamber of Commerce, only about 14% of jobs are considered at-risk, the most endangered being record-keeping and administrative jobs. But most likely it’ll mean new job opportunities. [Axios SLC]

• Related: Picking fights with the ChatGPT robot. [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]

The New Middle Class

A report by SmartAsset reviewed info from the U.S. Census and Pew Research Center to find the new middle-class incomes in each state. Spoiler alert: It’s gone up. For Utah (and 17 other states), you need to make a salary of at least $50,000 to be considered middle class: $59,439, to be exact. [ABC 4]

Who’s Pulling the Strings in SLC?

In part two of our series on the most powerful Salt Lakers you’ve never heard of, we’re looking not just at some new individuals, but also at the organizations pulling the strings in our city. Because you know what they say: Behind every powerful man, is the Utah Association of Realtors. [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]

• Required listening: Part one: Salt Lake’s unknown power players. [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]

Last week, I asked: Who’s Salt Lake City’s “guy?” The one that everyone seems to know without necessarily knowing. Here’s who got Hey Salt Lake readers’ votes:

👀 On SLC’s ‘Guy’

Here’s to magic and mysticism and dancing like no one’s watching:

“He wears a cape and carries his jewelry on the end of a stick. He sells jewelry at Liberty Park. Before I knew it was jewelry it just looked like he was some kind of mystical man with a trident or something. Anyway, I see him walking around with his stick all the time. There was an older man in Holladay that would dance all day on the corner of Holladay Blvd. and Murray Holladay. He was a retired doctor. He's not there any more, but he was there for years.” — Jessica D.

He’s a wizard, Harry:

“SLC's ‘that guy’ used to be the middle-aged guy with glasses that wandered around the city with a backpack, carrying a Big Gulp, and a fake baby. I would see him EVERYWHERE downtown. I would suggest the new ‘that guy’ being The Wizard. That's the guy with long gray hair, long beard, always dressed in all black robes, and carrying a cross full of jewelry everywhere he goes. Everyone has definitely seen him more than once, even if you haven't thought about him until just now.” — Trevor H.

It’s really looking like the wizard might be our guy:

“Salt Lake’s guy is either the one who bikes around with massive speakers on a bike trailer blasting music on nice days or the guy dressed all in black, floor-length robes, and carrying a big staff over his shoulder with things hanging from it. I think they might be earrings or jewelry?” — Shelby C.

Or maybe it’s bike guy:

“For me, the Salt Lake City Guy is the guy that leads the 999 ride on Thursday nights! His adult-sized tricycle with the trailer attached and giant speaker are so iconic to me.” — Sally G.

“Definitely the guy who rides the bike with the monkey bar handles and the huge boom box on back blasting classic tunes. He is always out on a nice sunny day at Liberty Park.” — Anna R.

Joshy Soul is forever in Salt Lake City’s heart (he’s flown the coop to L.A.):

“No one I know knows Joshy Soul and he’s my favorite! Time to find new friends?” — Haley E.

🗳 We’re taking it to the polls!

4 More Powerful Salt Lakers You’ve Never Heard Of

Behind every sweeping decision affecting our day-to-day lives is a table full of unfamiliar yet influential faces. In the last episode of a two-part series, host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means introduce four more powerful individuals and organizations you’ve probably never heard of and explore their impact in our communities.