The holidays can be fraught, from family stress or loneliness to overwhelming joy and nostalgia. Sometimes the tears well up, and you can’t control it! So, where are the best places in Salt Lake to comfortably cry in public? With help from City Cast listeners and Hey Salt Lake readers, newsletter editor Terina Ria and producer Ivana Martinez join host Ali Vallarta to compile a list and map of the best local spots to find comfort or solace from strangers. This episode originally aired on Aug. 24,...
Dec 27, 2023•24 min
We all love our city, but nobody’s perfect! Host Ali Vallarta asks Kendall Rodriguez, the Queen of SLC, for the best Salt Lake spots to take your enemies. Buckle in, haters. This episode originally aired on Feb. 6, 2023. Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us o...
Dec 26, 2023•13 min
The state’s first-ever sanctioned homeless camp has opened, offering 25 heated pods in downtown Salt Lake City. Executive producer Emily Means and host Ali Vallarta discuss its met and unmet needs. Plus, what to expect in the way of construction in 2024, and our picks of the week. Volunteer for “Code Blue” with the Second and Second Coalition. Become a founding City Cast member yourself or gift a membership. Visit Atelier at 337 Pierpont Ave. for last minute gifts. Subscribe to our daily morning...
Dec 22, 2023•26 min
“Cuffing season” — a term of endearment for locking down a cold-weather fling — is in full swing. Does that inspire panic? Producer Ivana Martinez joins host Ali Vallarta to share cozy date ideas, advice for winter dating, and a few do’s and don’ts. Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm. Subscribe to our daily morning newsl...
Dec 21, 2023•25 min
New Year’s resolutions are tough to keep, especially ambitious ones. But at the start of 2023, host Ali Vallarta made it her mission to get a drink at every bar in Salt Lake County — all 216 of them — before the year’s end. We’re proud to announce: She did it. Ali shares her takeaways with executive producer Emily Means and looks ahead to her next great challenge. Details for the end of journey celebration, Thursday, Dec. 21 from 7-9 p.m. at The Green Room. Ali’s report from all the ‘Bout Times ...
Dec 20, 2023•25 min
How will Utah make buying and serving alcohol easier in 2024? Fox 13 reporter Ben Winslow tells host Ali Vallarta how lawmakers and the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services — our state alcohol regulator — could change how we raise a glass next year. Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm. Subscribe to our daily mor...
Dec 19, 2023•24 min
TikTok’s own Queen of SLC, Kendall Rodriguez, joins host Ali Vallarta to count down who was good and who is getting coal this year in Salt Lake City. From newsmakers to benevolent visionaries, we ask Santa to #takenote. Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on...
Dec 18, 2023•28 min
Salt Lake City and Sandy are suing the Utah Department of Transportation over the gondola. Plus, it’s not even 2024 yet, and it’s already election season again. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means chat about this week’s stories and share their picks of the week. Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm. Listen...
Dec 15, 2023•30 min
Utah’s housing crisis is one of the central topics we’ve explored on this show; what we’ve heard for years is there just isn’t enough housing supply to meet demand. So, imagine our surprise at recent reporting that points to an oversupply of Salt Lake apartments, sitting empty in our city. On City Cast Salt Lake’s second anniversary, Building Salt Lake editor Taylor Anderson joins host Ali Vallarta to answer the question: Are we in a housing crisis or not? Related listening: It’s officially chea...
Dec 14, 2023•24 min
‘Tis the season for gift giving! If you’re seeking inspiration, Deseret News columnist Meg Walter joins host Ali Vallarta to assemble a thoughtful, hyper-local gift guide — from $0 to $200 an item. Plus, how do you know if you need to buy someone a holiday gift? Gift ideas mentioned: Under $20 Solstice Chocolate Beehive Cheese Salt Lake Coloring Book Childcare Under $50 Maileg Mice Candy Lab Toys Cactus & Tropicals Venus Flytrap Pantry Products Refillable Candles AllTrails+ Small Air Purifie...
Dec 13, 2023•31 min
Salt Lakers just know: The worst air is on the west side of the valley. But our chewy air quality has consequences beyond the ick we get looking at our murky horizon. Salt Lake Tribune west side reporter Alixel Cabrera and KUER politics reporter Saige Miller join host Ali Vallarta to break down the impacts to residents and possible solutions by local and state leaders. Browse the Reaching for Air series and graphics. Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best...
Dec 12, 2023•18 min
It’s that time of year when everyone is on the road, trying to make it home for the holidays or racing up the mountain to ski. And this year, we’ve seen a lot of headlines specifically about road rage leading to crashes and, in too many instances, death. So, what are state leaders doing about unsafe drivers? Salt Lake Tribune innovation reporter Sofia Jeremias joins host Ali Vallarta to break down why we’re so bad at driving and what solutions are on the table. Sweet Streets SLC’s traffic violen...
Dec 11, 2023•21 min
Gov. Spencer Cox rolled out his budget proposal for the 2025 fiscal year. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means dig around to see if there’s anything good in there. Plus, we’ve got the final election results for Salt Lake County municipal races, a local budget update, and our picks of the week. Learn more about Salt Lake County’s newly approved budget. Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re a...
Dec 08, 2023•31 min
Two SLC Planning Commission members have left the board recently, and one’s farewell was accompanied by a pointed letter offering suggestions to improve the commission’s processes. Which should matter to any Salt Laker, because the group is tasked with many of our city’s land-use decisions — from affordable housing to building heights. Former commissioner Andra Ghent joins host Ali Vallarta to share her thoughts on how she believes the group could be more effective. Apply to join the planning co...
Dec 07, 2023•23 min
Welcome to December, Salt Lake! From outdoor activities that don’t involve skiing to local Christmas markets and movie magic, host Ali Vallarta and Hey Salt Lake newsletter editor Terina Ria have created a guide to the month in our charming, snow-capped city. Plus, tips for maintaining holiday sanity and managing family in town. Here are some of the events and places discussed: International Peace Gardens Panaderia Flores Microspikes Salt Lake Film Society’s holiday movie lineup Love Actually at...
Dec 06, 2023•28 min
Our state’s newest large-scale development, Utah City, will sit on the eastern shore of Utah Lake in Utah County. Seductive renderings brag about walkability, transit orientation, and high density — three of an urbanist's greatest pleasures. In the recurring theme of Salt Lakers leaving for the suburbs in search of density, host Ali Vallarta asks Utah City planner and “Walkable City” author Jeff Speck for his notes on Salt Lake’s streets. Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lak...
Dec 05, 2023•22 min
“Just who does Sean Reyes think he is?” That’s the question the Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board is asking about Utah’s Republican attorney general — and legislators are trying to find the answer through an audit of Reyes’ office. State Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, is one Republican who requested the report amid a flurry of unfavorable headlines that paint Reyes as someone who appears to want to do anything but be the attorney general. Weiler joins host Ali Vallarta to make the case for app...
Dec 04, 2023•24 min
Get ready to light the fire within again because Salt Lake City has been named the preferred host of the 2034 Winter Olympics. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means talk about what that means for the next 10 years. Plus, Attorney General Sean Reyes wrote a scene for a movie about Operation Underground Railroad founder Tim Ballard that stars … himself? Or at least, someone who has his job, last name, and ambitions. As a note: The screenplay mentions sexual assault, so please take c...
Dec 01, 2023•28 min
Planning kids birthday parties can be difficult, especially around the holidays when money is already tight. So, let’s get creative! Salt Lake mom Shireen Ghorbani joins host Ali Vallarta to give her best tips and tricks for throwing the ultimate kids birthday party this season and beyond — without breaking the bank. Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around for years to come. Get all the details and si...
Nov 30, 2023•23 min
Just south of Salt Lake County lies Utah Lake, a freshwater body connected to Great Salt Lake via the Jordan River that you might know for its summer algal blooms. But beneath the pond scum lies a tale of back-room scheming and vengeance. Salt Lake Tribune reporter Leia Larsen has been digging into the muck around Lake Restoration Solutions’ islands project and shares her findings with host Ali Vallarta. Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to suppo...
Nov 29, 2023•20 min
The end of the year provides a huge fundraising push for Utah nonprofits, and Giving Tuesday — today! — kickstarts the giving season. In a past life, City Cast Salt Lake host Ali Vallarta was a nonprofit development director. She joins executive producer Emily Means to share the do’s and don’ts for charitable giving this season and maximizing your local impact with even just $5. Sign up for the 2024 Point-In-Time Count. Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the b...
Nov 28, 2023•24 min
Salt Lake has been named one of the queerest cities in America, and yet, we have not one single lesbian bar! So how did we get here? Host Ali Vallarta asks born-and-bred Salt Laker Sarah Reale about the days of yore and — most importantly — the future we need to invest in. Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm. Subscribe to...
Nov 27, 2023•25 min
It’s the morning after Election Day following an extra long election cycle, and the results are in — some of them, anyway. Salt Lake Tribune columnist Robert Gehrke joins host Ali Vallarta to break down what we know so far about the outcomes for Utah’s second congressional district and Salt Lake City municipal races. Plus, the Salt Lake City School District is recommending four elementary schools for closure. What do the outcomes tell us? Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lak...
Nov 22, 2023•28 min
The term “nepo baby” — shorthand for the children of famous or well-connected people who have benefited from nepotism — has become a cultural buzzword. You surely could name some celebrity nepo babies, like Zoë Kravitz and Sofia Coppola. But for some families, politics is the family business. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means explore the family trees of four Salt Lake-area political leaders and the parents or spouses who helped pave their way. Consider becoming a founding memb...
Nov 21, 2023•30 min
One year after the Christmas tech layoffs of 2022, we hoped things would be better. But Utah-based real estate business Homie and survey company Qualtrics recently made big staffing cuts, so how healthy is our tech industry? Host Ali Vallarta asks Sunny Washington, co-founder of Utah Tech Leads and CEO of Seer, if Utahns should be wary of this sector. Plus, she explains why a slump may actually be the best time to raise capital. Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! I...
Nov 20, 2023•27 min
Utah House Republicans elected new leadership this week, and host Ali Vallarta thinks you should put Speaker Mike Schultz’s number in your phone right now. Ali and executive producer Emily Means discuss expectations for Schultz heading into the next legislative session. Plus, unionizing is afoot among University of Utah Health workers, which is perfect timing as a memorial for labor activist Joe Hill is about to be unveiled in Sugar House Park. Learn more about labor activist and songwriter Joe ...
Nov 17, 2023•32 min
The Salt Lake Bees are moving to Daybreak, a master-planned community in South Jordan. And while a lot of Salt Lakers scoffed at this decision, recent data shows that 56% of urban Utahns desire more planned living. Daybreak resident Samora Magadla recently won the lottery and decided it was the place to put down roots, which has host Ali Vallarta asking: Is Daybreak cool? Become a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around ...
Nov 16, 2023•24 min
The campaign season for Salt Lake City mayor has felt longer than it had any right to be, including about a dozen debates with the candidates. As we inch closer and closer to Election Day, executive producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to discuss takeaways from the debates and some final musings before voters decide who will lead our city. Why would the Utah Jazz leave Salt Lake City? KUER’s guide to the Ogden mayoral candidates. Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake...
Nov 15, 2023•25 min
Utah is now the only bidder for the 2034 Winter Olympics, which has some outlets reporting that it’s almost certain Salt Lake City will be awarded the games (again). But not all SLC residents are convinced we need a do-over — including host Ali Vallarta. Catherine Raney-Norman, a four-time Olympian and chair of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, makes her case for bringing the Olympic dream back to our city. Sign up for our Green Loop Walking Tour on Sunday, Nov. 19, at 11 a.m. Thi...
Nov 14, 2023•23 min
We crave more third spaces in this city — but our local coffeehouses do a damn good job! Host Ali Vallarta asks local cafetero Alonso Reyna Rivarola what makes a café worth spending hours in, and why coffee shops have become an important safe space for a lot of locals. Plus, where can you get a hot cuppa after 6 p.m.? Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around for years to come. Get all the details and s...
Nov 13, 2023•19 min
