If you take a stroll down 1100 East, starting at 2100 South and heading north, you'll see a lot of reasons why Sugarhouse is such an attractive area.
This picture shows several urban design elements that make this street work for all modes of getting around. There are sidewalks, street furniture, shade trees, short crossing distances at crosswalks, and interesting buildings for pedestrians. Drivers aren't going to feel comfortable going too fast on this street, but the road still manages to carry around 11,000 vehicle per day. There is convenient on-street parking. Bike lanes would be nice, but the auto speeds are slow enough that I feel safe riding my bike in the the street.
Over the past decade or so, small businesses have been flocking to this street, renovating old homes and buildings, and bringing life and energy and people to this area. Here are some examples of the variety of businesses within about a half of a mile:
Grooming for people.... grooming for pets.
Holliday Financial did a gorgeous renovation of this old bungalow
Finn's is an icon know for their great breakfasts.
Piper's Quilts and Comforts is a popular place to stock up on sewing necessities and quilting supplies.
You can't forget the Soup Kitchen. They are closed at breakfast time (as shown in the picture), but the line regularly goes out the door around noon.
There are many other businesses not shown here, including the post office, various hair salons, the Utah AIDS Foundation, floral shops, furniture and home accessory stores, the Christian Science Reading Room, a tattoo parlor, a laundry mat, and others.
Take the a moment to stroll down this street sometime. I think you'll enjoy it.
