We all knew Sugar house as a once quiet place. A place with signature cheesy fries from Training Table, underground parking garages, Toys R Us, and of course, the prized Movies 10 dollar theater. Although some local favorites still remain, all of the above have been or are being replaced with what some would call, “bigger and better things.” Everyone loves a change, but not if that change ruins a certain memory of the thing itself.

Growing up in Sugar house was the best time of my life. I would run around the parking lots with my friends, play hide-and-seek in alley ways, and see movies that only cost me a single dollar. Growing up around such a loved community definitely had its perks, and the simplicity of the area stood out to me even at such a young age. I would admire the mountains from where I was standing, because I never had to worry about not being able to see them. There were no cranes, no orange cones, and definitely not 10 apartment complexes blocking my view of the Rocky Mountains.

I guess if you like the idea of another roaring city within Salt Lake, one would like the new and improved Sugar house area; I can see its perks. A glorious array of new restaurants, more student housing options if one is morphing into the college atmosphere, and unlimited cozy recliner movie seats–too bad tickets cost 9.50 instead of the original, convenient, one dollar.

But, unfortunately, with the good, comes the bad.

Reasoning number one: The traffic around Sugar house is headed towards literal destruction. I can’t drive West down 2100 South without holding my breath worrying about knocking someone’s side mirror off of their car.

Reason number two is for all of the environmental happy tree huggers out there–Myself included. I worry about the constant construction in the area. Within the small bubble that surrounds Sugar house, I feel like I am drowning in dust clouds and loud jackhammer noises. Where did all of the trees go? I remember walking through Hidden Hollow behind Petco, late midsummer nights and loving all of the trees that stood. Now there is rumor to have another large apartment complex building put up right in the middle of the happy little forest behind Petco. Some may not see this as an issue, but I certainly do. That area is a hide-and-seek masterpiece, they can’t tear that down.

It has come to my attention that we all have a growing or shrinking fondness for Sugar house. But the sad truth of the matter is that it is going to keep growing. More strip malls, one after another will go up left and right. And soon enough we will all be living a whole new version of downtown Salt Lake City.