By Natalie Mollinet |[email protected]

If someone asked you what they need to experience in Sugar House before they die you might suggest visiting Sugar House Park or dining at the unique neighborhood restaurants. What if someone asked what they needed to experience in Salt Lake City before they die? You might suggest seeing Temple Square, hiking the foothills, having a drink at Brewvies or enjoying the Utah Symphony. One man, Jeremy Pugh, has taken on the job of compiling such ideas with his book,  “100 Thing To Do In Salt Lake City Before You Die”.

“I was the editor of Salt Lake Magazine for nearly a decade, and I continue to write about Utah and Salt Lake in my freelance career, so in a sense, I’d written this book many times,” Pugh said.

Pugh was born in Bountiful but visited Salt Lake City as much as he could. He attended the University of Utah but graduated from Utah State University. With his love for the city and his experience working for Salt Lake Magazine, it wasn’t hard for him to think of things to do around the valley.

“I really think The State Room is really an amazing special little place in Salt Lake City,” Pugh said, talking about the music venue at 638 South State Street. “We have this great music club that attracts nationally renowned musicians that come and play there.”

Another main attraction Pugh wrote about was The Great Salt Lake. When tourists ask him about it he immediately encourages them to check it out and take a hike through Antelope Island. But what places did Pugh think were worthwhile in Sugar House with the unique city within a city and small business atmosphere?

“Sugar House remains a wonderful second downtown if you will,” Pugh said. “My favorite part of Sugar House is the row of small shops and local businesses along Highland Drive, just south of 2100 east. I love the little crystals and hippie store Awakening Heart and the Sugar House Pub is one of Salt Lake’s best watering holes.”

Pugh also said that he brings a lot of friends and clients down to Sugar House Coffee because it is a central gathering place in the city and it feels relaxing.

Back during the NBA playoffs, when the Jazz were up against the Golden State Warriors, some of the players on the Warriors had hoped that the Clippers would take the Jazz in the first round because they thought Salt Lake had no nightlife. T-shirts were made about it and companies made videos to show just how “boring” Salt Lake’s nightlife really is. For Pugh though, he agreed that the Warriors were being ridiculous about their comments.

“I’ve had many a hangover that can attest to that,” Pugh laughed. “Our downtown is easy to navigate, walkable and honestly, such a low-stress environment. There used to be a saying ‘it’s sleepier than a Saturday night in Salt Lake City,’ but that’s not the case anymore. We have had a lot of changes since the Olympics, and we have a lot of really good creative energy in Salt Lake that’s coming out in food, art and cocktail culture.”

Pugh thinks Salt Lake is special in two other ways: the surrounding mountains and the history.

“There’s no other city in the world that has this access,” Pugh said. “We’re unique in that where our city is located we have some of the best ski terrains and hiking access, it’s a huge thing! We are beneficiaries of 100-plus years of unique history. We had a group of people that fled persecution and came here and built their own city. Some people like to complain about some of the things here because of that but they take for granted the fact that those people helped make, organize and built the city with passion.”

Pugh’s book is available at King’s English Bookshop in Sugar House, Amazon or you can order it directly from him and he’ll sign and ship a copy to you. He’s excited to share his book and hopes that those who read it can take advantage of the unique elements of Salt Lake City.

“I think it’s a little bit of a love letter to my city,” Pugh said, “a way of saying thank you.”