u/Alternative_Owl_8538

I've got an exciting job offer in Utah Valley near Pleasant Grove (right off I-15) and am trying to evaluate areas to move to, as I would be moving from out of state (from Oregon). I've got more specific questions listed further below, but as a high-level TLDR, I want to get some opinions/recommendations/suggestions on places that might work for me to move to. Just to share some potentially background details

• Job is in office 4-5 times a week, during normal business hours (i.e. 9-5 hours), so commute time is definitely a factor
• I'm 28M, currently single (straight), Non/Never-Mormon
• Looking to rent, not buy
• Budget isn't a huge factor; of course, if I could save money, that's great and appreciated, but basically everything I've seen so far is considerably cheaper than my current rent, so other factors are a larger priority
• Walkability is definitely a plus to me... ideally would like to have at least a few restaurants within walking distance, with general retail and grocery stores being an extra plus. I don't drink extensively, but do socially; having a bar or restaurant with a bar is a plus. Will still have a car to get around as well if needed, just ideally enjoy walking instead of driving as much as possible
• Likewise, I'm very outdoorsy -- being closer to the mountains or a Lake is otherwise a plus, though I would survive as long as there is somewhere I could go running nearby that is either a trail or at least extensive lower-traffic streets, in a community that has at least some parks (i.e. ideally not all sidewalks along major roads/highways).
• Don't know many people in the area as of now, though I am generally pretty outgoing

With that out of the way, some things I'm curious about:

• I've heard in some parts of Utah, it can be kind of exclusive, where a lot of social life will revolve around the church, and you will otherwise not be very welcomed in places or otherwise be pressured to convert in the heavily Mormon communities. I certainly welcome being friends with people of all faiths (and have many Mormon friends now), but not looking to have my social life be dependent on a faith. Curious how "intense" Mormon culture is?
• Kind of related to the question above... I've seen on many threads/posts that generally the further north I go (closer to SLC), the less important Mormon culture will be, with it being noticeably different in Utah County vs Salt Lake County (i.e. north/south of the mountain)? Is it really that noticeable of a transition, especially if I'm not in downtown SLC or Provo, and instead in one of the in-between areas? I.e. is it that different in say American Fork vs Draper)
• Does anyone have experience with Utah City area near Vineyard? It looks like they are promising a lot of cool new spaces that check a lot of my boxes, but it also looks like a lot of this is still under construction, so curious how "livable" it is right now or if I would really need to wait a few more years. I do see the grocery, some apartments, and parks are open, with it looks like ~10 more restaurants opening later this year, as well as some fitness-related amenities, but if this will be overshadowed by construction, that ofc isn't ideal
• How bad would the commute be from somewhere like Sugar House... on the days I checked in the past week, it looked like about 35-40 minutes in the morning (looked like virtually no traffic) and a bit longer in the evening. This is definitely on the longer side of what I'm looking at already, but I want to get a sense of how bad the traffic can get in Rush Hour, and if it gets worse seasonally?
• I've seen a lot of variance in how "dominated by Mormon Culture" Downtown Provo is. A lot of the older posts on here seem to strongly recommend against it for non-Mormons, vs newer posts generally seem to have a mindset of "its getting more diverse"... but curious how today it compares to some of these other areas, and if it would be a welcoming place for me?
• It looks like Pleasant Grove, Lehi, American Fork, Draper, and North Provo look kind of similar in terms of walkability to me, in that there is some kind of small Main Street or "town-center-style" shopping center where you can kind of get by for day-to-day tasks if you live nearby the commercial district. Anyone have any strong recommendations for/against any of these areas? Any of them considerably higher % of transplants?
• Any other areas or factors I should be considering?