Moving to Bozeman (Billings, Missoula, Great Falls: sales, cliquey, apartment)

[bran3554]

Moving to Bozeman after divorce. Wanted to know if there are any "bad" area's to live in, or should say stay away from?

Also how the job market is, as well as the culture of the people. I have lived in fast paced life looking to slow down a little. I hear I should buy a truck from some people, others said they went to school there and never had one? I currently own a mazda 6 and not sure that would go well there.

Thanks

[flyingcat2k]

The Bozeman economy is largely depressed. There are minimal construction jobs (2-3 man rehab crews all chasing 1-2 jobs a month) and wages are depressed due to the large number of college students in town. Montana State is there so it is a good college town. The Californian influence here is very high and so is the cost of living. Moving to Bozeman without a job is not a plan unless you want to move again in a few months.

If you're moving for school and have a plan, it may work out. If you just want a pretty place to stay that's cheap, you're better off looking elsewhere.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by flyingcat2k

The Bozeman economy is largely depressed. There are minimal construction jobs (2-3 man rehab crews all chasing 1-2 jobs a month) and wages are depressed due to the large number of college students in town. Montana State is there so it is a good college town. The Californian influence here is very high and so is the cost of living. Moving to Bozeman without a job is not a plan unless you want to move again in a few months.

If you're moving for school and have a plan, it may work out. If you just want a pretty place to stay that's cheap, you're better off looking elsewhere.

Flyingcat2K. Your advice is always sound for a furener. haha You've burnt some brush up in this area, haven't you? Light a shuck and give us the "Rest of the story". As Paul would say. haha

[bran3554]

Would helena be a better place?

[MTSilvertip]

Helena is a lot dryer and gets a lot less snow than Bozeman, but there are 4 lakes that are a lot closer than any you find around Bozeman Your car wouldn't have any problem getting around if you have good tires.
Great Divide Ski area is close and while not the same cailber as Bridger Bowl, you can stil break various bones if you want.

Mount Helena in the middle of town and Mount Assention on the south side of town offer hiking trails for everybody to walk.

As to jobs, mostly it depends on what you do. Building/construction is depressed, most fed/state/city/county jobs that come up have 100 people apply for them, but there are usually openings for managerial types and retail sales people and health care in the private sector. They don't usually pay a lot, but Helena is a cheaper place to live in than Boz-angelez for the most part.
You could do like everybody else and when there is a sale somewhere in Great Falls, Bozeman, Butte or Missoula you drive over there to buy your higher ticket items like cars. All of those towns are within about 90 miles of Helena.

If you buy or rent a place outside of Helena city limits the rents and taxes are a lot less.

There aren't any really "Bad" areas in Helena proper, some older neighborhoods, but if you steer away from South Rodney near the courthouse, and 6th Ward near the railroad tracks, and some of the trailer courts, the crime rate is pretty low except when the legislature is in town.

The culture is government, so more left leaning than a lot of the state, but not overwhelming and outside city limits the political overtones are greatly minimized.
There is theater, an orchestra, lots of overpriced coffee shops and some of the vegitarian trendy shops in the Gulch, but most of the people are basic hard working blue collar or hands dirty white collar people.

Some overtones of the old mining and cowboy history, but you can still get run over by some idiot talking on their cell phone while texting their friends as they shave and put on their makeup while driving to work.

Carroll College is a catholic college, and there is a Vo-Tech attached to the university of Montana so there is continuing education and some of the younger college culture/life but not as prevelent as Bozeman's.

Basically, Helena is just another Montana town, but not a bad place to live.

Good luck.

[flyingcat2k]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

Flyingcat2K. Your advice is always sound for a furener. haha You've burnt some brush up in this area, haven't you? Light a shuck and give us the "Rest of the story". As Paul would say. haha

I'm a 4th generation Montanan so I know a lot about my home state. All my family still lives there and I am an MSU grad (thus the ID name). I watch the forums largely because I'm interested in hearing what people think back home and want a little more than what is reported in the local papers.

I also get to rant about things that I think are good or bad about Montana and a few other forums I post in. I only post in areas where I have lived so I can speak with some intellect. I lived in Boz-angeles when it was first being "discovered" and I liked some of the changes at first. The primary one being that grocery stores were open past 6 PM on weeknights and the R-Bar losing it's liquor license after many years of serving minors who then get others killed in DUI accidents or "curb" people.

I don't like most of the changes now and it reminds me of all the sprawl evil that first began in Fresno, Irvine and Colorado Springs with creeking infrastructure (19th street should have been widened to a 6 lane street before 2000 and still hasn't been) and snobby people who complain that their favorite food chains haven't made their way to Bozeman. The "Open Space" initiative in Galatin County is nothing more than a land bank for developers and ensures that they can sprawl the city more with overpriced homes that only trust-fund babies can afford. It was that way from its inception in 1997. The main engines of town are still MSU and Right Now Technologies. Right Now does a decent job of paying people but MSU, like all state jobs, doesn't buy a 500,000 home. The trust-funders just suck up available economic resources and price out normal entrenpreneurs who might build a profitable business rather than the perenially money losing business of skin care boutiques or very high end woman's "country" clothing stores. Bozeman has some high-end local shoppers but they are dwarfed in numbers from Billings or Missoula

Another change I don't like is how 20% of Gallatin County is on medical marijuana. That's higher than Yellowstone and Missoula counties combined (pun intended).

[NDak15]

Make sure you have a very good job before you move there. Bozeman is a very expensive town to live in. I went to college there and couldn't wait to get out after I graduated. The people there are some of the rudest I have met anywhere I have lived or visited in the US. Many of them have a better than thou attitude. There are (or were when I was in college) a few tech firms around town, but most of the people were either trust fund babies or brought their jobs with them. The university is probably the single biggest employer. As far as having a truck, it depends on what you want to do. If you want to explore the mountains it would be good to have. Otherwise, you will be okay with a car.

[lisan23]

I don't want to start a new thread, but my husband and I are considering a place in Bozeman. We like North Dakota, but it's getting ridiculously expensive to live here. We live in a tiny apartment (600 sq. feet and there is 3 of us) and the rent just got raised again. Moving locally isn't an option (unless we want to pay $2k for a run down apartment). I know some of you say Bozeman is pricey... but compared to where we're currently at it's actually pretty cheap.

Bozeman kind of reminds me of Park City, UT. We aren't worried on the job front, my husband will continue working out of North Dakota and I don't need to work. But I was wondering about the schools in the area and also what the crime is like?

[CTC]

I have only been here a month or so-but I would have to say Bozeman is probably the friendliest town I have lived in yet. I have lived in many places throughout the West (NM,ID,CO,CA) and lived in Billings for 2 years.

Maybe I have been lucky, but I have heard "welcome to Bozeman" many times, and have had many conversations with strangers, met some good ski partners etc. Anyway that has been my experience so far.

As far as the economy, it is slow here just like every where-don't forget Deaconess Hospital where my wife works-they are a major employer.

[NDak15]

Lisan23, the price you mentioned for a run-down apartment is comparable to Bozeman. While you get run-down you can also figure in slum lords to boot. I don't know about the quality of education but the schools are very cliquey there. Unless you have a small fortune your kids will be reminded they are have-nots.