Moving to Bozeman (Belgrade, Three Forks, Manhattan: rental homes, condos, credit)

[BlessedBeyondBelief]

I had the opportunity to interview in Bozeman this past week and I believe I will get the job and get to start the process of moving my family to a part of the country we really have come to love. I was able to spend some time looking around while I was in town, I also looked in the Belgrade area, and I really did not see an "undesirable" area to live in. Where we are now, while we do not live in the most affluent part of our town, it is also far from the worst. We have many areas I would advise a family to stay away from - for reasons of crime, traffic, or even under performing school districts.

Is there any advice for us as we look at the area for rental homes? What is it like to live in the Belgrade area? It is just my wife, my 2 year old daughter, and myself and we are looking for a economical start to our move. That will allow us to adjust to the area before choosing where to settle for good.

Also curious about day care facilities, any recommendations for Christian based care?

[ElkHunter]

Welcome to the Montana forum. We don't have a lot of regulars on here, but the ones we do have, you'll find are very helpful. Give them a day to get some answers for you as all of them are hard workers and might not have computer time til later today.

Good luck in your search!

[happiness is]

There is no "bad" part of town in Bozeman or Belgrade. There are older neighborhoods and newly built neighborhoods. I think you should just work with a good realtor based on your budget and the school you want your kids to attend, how close you want to be to your place of work, and if you want to be in walking distance to places you like rather than having to drive everywhere.

Many churches have day care.

Contact Childcare Connections, Inc.

Child Care Connections in Bozeman is the agency that provides information for Gallatin, Park, and Meagher (pron. MA(h)er) counties for licensed child care providers.

Good luck, and welcome to Bozeman.

[BlessedBeyondBelief]

Thanks for the info, I will check out their services for sure.

Does anyone know a good realtor or property management company to go to to look at the widest selection of rental homes/condos?

How good is street maintenance after a storm? Is it easier to get around in town than some of the newer areas just outside of town? What about highway plowing if we consider Three Forks or Manhattan? I hear that one area of Bozeman gets more snow than the others, does this really make travel any harder or is the city able to compensate for this?

How about banking? We are with a credit union and enjoy the smaller feel and way they treat the customers? Any local or small chain banks that are good? Or even credit unions?

I really appreciate this message board, I have been able to learn an awful lot about MT in general from all you good folks!

[happiness is]

There are two credit unions in Bozeman.
Rocky Mountain Credit Union has been around longer.
It is on the west end of town. I give it a positive review.
Rocky Mountain CU

Sky Credit Union is newer and on the east end of Bozeman and also has a
location in Belgrade. I don't really know
enough about it to give it a review.
https://www.skyfcu.org/

There are locally owned banks and chain banks, but if you like the credit unions,
I'd choose from the above.

Yes, there are areas that get more/deeper snow in the winter than others. East of the
hospital in Bozeman is a "snow bucket" and has more snow, more cold frosts earlier
and later. It is the subdivision area around Haggerty Lane and east, Bear Canyon.
Just go to maps.google.com and type in Haggerty Ln Bozeman MT and you
will see the area that tends to get the most snow. Bridger Canyon also gets more snow.
That is where the Bridger Bowl ski area is located. The higher elevation = more snow.

Bozeman has a pattern of street snow removal on important street arteries first, then
a descending priority for streets. As my street is only two blocks long, even
though it is next to a major street and an elementary school, sometimes it has
not been plowed for days when we get a major storm.

Also be aware that there is a sidewalk snow shoveling ordinance in the city limits.
Check to see if your landlord will clear the sidewalks after snowfall, as that can
become a real burden. There are fines if the snow is not cleared 24 hours after a snowfall.

Belgrade and the valley in general gets fewer deep snow storms than Bozeman.

The interstate highways are plowed well, but if you are not used to winter driving, be
aware of going slower, more distance between vehicles, watch for ice, watch out for the
other drivers who are not careful, etc. Be sure to have good tires for winter and ice on your vehicle.

I'll send you a private message about property managers.

[happiness is]

Here is a link to the City of Bozeman web site regarding snow plowing.

City of Bozeman - Snow Plowing

The web site has a lot of useful information about city policies, so it would be helpful to check out other pages to learn more about Bozeman.

[danisiri]

I am thinking of moving to Bozeman as well. How is the job outlook there?

[happiness is]

The job outlook is grim.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by danisiri

I am thinking of moving to Bozeman as well. How is the job outlook there?

I don't know. Give these sites a try.

State of Montana Employment Information


Montana Employment Opportunties - mt.gov - Montana's Official State Website


ERS/USDA Data - MT Unemployment and Median Household Income


That is just some places to look, but it's a start.

[CTC]

Originally Posted by danisiri

I am thinking of moving to Bozeman as well. How is the job outlook there?

Not so good. It took me 6 months to find a decent job (Golden Sunlight Mine/Barrick Gold) which is an hour commute-but I just stay in Whitehall during my shifts because our 12 hour shifts make for a long day. The good news is that I only have to work 14 days per month and get quite a bit of time off (including two 3 day weekends, one 7 day long change) and the pay is good with as much overtime as one can stomach, so paying for a small apt in Whitehall is pretty painless and gives me plenty of time to spend in Bozeman.

Bozeman is indeed a wonderful place-but jobs are hard to come by. BTW working for Barrick proves that one can have good pay/bennies without being union.

The job outlook is worse now than last spring I feel. Check out Bozeman Deaconess-they seem to be hiring on a regular basis.