Are there any cities in montana that have a "real" downtown? (Billings: homes, unemployment rate)

[happiness is]

Originally Posted by WyoEagle

Butte has such an interesting downtown (I can't believe I forgot that it was called Uptown Butte.) The buildings are neat. I always thought it would be fun to have haunted houses there on Halloween.

I recall a few years ago, I had a client on the 4th floor of one of the old, tall buildings in Uptown Butte. She had the only occupied office on the floor, one of the last occupants of the building, and all the original doors, tiled floors, frosted glass door windows, and even some of the old painted names on the doors still were there intact as I looked down the silent hallways.

As I walked down the staircase, I felt like it was haunted, as the steps were dished and worn from all the many decades of feet that had trod them.

The courthouse in Butte feels the same way. Some even claim the courthouse does have a ghost.

A fun read are the two books on Haunted Montana written recently by a librarian from Billings.

[rambrush]

Almost forgot to include Phillipsburg. yes it has become very touristy but the downtown is sort but has many older fairly tall buildings as well.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by happiness is

I recall a few years ago, I had a client on the 4th floor of one of the old, tall buildings in Uptown Butte. She had the only occupied office on the floor, one of the last occupants of the building, and all the original doors, tiled floors, frosted glass door windows, and even some of the old painted names on the doors still were there intact as I looked down the silent hallways.

As I walked down the staircase, I felt like it was haunted, as the steps were dished and worn from all the many decades of feet that had trod them.

The courthouse in Butte feels the same way. Some even claim the courthouse does have a ghost.

A fun read are the two books on Haunted Montana written recently by a librarian from Billings.

I remember eating at a Mexican restaraunt (I think it was in Metals Bank) that had bathrooms located upstairs. It was such an eery walk up those stairs. There were several more floors in the building but I don't think any were occupied.

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by bongo403

One of the things I love about Montana is that most of the towns of any size have what I would consider a "real" downtown. To me, a real downtown is one with older buildings lining a mainstreet, where it's easy to get out and walk from business to business - which consist of everything from shops and cafes to your insurance agent and plummer, and doctor (often with apartments or other offices above) and maybe even a department store or two if the town is big enough to support it.

Yes, this, exactly.

Anyone else remember when the old part of the business district (as described above) was "uptown" and the newer mall-type area was "downtown" ?? That's what we called it when I was growing up in Great Falls. Uptown was the Central Avenue classic business district; downtown was Holiday Village and the mall drag along 10th Ave.South.

Originally Posted by prairiestate

How do you get people up to the top of those buildings? Are there elevators in Montana?

Grain elevators, of course. How else would you get there?

[popcorn247]

Red Lodge has a cute downtown area.

[Vegabern]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

How do you get people up to the top of those buildings? Are there elevators in Montana?

We even have running water! Mama just got us an indoor toilet

[Vegabern]

Originally Posted by WyoEagle

I remember eating at a Mexican restaraunt (I think it was in Metals Bank) that had bathrooms located upstairs. It was such an eery walk up those stairs. There were several more floors in the building but I don't think any were occupied.

Metals is a sports bar. Please tell me you didn't actually walk up the creepy stairs to The Peking?

[NDak15]

I just went up to the restroom. I don't remember a place called Peking.

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by WyoEagle

I just went up to the restroom. I don't remember a place called Peking.

Maybe it was the Peeking

[happiness is]

Here is a panoramic view of downtown Billings from wikipedia
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...lings_Pano.JPG