Helena (Bozeman: environment, travel, job)

[dadbud]

Considering a move to Helena. Can anyone give advice on Helena? Is it a good family town, clean, etc...?

[jimj]

While waiting for a return post to this question try doing a search on Helena is this forum, you should come up with a bunch of useful information..
Welcome to C-D and enjoy!
Jimj
Moderator

[dadbud]

Thanks for the reply but I'm looking for a more personal perspective about Helena. My wife is taking a job as an RN in MT. We have 2 children - daughter age 13 and a son age 10. My daughter has played fastpitch softball most all her life and enjoys the challenge. I'm looking for an area that is big into girls fastpitch. Now we are from the South and currently live in Alabama and have lived in the South most all out lives. I traveled and worked around MT years ago as a young man and it's always been our goal to give our children a full life experience and we have decided on the Montana, North D., South D or West Nebraska area. I fully understand the remarks made by Montanans about outsiders moving in - This has been occurring in Alabama over the past 20 - 30 years. Alabama used to have clean waterways and woodlands but this way of life is only a memory. Yes, Alabama is still a beutiful state but with over 4,000,000 people the environment will never be able to recover from the damage and people are pouring in from Atlanta and there is no end in site to all the industry moving in. I don't want my children growing up with only the narrow minded perspective that is rampant here that this way of life is the only way of life. I know better because I have experienced and seen it before. I respect the opinions and admire the determination of the locals way of life - this determination is required or else industry will simply ruin the environment without regard to long term effects in the name of making more dollars. Thanks and I look forward to your replies.

John

[dadbud]

Is Helena like Bozeman and populated with all the Ca. liberals moving in?

[dadbud]

I wonder if Helena is like some other areas of MT where a lot of the Ca liberals are moving into?

[rickers]

I don't know jack about the politics of newcomers but Helena is the kind of town that anyone would love to live but it is a bit pricey as are most of the other nicer locations. One thing I remember about visiting Helena. I was a vendor at an arts and craft show at the Helena civic center. At the end of the show while I was loading out, I caught some clown in the act of stealing the tailgate off of my 99 Silverado ! He dropped the tailgate, jumped into his junker and took off like lightning !

[dadbud]

I guess like the saying goes - if it's not bolted down it can get stolen. Does this mean the crime is bad around Helena? I'm sure this could happen about anywhere but it does make me wonder.

[mthawki]

There is some level of crime almost anywhere, but it's fairly safe here. You can still walk down your street at night and not feel threatened if that helps you out any.

There are definately more liberals here than I would prefer, but in the '04 election L & C County was still a "red state."

As far as being a good place to raise a family, Helena is certainly a great place. The city is growing and has most of the amenities of a large city, but without the headaches that a large town brings. There are plenty of opportunities for your children to play sports and get "involved" and the hospital here is growing as well, so getting an RN job should be easy.

[sweetinmt]

I moved to Helena from Texas and would recommend if you do move here try to get rid of the "y'all" from your vocabulary if you can. I get teased by my co-workers all the time because I slip and say y'all once in a while.

Helena is a nice town but is getting bigger fast. It seems to be growing by leaps and bounds lately. It is even bigger than it was when I moved here two years ago. I like the fact that deer reside inside the city limits and have even been known to stop traffic near downtown when they cross the street. Although the deer are now seeming to be public enemy number one here. Helena is also the only place in the US that I know of that has a mountain designated as a city park (Mount Helena). I think I'd say that Helena is a mid-sized town trying to be one of the big cities.
Helena is a bit clickish and traffic is getting worse but on the whole it's a nice enough place to live and seems to have less crime than the larger cities in Montana. It is hard to find less expensive housing that isn't in a state close to being condemned but that seems to be the way most places are going too.
When I moved here I was told that Montana is poverty with a view. Low pay and high cost of living.

[Gulskjegg]

Poverty with a view...I like it. Our trip to Helena was enjoyable, but only a few days. The northeast is great, but downtown traffic is a nightmare as the roads are a mish-mash. Poor civil engineering, or a town growing too fast for its own good.