Whitefish Schools, Commuting, Etc (Missoula, Kalispell: for sale, sex offenders, crime)

[3PreciousBabies]

Hi-I am wondering what the commute is like from Whitefish to Kalispell? Is it tough in the winter with all of the snow? Also, I read in a previous thread that there are lots of great private schools in this area...can anyone reccomend one or a few in Whitefish and/or in Kallispell? Also, are there any neighborhoods that are in between Kalispell and Whitefish? We are a family of 5; 3 small children...does this area have a lot of young families and amenities (such as rec centers) and activities for children? We are excited about all of the outdoor recreational activities, but my oldest loves theater/acting classes, playing soccer, etc as well...Thanks in advance for any information!

[jimj]

Well, Whitefish is not known for any private schools those are in Kalispell with the most promenent probably being Stillwater Christian School and the St. Mathews. There are several towns between Whitefish and Kalispell and at this point the most bang for the buck is Columbia Falls without having to live in a city per se, in fact it is sometimes better to live in the county for property tax reasons and you can get more land than a city lot.

They have a good dance academy in Whitefish and almost all schools have some sort of drama,dance,music classes. There really isn't a bunch of rec centers here, at least not like you'd see in other states since most people do all of the recreating outdoors year round. Whitefish does have "The Wave" which is a good community health club with pools and water slides etc. Soccer is big in this valley and all school districts have teams as well as little guy/girl teams. And yes, there are a lot of young families here and as for amenities, that would depend on what you mean....
Let me know if you need further info, I'll be glad to tell you what I know.
I do have to give a disclaimer that I have a house for sale in this area but will give you the best info I can no matter where you choose to live....

[3PreciousBabies]

Thank you for the response. How is the commute from Whitefish to Kalispell? Also, what is the crime like? Is the area generally safe? I noticed that there seems to be a large number of sex offenders in the area according to city-data. I'm sure Columbia Falls is nice, but this statistic was a little concerning to me. Any other info/advice is greatly appreciated!

[truckingbronco]

it's about 15 miles. crime is low (mostly petty stuff). Columbia Falls isn't as nice as Kalispell or Whitefish.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by truckingbronco

it's about 15 miles. crime is low (mostly petty stuff). Columbia Falls isn't as nice as Kalispell or Whitefish.

I disagree with the CF statement with some caveats, yes it's not as nice as Whitefish, not as expensive or pretentious either, nor does it have the higher amount of drug issues in it's schools.
As for Kalispell, it's the Missoula of the Flathead and it's getting worse. CFalls has become the bedroom community for people who don't want the Whitefish lifestyle or expense and don't want the constant traffic and crush of people that has become Kalispell.
So is it as nice? Depends on what you call nice doesn't it?
As for the stats, remember this is Montana and people aren't tracked here like they are in other states. I would bet many on the states offender list no longer live where the list says they do. If you watch the local papers (which print every crime by the way) you will see that the crimes committed in the Flathead (with the exception of Kalispell) are pretty minor, mostly property crime and DUI. Kalispell is different mostly because it has more people and more people from different places. So far (knock wood) you will not see child snatchings or frequent assaults on kids by adults here. Before I trusted the "lists" and "stats" I would look at what is printed in the paper dailyinterlake.com for court records and police logs.

[hayesgurl13]

well your pretty much on the money exept i would have to say kalispell has more things to do, has easier access to stores, and more things are within walking distance than cfalls. i live in a small town on the out skurts of k town becaus its cheeper but if i could i would live in town smack dab in the middle so i could walk every were. if u live in say cfal ls u have to drive a ways untill u can go to a walmart. witch is fine but with gass prices these days it kind of sucks! all though i live on the outskurts of town i can still ride my bike to town in the somer so i geuss i got it pretty good but it would still be nice to live in town!

Originally Posted by jimj

I disagree with the CF statement with some caveats, yes it's not as nice as Whitefish, not as expensive or pretentious either, nor does it have the higher amount of drug issues in it's schools.
As for Kalispell, it's the Missoula of the Flathead and it's getting worse. CFalls has become the bedroom community for people who don't want the Whitefish lifestyle or expense and don't want the constant traffic and crush of people that has become Kalispell.
So is it as nice? Depends on what you call nice doesn't it?
As for the stats, remember this is Montana and people aren't tracked here like they are in other states. I would bet many on the states offender list no longer live where the list says they do. If you watch the local papers (which print every crime by the way) you will see that the crimes committed in the Flathead (with the exception of Kalispell) are pretty minor, mostly property crime and DUI. Kalispell is different mostly because it has more people and more people from different places. So far (knock wood) you will not see child snatchings or frequent assaults on kids by adults here. Before I trusted the "lists" and "stats" I would look at what is printed in the paper dailyinterlake.com for court records and police logs.