Is it just me, or is Helena Montana a dive? (Missoula: Home Depot, to buy)

[AQHA]

The old mall is at the center of our old business area, they are talking about knocking it down and building a museum on that 10 acre lot. I think this would go a long ways to cleaning up that area, that old mall is an eye sore.

I'm interested in what folks think of the museum plans they have been tossing around. I dont want to high-jack this thread so I will go start one on this topic.

[zippperhead]

I don't think helena is a dive. You mean like the ghetto? Some parts resemble areas of one might think a ghetto is.South central ghetto it is not, not even a comparison. There are areas of trailer parks and such. However, for a capital city,you can't beat it on the crime issue,And the questionable areas are small in comparison to any capital city its size.Or at least in the top three.

[Reziac]

Back in 1972 a friend and I did a whole-day walking tour of Helena. Was down there for VA stuff and afoot and had nothing better to do between bus schedule and appointment, so we spent 6-7 hours wandering in a huge circle all the way around town... probably walked over 20 miles that day. Railroad tracks, old light-industrial stuff that had kinda gone to hell, the Gulch with its air of wooden sidewalks and cowboy boots, the old cathedrals, the gracious old mansions retiring among their ancient trees... Funny thing, we didn't know Helena at all, but we just went where looked reasonable and wound up back at the VA when we needed to be there. And even the old beat-up parts of town were comfortable and felt safe.

Don't knock those tired old areas too much... you'll miss 'em when they've been replaced by Yet Another Mall.

Hmm... there's a new word beggin' to be created: "Yammies", meaning yuppies who can't survive without Yet Another Mall.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by Reziac

Back in 1972 a friend and I did a whole-day walking tour of Helena. Was down there for VA stuff and afoot and had nothing better to do between bus schedule and appointment, so we spent 6-7 hours wandering in a huge circle all the way around town... probably walked over 20 miles that day. Railroad tracks, old light-industrial stuff that had kinda gone to hell, the Gulch with its air of wooden sidewalks and cowboy boots, the old cathedrals, the gracious old mansions retiring among their ancient trees... Funny thing, we didn't know Helena at all, but we just went where looked reasonable and wound up back at the VA when we needed to be there. And even the old beat-up parts of town were comfortable and felt safe.

Don't knock those tired old areas too much... you'll miss 'em when they've been replaced by Yet Another Mall.

Hmm... there's a new word beggin' to be created: "Yammies", meaning yuppies who can't survive without Yet Another Mall.

Yammies!!! I love it!!

[mtdave2]

well, i cant say i ever liked helena. though i would stop short of calling it a dive, but its not far from! weather has always sucked each time i have been there, kind of like great falls were the wind is always blowing. to each their own i guess.

[lorelei2873]

I have lived in most of the larger towns in Helena, and in my opinion, Helena is the best one. It has a lot of outdoor recreation nearby, lots of beautiful old mansions, a lovely downtown pedestrian area, tons of open space and hillside trails for community use, and a nice little art community. Helena is also very middle class comparatively and not so much newly-arrived money and the service industry folks that cater to them. Also, lots of people have beautiful gardens.

[zippperhead]

I like the low crime. It is a great place to raise a family. You don't need to carry a gun to feel safe, in the city. If you have a degree, you can find upper eschelon jobs. however, many jobs don't pay a lot when one has the misfortune to work in the service industry. I am fortunate to live in a house thats paid for so my bills are cheap. Many jobs are only part time or seasonal, so if one doesn't have money or good circumstances, you will struggle to survive and I am sure many people had to move to places out of state to survive.many service industry jobs underhire and pass the joys of doing extra work to whoever is working there.Another good one is when looking for a job, i have found it may take weeks or months for an interview for a job in the local job service bank! In short, they take their old sweet time here! If i was starving and broke, i would be dead and get a call for an interview after I was buried 3 months later!

[lorelei2873]

Good luck zipperhead! I would get a good resume and just start soliciting the companies you're interested in whether they've announced an open position or not. That way you're not competing with an large applicant pool at one time. I have found Helena Job Service to be a good place to look for open positions but not a super way to be matched with an employer; you need to be really proactive. They're kind of under-staffed and many of their positions are specifically funded for only working with certain types of clients (displaced workers, vets, etc.) as opposed to the general public. It looks like there's a lot of people down there, but some of those positions are paid for with federal dollars that mandate that they only work with certain people. Isn't the government great?!

I know what you mean about the service industry. Been there, done that!

[decembergirl]

Originally Posted by zippperhead

I like the low crime. It is a great place to raise a family. You don't need to carry a gun to feel safe, in the city. If you have a degree, you can find upper eschelon jobs. however, many jobs don't pay a lot when one has the misfortune to work in the service industry. I am fortunate to live in a house thats paid for so my bills are cheap. Many jobs are only part time or seasonal, so if one doesn't have money or good circumstances, you will struggle to survive and I am sure many people had to move to places out of state to survive.many service industry jobs underhire and pass the joys of doing extra work to whoever is working there.Another good one is when looking for a job, i have found it may take weeks or months for an interview for a job in the local job service bank! In short, they take their old sweet time here! If i was starving and broke, i would be dead and get a call for an interview after I was buried 3 months later!

Yeah, the job market here kind of sucks. Not a lot of great options to choose from and the pay is far from great. And compared to the rest of the world our cost of living is still about mid-range. I would love to find something that was personally satisfying yet paid the bills but that is apparently a pipe dream.

[zippperhead]

i'm glad I do have a job of sorts...I work for this old man, in bad health,whom I admire and respect. I work when he needs me, now to find a little additional money, when he doesn't need me. I work outside, which is hard for me, so I can only work part-time when I work, for it is hot and uv light is intense here! And my circumstances allow me to do so. In spite of all that is wrong with Helena, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have to take it for what it is. I moved here for a fresh start and not for an excuse to wear a cowboy hat....