The Montanan's problem with outsiders moving in.. (Bozeman, Helena: buy, schools)

[Zammy]

Bozeman has a population of 30,000. That's nothing.
Where I live there are more than that many people in a square mile.

The place that I thought looked like you could put it in Los Angeles and no one would notice is Kalispell. The times I've been there it had a lot of traffic, people looked depressed and angry and the town didn't have any of the charm that most montana towns have.
To be fair though, I didn't see all of Kalispell, I am only commenting on what areas I saw.

[Timberwolf232]

Originally Posted by Zammy

Bozeman has a population of 30,000. That's nothing.
Where I live there are more than that many people in a square mile.

The place that I thought looked like you could put it in Los Angeles and no one would notice is Kalispell. The times I've been there it had a lot of traffic, people looked depressed and angry and the town didn't have any of the charm that most montana towns have.
To be fair though, I didn't see all of Kalispell, I am only commenting on what areas I saw.

Bozeman has grown since we hit the big "30" a while ago. However, I have a feeling that there will be quite a few leaving the area this season. Lot's of developers and contractors are looking for greener pastures as their speck homes fall apart after only a few years.

[magoomafoo]

Okay, discussed this ? with a few old timers here in our tiny little town. What is boiled down to with the locals here is that too many times in the past, out of staters have moved here wanting the "pristine" "untouched" wild frontier laidback lifestyle. They move in with thier cultured ideas, expensive tastes, fancy cars and uppity attitudes. They buy 20 acres to start thier BIG horse ranch on (usually land some local has been scrimping and saving for years to buy) then act all tough the first winter "oh it's so beautiful and so much like a winter wonderland" crap. They buy the most expensive snowmobiles out there for themselves and their kids (local kids work and earn the money to buy some junker and fix it up) Their kids, being used to giant oversized schools with discipline problems bring those problems to our schools all the while griping about how "this school sucks! they don't even have a separate high school, I have to go to the same school as kindergarteners" and bragging "My snowmobile is the most expensive out there so it's better than yours" They turn our town up side down then before another cold winter sets in, they pack up and leave, putting thier hobby horse ranch on the block for triple the amount that they bought it for because, now it's a ranch! give me a break. If you are going to move to Montana, at least respect it, teach your children to respect it and do some research before packing up and moving in.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by magoomafoo

Okay, discussed this ? with a few old timers here in our tiny little town. What is boiled down to with the locals here is that too many times in the past, out of staters have moved here wanting the "pristine" "untouched" wild frontier laidback lifestyle. They move in with thier cultured ideas, expensive tastes, fancy cars and uppity attitudes. They buy 20 acres to start thier BIG horse ranch on (usually land some local has been scrimping and saving for years to buy) then act all tough the first winter "oh it's so beautiful and so much like a winter wonderland" crap. They buy the most expensive snowmobiles out there for themselves and their kids (local kids work and earn the money to buy some junker and fix it up) Their kids, being used to giant oversized schools with discipline problems bring those problems to our schools all the while griping about how "this school sucks! they don't even have a separate high school, I have to go to the same school as kindergarteners" and bragging "My snowmobile is the most expensive out there so it's better than yours" They turn our town up side down then before another cold winter sets in, they pack up and leave, putting thier hobby horse ranch on the block for triple the amount that they bought it for because, now it's a ranch! give me a break. If you are going to move to Montana, at least respect it, teach your children to respect it and do some research before packing up and moving in.

Makes some sense....

[magoomafoo]

Originally Posted by Timberwolf232

Bozeman has grown since we hit the big "30" a while ago. However, I have a feeling that there will be quite a few leaving the area this season. Lot's of developers and contractors are looking for greener pastures as their speck homes fall apart after only a few years.

Helena is the same way. Locals who were promised good jobs are being laid off because there isn't enough land for the contractors to build their big expensive piece of crap houses that montanans cannot afford to buy. Out of staters will move in, buy these "exclusive executive" homes and live here to experience the "last wild frontier" lifestyle, make it through one winter and move back to warmer weather all the while trying to sell a depreciated home for triple the amount of money because it now includes a corral on one acre so it is considered a "ranch". And people wonder why so many towns boom then fall.

[lovinCarl]

I'm sure this was posted before but here's our stats again




Livingston gains 6 percent in population since 2000
By The Associated Press and Enterprise Staff

New census statistics show that Whitefish is the fastest growing Montana city since the start of the decade.

The population of Whitefish grew by 60 percent from the 2000 Census to the summer of 2007. But it is still only the 11th largest city in Montana.
Billings remains the largest, with an estimated population of nearly 102,000. It grew by 13.4 percent over that time frame.

Livingston grew by 8 percent since 2000 to 7,411.
The other fastest growing places by percentage are Kalispell, Belgrade, Columbia Falls and Bozeman.

The data is compiled by the U.S. Census bureau. It estimates Montana’s population at 957,861 in 2007, up 6.2 percent from the 2000 Census. It estimates Montana’s population will surpass 1 million between 2015 and 2020.

Here are Montana’s largest places and their populations in 2007 and percentage change from 2000:

Billings: 101,876 — 13 percent
Missoula: 67,165 — 18 percent
Great Falls: 58,827 — 4 percent
Bozeman: 37,981 — 38 percent
Butte-Silver Bow County: 31,967 — minus 6 percent
Helena: 28,726 — 11 percent
Kalispell: 20,298 — 43 percent
Havre: 9,618 — 0 percent
Anaconda-Deer Lodge County: 8,852 — minus 6 percent
Miles City: 8,120 — minus 4 percent
Whitefish: 8,083 — 61 percent
Belgrade: 8,047 — 40 percent
Livingston: 7,411 — 8 percent
Laurel: 6,495 — 4 percent
Lewistown: 5,945 — 2 percent
Columbia Falls: 5,116 — 40 percent
Polson: 5,046 — 25 percent
Sidney: 4,746 — minus 1 percent
Hamilton: 4,691 — 27 percent
Glendive: 4,615— minus 2 percent

We're still not at a million. I love it. Let everyone keep thinking it's backwards here (and where I live they are behind technology wise about 2 years but it's all good.. makes no diff to us) and that it's just a bunch of stupid rednecks... that means the state won't grow and Californian developers won't keep trying to come in and tear this beautiful land apart for more cookie cutter homes and strip malls.

[magoomafoo]

Don't where you are from lovincarl-you should seen Helena. It's a shame. From the valley to the city limits is all subdivisions now. I was in Helena last week Thursday, again yesterday, Tuesday. Two new huge homes in six days. Like I said, huge homes on a couple of acres and now they call it a ranch. Makes me sick. A realtor here in Lincoln managed to get a sub-division through. Funny thing is, locals are not buying... lol and most most out of staters with lack of knowledge don't stay very long. For some reason, our winters are considered rough. lol

[seven of nine]

Sad, sad, exactly why I am no longer in Oregon. Same thing, then they have to have a Starbucks, and a Pottery Barn and of course they need two new schools. So you are taxed out of your 30 year old home.

[lovinCarl]

Originally Posted by magoomafoo

Don't where you are from lovincarl-you should seen Helena. It's a shame. From the valley to the city limits is all subdivisions now. I was in Helena last week Thursday, again yesterday, Tuesday. Two new huge homes in six days. Like I said, huge homes on a couple of acres and now they call it a ranch. Makes me sick. A realtor here in Lincoln managed to get a sub-division through. Funny thing is, locals are not buying... lol and most most out of staters with lack of knowledge don't stay very long. For some reason, our winters are considered rough. lol

Livingston. So far here not bad at all w/the cookie cutter homes. they keep the town historical looking and not looking to grow.

Bozeman IS growing but I don't think it's too bad. I can from large areas (sacramento area in Calif and Reno NV) so what is here is nothing. When your biggest city is smaller than the town I lived in in CAlif before moving to REno (Roseville which when I moved there in 92 was only 80 K and when I moved out in 2005 was 108K.. NOW THAT IS GROWING)..

We just stick w/the small areas. Is Helena as crappy as poeple would have us think? We've read/heard that Helena is not a very nice looking area but we still want to visit there and take a look (on our way to Canada)

[DannyL]

Originally Posted by magoomafoo

Okay, discussed this ? with a few old timers here in our tiny little town. What is boiled down to with the locals here is that too many times in the past, out of staters have moved here wanting the "pristine" "untouched" wild frontier laidback lifestyle. They move in with thier cultured ideas, expensive tastes, fancy cars and uppity attitudes. They buy 20 acres to start thier BIG horse ranch on (usually land some local has been scrimping and saving for years to buy) then act all tough the first winter "oh it's so beautiful and so much like a winter wonderland" crap. They buy the most expensive snowmobiles out there for themselves and their kids (local kids work and earn the money to buy some junker and fix it up) Their kids, being used to giant oversized schools with discipline problems bring those problems to our schools all the while griping about how "this school sucks! they don't even have a separate high school, I have to go to the same school as kindergarteners" and bragging "My snowmobile is the most expensive out there so it's better than yours" They turn our town up side down then before another cold winter sets in, they pack up and leave, putting thier hobby horse ranch on the block for triple the amount that they bought it for because, now it's a ranch! give me a break. If you are going to move to Montana, at least respect it, teach your children to respect it and do some research before packing up and moving in.

Well said....
I have seen 2 of these deserted "hobby ranches" outside of Livingston.