Do you know of or live in Stevensville Montana?

[Montana_Gary]

I moved to Stevensville a couple of years ago from Colorado. It is a delightful place. It has a real sense of community with an active downtown that comes alive every "First Friday" with the stores staying open late -- past 5:00. Many active civic organizations including the Stevensville Art and Sculpture Society who sponsors a number of arts related activities -- including the Scarecrow Festival which has grown steadily in popularity and community participation since its inception two years ago.

The community has recently raised funds for the second community sculpture project to place public art in the town. The city was very cooperative in providing a site for the sculpture. There is an active Main Street association and Civic Club which focusses on downtown business development and othe community projects.

There is a quality about Stevensville -- about Montana -- that is different from other places I've been including Colorado. It is more than just friendly -- it is also very respectful. People treat each other with respect and acknowledge each other. It is welcoming. We have more friends now than we have ever had. We're very happy there and very glad we live there.

My wife works in Missoula which is 25 miles away. It is a bit of commuting hassle but she takes the van. It's worth it to live in "The Valley" (Bitterroot, that is)

I could go on -- and on -- but I'll leave it at that.

[blackhillsdreams]

I lived there in Stevensville in '96 for a while on Houk Way in 1/2 of a duplex. it was a beautiful place! I loved it there. Finding a decent job was difficult and I ended up leaving for a better opportunity but sometimes I wish I stayed.

Anyone been to the LoLo Steakhouse in LoLo Creek on the way to Missoula? That place was AWESOME! How about LoLo Hotsprings? I used to know the guy that built the hotel up there back then. that was a great place too.

[rcritterfarm]

My husband and I are looking into moving there from Arkansas. He has a job offer there in Stevensville. What is the best way to find a rent house??? What is the best area to live in?? Thank you for your help!! Have a Blessed day!!

[blackhillsdreams]

Originally Posted by rcritterfarm

My husband and I are looking into moving there from Arkansas. He has a job offer there in Stevensville. What is the best way to find a rent house??? What is the best area to live in?? Thank you for your help!! Have a Blessed day!!

I LOVED Stevensville. I rented a 2 bed, 2 bath, 1 car garage 1/2 a duplex on Houk Way. Mapquest it and you'll find that little subdivision right off of the river. The views are awesome. You can look on the internet for rentals, call real estate agents in the area, look for local newspaper classifieds on line too. I will warn you though, Montanans are really NOT friendly to outsiders. Especially those that moved there and took a job a potential local might have gotten. Decide quickly if you like the area and plan to stick it out, then get Montana license plates ASAP. While I was there, the police will pull you over if they see your car with out of state plates more than once in a week or so...

Good luck! I wish you all the best there!

[staceylu1326]

There is no wrong side of town to live in, seriously, it's all good. Contact the local realtors here in town, even those in Hamilton, to help you. find some rentals. No offense to blackhillsdreams whatsoever, but IMHO I think it's more the outsiders who aren't so 'friendly' and simply think it's because they're just not used to people being friendly to them that they don't know what to do with it, but then they warm up to us and all is good! ;o) When we moved here 18 years ago, we couldn't believe how friendly the people in this town were and how they went out of their way, and still do, I might add, to help you out if you needed their help even without asking for it. And sure, there's always a few in every crowd, but I honestly believe, in general, this is a friendly and welcoming town to outsiders. In fact, I think it's been that blend of balance from both that has really made this town what it is today from when we first moved here. I hope all works out for you, rcritterfarm, and hope your DH has a decent job offer to move here and stay if that's what you decide. The big newspaper here is the Missoulian - you can access it online - and it will have rentals in it for this area. Also, the Bitterroot Job Service Center in Hamilton (see link below) is a good place to look for local, Missoula, and regional jobs. Good luck! Bitterroot Job Service Workforce Center

[madged]

Hello All, on this same topic. Will be interning with the forest service in Hamilton, but staying in a "bunk house" in Stevensville for the summer courtesy of the federal government. Can anybody tell me where that is and what to expect? Thanks in advance.

[jeninmt]

They also list rentals in Stevi in the Missoulian newspaper ads online. We found when moving within Montana that sometimes it was better to just go and look for a rental in person as smaller towns don't have daily newspapers. I realize all those moving probably don't have the option of driving over for a couple days in the middle of the week to look, but if you have any acquaintances that can check for you, it might help.

[montanamom]

I lived in Stevensville for two years, just moved from there about 10 months ago. The town is small, quaint, quiet, and very, very safe. There are native Montanans in the town, but also a lot of transplants from other places (California, most notably, but I met some from as far away as Upstate New York). There is an elementary school, middle school and High School right in the town, and because it's so small, the teachers and staff get to know all of the kids, which is great. There is a library, and mostly mom and pop gift shop-like stores in town, with one major grocery store. All of the other shopping is mostly 25 miles away in Missoula, where I worked and commuted to, as do most people who aren't retired or in business for themselves.

The outskirts of Stevi are very scenic, with mountains almost at your doorstep. The downside is, with the popularity of the Bitteroot Valley, land and real estate prices are quite high. Most people buying up the real estate are coming from out-of-state with money - there is not much in the way of good paying jobs locally. The other downside is that, because the instances of crime are so far and few between, the police in town will pull you over for anything and everything. Although the University of Montana is close, the area needs a community college, and at the time I left, they were planning one nearby in the valley.

Hope this helps!