This Californian moving to Montana (a few comments) (Missoula, Kalispell: movies, schools)

[Heart]

JoeJoe I'm curious as to where you do your shopping, if you don't mind sharing. To clarify: I live outside of Missoula, however I come there to do my shopping.

I want to clarify, as a new citizen of Montana; I never came here to change a thing. I had been here before and....I love it as is. I haven't the money nor the inclination to want to encourage or advocate more urban sprawl, or more mini strip malls that are similar to California and other areas.

There is probably not much I alone can do but voice my opinion, and support my family here that is fighting against the subdivisions that may go in just past the ridge where we live.

But I do have to say this much - the people here are friendly. People wave at me when I pass. Strangers smile or strike up a conversation. Men hold the door open for women. No one is in a big hurry, and for those that are they can kindly pass me on the road!
There are still some good things here that I recall from years ago, that I hope never changes. Where I came from in Ca, it was a rare occurance for anyone to want to be friendly let alone take time to speak to you.

In many ways I find myself more conservative on many issues, than where I was years ago as a liberal. When I vote, I will take into account the feelings of the locals and my family, and do my best to not let Missoula turn into California. It's not like it now, but it could be....so it's up to us and others to do what we can to not let that happen.

[Heart]

Originally Posted by YankeeTom

Montanans are some of the most friendly people I've ever met.

I sure do agree. It has been such a joy to me and my family. My 3 year old fell and split her head open the second week we were here. I had to rush her to the ER at St. Patricks. We were all treated so good, it was unbelievable. Every single person we came in contact with was kind.

I sometimes wonder if the locals here know just how lucky they have it here

[JoeJoeMan]

Heart Wrote:

I sometimes wonder if the locals here know just how lucky they have it here

That's why we(well some of us) don't want it to change.......you can bet it won't change for the better, and as you can tell from recent change - it hasn't been for the better.
I shop local mostly, only go to a big box store if I can't find it anywhere else and if I really need it.
I'll agree things are nice/nicer here, that's why everyone moving here ticks me off, because it use to be even nicer.
I do howerver just see that whole business of door holding, saying hi, etc as superfisical jestures. I've lived around here long enough to detect a certain phoneyness, and I'll just leave it at that with going into examples.
People that move here, have this "I wanna be part of the community", they want "To get involved in the comminity"....what's that some kind of californian thing..........Missoula has this really phony facade of community, I feel like they've turned the place it into a carnival like atmosphere, with that merry-go-round and all that foo-foo downtown stuff, the whole thing seems a bit surreal - real people in real towns don't act like that, they just act like plain old, people in Missoula are just a little over the top with the "quality of life" thing. The whole thing seems very phoney to me. And I don't trust phoney people, as well anyone shouldn't.

[beckyjbarker]

I agree with you. Having lived in SF area, Sacramento and Seattle, a plot of land without a major store near, sounds wonderful. I want the smaller town friendliness, the mom and pop store and a local library that is open reasonable hours. I do not want to change MT. I want MT to change me.

[beckyjbarker]

I suspect phony people exist everywhere. The grass is always greener........but, sometimes it really is. I heard that we should shop within 100 miles of our own town. If you can't get it there, maybe you don't really need it. Also, "being part of the community" is a west coast way of saying they want to feel involved and known and be accepted. It's a way of filling the social calendar and meeting people. That is not easy to do on the west coast.

[beckyjbarker]

What will make a town in MT one like CA? I mean the local Sears, WalMart and Denny's seem to pop up over night. Does that make a town like CA? I am in Seattle currently and it is not for me. Coffee houses and huts and lates' everywhere. I don't even drink coffee. The folks are surface friendly, but not heart to heart. I hail from MI and IN and the attitudes are very different.
I have spent many years in CA and hope to move to MT without the fear of it becoming Sacramento, LA or ORange COunty. How can I help?

[beckyjbarker]

Another thought. When the local big box store comes knocking, the majority of the population need to not answer. It is the pocketbook that makes those stores succeed. It is up to the residents to refuse to shop there. However, that is very hard when it makes the paycheck stretch further.

[TERRIE]

becky. i have the perfect town for you!....ck. into georgetown or fredricksburg tx. (i know, i know..tx)....it's not like the rest of tx....it's green hills with land, no sprawl...folks are friendly and the prices for housing is not bad.....also, because it's in central tx you don't get the humidity like the rest off the state...worth looking into...

[jenzebel]

Originally Posted by Heart

I want to clarify, as a new citizen of Montana; I never came here to change a thing. I had been here before and....I love it as is. I haven't the money nor the inclination to want to encourage or advocate more urban sprawl, or more mini strip malls that are similar to California and other areas.

There is probably not much I alone can do but voice my opinion, and support my family here that is fighting against the subdivisions that may go in just past the ridge where we live....

When I vote, I will take into account the feelings of the locals and my family, and do my best to not let Missoula turn into California. It's not like it now, but it could be....so it's up to us and others to do what we can to not let that happen.

Some obvious questions:

You're here and now you say are going to do whatever you can to keep Montana the way it is. Why didn't you just stay where you were and fight the change, development, urban sprawl, crime or whatever, there? Did you even try?


You say you are fighting against the subdivisions going in just over the ridge. Why? Do you live in a subdivision? If you don't, do you think there shouldn't be subdivisions? Where are the people escaping to Montana as you have supposed to live when they get here? You think it is okay for you to move here and now you don't want a subdivision in your backyard. How quaint.

[GregW]

Londonderry got worried about of too many subdivisions taking over farms so we instigated huge lot zoning and spent town taxes to buy the "development rights" from local farmers. Seems to have worked but houses are way too expensive for us to stay in southern New Hampshire for much longer. The town sort of arranged to put "Poor people need not apply" signs on the Interstate exit. That is ironic because when we moved here 26 years ago it was because, we, not rich then or now, could afford the housing. We could not afford to move here now and can barely afford to stay.