want to move out west (Great Falls, Conrad: renting, low crime, buying)

[natepickle]

Hello,

My family and i would like to move out west maybe wyoming or montana great falls? what is it like, i am looking for a place with friendly people, low crime, able to breath. We have 2 children and want them to know what its like to not to have to lock youre doors or worrying about playing outside.

I$ have never lived anywhere other than the mid atlantic. we love snow but need sun, jobs, community where you can make honest friends. We like the out doors

ANY BASS FISHING OUT WEST


Jim

[Rickers]

Bass fishing ? You betcha ! The Lower Flathead river is chock full of Smallies.

[natepickle]

Where is the
mayberry of montana

[Redraven]

Originally Posted by natepickle

Where is the
mayberry of montana

I'm not sure there is one anymore. With the influx of people who brought their problems, likes, and dislikes with them, and imposed them on the residents, the lifestyle has changed greatly, and not always for the better. Even the small towns aren't what they used to be, and it is tough to make a living in many of them. The larger cities can vary greatly from one side of town to the other, in comfort and safety.
If you are willing to accept the community as it is, warts and all, and not try to change things, you will probably be accepted with open arms. However, if you immediately start complaining about the rifles in rack in the back windows of pickups, or write letters to the editor about how disgusting it is to see a dead deer or elk in the back of a truck, or how sickening it is to find cowpies in the road, or bemoan the fact that there is no community symphony or community playhouse, or any of the other multitude of things that some out-of-staters seem to find to complain about, you will NEVER become truly part of the community.
Come on out, find a place where your skills will allow you to make a living, and welcome.

[Rickers]

The "Mayberry of Montana" is my nick name for Conrad.

[organick]

only move to great falls if you want your kids to leave at 17 or turn into meth heads. Not the place you want to move to with family. It may be pretty but its poor and people there have zero moral, hence the meth.

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by Redraven

...rifles in rack in the back windows of pickups, ...dead deer or elk in the back of a truck, ...cowpies in the road

Complain, hell.. those are all things I want to see!

[Rickers]

Originally Posted by organick

only move to great falls if you want your kids to leave at 17 or turn into meth heads. Not the place you want to move to with family. It may be pretty but its poor and people there have zero moral, hence the meth.

Excuse me ! I really don't think Great falls is all that pretty, but the folks there are no different than anywhere else. Anyone who moved to, or grew up in Great Falls whose kids left early or turned in to a meth head cannot blame their failure at parenting on the city or the people of Great Falls. Sorry to be blunt but you are only as poor as you view yourself.

[organick]

Originally Posted by organick

only move to great falls if you want your kids to leave at 17 or turn into meth heads. Not the place you want to move to with family. It may be pretty but its poor and people there have zero moral, hence the meth.

I only said this because i know many many people who grew up there and left because they said it was the only way to stay away from the drugs and do something with life. I am not blaming anyone. I am just saying that I know alot of people from there and they all agree, they all say the people they know that stayed are stuck and unhappy. There is a large meth problem there also. I dont mean to offend anyone. I was just saying this because the original poster said he wanted safety, and community and jobs.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by organick

I only said this because i know many many people who grew up there and left because they said it was the only way to stay away from the drugs and do something with life. I am not blaming anyone. I am just saying that I know alot of people from there and they all agree, they all say the people they know that stayed are stuck and unhappy. There is a large meth problem there also. I dont mean to offend anyone. I was just saying this because the original poster said he wanted safety, and community and jobs.

We have those people as well (need I remind people of the "canyon"?) but thankfully they are not the majority.
I was just talking with a friend (born and raised here) about this yesterday and we both have been amazed at the amount of people here that have serious mental problems (that they take drugs for) and drug addiction issues (mostly Oxycontin and synthetic Heroine).
Thankfully though the crime levels aren't anywhere near anywhere else we've lived and most of what is committed is property crime or alchohol related.
I don't know if it's the long winters or the constant lagging economy or boredom or exactly what but having lived all over the U.S. I don't think I've ever seen anything like this. We even wondered if this state is a magnet for disfunctional people.
I'm not saying this in a bad way, just as kind of surprised at the volume.
We're not seeing a lot of meth heads like we once were and I think that has a lot to do with the meth project and the restriction on buying ephedrine and other meth base chemicals but this could change with the economy getting worse.