Kodiak, Alaska to Helena, MT??? (home, living, restaurants)

[amcolli]

Hi Everyone,
My family and I are sick of living on the rock of Kodiak and thinking of moving to Helena, MT. Kodiak is an island south of Alaska, 11,000 people, nothing to do (we have hiked every trail and picked every berry!), and no where to drive- you are basically stuck here and it costs a fortune to come and go. There are two great job opportunities at the hospital there for us (if we get them) and I am wondering if someone can tell me what Helena is like.

Do you have stores (we have Walmart and Safeway- I am dying for some real shopping)?

What are the demographics?

I am use to bad winters and crappy summers, what is the weather like there?

Oh my god, you guys actually have roads leading somewhere, are there any places worth driving to? How far is Spokane from there?

What are home prices like? Are lows are 290,000 up to 750,000.

I pay 5.20 a pound for chicken and beef- food has to be cheaper there, although my freezer is stocked with salmon and halibut (will miss that).

Are people nice?

Do you actually have normal restaurants?

Please help me out here, it will cost me a fortune to leave here and visit there, although we are hoping they will want to interview us!

Thanks,
CAC

[seven of nine]

Hello,
here is an older thread but has some info.
http://www.city-data.com/forum/monta...helena-mt.html

and here is more general info
Helena

Good luck, keep us up to date, visit on the porch!
Food is pretty expensive here on my side, 300 miles to Walmart

[AQHA]

I haven't been to Kodiak but I work up in Alaska. I love Helena, it has everything a person could want.

[rickers]

I have a close friend (commercial fisherman) who has been back and fourth from all over Alaska including Kodiak and back to the lower 48 many times and he has told me several horror stories about folks moving to various parts of Alaska and ending up getting hopelessly stuck there.
Good luck getting out of there but if you are from Seattle and you are fed up with the lack of amenities on Kodiak you may not be very happy in Montana either.

[Jbechtel]

When you leave Kodiak on the ferry and head over to Homer, don't forget to load up on as many cans of halibut before starting your trip down to Helena. You can sell those for double or triple the price here. That'll give you a good start on spare cash. I love the architecture on those Russian Orthadox churches they have there and WW II museum. Are you sure you want to leave an island of research bioligists for a town of politicians?

[amcolli]

Well, you are never stuck- we can leave by plane and ferry, but of course you will pay.

[amcolli]

It is not really the lack of amenities, its the fact that you cannot drive anywhere- you drive 40 miles one way you hit a beach, 10 miles the other way, a beach and thats all you got!

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by amcolli

It is not really the lack of amenities, its the fact that you cannot drive anywhere- you drive 40 miles one way you hit a beach, 10 miles the other way, a beach and thats all you got!

My sister lived in Anchorage for 3 years. She said the next place she lived was going to have a beach. Shoulda told her about Kodiak.

[Jbechtel]

Originally Posted by amcolli

It is not really the lack of amenities, its the fact that you cannot drive anywhere- you drive 40 miles one way you hit a beach, 10 miles the other way, a beach and thats all you got!

If your an Alaskan citizen I would think seriously about moving over to the other side of the state to Anchorage. You get first priority on jobs there.