Questions about Montana esp: Great Falls (Billings: college, live, military)

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by Vulcan500

Cost of living is higher in Bozeman/Livingston area, but the scenery's better, the weather warmer. GF is pretty flat, but nice. Mechanics are in short supply *everywhere*.

GtF was always warmer than Bozeman, when I lived in either place... Belgrade was a freakin' FREEZER by comparison to GtF. GtF is at lower altitude which makes a difference. GtF does get WAY more wind, tho, which can make it seem colder, at least if you're not in the downtown/lower-eastside bowl, which is fairly protected. I don't recall EVER having high winds when we lived on 3rd Ave.So. between 31st and 32nd St. East.

[Rickers]

Great Falls is about to make a major comeback, I can feel it in my bones ! Wait a minute.
It is the cool breeze signaling the end of summer that I feel in my bones ! One or two more months and I will be feeling the twenty below zero wind whipping through my jacket freezing my bones !!!

[JetMech72]

I concider myself to have duel hometown citizenship in both Hamilton and Helena (having spent equal amounts of time in both cities, growing up). I've watch Hamilton and the rest of Western Montana grow in population and cost of living, all the while income has never kept pace with the rise in costs. Helena is just now entering that same scenario. Great Falls is a better choice, if one of your prerequisites is a good hospital, because Benefis is one of the finest in Montana. There isn't a whole lot of scenery around Great Falls, unlike the other communities of the Northern Rockies, but the Rocky Mountain Front is only a short trip to the west and these magnificant mountains can still be enjoyed on weekend trips. I'm not biased on Great Falls, but if I were to make a wise, educated, choice, I would move to Great Falls.

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by JetMech72

Great Falls is a better choice, if one of your prerequisites is a good hospital, because Benefis is one of the finest in Montana.

My mom was Administrator's Executive Assistant, or some such title -- effectively, she ran the place in all but name -- back when it was Montana Deaconess, a position she held for over 30 years. When Benefis bought Deaconess (it was called a merger, but it was more like a hostile takeover), things very much went to hell at the admin level, as dogma was allowed to trump medicine. And the new admin right after the merger was a royal *****, a true representative of the Peter Principle. (They'd fired a competent admin as a provision of the "merger" agreement, and brought in this idiot at double the salary!) The final straw came when he blamed my mom for stuff that didn't get done while she was on vacation, and made a huge production about it -- and being 2 years past retirement at that point, my mom told him very precisely where to stuff his job, and resigned. The Board and all the doctors begged her to come back for months afterward.

I gather things got better after a couple years of serious upheaval, but it was a lesson about church and corporate control of medical facilities that we'd have done well to learn from.

BTW if you like the doctors at Deaconess, er, Benefis -- thank my mom, because for over 30 years she did all the primary research for the selection process.

[lorelei2873]

[quote=GiftShoppeGuy;888485]It's ironic that most "private schools" are rather "dull and boring", not to mention "over priced"...... it's to be expected of any private school, and UGF is no exception.....

Helena is indeed a nice place, but the trouble is that folks from Helena usually just drive to Great Falls to do their shopping and get their major medical taken care of. Most from Helena, that don't attend Carroll College, usually attend here in Great Falls."

I'd like to respond to what I find to be completely the opposite of what I see...

First, UGF is a great college. I've taken classes at MSU, MSU-Billings, UM, and University of Utah, and my classes at UGF were the best out of all of them. I am from Helena and have only known of one other person from Helena to attend there, so it's not like everyone from Helena goes to school in GF. Most go to UM and some go to Bozeman! I've never been anywhere else where they forced you to do so much hands-on work as part of your degree process. Most people at Carroll are from out of state. Look it up on their website. Why would people want to go to college in their home town? It's a good school, but that doesn't even make any sense.

Second, who are these Helena people shopping in Great Falls? You hardly have any shopping to speak of. You have an Old Navy. That's pretty much all you've got on us. I don't know anyone who goes to Great Falls on a regular basis for shopping. Everyone goes to Missoula or maybe Bozeman. But mostly Missoula. I see the Macy's parking lot here full of GF plates-- as well as Costco's lot is full of GF plates, too.

Having lived in both towns, I find it strange that my perception of the shopping is totally opposite of yours.

[lorelei2873]

[quote=GiftShoppeGuy;898378]I would be very hard pressed to imagine that Helena's economy would be or even could be, larger or stronger than that of Great Falls, Montana."

You don't need to imagine that it's stronger. It's true. Helena was just named the #5 town in the nation for "Dreamtowns" for micropolitan areas between 10-50,000 persons.

I suggest you download this brochure from a reliable source, the Montana Dept. of Labor, where you can learn how Great Falls wages are lower than the rest of the state and that their job base is growing less quickly than the rest of the state:
http://www.ourfactsyourfuture.org/admin/uploadedPublications/2215_Cascade_CF07_web.pdf (broken link)

Then check out the one for Helena, where you will learn that the economy is growing more quickly,the wages are higher, and people are better-educated:

http://www.ourfactsyourfuture.org/admin/uploadedPublications/2235_LnC_CF07_web.pdf (broken link)

If you can't download these, there are lots of documented facts and figures at your fingertips at Montana Workforce Informer, Home, HOME.

[durenevb]

There seems to be a battle going on here on which city is better. I think they are both nice little towns and yu would have to really go down the the city and check them out to see if yu like them.
I'll put my 2 cents in....about the college, and i'm going by what I hear from young college students here. I asked them why they choose college here and they said it was much more economical to go here to GFC, and more benefits, maybe they're right. Missoula and Helena may be more popular among the younger crowd, but that would mean higher tuitions.

I just moved back here from Spokane, Wa and GF it is growing. They are even thinking about a industrial park, which will mean more jobs. My son moved here to find a job and found one easily compared to Spokane where there are alot of people out of work.

You have to see the mall to enjoy it. It is enjoyable and is not as small as you think. The Northtown mall in Spokane isn't much bigger than Holiday Village in GF. Almost the same stores except for Macys and nordstoms, but I never shopped those stores much because of such high priced clothes, but I do miss Kohl's though.

I like the sun and dryer climate, except this year was the drought and forest fires.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by elevenhounds

Hello. We are hoping to move west this summer and Montana has always been a dream for us...we are from Vermont.

We are tired of the gray, wet winters, the humid summers, the extreme liberal/socialist leanings, the high cost of living, low pay.

We are a single income family (but I will be looking for work) my husband is an auto technician, we have four kids, three dogs and three cats.

Is Greater Falls sunny?? I am craving a sunnier locale. Also I have heard that there is an excellent hospital. Our daughter has a seizure disorder and we need to know she will be as well cared for in our new home as she is here by Dartmouth/Hitchcock.

Is Greater Falls pet friendly?? I ask because we were looking at Colorado Springs and most every rental was NO PETS. (grrr)

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks

I'm not sure how grey the winters are in Great Falls as a whole but it gets pretty cold there. Most of Montana has a pretty high cost of living and low pay. You won't get the humidity or too much of the liberal leanings but is that worth the low pay and high cost of living?

[durenevb]

Montana is great and beautiful. Great Falls is a nice place to live. No taxes and my son found a job right away and is getting a good wage. The cost of living isnt that much different than any other city. Last winter was pretty mild and sunny...not sure what this year will bring, but it is good for me because I like the dryer cold. The hospital here is really good. Summers are very warm and sunny. You don't have to drive far to see beautiful scenery. The City has a large river running through it and nice parks.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by durenevb

Montana is great and beautiful. Great Falls is a nice place to live. No taxes and my son found a job right away and is getting a good wage. The cost of living isnt that much different than any other city. Last winter was pretty mild and sunny...not sure what this year will bring, but it is good for me because I like the dryer cold. The hospital here is really good. Summers are very warm and sunny. You don't have to drive far to see beautiful scenery. The City has a large river running through it and nice parks.

No sales tax but the other taxes (including state income tax) are there.