Does anyone live in Western Nebraska? (Chadron, Friend: sublets, hotel, houses)

[Justaguy]

I was just curious if anyone lived out there.

[JJArcher]

Yeah I live in Chadron. It's a great place to live but you have to remember that life in the western part of nebraska is a little different there is a LOT smaller population and the rest of the state kinda forgets you are out here, of course that can be a good thing too.

[deeptrance]

JJArcher --- I went through Chadron this summer, spent a night there in June, and I absolutely LOVED it. In general I think the Nebraska Sandhills region is one of the most underrated places in the USA. And I like that it's desolate, isolated, economically depressed (from what I can tell) because that means the roads will remain nice and quiet. It's the most pleasant place to just roll down the windows and go for a scenic drive without worrying about traffic or anything else to do with civilization!

I was also stunned by the richness of the land, the ecological diversity, the birds, etc. I have no idea what you're like and whether you can relate to anything I'm saying, cuz there aren't very many nature nuts like me.

I want to know more about Chadron too because it's one of those rare places I've been where I say to myself "I will live here someday." The old neighborhoods are classic, really nice houses with well-kept yards, and the parks are beautiful. Now, culturally it obviously isn't Austin (my current home) so I do wonder how isolated you feel there. I reckon you need to be very involved in the community and just accept it as is or you'll go crazy with boredom, right?

How long a drive to Rapid City? Deadwood? The Badlands? Denver? Suppose you want to spend a weekend in an actual city, what's the closest place that has all the amenities of urban living and is it worth the roadie just for a weekend escape to get away from the small town isolation?

And one last thing, you guys hit 33 below zero on Feb. 18th and got up to 71 on the 28th. A 104 degree temperature swing in 10 days? That's just WRONG, man!

[seeka]

ONe thing about the Nebraska weather. More truth than not, if you don't like it, just hang around, it will change soon. It is what we call diversity! We like change. Right on!

[rooney]

You said;

I want to know more about Chadron too because it's one of those rare places I've been where I say to myself "I will live here someday." The old neighborhoods are classic, really nice houses with well-kept yards, and the parks are beautiful. Now, culturally it obviously isn't Austin (my current home) so I do wonder how isolated you feel there. I reckon you need to be very involved in the community and just accept it as is or you'll go crazy with boredom, right?

How long a drive to Rapid City? Deadwood? The Badlands? Denver? Suppose you want to spend a weekend in an actual city, what's the closest place that has all the amenities of urban living and is it worth the roadie just for a weekend escape to get away from the small town isolation?

I SAY, TODAY IS YOUR LUCKY DAY,,,LIVED THERE AND KNOW ALL ABOUT IT.
CULTURE: NO IT ISNT SOHO, BUT THE THING THAT MAKES CHADRON MUCH DIFFERENT THAN OTHER SMALL TOWNS IS THERE IS A GOOD COLLEGE, CHADRON STATE, WHICH IS A NICE SIZE, BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS, THAT HAS ITS PLAYS, ART EXHIBITS AND BRINGS AN INFLUX OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE TO THE TOWN THAT IS HEALTHY.

ISOLATION: PERSONALLY, YOU WONT HAVE A CHOICE, YOU WONT BE ALLOWED TO BE ANONYMOUS. YOU WILL HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE POST OFFICE CLERK, THE GAS STATION ATTENDANT, ETC. ETC, WHY?..BECAUSE THERE IS NO ONE ELSE IN LINE AND THEY WANT TO KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU, IN A GOOD WAY. VERY FRIENDLY, HONEST, HELPFUL PEOPLE, WILL MAKE FRIENDS MUCH FASTER THAT IN A GIANT, "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT" CITY. GEOGRAPHICALLY, YES 50 MILES TO THE NEXT TOWN THE SIZE OF CHADRON, BUT THE DRIVE TIMES ARE SO SHORT BECAUSE THERE IS NO TRAFFIC,,AND THE PLACES YOU CAN GO, HOT SPRINGS S.D, HAS A BEAUTIFUL LAKE TAKESS 30 MINS, RAPID CITY 1 HOUR HAS A MALL, AIRPORT, US AIR FORCE BASE, BEAUTIFUL BLACK HILLS ETC ETC...

RAPID CITY WOULD GET YOU AWAY FROM THE SMALL TOWN FEEL, DENVER IS THE CLOSEST LARGE CITY BUT IS A FAR, UGLY 4 HOUR DRIVE.

FYI,,,IT REALLY IS MAYBERRY, NO CRIME, NO 'HOODS', PEOPLE ARE PROUD OF THEIR TOWN, THE TOWN HAS MONEY DUE TO RANCHERS AND COLLEGE, IT HAS LOTS OF CHURCHES BUT ISNT CRAMMED DOWN YOUR THROAT WEIRD, AND YOU CAN BUY A BEAUTIFUL HOME FOR LESS THAN 10OK...CHECK OUT WILD REALTY OR WESTERN VIEW REALTY....YOU WONT HAVE A MILLION STORES TO SHOP AT,,BUT IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, YOU ONLY DO THAT IN A CITY BECAUSE THERE ISNT ANYTHING ELSE TO DO...

[deeptrance]

rooney -- I appreciate your description of Chadron. It's pretty much what I would have expected. The weather is pretty intimidating but then I've spent 2 years in western MA so I've experienced real winters. Just nothing like 33 below zero, we only got down to around 5 below and the lowest wind chill I've ever experienced was maybe 40 below while traveling through a blizzard in Ontario. I bet that 40 below wind chills in Chadron happen at least once every winter. It's a freaky crazy climate there in the high plains, constantly changing with every shifting wind!

[rooney]

Yes the windchills are bad,,its in the 'banana belt'...where cold Canadian air drops down into the midwest and then back up in the shape of banana...so combined with the wind can be biting cold...however,,,,there are no freeways to navigate, no long commutes, but it is bad if you planned a trip to ie Rapid City...Chadron doesnt get as bad a wind chill as others...protected a bit by the Pine Ridge...but make no mistake, I used to wait for a bus in it and it is COLD....I just want to see someone move there.....I think its a little jewel if you want to change your lifestyle to living more simply and out of the rat race....okay bad winters but...everyone has a snowmobile, Rapid City has skiing, we used to get pulled on sleds behind horses!! and tomorrow will probably be 70 degrees.

[deeptrance]

Originally Posted by rooney

I just want to see someone move there.....I think its a little jewel if you want to change your lifestyle to living more simply and out of the rat race....okay bad winters but...everyone has a snowmobile, Rapid City has skiing, we used to get pulled on sleds behind horses!! and tomorrow will probably be 70 degrees.

I've travelled all over the USA by car and spent a lot of time in offbeat areas. Chadron is on my short list of places I hope I can live someday. I loved it so much when I was there that I placed a call to a friend and raved about it, how gorgeous the neighborhoods and hills and parks were. It seems so idyllic, and it's incredibly CHEAP!

The beautiful young woman who checked me into my hotel answered some questions for me. She had traveled from New Zealand and had been visiting Canada and the States, then fell in love with a man in Chadron, stayed there and married a grad student at the U. She said some nice things about the place but added that she was looking forward to leaving. Her hubby is still completing his thesis, then they're outta there because it's just too small and isolated for them. I'm pretty sure I'd feel that way after a year or two, but I'd like to at least give it a whirl. Heck, maybe even just spend a summer there, given the university's presence there are probably a lot of summer sublets available when the students leave.

[mrkool]

No. No one lives in western Nebraska.

[deeptrance]

Originally Posted by mrkool

No. No one lives in western Nebraska.

ROFLMAO!!!

I nominate that as one of the 10 best posts on this forum. If anyone ever asks you to define "dry sense of humor" or "dry wit", point them to this thread and mrkool's post.