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I have a job offer in Sundance, Wyoming. My husband and I are eager to move back west again but have never lived in Wyoming let alone the east side. Can anyone share any info they may have about Sundance? I would greatly appreciate it.
I've lived about 60 miles west of Sundance for the past 40 years and only done a few small jobs there (taking photos of weddings and proms), but the folks I've met from there seem extremely friendly and down-to-earth. The town itself doesn't offer a whole lot in the way of shopping, services, dining, or entertainment, but the area (northern Black Hills) is very nice. My wife and I often take a day trip to Cook Lake, a few miles north of Sundance. It's beautiful.
It's only 30 interstate miles to Spearfish for a bit larger town and just over twice that to Rapid City, the retail hub for western SD and NE Wyoming.
You'd have to like small towns to enjoy Sundance, but if you do, then it seems to this outsider like a great place.
Thank you so much for the information! We are very small town people so I think it will fit us nicely. I'm growing more excited about the possible opportunity. Thanks for you input as I greatly appreciate it!!
I have a phone interview for the job in Sundance next Tuesday. I just read a "horrific" post about Gillette, Wyoming and now I'm a little hesitant about being so willing to apply to Sundance. All I've been able to read about Gillette, I hear of the problems with drugs and unfriendliness. My husband may have better luck finding work in Gillette than Sundance, or may be willing to go to Spearfish. Does Sundance have a prettier outlook than Gillette? We love small towns, are the folks there friendly or stand offish? My job will take me outdoors to ranches and private landowners, can I feel safe traveling alone in Crook County as a young female? We are fine with cold weather, wind so we aren't nervous about the weather unless there is something out of the norm that we may not be aware of! We also have 3 dogs and 5 horses and after looking at housing online the prices seem to be rather high. Is this a reflection of the energy boom in Gillette?
I'm nervous about my husband, he doesn't do so well with trying to find the positive side of things and with out a college education he struggles to find a steady career. What kind of businesses are thriving in Sundance?
Anything you have to offer will be greatly appreciated. The pictures of Sundance from Google look beautiful but please be brutally honest with me on your personal feelings about Sundance. Living there for 9 years you would know better than I. Are you a native of Wyoming?
Gillette unfriendly??? I live in Gillette, and I've gotta respond to that one. It's probably the friendliest town of its size you'll ever find for newcomers. There are good reasons for that -- most adults moved here from somewhere else, so they don't have a lot of family or longtime friends in their local network. And it's a working class town. Most people work in the coal mines, the oil fields, service industries or for the schools. We don't have many folks who can afford to be uppity! I think you'll find the vast majority of people agree with me on that, whether you talk to longtime residents, new residents, or folks who have just passed through. If you want to "fit in" in Gillette, it's not hard to do.
As for drugs, I think that's a problem anywhere you go these days, and I honestly don't believe Gillette is any worse than most towns and small cities. As in the majority of places, alcohol is the drug of choice, and it causes the most problems. Gillette has grown from a series of booms, and booms bring young workers with too much cash and too little home life. They work hard and play hard. That leads to drinking, drugs and other problems, but the town isn't booming now, so most of those people have either moved away to the next boom town or settled into a typical family life.
Don't ever put too much credence in one person's post (even mine). No one place is going to be perfect for everyone, and things can happen to sour a person about a town, a state or a whole region. Read or listen to all viewpoints, disregard the worst and the best and expect those in the middle to be fairly accurate.
I don't know it to be fact, but I've heard that Gillette's growth has pushed up some real estate prices around Sundance. Some people do commute that far.
There's not much of anything "thriving" around Sundance to my knowledge. I remember reading about some mineral exploration in that area but don't recall much about it. The best paying jobs for your husband are probably around Gillette, but Spearfish is much closer, and he might get lucky and find something just right for him in Sundance.
I've already stated uptopic how I feel about Sundance. It's a ranching community and reflects a rural attitude. I really like the people I've met from there -- good folks every one.
I have to agree with WyoNewk and reitterate what he said about Gillette. We've been here going on 3 years and LOVE it. I work for the school district and there aren't any more drugs here than anywhere. This is a wonderful town. Although I realize that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I am somewhat offended that a person would write a "horrific" post about Gillette! I must have missed that one (good thing!). If you read all of the posts on C-D about Gillette I think you'll read a lot of great posts about this town. I don't know much about Sundance, but I do know it is very pretty there. I would love to live there in the Black Hills area just because it is so pretty, but wouldn't like to commute to Gillette for work. Best of luck on your interview!
I must admit the post I read about Gillette was from a person who moved there after living in several different states. It did make me a bit nervous, fearing we might have the same reaction coming from a different state. Don't get me wrong, we move well as we have done it often!
I feel reassured with your posts that we will do okay. I'm so glad to hear Sundance is a ranching community with a rural attitude. We are rural people as well and although we grew up on farms in the midwest so ranching will fit us just fine. I think we may look for work for my husband near Spearfish and keep my fingers crossed for Sundance!
Here I am speaking as if I already got the job offer! I hope things work out the best for us and if we are meant to be in Sundance then it will all work out like it should. I truly do appreciate all of your helpful information. I may have more questions after the interivew on Tuesday!
There is some truth in what she says. Gillette can be dry and dusty. it isn't a really "nice" town to look at. and it can be hard to make friends. shopping sucks.
but saying that, my wife and I have been here almost 2 years now and really like it. i miss family back home (Virginia, Indiana, Florida) but generally the pluses out weigh the minuses. Most people you run into are nice, good people. You have to get involved with something. We've gotten really involved with the church, and made alot of friends that way. my neighbors, who I graduated school with in virginia, aren't nearly as happy as we are. but they haven't gotten involved and therefore haven't made as many friends in the area.
real-estate prices are high. dunno about rentals, I've heard they've come down some. shopping sucks..but I have free amazon prime and so do most of my shopping via mail. (my packages keep going to my neighbor though..I'll have to look into that).
Overall, I look forward to moving back east someday. but I will miss gillette when I do.
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I think you'll find the vast majority of people agree with me on that, whether you talk to longtime residents, new residents, or folks who have just passed through. If you want to "fit in" in Gillette, it's not hard to do.
