What I need to know about Gillette, WY (Casper: city hall, rental)

[melonjar]

My DH has a phone interview for a job in Gillette. We live in central Ohio. What can someone who lives in WY tell me about Gillette? We have a daughter, so I'm interested in the school district as well as activities and opportunities for kids. What are the pros/cons of living in Gillette?

And other info. is greatly appreciated. I have a feeling this will be a HUGE decision for us. We are use to going out and doing things, like visiting the zoo, water parks, regular parks, nature areas, bike riding, malls, shopping centers, movie theatres etc.

Thanks!

[sunsprit]

You'll have many more opportunities for "going out and doing things" in Gillette if you enjoy outdoor activity such as hiking, camping, fishing, seeing wildlife in it's native habitat, hunting, equine activity, and so forth. Water park? there's lakes and streams in the region where you can play without all the regimentation of a commercial facility. Nature areas? You'll be heading to the "big outdoors", with an incredibly varied region of activities ... from the local area around Gillette to the Black Hills to Bighorn Mountains. If you need to be around lots of other people for your outdoor activities for any reason, you may find the Gillette area a bit uncomfortable ... unless you really would prefer solitude and have the ability to be a bit more self-sufficient and independent in your outdoor recreation.

There will be an adjustment for you in your paradigm of "what's close" and "convenient" in Gillette. You won't have a zillion restaurants of many price points and food types to choose from, and you won't have all the banks and commercial businesses and retailers. You'll find reasons to travel to Rapid City for some of your shopping, for example; it's not around the corner, it's a couple hour trip ... in good weather, each way.

Compared to the population density in Central Ohio (and we just got back from a trip to Wooster OH, so got to see much of the central state area in Columbus & Mansfield by staying off the interstate highways) which supports so much of the entertainment that you're acclimated to ... you won't have it in Gillette. Shopping centers, movie theaters, malls ... well, the folks in Gillette are proud to show off the few places they have, as they should. But it doesn't compare to what's in a small suburb of any of the big cities in Central OH.

School districts throughout WY are well funded and generally have a pretty dedicated and competent teaching staff.

Don't forget that this is a rather windy area compared to central Ohio. For some folks, it's no big deal, only a little while to "adjust" to it. For others, the prevailing winds can be a real bother .... they are a big factor in your ability to do things outdoors and enjoy them.

[GEORGIAINMT]

Do a search on Gillette on this site and you'll find a lot that has been written about the town, it's amenities, etc. There is an indoor water park at one of the hotels now and there is the city pool as well as the county rec center that have outdoor waterslides....not waterparks, but they do. There is a waterpark in Rapid City. There is a 6 screen theater and a 2 screen theater in town. The big one is very nice. The closest malls, Costco, Sam's, etc. are in Rapid or Casper (2-2 1/2 hrs) or Billings (3 1/2 hrs.). We do have Walmart, Kmart, 3 grocery stores, Home Depot, Hastings, Office Depot, etc. so you can find almost anything you need until you can make it to the bigger towns to "shop". We have all the major fast food joints. There are a lot of fun things for kids in Rapid City. There isn't a zoo but there is Reptile Gardens and Bear Country (which has a lot of animals other than bears). Billings has a small zoo.

I'm a special ed teacher and moved here from Montana (I'm originally from the W. part of Wyoming) to be a special ed case manager. This school district is the best I've ever been affiliated with. There is money in Gillette, so that helps with the schools, the streets, parks, trees along the streets, etc. There is a very nice library here and the rec center is building a HUGE new building that will have tons of things to do. I love the people in Gillette.

I agree with the other things that sunsprit reported. This would be a big culture change for you, but by far wouldn't be like being out in the wilderness. You should come out for a visit to see if it's somewhere you'd like to be. I think you'd love it!

[lj1983]

good luck on the decision. my wife and I just recently moved out here. we'd been considering the move since before christmas, waiting on my graduation.

we moved from Virginia. its definitely a big change. everybody has been really really nice, from work to the banks to the utilities people at city hall to people we've met at the grocery.

a big change for "outdoor" activities...out east everyone pretty much goes on marked trails...out here, its more just open land where you go driving on a road and find a spot to stop and wander a bit. there are marked trails, but it isn't as organized as out east.

There is alot out here, as long as you go looking for it. not so much on the shopping, but a number of wilderness areas, old forts, history...my wife is getting involved with a meetup group here in gillette and we're still searching for a church. so far its been fun, its just a matter of making the best of anywhere you are.

[septocaine_queen]

Well the common story I have heard from many people from here is that they were only planning on staying for 2 years and now they are on their 20th year in Gillette. So that should say a lot about the community.

There was an article in the paper about how they were increasing funding to the school here, I was amazed at that considering how schools are faring in the rest of the country. The teachers here that I have spoke to are happy.

We came from living both in Las Vegas and San Diego and a high roller life and we have found that we like Gillette and Wyoming much better than anywhere else. Some people from places like Michigan have complained that there is no trees, but being from So Cal, I was used to seeing only palm and eucalyptus trees so no big change. The sky is big and we get huge wanderlust and just want to drive to see the sky and landscape.

You can find almost everything you need in town. We do go to Rapid City to go shopping for like Target and the mall, which is okay...I like Nordstroms and Bloomingdales, so I got to travel for that, but that saves me money The grocery stores are amazingly well stocked with goods. Coming from CA, I do find the produce here does suck occasionally but that is minor.

Regarding the wind, it isn't that bad. It is better than in the southeast of the state. After living in Vegas, which is very windy, we do okay.

Everyone we knew was freaked out that my husband and I would have left after the first blizzard, but we found it was different. I will say we are planning a warm tropical trip in Feb or March

The joke is that Gillette spends money instead of saving it. Sculptures lining the streets. We are building a huge new state of the art rec center, with a climbing wall that resembles Devil's Tower. We have a symphony, musicals, a wonderful library.

I have some photos of Gillette, if you want to check them out on the photo thread.

Happiness is what you make it and we are happy here.

[WyoNewk]

There are so many organized activities for kids that I won't even start to list them, but there's something for every kid. I talked to my 10-year-old granddaughter on the phone a couple weeks ago and told her to stop by one of these days. "We will if we can, but we've got Kid Camp... blah, blah, blah.... We're going to be pretty busy." Then she had to head out of town for a Little Levi's Rodeo. Now she's back and taking golf lessons every day.

The single biggest attitude adjustment you'll have to make is convincing yourself that 300 mile round-trip jaunts are quick and easy. I can remember driving to Rapid City for a pizza many times -- before the interstate was completed. Just get in the car and take a nice drive. In a couple hours you're there. Eat. Drive a couple more hours and you're home.

[Wyogirl]

Septocaine queen How windy is it in Vegas?

[septocaine_queen]

Originally Posted by Wyogirl

Septocaine queen How windy is it in Vegas?

We used to live in Summerlin, west of the 215 by Red Rock conservation area and it was pretty much windy enough to rattle the windows pretty constantly especially in the spring. If you know about the Santa Ana winds in So Cal, then I would compare it to them.

Since we have been in Gillette, I find it less windy, but definitely much much more than San Diego, where we had little trade winds breezes.

[jetsguy]

This is my firt post here. Let me give you a different prespective. I was born in Wyoming and my parents moved to the east coast when I was small. I was married at 18 then moved to eastern S.D. where I starved to death. I moved to Gillette in 1980 during the big boom in the mines and oilfields. To me back then it was exciting, everyone was young and jobs were plentiful and money was great. I raised two kids in Gillette, well at least until 1991 when I moved to Seattle and have been ever since. I really liked my time there for the most part, and feel my kids got a solid foundation, and the schools were great. I neve really felt deprived of anything there for the most part everything you need is there. Yes there are drugs and crime just like everywhere. Money and crime, go figure. But the people were great. I think it's a great place to go if your young have a good trade ( I was a welder in one of the mines). Good place to raise kids for the most part. But don't underestimate the weather. 30 below is nuts no matter how dry it is. Beautiful sunsets and sky, but man it's a short summer and fall. Long drives are out in the winter for the most part. After 11 yrs in a coal mine that was just about enough for me. I think it's a great place to start out as a family. Make some money, get some equity in a house, and oh yes they are expensive. Then moving on was the right move for me. I still miss the wide open spaces when I'm stuck in traffic here but the older you get the weather becomes a bigger factor. I can say that with all the people I knew in the mines I can't remember anyone saying they were going to retire in Gillette. It is what it is, for the average guy with a trade good money during the booms. Hang on in between the cycles. Deal with the tradeoffs. You will not make the kind of money I made in the mines to many places but there's a reason for that too. Just use common sense about the trade offs.

[Tigerstripe]

I lived in Gillette during the height of the oil boom in the mid to late '60s. My family had also live in Casper in the '50s.

I don't think there is day goes by that the wind doesn't blow, some days much harder than others. Winters I spent there were miserable and spring comes late in that country. Saw 8' + snowdrifts all over town one time.

It is a long way to a full service airport and a metropolitan environment from there.

Yes, they have probably the best funded school district in the country. The reason, taxes on oil, gas, and coal.

During my time there the city fathers would not zone for single family dwellings, only trailer parks. They wanted the "oil field trash" that has made them one of the wealthiest counties in the West to leave after the boom and take all their "stuff" with them. The school board president evicted my family from his rental house because there was no housing available for a new teacher they had hired.

I would go to prison before willingly live there again.