Where to move? Help me decide! (Cheyenne, Casper: renting, house, neighborhood)

[TGM]

Greetings from the Lone Star State (Texas)!

I will most likely be moving to Wyoming before the end of the year. My possible choices are:

Pine Bluffs, Midwest, Lyman, Cokeville, Rock Springs, Wright, Rawlins, Laramie, or Medicine Bow.

A little backgound on me - Born and raised here in Houston, TX. I live in the surburbs, but I am within 15 minutes of 3 Super Wal-Marts, 5-6 major grocery stores, 30-40 resturants, OK, well you get the idea - everything you can imagine is close by and almost everything is open 24hrs a day.

I don't know anything about Wyoming other than the photos I have recently seen on the internet. I have never even been to Wyoming!

I did live in Maryland for 3 years, so I know a little about that cold white fluffy stuff you guys see from time to time.

I really need some help from the locals since I am "flying blind" so to speak on finding a place. I know it will be a culture shock. I presently live in a beautiful 1900 sq foot home with all the extras of a luxury home in a beautiful wooded neighborhood - on a quarter acre lot- that I paid $95,000 for. If I find a house that looks like mine on the intenet in Wyoming the price is $180-$220k. So i've already decided that I'll be renting for awhile.

I am married with 3 little girls who are homeschooled, so local schools are not a concern. I am prepared to live in a small town, but it would be nice to be able to order pizza every once in a while!

It is a big sacrifice for us to move there, big salary cut, major reduction in home quality & size, moving away from family... but I'm looking more toward quality of life. In that quest, I want to live somewhere beautiful! And not too far from a larger city.

If I sacrifice all the "things of life" down here, I at least need a breathtaking view when I walk out the door every morning - right

Any suggestions and help deciding will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Troy
Houston, Texas
"Space City"
Home of NASA

[photomnt]

Wyoming is my home state and a great state. It will definantly be a culture shock. Cheyenne, Casper, and Laramie are the closest things Wyoming has to cities. There won't be all the amentities you have now, but housing is good especially in the south east (Cheyenne) where it's booming. Also Wyoming has amazing outdoor activities. Hope that helped.

[Wildman]

TGM,

I do not think you know how small Wyoming really is. Half the towns you listed are just the opposite of what you said you needed.

Since your coming from the 4th largest city in the U.S. I would suggest looking at how far you would drive on a regular Wyoming winter day (40 mph wind, snowfall, with ice packed roads and don't forget wildlife crossing the road constantly), then map out areas from large cities above 50K. For example: if you say you would drive 1:30 from a metro area, such as Salt Lake City, UT it would be Evanston. Billings, MT it could be Powell, Cody, Greybull, or Sheridan. Rapid City, SD it could be Sundance/ Newcastle. Cheyenne it could be Wheatland or Laramie. Casper, it could be Buffalo, Douglas.

IMO, I would choose these towns: Buffalo, Powell, Laramie, Lander, and Lyman.

Good Luck

[TGM]

Thanks for the quick replys. I am able to find alot of information about Laramie, however there is very little on the net for Lyman - can you tell me a little more about it since it is one of your recommendations? Mainly interested in housing costs, beauty (can I see mountains from my house), and how far away from civilization (a real town).

You are right about the culture shock. We have more people in my county that you have in the entire state (Harris County Population about 520,000).
I've got a population of about 80,000 just in my small surburb area. We have two small towns that I live between that are surrounded, which is Tomball (pop 10,200) and Jersey Village (pop 8,900). Jersey Village is about to grow by 2100 people just by annexing a small strip down the freeway and a few subdivisions.

Troy
Houston, TX

[mrkool]

TGM, how did you ever come to include Lyman on your list of potential towns to relocate to??
Been through Lyman more than once while working on a project in Lost Cabin. Lyman is a very tiny town. I remember the little tiny library which appeared to be a bit bigger than my bedroom (which ain't big). It is also a good distance from a decent-sized city (Casper), and that requires a road which can be hairy in the winter or spring.
Comin from the fourth biggest city in US, the culture shock and isolation of Lyman make it an insane town to consider.
You have 3 daughters... by all means move to Wyoming, but move somewhere that they can have some decent activities, variety, and a life.
I would make it either Laramie, Casper, or Cheyenne. Some of the others would just be too stifling for the kids. Good luck.
I lived in Houston for a year (nr 290 and Pinemont)

[TGM]

mrkool, thanks for the post. You had my wife and & I rolling with laughter.

Lyman is off our short list. Casper & Cheyenne are not options that are open to me right now, so it looks like Laramie will be our 1st choice.

Rock Springs seems to be the next largest, however on the map it doesn't look like as beautiful an area (high plains / desert ).

[mrkool]

It occurred to me after I posted the last one that I was confusing Lyman with Lysite. Check out where Lysite is. That was the town near Lost Cabin I'd been through, and is nowhere to relocate to.
But I did check out Lyman on the internet. Now I know where that one is, and been pretty close to it, Green River once for a 1 day job. Just knowing the general vicinity, Lyman is still not a town I'd recommend for relocation.
Laramie is a pretty good choice... only an hour to Cheyenne and as I recall 45 min or so to Ft. Collins CO. A fair town in a beautiful natural setting: hills close by on the east side, more hills a bit in the distance to the south on HWY 287 toward Ft Collins, and to the west is the Snowy Range of mountains. Very pretty. It can get pretty cold in Laramie, accentuated by the winds.
Rock Springs didn't impress me too much. Indeed it is more desert-like and rocky, with hills around (of dirt and rock mostly) and no nice mountains to see. That southwest corner of Wyoming has little to offer in my opinion.
Yeah, check out Laramie, and it's good proximity to Cheyenne and Ft Collins.
Not a bad choice if you ask me.

[Wildman]

The reason I picked Lyman is the Unita Mtns to south are great veiws. You are 1 hour to Park City, Utah for great skiing to the west and hour and half to SLC airport, malls. You are to three hours to Jackson Hole and Yellowstone lays five hours to the North. The east you have Flaming Gorge Reservior for awesome fishing and rafting (John Wesley Powell started here on his way down the Colorado River.)

As far as town of Lyman, Irrigated farm land compared to high desert of Rock Springs/ Green River. Winter wonder land. You would have to travel to Evanston or Rock Springs that is a hour each way. Your daughters will be fully involved with school activities due to sheer size of the school. Mormon roots do run deep in the area which is good and bad.

Laramie is a University town with permissive activities happening everyday, but they do have the convenience of Super Walmart, and is close to two metro areas. Mountains are close-by and it too is a Winter wonder land.

Good Luck :-)

[Wildman]

The reason I picked Lyman is the Unita Mtns to south are great veiws. You are 1 hour to Park City, Utah for great skiing to the west and hour and half to SLC airport, malls. You are two to three hours from Jackson Hole and Yellowstone lays five hours to the North. The east you have Flaming Gorge Reservior for awesome fishing and rafting (John Wesley Powell started here on his way down the Colorado River.)

As far as town of Lyman, Irrigated farm land compared to high desert of Rock Springs/ Green River. Winter wonder land. You would have to travel to Evanston or Rock Springs for shopping that is a hour each way. Your daughters will be fully involved with school activities due to sheer size of the school. Mormon roots do run deep in the area which is good and bad.

Laramie is a University town with permissive activities happening everyday, but they do have the convenience of Super Walmart, and is close to two metro areas. Mountains are close-by and it too is a Winter wonder land.

Good Luck :-)

[Munshine]

Just wondered if you've given any consideration to Saratoga, WY?

The link below provides information for all communities within Carbon County, (Saratoga/Hanna/Rawlins/Medicine Bow, etc.), and which website, also, provides insight, (and pictures), into the, existing, spectacular scenery/outdoor life, etc.

However, although these communities may offer plenty of elbow-room and or scenery/wildlife, you'll be forced to drive a-ways to get to any Wal Mart store. (It has been reported, however, that sometime in the near future, a Wal Mart will be coming to Rawlins).

Here's the link, and Good Luck!.... http://www.wyomingcarboncounty.com/