Should I move from Florida to Montana (Kalispell or Great Falls)? (Billings: house, employment)
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I am Native of South America (Colombia) married to a man raised in South Florida with a dream to live in a very natural outdoor environment, I grew up in a city in a cold and rainy weather and now I've been living in a very warm place that I enjoy, I also like to be around people, I am a very sociable person.
I know that you can't have everything in one place, I am willing to sacrifice things to have a better life, especially for my children it is only that I am not sure if this will be the right place for me to go.
Financially speaking Florida has a high cost of living but for what I can see Montana too so in that matter I don't know if this would be worth it.
I know nothing about Florida or the cost of living there but in our area (Conrad) about an hour north of Great Falls you can get a tooth pulled for $160., you can get two cheese burgers and one order of fries for less than $6.00. I just bought an income producing property for less than $37,000. Below is a picture of our backyard after just one winter storm along with a picture of what it's like to drive during a normal winter storm. I'm not trying to discourage you from moving here in fact I would love it if you did especially if you opened a restaurant with all the wonderful Colombian recipes that I'm sure you have. Good luck with whatever you decide.
I travel the country quite extensively these days, and I would like to discourage the move to Montana.
I've been to Florida many, many times, and I am a Montana native, residing in Helena.
The social and cultural aspects between the two places are as striking as the night might be to the day.
Folks who are looking for cooler weather, potential quiet and things such as that might be better served moving to western Washington/Oregon, especially if they are coming from places like Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisianna and Texas.
The weather is cooler, and there are a lot of folks to socialize with, and, one can get a feeling of wilderness with the Cascade Mountains all at the same time.
Great photos Rickers!
I get the bottle opener, one never knows in a storm,
The block of wood?
To the OP, huge change of lifestyle, culture, weather, this might be just too much for a family with children. That saying I do meet in my work people from Brazil, Costa Rico, Panama who are living and doing well. Your job needs would be the first thing to work out. Keep posting and we will try to help.
I cannot, in good conscience, recommend Kalispell. I simply don't like it there anymore!
I lived in Great Falls, and found it to be a nice community. I enjoyed my time there.
Now, I am in Billings. It is a little bigger than Great Falls, possibly more "culture" (whatever that is). The weather isn't too bad here, we don't have near the really cold weather that GF does, and usually not as much snow, although that has been changing the last couple winters, for the worse.
I do believe you should vacation here for as long as possible, to see if you really like the lifestyle, BEFORE you actually move. Remember, hunting and fishing are huge activities here, and many, if not most, folks own guns. If you do not like guns, you will NOT be happy in this state, and the residents of the state will NOT be happy with you! If the sight of a dead Bambi (or elk, or antelope, or moose, or bear)in the back of a truck upsets you, you will not be happy here.
Good luck.
Honestly...reconsider Montana. We moved to Kalispell 7 years ago. It is very expensive to live here compared to the south (we were from Texas). Yes you can buy a house in Kalispell for $150,000 but it is a dump. The school system is very behind the times and as for culture...there is none. As for employment there are no jobs here. Right now we have an unemployment rate of 14%. It is very hard for people to make it here. This is white bread USA and considering you are from Columbia you might be surprised by the ignorant racism that is here. Plus anyone who has lived here longer than 20 years seems to think they have more rights here than you. I often hear, " I am a second, third, fourth generation Montanan...like that means something. Locals are not very welcoming to people from out of state. Do yourself a favor and consider a more progressive state than Montana. Good Luck
...Kalispell...as for culture...there is none....This is white bread USA and considering you are from Columbia you might be surprised by the ignorant racism that is here. Plus anyone who has lived here longer than 20 years seems to think they have more rights here than you. I often hear, " I am a second, third, fourth generation Montanan...like that means something. Locals are not very welcoming to people from out of state. Do yourself a favor and consider a more progressive state than Montana. Good Luck
I felt the need to jump in here. Culture, racism, tolerance, "progressive" are all really subjective terms.
While there may not be culture to your liking in Kalispell (or any other area), that doesn't mean there's no culture there. I lived near Los Angeles for quite a few years. While most would say there is plenty of culture in and around LA, I would personally choose the culture of Kalispell (or any other town in Montana) over LA any day of the week. So, when you say you like or dislike an area, it's probably a good idea to get specific with WHY you like/dislike it. As your likes/dislikes might be the complete opposite of my likes/dislikes, when you say you dislike an area, it might me I would love it.
When talking about racism, you should really give specific examples. People looking at you because you look out of the ordinary isn't really racism, is it? I've traveled to different countries in Asia and, being a white male, people are always staring at me. There are also usually a few people who crack a joke or two at my expense. I've had the same thing happen in this country with both blacks and mexicans. I've been seated at worst table at "the back of the bus" in a mexican restaurant along with other white and black couples while hispanic couples got decent booths.
There is racism wherever you go. Having someone take a second glance at you because you look different isn't really the same as actual discrimination, is it? Regarding just getting "the look" though, I know that feeling well as I've said. Ironically, my wife (who is asian) and I ("white bread) have received "the look" much more in Misoula (which has a reputation for being liberal, tolerant, and "progressive") than we have around Kalispell. Interesting....
As far as locals being welcoming, I've found them to be just as welcoming as anywhere else I've lived (California, Washington, Louisiana) if not more so. Like the Misoula irony above, I've found the locals in Montana (white bread central) to be much more welcoming than the locals in California (diversity central). And I suspect I know why that is....
Generally speaking (there are ALWAYS exceptions), I have found the people in California to be shallow husks of a human. People in Montana tend to be deeper, more "real", more down to earth. People in California may welcome you with open arms the first second you step in the state - only to discard you at the slightest whim when they have no further use for you. People in Montana seem to take their time getting to know you, but, once they do get to know you, you will have a friend for life, no matter where you end up living.
The term "friend" is a relative term. It means different things to different people. I prefer the Montana meaning over the "progressive" meaning.
But that's just my experience.
Edit: I'm not from Kalispell, just giving my opinions on it, Montana, and all the rest. And, interestingly enough, I didn't know Misoula was such a liberal town until well after visiting there. I just knew almost immediately that I didn't like Misoula. Later, I find out why.
Last edited by Fodderman; 05-09-2009 at 04:34 PM..
I felt the need to jump in here. Culture, racism, tolerance, "progressive" are all really subjective terms.
While there may not be culture to your liking in Kalispell (or any other area), that doesn't mean there's no culture there. I lived near Los Angeles for quite a few years. While most would say there is plenty of culture in and around LA, I would personally choose the culture of Kalispell (or any other town in Montana) over LA any day of the week. So, when you say you like or dislike an area, it's probably a good idea to get specific with WHY you like/dislike it. As your likes/dislikes might be the complete opposite of my likes/dislikes, when you say you dislike an area, it might me I would love it.
When talking about racism, you should really give specific examples. People looking at you because you look out of the ordinary isn't really racism, is it? I've traveled to different countries in Asia and, being a white male, people are always staring at me. There are also usually a few people who crack a joke or two at my expense. I've had the same thing happen in this country with both blacks and mexicans. I've been seated at worst table at "the back of the bus" in a mexican restaurant along with other white and black couples while hispanic couples got decent booths.
There is racism wherever you go. Having someone take a second glance at you because you look different isn't really the same as actual discrimination, is it? Regarding just getting "the look" though, I know that feeling well as I've said. Ironically, my wife (who is asian) and I ("white bread) have received "the look" much more in Misoula (which has a reputation for being liberal, tolerant, and "progressive") than we have around Kalispell. Interesting....
As far as locals being welcoming, I've found them to be just as welcoming as anywhere else I've lived (California, Washington, Louisiana) if not more so. Like the Misoula irony above, I've found the locals in Montana (white bread central) to be much more welcoming than the locals in California (diversity central). And I suspect I know why that is....
Generally speaking (there are ALWAYS exceptions), I have found the people in California to be shallow husks of a human. People in Montana tend to be deeper, more "real", more down to earth. People in California may welcome you with open arms the first second you step in the state - only to discard you at the slightest whim when they have no further use for you. People in Montana seem to take their time getting to know you, but, once they do get to know you, you will have a friend for life, no matter where you end up living.
The term "friend" is a relative term. It means different things to different people. I prefer the Montana meaning over the "progressive" meaning.
But that's just my experience.
Edit: I'm not from Kalispell, just giving my opinions on it, Montana, and all the rest. And, interestingly enough, I didn't know Misoula was such a liberal town until well after visiting there. I just knew almost immediately that I didn't like Misoula. Later, I find out why.
Allow me to bring you up to speed on Kalispell if I may;
My wife, born and raised in the great state of Texas was having a helluva time in Whitefish/Kalispell until it was learned that she was married to me, a 4th generation Montanan incidently.
The fact that she was married to me somehow made it okay for her to be there ... Don't under estimate the varasity of the Flathead.
Even if you're white, the sentiment runs deep.
Take Kalispell lightly if you feel the need to, but please don't say that we who would be Montana didn't warn you in advance.
Yes, many places in Montana are behind the times... but it somehow suits us, and we couldn't imagine ever trading our lifestyle for one of uncertainty, housing busts or school shootings.
Take the info here for whatever it might be worth.
If you feel that you can move here, and make it, then that's fine, but please don't move here, only to leave after a few months or years blaming Montana for your shortcomings.
Allow me to bring you up to speed on Kalispell if I may;
My wife, born and raised in the great state of Texas was having a helluva time in Whitefish/Kalispell until it was learned that she was married to me, a 4th generation Montanan incidently.
The fact that she was married to me somehow made it okay for her to be there ... Don't under estimate the varasity of the Flathead.
Even if you're white, the sentiment runs deep.
Take Kalispell lightly if you feel the need to, but please don't say that we who would be Montana didn't warn you in advance.
...
I'm sure you know that area much better than I and I don't doubt your experience for a second. I'm just curious about the specifics of experiences such as yours.
My wife and I, for example, mostly keep to ourselves these days, living a quiet life. We'll go into a city for lunch or dinner a few days a month, grocery shopping, do the usual shopping for our hobbies (hunting, fishing, crafts, etc). So far, we've had great neighbors everywhere we've lived.
I've lived in racist So Cal where I can have given some details of the discrimination against non-hispanics. This always came from people we didn't know, but it was enough to make me never want to go back.
I've only visited the Kalispell, Whitefish, Columbia Falls area, never lived there, so my experience is next to useless. Like I said though, when there, I didn't get any out of the ordinary feelings about the place like I have in Missoula. Which just makes me the more curious as to the specifics.
Who was giving your wife a hard time? How would they know that she wasn't from Montana (Texas accept maybe)? And how did they know you were from Montana?
Maybe I'm completely off on that whole area and, if I am, I'd like to know.
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Another point of view
