Montanans Relocating Elseware in Montana (Billings, Missoula: best city, crime, houses)

[MontanaGal216]

Hi there! I'm in need of many perspectives and opinions and I figured this would be the perfect place to get them.

I'm a North Dakotan who moved to Montana 10 years ago. My husband is a native Montanan who lived in the eastern side of the state until college and after college spent ten years in Seattle. He came back to E Montana when his parent got sick and passed away.

We had hoped to settle down in this small town but for many reasons it's just not working out. So, we flipped our house and are putting it on the market by late spring. When it sells, there is a very good chance that my husband will be able to work from home where ever we go. This opens up so many possibilities that I thought I'd turn here for some answers.

We'd really like to find the best spot to settle down, and not choose the wrong place like we did with the town we are in now. There really is no limit to where we can go in Montana except perhaps budget. So here is what we are looking for. Let me preface this by saying that I very much realize that no one place will have everything we want. We're just looking for a place that fits our needs better than where we are now.

My wants:

- The Arts: I would love to live in a place with a real community theatre. The place where we live now is a joke. I'm just looking for a community theatre with other people who are there because they love the art form and want to pull together and have fun. No bringing in the majority of the cast from out of state or other towns. Minimal politics. A town that has musical outlets would be really nice. Art of really any kind would be preferable.
- Jobs: I really like to try and work doing what I love. A town with green houses, a flower shop, a bakery, any sort of history outlets (living history, museum etc), a picture framing shop--things of that nature are really in my wheelhouse.
- Food: I am a lifelong vegetarian and where we live now there is never any place I can eat out. I also love to cook and the fresh food and health food sections of the grocery store are just abysmal. So a city with good access to produce and a few restaurants with vegetarian options would be great.
- Sunshine. I know in some places the Montana winter can get very gray and gloomy. For me it's the more sun the better!
- Water: this one is just a wish but I would love to live near a lake. I grew up near a lake and would love to live near one again.

His wants:

- Affordability: We know that we don't want to afford to live in a Montana city. Cities like Bozeman and Missoula, while gorgeous, are ridiculously expensive housing-wise. So we are fine with being near but not in a city. Small towns outside of cities are more our style!
- Frisbee Golf: my husband is obsessed with frisbee golf. One of his top requests is to live in a place with a course or at least near a good course.
- Proximity to one of Montana's cities. An hour to an hour and a half away from a city at most--where we live now is four hours from a city and it is horrible.
- Landscape: Places to explore and hike and enjoy are a must. Opportunities to get out even in winter (example: skiing) would be great. He really likes to get away to seclusion.

Cities we are curious about and would love opinions on: Columbus, Augusta, Red Lodge, Kalispell area, Three Forks/Willow Creek, Livingston, Lincoln, Townsend, Hamilton, Stevensville, Philipsburg, Polson, Libby, Chester, Valier, Willow Creek Reservoir area, Boulder...honestly just give us your opinion about anywhere in state!

Thanks for any help anyone can give, and please keep things kind

[historyfan]

Columbus, Augusta, Red Lodge, Kalispell area, Three Forks/Willow Creek, Livingston, Lincoln, Townsend, Hamilton, Stevensville, Philipsburg, Polson, Libby, Chester, Valier, Willow Creek Reservoir area, Boulder.

I would keep on your list-
Red Lodge, Willow Creek, Townsend, Hamilton, Stevensville.

Nix-
Flathead towns for gray winters, Columbus & Libby for Superfund sites, Augusta & Lincoln for winters & remoteness. Livingston for incessant wind. Boulder has rough element like Whitehall. Philipsburg has summer only economy.

No opinion on Chester or Valier.

Would add-
Helena, Dillon.

I do not know if Stevensville will have enough going on to meet all items on your list, but it is one of those places everyone likes. If you do not need local employment, I think it would be top contender.

[MTSilvertip]

Townsend is a great little town, but you will be driving to Helena for most of the things you listed, and the roads can be really bad during the winter. so why not go either to Helena or the surrounding area.
Clancy, Montana City and East Helena are small towns within a couple minutes drive of town.

Helena does have a lot of the arts, Myrna Loy Theater, Archie Bray Foundation etc. and Frisbee Golf. 4 lakes close by, lots of nature trails right on the edge of town up into forest service.


Helena is probably the most affordable of the larger towns in Montana as well.


Several yuppie/foodie restaurants, and a good farmers market for fresh vegetable materials.


Most of that stuff is centered on Last Chance Gulch, but it isn't hard to find.


Helena's in a rain shadow that splits the clouds to the north and south of us, so we have a lot of sunny days in the winter as apposed to Missoula for example where it is pretty gray all winter.


Good Luck.

[mschrief]

My brother (RIP) lived in Missoula for several years. Finally got fed up with the traffic and idiots and moved to Hamilton, MT. He loved it there. Passed three weeks ago. He did it his way.

[NW Crow]

Helena would have more of what you want than anywhere smaller. And 5 Frisbee golf courses for him? https://www.discgolfscene.com/courses/Montana


Hamilton and Dillon have one. Livingston doesn't but Bozeman area has 6, including in not that far off McLeod . Me, I'd keep Livingston under consideration with Helena area, Hamilton, not much else. Livingston probably is above average to far above average for its size with regard to the arts & nightlife.


If small, remote has worn out for you, make a big enough step to change that. Maybe Red Lodge could work but might still be in the small & remote range. Philipsburg is changing but is still small & remote. Might be like Red Lodge of today in maybe 10-25 years.

[MontanaGal216]

History Fan: thank you so much for the concise reply! Weather is a pretty big deal to me. I don't mind snow and cold but many cloudy days in a row get to me so it's great to know which towns have what!

MT Silvertip: Thank you so much for your reply! Helena does seem to be the consensus so far. I appreciate your input!

mschrief: So sorry about your brother. It's so difficult to lose a family member. My mom died almost five years ago now and I miss her every day.

NW Crow: Five frisbee golf courses would be all he needed to hear haha! And yes we are ready for a big step out of remoteness. Good tok now that Philipsburg is remote and small. I knew it was a small town in the mountains but not much more than that.

[sky1949]

Your list includes only smaller towns, however you list of wants sounds like an exact description of Billings in all ways. No other town, except maybe Bozeman, maybe Helena, fit the description. However, Bozeman has become hideously expensive for housing, and Helena is, after all, the political center of Montana. I used to live in Helena, and it doesn't hold a candle to Billings in any of the things you want. (Yes, I live in Billings, and have for decades. My business takes me to many of the towns you have listed, however, and I can compare them.)

[MontanaGal216]

SKy1949: I appreciate your input! It sounds like you have some of the knowledge about places we are looking for. I hear Billings winters are milder is this true? Also does it have anything nearby for good hiking and recreation? Is crime a problem? Air quality?

[NW Crow]

Temps milder than places higher up, especially when graced with favorable spring winds. Still gets a lot of snow on average but may melt faster.




A good number of Billings threads to give details. Or look at recent Outside magazine that named it best city or best outdoor town or however they phrased it.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by MTSilvertip

Townsend is a great little town, but you will be driving to Helena for most of the things you listed, and the roads can be really bad during the winter. so why not go either to Helena or the surrounding area.
Clancy, Montana City and East Helena are small towns within a couple minutes drive of town.

Helena does have a lot of the arts, Myrna Loy Theater, Archie Bray Foundation etc. and Frisbee Golf. 4 lakes close by, lots of nature trails right on the edge of town up into forest service.


Helena is probably the most affordable of the larger towns in Montana as well.


Several yuppie/foodie restaurants, and a good farmers market for fresh vegetable materials.


Most of that stuff is centered on Last Chance Gulch, but it isn't hard to find.


Helena's in a rain shadow that splits the clouds to the north and south of us, so we have a lot of sunny days in the winter as apposed to Missoula for example where it is pretty gray all winter.


Good Luck.

I would second Helena as well. My ex fiancée's wonderful parents lived in Clancy and that and Montana City are some nice areas that are a hop, skip, and a jump from Helena.