Heading West (Great Falls, Bozeman, Helena: houses, job openings, neighbourhoods)

[Darkfox28]

Hi there

My husband and I are considering moving to Montana--Great Falls or Kalispell..somewhere hopefully not too far from the Canadian boarder as we have friends from Calgary we'd like to visit with. We've visted the state last summer and loved the area. We're originally from western NC and even though we're native to the area, it's slowly becoming unliveable for the average middleclass hardworking person, which is very sad. He works as a manager in the restaurant business and I'm a secretary for a small newspaper.
I was just wondering if any of you had any good advice( other than making sure we have jobs before moving) for a young couple who have never made a move this big before. We're kinda at a loss on where to begin, other than saving up as much money as possible for the move itself.
Thank you

[Reziac]

First advice is -- have a job waiting before you move for at least one of you. There's not much job turnover in the stable economy of Great Falls and surrounding areas. Check the GtF Tribune for an idea of what job openings exist. http://www.greatfallstribune.com

Kalispell is more of a yuppie/vacation town, likely to have more turnover thus more openings, tho I'd expect more possibility of a business going belly-up, too.

As to driving to Calgary, GtF is a straight shot north; driving from Kalispell is more convoluted. -- Back in the 1960s/70s, before the boom in Alberta, Calgary folks often came to GtF to shop!

If you look around older residential neighbourhoods in these more-economically-stable towns, you can still find some good deals on a house to buy or rent, feasible within a MT income.

[mountainme]

Jobs in MT can be hard to come by sometimes...it not overall a super economy or a great place for wages vs. cost of living in places like Kalispell and Bozeman. Housing is very pricey for Kalispell too. Not that its impossible to get work, just its good to have something before you come here, I learned that the hard way...

[CrazyHorse]

I am considering a job in Kalispell that pays, what I would consider good for the area. My concern in moving there are:
1. Adequate education for our 2 and 3 year olds.
2. People say the houses are expensive? They look realatively cheap on the web pages.
3. Is there a mall near by? My wife likes to shop even Wal-Mart or CostCo makes her happy. IS there stuff close by?

I grew up in Lander, Wyoming and now live in wilimington, de. We both hate it, but I fear Kalispell may be too much of a culture shock for her. I know she could handle Helena or one of the other larger cites.
I have never been to Kalispell, but expect it to look like most small towns in region.

Please jump in anyone and school me. I am super eager to get off the east coast and feel pretty confident I will like it.
What does everyone think my wife will think of it?

Peace,
CrazyHorse

[Debee]

Crazyhorse

Kalispell is by no means a small town anymore. Its growing by leaps and bounds.We have costco, walmart,tjmax.ross,penneys,home depot,ect and we are even getting a big mall soon.

[MHT]

Originally Posted by Darkfox28

Hi there

My husband and I are considering moving to Montana--Great Falls or Kalispell..somewhere hopefully not too far from the Canadian boarder as we have friends from Calgary we'd like to visit with. We've visted the state last summer and loved the area. We're originally from western NC and even though we're native to the area, it's slowly becoming unliveable for the average middleclass hardworking person, which is very sad. He works as a manager in the restaurant business and I'm a secretary for a small newspaper.
I was just wondering if any of you had any good advice( other than making sure we have jobs before moving) for a young couple who have never made a move this big before. We're kinda at a loss on where to begin, other than saving up as much money as possible for the move itself.
Thank you

First off, Kalispell and Great Falls are very different in terms of terrain, climate, cost. Have jobs before you move (if possible). Check out housing costs, etc. What are you looking for other than traveling to Calgary? You said that you visited "the area" but did you visit both towns? Just some questions for you to think about.

[MontanaGuy]

I would never move to a place unless I really checked out every aspect of what it would be like in terms of housing, crime, utilities, etc. I don't know if you actually visited these two cities but you said you'd been to Montana. I would definitely visit a town before I just packed up and moved there. It might work out and it might be a big mistake. Personally I'd pick Kalispell but everyone has their own likes and dislikes and you really need to do some homework and sort out the pros and cons of both cities.