Moving out of New England - looking at WY, MT and CO

[LadySaotome]

I'll chip my 2 cents in for Sheridan. I'm originally from Florida (husband is a Wyoming boy) and after we were married, he missed the mountains too much & we ended up in Sheridan for 5 years. I always felt like Sheridan was slightly in a bubble - we never seemed to get nearly the amount of wind & snow the rest of the state would get. And they plow 24/7 once it starts snowing. Downtown has been spruced up over the years - there's a lovely park with a nice farmer's market in the summer, fountain for the kids to play in, and a cheap ice cream shack for a treat while you stroll from the playground to the beautiful library. I loved it there and if we ever wanted the bigger shopping experience, it was only a couple hours north or south to Casper or Billings.

It's right on the foothills of the Big Horns so very close to all the outdoors activities. And rural enough that it's not uncommon to see deer dashing down main street.

We had to move to South Dakota two years ago. We still have the same small-town feel, with even more of the neighborliness than there was in Sheridan. But the roads - they plow when they have to and as minimally as possible. I never missed the south or disliked the snow & ice until we got here. But I don't think it was Florida I was missing nearly as much as Sheridan. And the mountains - they get in your blood after a few years. I understand now why my husband missed it so much. And the Black Hills are lovely but definitely not the same thing.

[Dangerous Dave]

Originally Posted by looking2goWest

Hello - my family and I are looking at moving up into the mountains of WY, MT or CO. We'd prefer a small mountain town where neighbor helps neighbor. I dont mind a commute of up to an hour one way.

The parts of Wyoming that are high and woodsy are usually way out and expensive. Great for retirees, but for those who still need to work and can't afford an expensive place, its not practical...

I think you may be looking at another extreme of what you have. Wyoming is very rural, and there may be other places in the west where you can gain some sanity but still be able to find jobs and amenities. I've lived in Wyoming, Arizona, Oregon, Minnesota, and in the south. I won't call myself some geographical expert, but I do think you should open yourself up to other places. You sound a lot like my family and I can't think of many places that I would take Connecticut over, it sounds as if you would only be going up from where you are.

I would look into places within commuting distance of Denver if you still need to find a job. I would also consider other areas... Boise, Spokane, and Vancouver WA are other possibilities you might look into. All have nice rural areas nearby.

Not knocking Wyoming, it's great but costs are a bit high and opportunities are great for blue collared folks. If you can find a job here doing what you do now, great!