May be Moving to Gillette (Cheyenne, Casper: apartment, rentals, condo)

[ngallagher]

Hi,
My wife, two children, and I are thinking about moving to Gillette for a teaching position.
We have been doing some research by looking at the city website and of course reading many blogs.
The blogs are kind of confusing: I read some from people that really like it as well as some from those who don't.
I know enough to know that it is fairly flat, and cold during the long winters. However, I have read that is is really windy all of the time, and I have also read that the wind is not that bad.
It seems that meth is mentioned anytime you hear about a small town. Is Gillette fall into this as well? I know that it is everywhere, but is worse in some places.
I have also heard that there are not many rentals, probably due to the tranciency of the area.

As you can see I have heard good things and bad about the Gillette area. What we are looking for is a nice smaller town to raise a family. It seems that Gillette has much of what we're looking for. However, we are not looking for more wind. We live in Reno and it is windy here fairly often.
I appreciate any information that anyone has to offer.
Thanks

[WyoNewk]

Originally Posted by ngallagher

Hi,
My wife, two children, and I are thinking about moving to Gillette for a teaching position.

We have at least one regular on this board who just moved to Gillette last year to teach. I'm sure she'll respond very favorably about the school system here.

Originally Posted by ngallagher

We have been doing some research by looking at the city website and of course reading many blogs.
The blogs are kind of confusing: I read some from people that really like it as well as some from those who don't.

That shouldn't be confusing. Different people like different things, and the same community can be one thing to me and a completely different thing to you. Know what I mean? Gillette has plenty to offer, and some people get involved and make the most of a community, while others sit and stew because they miss something that's absent, be it a mild winter climate, redwood trees or fields of corn.

Originally Posted by ngallagher

I know enough to know that it is fairly flat, and cold during the long winters. However, I have read that is is really windy all of the time, and I have also read that the wind is not that bad.

The winters are long and cold, but they could be much worse. The relatively high altitude and an abundance of sunny days make it tolerable to most who prefer four seasons.

I've only been to Reno a few times for short visits and don't recall how the wind compares to there. Before moving to Gillette I lived in Kansas, Iowa, Texas and Alaska, so to me the wind isn't bad here. It's just part of nature. It does bother my wife, who had spent her lifetime on a valley floor in Oregon before moving here. The wind in Gillette is much less than it is in southern Wyoming, but if you hate wind, there are better places to live. Oh, and it's not as flat as some people seem to think. It's not mountainous by any means, but it's got its share of hills and valleys.

Originally Posted by ngallagher

It seems that meth is mentioned anytime you hear about a small town. Is Gillette fall into this as well? I know that it is everywhere, but is worse in some places.
I have also heard that there are not many rentals, probably due to the tranciency of the area.

We read of meth busts in the local newspaper fairly regularly. I don't know if it's worse or better than average here. I don't know anyone who uses it, but it's certainly in the community.

Rentals have generally been in short supply for decades in Gillette. The current slowdown in the economy, coupled with substantial apartment construction in the last couple years, has helped ease the demand for rentals, but it's still a tight rental market -- and more expensive than in most places. That could change in a hurry, depending on what happens in the oil and gas fields in the coming months.

Originally Posted by ngallagher

As you can see I have heard good things and bad about the Gillette area. What we are looking for is a nice smaller town to raise a family. It seems that Gillette has much of what we're looking for. However, we are not looking for more wind. We live in Reno and it is windy here fairly often.
I appreciate any information that anyone has to offer.
Thanks

It does have good and bad features. When I first moved to Gillette in 1971 I didn't care for it, but the job offer was too good to turn down. We figured we'd stay for a few years and move on, but the community grew on us as it changed, and now I've raised my family and have grandkids growing up here as well. I think it's a great community in which to raise a family, but I know some would disagree.

I'd suggest you pay us a visit and give it consideration. If you generally like the area and come here with an open mind and an eagerness to "join" the community, I think you'll like it. It has much to offer, but there are no guarantees.

[wyolady]

As for wind, Gillette is probably considered moderate for Wyoming. Definitely windy if you aren't from wind, and more windy than other WY areas, but less windy than others. Here's a cool Wyoming Wind Speed map that shows Gillette is generally right in the middle of the wind speeds.

Wyoming Wind Speed at 50 Meters (http://www.windpowermaps.org/windmaps/WYwindspeed50_big.htm - broken link)

Originally Posted by ngallagher

It seems that meth is mentioned anytime you hear about a small town. Is Gillette fall into this as well? I know that it is everywhere, but is worse in some places.

The meth problem is probably worse than many other areas of Wyoming, except for Cheyenne and Casper. But again, that is relative. If you are from a city with definite meth problems, it may not be worse. As a WY teacher, I have teacher-friends and relatives who live in Gillette. They've taught in different areas of WY and South Dakota and say there is definitely a meth and pot problem in Campbell County schools.

Something that is often overlooked and/or accepted by adults is the underage drinking problem in Wyoming. Along with the 2 Dakotas, Montana and Washington, Wyoming ranks as one of the worst states for underage drinking, including youth highway deaths due to alcohol. The county I live in has a huge problem with this, but it is difficult to solve when parents condone it, often purchase alcohol for their minor children, protest schools if their children get in trouble due to alcohol, etc.

With all of that said, Wyoming and Campbell County especially is becoming more aware of these problems and programs are attempting to target the problems.

[georgiainwyo]

[quote=WyoNewk;8417257]We have at least one regular on this board who just moved to Gillette last year to teach. I'm sure she'll respond very favorably about the school system here.


That would be me! I love it here in Gillette! This is by far the best school district I've ever taught in. One nice thing is that there is the tax base here so the district can put the money where it needs to be....for the kids! There are so many opportunities for kids in the district, so many "extra" things a town this size usually doesn't have (planetarium, adventurarium, science center, many great program specialists, etc.). Also, teachers are paid very well compared to most Wyoming towns and definitely much better than surrounding states. Of course, money isn't everything and we teach because it's what we love to do, but the money definitely keeps the good teachers here. I have found staff in all the schools (I work in several schools) to be awesome. The relationships between people in the schools are good and staff works together for the best of the students. Also, we teachers have some great opportunities for continuing education, have wonderful benefits, etc.

As for Gillette itself, we also heard lots of stories before we moved here. I was born & raised in Wyoming but wasn't really familiar with Gillette. After being in the Billings area for 14 years I was so happy to be back in Wyoming. The people here are very friendly. I have had no experience with any drug problems here, only what I read about in the paper. Drugs are everywhere and if you read some of my and others' previous posts this subject has been talked about before. We have found that other than rent, the cost of living here is low compared to a lot of places. Rentals are easier to come by now than when we were looking during the summer.

If I were you I would most definitely consider Gillette. As a teacher I highly recommend it! By the way, what position are you applying for? I'm on an interview committee this week interviewing folks for one of the open positions! Best wishes to you & let us know how things go!
Georgia

[eric#1]

If if isn't a particular job market that interests you I would say Spearfish SD would be a better choice.
Right against the hills, doesn't seem as windy, very clean, decent shopping, and more outdoor recreational areas. They are approx 70 miles from each other. (I-90) A little better job market in Wyo. though with all the mining and and power plants

[georgiainwyo]

Teacher pay in S.D. is very low compared to Wyoming.

[Wild Hare]

all i can say is i was born and raised in cheyenne and worked for years in laramie and frequent casper often and compared to those towns the wind never blows here in gillette.

[Obliviouss]

As Georgiainmt said teacher pay in S.D. is very low compared to Wyoming. I moved to Gillette in October from South Dakota. And though I miss the Black Hills Gillette is pretty close to similar amenities. Gillette is about an hour drive to the Big Horns, and Keyhole state park is also very nice and close (if your family likes outdoor activities I highly recommend visiting both places). I also don’t mind the 2 hr drive to Rapid every once in awhile to satisfy the shopping bug.

The weather is pretty close to what you would find else where in the Midwest! But there always seem to be a scattering of lovely not so cold days in the winter, which give you a nice break.
The wind is also typical, and isn’t all that bad compared to North Dakota or Casper, so I guess it is just what you are used to. The few times I have been to Reno it wasn’t all that windy (but every place has sunny calm days), so I can’t compare the two.

Rentals can be an issue here; my husband moved here before me last June and was renting one room in a double wide for 600 a month (he shared the place with 3 other people). We decided to buy a trailer and rent a lot to save money until we decided if we would be staying, and buying a house. Trailer court living isn’t all that bad, ARC lets you have pets (though the lots are super small) and lot rent is under 400 a month.

As for meth, I’ve heard it is a problem. But I personally have not run into it.

Gillette’s school system is wonderful! And the town seems to try really hard to have stuff for families to do. The library is a nice size, a good collection, and plenty of programming. There is a children’s festival, and a chocolate festival each year which I have been to, and are good events for kids. The rec center is nice (the new one will be nicer). And there are plenty of parks.

All in all Gillette can be an adjustment, but it really is what you make of it, which is probably why there are so many different responses from people about living here.