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Hello all!
So I appreciate those of you who read this and a special thanks to those of you who take the time to offer a constructive reply. Here's a bit of background for a reference...
We're a mature Gay couple who have been in a committed relationship for 23 years and have been married since the US government allowed us.
We have four children, ages 7, 9, 11 and 13.
We live in NYC (Manhattan) on the Upper West Side. For anyone who has visited, we're a block from Central Park and walking distance to some great museums, cultural sites and most importantly, schools. Life has been great.
The problem for us is that we are fed up with the growing crime rates and the racial tension. We see the glory days of Giuliani and Bloomberg in the rear view mirror and the bad ol' days from the 1970's are fast returning. I'm writing of the mindless violence that one doesn't even see coming. Though we spend part of the year outside of NYC, we're seriously looking to make a change. So let's flip the script and give our kids a different view and appreciation on life.
We want a community that values family. Boy, that's a "loaded" word these days, isn't it? Ethics, morality, principles, where our children will benefit from wholesome examples of right and wrong and grow up with friends who are raised to live by the "Golden Rule." We want them to experience sincere, authentic friendships where material wealth doesn't poison everything.
Enter South Dakota and specifically, southwestern SD. So here are my largest concerns:
1) Will our children feel welcomed, being a part of a "rainbow family" or will they be ostracized because their parents are two men?
2) Any thoughts on which are the best schools in Rapid City?
3) Is homeschooling a common alternative?
4) One of the best aspects of life in Manhattan is the walk-ability. Are there walkable neighborhoods in Rapid City? Is downtown RC what you might consider thriving and healthy? And most important, how is safety? The online stats look worrisome and I can't imagine that they are correct.
5) And now an adult question -- since we're each long past the days of going out to clubs to hook up, it is nice on occasion to meet and socialize with other similar and like-minded mature couples (and of course I mean in a non-sexual way, in case anyone is wondering) Are there social clubs (like country clubs but in the city) that are popular as opposed to they typical bars where one might go to drink, get drunk and hook up? No judgments but that's not what we're looking for.
5) And lastly, what is the tech scene like in Rapid City? I know it's no Silicon Valley and maybe it's not even the "Silicon Plains," but are there new tech companies opening up around town?
I appreciate your taking the time to read this, I know it's a bit long-winded. Anyway, all the best. Hoping to soon be your new neighbor!
Rapid City would certainly be close to being the polar opposite of where you at now. I will let the Rapid locals chime in on the specifics but will say that the Black Hills area has always struck me as being pretty conservative. My only advice would be to spend some time there if you haven't already.
Hi, I appreciate the perspective. I vacationed years ago and did Rushmore and Deadwood, but as a vacationer, I was in a different mindset.
Fast forward all these years later and being in a different stage in life, we think it's time to take another look.
We are planning a trip out to do some recon during "mud season," assuming that's probably the worst time of year. From NYC, we go up to Quebec during ski season so we know from cold.
Rapid is quite conservative. However, it is normally a “live and let live” mentality. When we started issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples, Pennington County, where Rapid City is located, had the highest number of licenses issued. It is becoming more acceptable here. Their pride weekend is weekend after the 4th of July.
Would you be accepted? Yes, mostly. There will be the strong pockets that will be very vocal against it. I would love it if the vocal opponents would shut up and be welcoming.
Jobs here, are not the best paying. There are some decent jobs, however, they tend to be harder to come by. Tech jobs are normally support roles and nothing cutting edge.
Downtown is quite walkable. There is a bus transit service in town. It is nothing like larger towns. Anything beyond downtown, a car is handy to have. It is cheap to own a car, and parking is hardly an issue. Remember to feed the parking meters downtown. Also, there is are a fair amount of panhandlers they are becoming more belligerent. The cultural division is something that needs work. We try to be sensitive to the Native American population, there is room for improvements and it can be a sensitive issue.
Right now the meth issue is problematic here. The arrests have more than doubles since 2012. Also, I have found needles laying around when out and about. It is something I notice by virtue of my job.
Rapid City and the hills have some great potential, I love living here. It is my home, it is a great place to live. However, it is far from perfect. I am sometimes frustrated with the issues I see. The friends I have are few, by design, but they are good folks. My “yes” is yes and my “no” is no. If you’re decent with me, I will be the same to you.
SD4020...
I can't thank you enough for taking the time and being so thoughtful and thorough in your response.
For us, coming from the big city, we can easily fall into the trap of thinking life where you are is like Mayberry. That everything is perfect. And of course, it's unfair. Few places can live up to that standard, though everything I've heard, there's so much for y'all to be bragging about.
Having said that, it is surprising that the drug issue is so widespread.
Like many newcomer's relocating to their new hometown, we hope to get involved in local non-profits, donate, volunteer and contribute to finding "solutions," whatever that might be.
As for the job front, we're partly retired and digital nomads so our plan is to fund a few local start-ups, depending on what business sectors would most benefit metro Rapid City. Is there a local Business Journal we should be reading? I'll be reaching out to the EDC (Econ Dev. Council) or Chamber to say hello.
Again, very appreciative of the time you spent setting me straight... well, in a manner of speaking. If I spent hours searching online, I wouldn't have learned as much as I did from your post. Thanks.
There is an engineering university that has a business incubator program that would be worth looking to get involved with. It is a beautiful place to live and has a lot of good things going for it. It might not sound like it from my posts. I come from an aspect of seeing the worst, trying to combat it from my small corner of it all.
This is a town that was founded on ranching. It makes up a huge part of the economy. There is healthcare that draws people from 200 miles in. The hospital changed its name recently and is affiliated with the Mayo Clinic, which I think will turn in to an advantage. Tourism and military are other factors in the economy here. If retirement is in the plans, it is a great place to retire. When I hang it up, I am moving further west to a place with tall mountains.
For me, I try to help me neighbors, whether it is digging out after a blizzard or making sure the widow across the street is doing okay. If you were my neighbor I would welcome you. To me that is how you build a community.
I cannot add much to what has already been said except that I would expect the cultural differences between a large city environment and a largely rural area would be more significant than sexual preferences. The pace of nearly everything can be slow in the hills. This can be a plus or a minus, depending on how you and your family are able to adjust. Many services that you might take for granted in a large city may be limited or non existent in Rapid. The climate is much drier in Rapid than in NYC. Do you mind having a little dust on the dashboard of your car? Most residents of the Hills take clean air and clean water for granted. Are you an environment militant? There are other differences, but your ability to adapt or be sensitive to a multitude of subtle differences may have more to do with how you fit in than many of your other concerns. OBTW, the closest opera is in Seattle.
Good morning, so last first...
Dick - I appreciate your comments. Not certain what you meant with being an environmental militant. Do most southwestern SD residents subscribe to that way of thinking? I don't want lead-tainted water coming out of my kitchen faucet if that's what you mean. As for fitting in, that's life isn't it. An American in a foreign land, a northerner in the south, a white man in a non-white country, a fiscal conservative in cities where there hasn't been a tax that they didn't love and yeah, a Gay man in a majority straight world, so I know a little about having to "fit in." What I don't want is for my kids to be subjected day in and day out to the ugly side of provincialism, where there's no accommodating, let alone welcoming difference. The worst are the posturing pious who try to impose their religious beliefs and standards on others. We went through that in Morocco and a few other places and it's a colossal waste of time. As for opera, I like Seattle but I've never attended opera there. My favorite kind of opera is outdoors at a barbecue, maybe a part of a larger music festival. I don't suppose it would hurt Rapid City to have a little variety, would it? I wonder what other subtle differences we should be attuned to? Thanks for your feedback.
SD- It sounds like w/ a university and the military, RC has a recipe for a fairly recession-proof economy. That is, until a behemoth like the DOD decides to pull out and then people wish they had diversified more.
You have probably heard about the great "tax exodus," hundreds of thousands of affluent residents leaving Calif, NY and many other, mostly coastal states. Since SD is so uniquely positioned, very few states offer what SD offers -- no personal tax and best of all, no corporate tax -- it would seem that recruiting major corporations (even if purely for domiciliation!) would be a business niche worth pursuing. Only a small handful of states offer these combined advantages. From the RC mayor, to congressional rep, US Senators and the Gov., they really might want to consider promoting this more. Delaware, which is highly taxed, has made a state-wide industry of welcoming foreign corporations. Then again, a lot of people like RC just as it is and an influx of "newcomers" brings new challenges. Don't want it to become another California, right. As always, just my two cents.
I'm no rancher, not even a gentleman farmer, but we like to have nature and a few farm animals around us. The kids love it and it's great for building responsibility into one's day. A funny aside, it's still in the books, that New Yorkers are allowed to keep chickens in their apartments. It's just unlawful to keep roosters, because of the noise. As you can imagine, not many people do this.
As for health, the Mayo Clinic is the gold standard! How fortunate RC is, right? Not many cities (especially of that size) have such a facility. I haven't looked into how many residents in southwest SD lack any kind of health insurance, which continues to be a huge problem. The finest medical care in the world is useless if you can't afford it. Thanks for the feedback.
Good morning, so last first...
Dick - I appreciate your comments. Not certain what you meant with being an environmental militant. Do most southwestern SD residents subscribe to that way of thinking? I don't want lead-tainted water coming out of my kitchen faucet if that's what you mean. As for fitting in, that's life isn't it. An American in a foreign land, a northerner in the south, a white man in a non-white country, a fiscal conservative in cities where there hasn't been a tax that they didn't love and yeah, a Gay man in a majority straight world, so I know a little about having to "fit in." What I don't want is for my kids to be subjected day in and day out to the ugly side of provincialism, where there's no accommodating, let alone welcoming difference. The worst are the posturing pious who try to impose their religious beliefs and standards on others. We went through that in Morocco and a few other places and it's a colossal waste of time. As for opera, I like Seattle but I've never attended opera there. My favorite kind of opera is outdoors at a barbecue, maybe a part of a larger music festival. I don't suppose it would hurt Rapid City to have a little variety, would it? I wonder what other subtle differences we should be attuned to? Thanks for your feedback.
You'll do fine. C'mon out.
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) Are there social clubs (like country clubs but in the city) that are popular as opposed to they typical bars where one might go to drink, get drunk and hook up? No judgments but that's not what we're looking for.
