Neighborhoods in Billings (Terry: low income, real estate, rental)

[winstonthedog]

Hello everyone,

My husband's job has us relocating to Billings, MT at the end of the year. We would like to purchase a home prior to or upon our arrival. I am in the process of researching what is available. Can anyone give me information on the neighborhoods in Billings? We prefer to be in a single dwelling home in a subdivision. Any recommendations or areas to stay away from would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Mt-7]

Hello and welcome
to get you started...
https://www.city-data.com/forum/monta...m-fence-2.html

there are other threads just post in the search and check them out.
someone will come along to help you, keep posting!

[happiness is]

My favorite neighborhood in Billings is in the Heights around Governors Boulevard.

[flyingcat2k]

You really don't give us much to go on. Billings real estate is the closest thing to a varied metropolitan area as Montana has. You can spend 80k and be in a semi-safe neighborhood (gangs and drug addicts go through your neighborhood to get to the ghetto yet minimal crime) to spending 500k and having neighbors who think their yard art of PBR cans and recovered hub caps is a spectacular investment. You can spend 2 million, have sandstone boulders crush your house and the city says to talk to your insurance agent (and I agree).

In broad terms, the West End has the majority of shopping and chain restaurants in town. It also is gridded so that most major arterial streets run north/south east/west. Most of those homes are west of 15th or 24th street depending on who the lister is. Billings Heights is the second largest area with some shopping and chain restaurants but has more local places than the West End. It isn't gridded as well and many major arterials are choked by geography such as canyon walls or never-ending curves and col-de-sacs. If you have teenagers, it may not be the best as the mall is on 24th street on the other end of town. You will be making lots of trips if they are mall rats. Skyview, the Heights high school, also appears to have the worst drug problem of the 4 area high schools right now. This changes from time to time and West does a lot to hide their drug problems so it's another thing to keep in mind.

Some areas to avoid are Terry Park as it has a lot of rental houses that aren't well maintained and cater to low income housing. South Park which is near the jail and the sugar beet refinery. North Park is kind of a forgotten ghetto area but if you are near the ballpark or 27th street north of it, it is a great part of town and very safe. Heights people will tell you the Heights is better than the West End and West Enders say the same about the Heights. They do intermingle socially but not much as there are only three ways to get to that side of town from the other.

If you shop around and can afford a 150k mortgage, it is not a problem finding something you really like and will be happy with.

[happiness is]

Regarding the crushing boulders.... I agree. It's crazy that anyone builds directly under the rims or any cliff anywhere. Nature takes its course, and those boulders are going to come down eventually.