Kalispell and surrounding areas (Bigfork, Somers: sale, homes, shop)

[historyfan]

Originally Posted by Sunshineandsouthernmess

This was all very helpful! Thank you so much (: I live in Colorado Springs currently. And I’ve only been to kalispell in the winter for thanksgiving and Christmas and it is quite gray (kind of depressing). Colorado at least has some sunny days sprinkled in throughout winter but Montana doesn’t look like that. I’m just worried about finding a house and a job :/

The Flathead & even Missoula is depressing to me in the winter with all those very gray days. Quite a few places across southern Montana have bright sunshine days in winter. Thankfully, it is unusual to have two overcast days in a row where I live in SE MT.



It is important to take Vitamin D3 in the winter months & to try to get lots of outside exercise to try to keep seasonal blues away anywhere you live in Northern latitudes.

[snowave]

yep, I agree about the winters. We lived in the Flathead for a few years recently, and just couldn't deal with the gray of winter so we moved to SW Colorado. (we also didn't like how busy it was becoming). I do miss a lot of things about MT though, and with our climate continuing to warm and dry (especially here in SW CO), we haven't ruled out returning in the future. Fortunately for us, we can live anywhere (work remotely) and also have a motorhome now to get to the sun if we really want.

Good luck with your decision. I can't help much with the other aspects, although keep going on the higher education, as that will help you more in MT than some other places. You also seem pretty well rounded with experience, so while it may take a while to find decent work, I think you are in a good position to succeed.

[dch]

Citydata lists Kallispell as having a higher than average crime report. Most look like probably petty stuff. On the ground there what is crime, safety like? Like many, I'm considering relocating after retirement, I live in NJ, but our town is rated THE safest town in the state, and one of the safest on the east coast, so that is a concern.

[mjstef]

Originally Posted by dch

Citydata lists Kallispell as having a higher than average crime report. Most look like probably petty stuff. On the ground there what is crime, safety like? Like many, I'm considering relocating after retirement, I live in NJ, but our town is rated THE safest town in the state, and one of the safest on the east coast, so that is a concern.

Tons of property crime. Lots of drugs. When i moved to Kalispell in 2007 nobody knew where their house keys where. I wasn't even given keys to my rental! When i left in 2016 crime was becoming bad. Now it's getting really bad. Maybe not compared to the big city but bad enough i was conceal carrying everywhere i went. Just a few weeks ago a couple was leaving a high end bar in Whitefish and where beaten to a pulp by a couple thugs. Lots of this going on too..... https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/se...s-in-whitefish

[Shuffler]

Didn't hear or see anything in the local papers about a couple being attacked in Bro-fish ... maybe the local media sat on it so as not to get everybody in a panic ahead of the busy season ... just a guess.



Our neighbors here just South of CFalls were burglarized last year ... thankfully not the house, just their truck and outbuilding, both of which were unlocked. Chainsaw, tools, and small stuff were taken.



A gal walking her dog near the river, about a mile from us, had a gun pulled on her last year when she happened upon a couple of creeps doing a drug deal. I let the Sheriff's dept know about that and they put somebody on it to monitor/patrol - not sure if anything ever came of it.


A couple of meth-related murders in Martin City over the past year or so ... the meth freaks aka 'canyon critters' seem to prefer that area. I don't mind when they take each other out ... that's the problem sort of resolving itself.



Per-capita, maybe our crime rates are 'high' but I'm not sure you'll find any county of 100K or more people in this country where there aren't guns, drugs, and crime to some degree. Generally if you're alert and don't go looking for trouble, you're not going to have problems. And, carry pepper spray, or a knife, or a gun ... or all 3 ... and practice being proficient with them ... just in case.

[mrwumpus]

Property crime is a huge problem is the Flathead Valley due to the meth epidemic. There are two or three FB groups dedicated to property crimes in that area.

Most of the crime seems to be disorganized opportunist stuff, although larger vehicle theft (trailers) and business break-ins are common. Stolen bikes and car-breakins are common.

There's a lot of frustration among residents due to limited police force and jail space.

I don't see much hope for improvement due to the tax-averse population and the proximity to the "ghetto" areas.

[Redraven]

IMO, the Flathead Valley is a great place to be from. I grew up in Hungry Horse, graduated from Columbia Falls High School, and left the Valley. Since then, I have returned and left again several times. Finally, in the early 1980s, I left for good.

Since then, the Aluminum Plant closed and has been torn down. Nearly every lumber mill has closed and been torn down. Logging is nearly extinct. There are medical jobs in Kalispell and Whitefish, and lots of retirees.
I will be back this summer for a high school reunion, and then will very likely never enter the Valley again. There is just nothing there for me at all.

[Shuffler]

Originally Posted by mrwumpus

I don't see much hope for improvement due to the tax-averse population and the proximity to the "ghetto" areas.

https://flatheadbeacon.com/2019/05/1...public-safety/


Taxes are coming ... this may not pass now, but it will eventually.

The gentrification is in full swing and the newcomers will embrace taxes like this because 'that's they way they did it where we came from' ... wouldn't surprise me if MT adopts a state sales tax somewhere down the road. Can't keep adding people and putting a burden on all the infrastructure and amenities without a way to pay for maintenance/upkeep/improvements.

I'm not against more first responders ... but I think the City needs to dig into the budget to see where they might be able to draw these funds from before they start taking the easy way out and talking about new taxes.

[OneDawg]

Originally Posted by mjstef

Tons of property crime. Lots of drugs. When i moved to Kalispell in 2007 nobody knew where their house keys where. I wasn't even given keys to my rental! When i left in 2016 crime was becoming bad. Now it's getting really bad. Maybe not compared to the big city but bad enough i was conceal carrying everywhere i went. Just a few weeks ago a couple was leaving a high end bar in Whitefish and where beaten to a pulp by a couple thugs. Lots of this going on too..... https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/se...s-in-whitefish

You moved in around the time we moved out. Kalispell used to be a nice place to visit with friends, go shopping and have a nice Saturday night out. I know this to be true - the local rag would not publish anything bad - it might chase away the tourists. And they did everything possible to get rid of John on KGEZ in Somers. Meth was running full tilt with homes being broken into nearly every night. We retreated to Lake County side of Bigfork, where it wasn't as bad - but bad enough. It was the only time I lost money on a house sale - we so were desperate to leave....windows and doors broken replaced several in months time. The trucks and trailers stolen. I was invited to speak at a gathering a few years later - I told them I would phone it in!

[mjstef]

Originally Posted by OneDawg

You moved in around the time we moved out. Kalispell used to be a nice place to visit with friends, go shopping and have a nice Saturday night out. I know this to be true - the local rag would not publish anything bad - it might chase away the tourists. And they did everything possible to get rid of John on KGEZ in Somers. Meth was running full tilt with homes being broken into nearly every night. We retreated to Lake County side of Bigfork, where it wasn't as bad - but bad enough. It was the only time I lost money on a house sale - we so were desperate to leave....windows and doors broken replaced several in months time. The trucks and trailers stolen. I was invited to speak at a gathering a few years later - I told them I would phone it in!

Yep, I concur. Glad i'm gone......