Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thank you, noted. What about Billings? We are obviously in the very early stages.
Find the best paying job & go from there. Montana is a great place if you can make the money part work for your family. Let the job(s) drive where you locate. I would not like to live in Billings, but there are areas very commutable that would do.
It depends where you are moving. Bozeman is a nice place, Helina and Butte, not so nice.
Says a guy from....Denmark?
There are nice places and bad places anywhere you look. Bozeman is horribly overcrowded and traffic is tiresome there. It depends on what you want. If you want big box stores a developed city and lots of traffic then sure Bozeman is nice.
If you want less people, far less traffic, and a 10,000 sf hand built Victorian mansion with original stained glass and wood floors for $350,000 Butte fits your bill.
If you want something between the two with grand neighborhoods and trees and more amenities than Butte but fewer than Bozeman, Helena is very nice.
Winters in MT are much better than in NYC. You can be outside at a café in a long sleeved shirt in the sun drinking coffee on a 30 degree day. I did it tons of times.
But it can also get to blizzard conditions. And in some areas there's a ton more snow than others. It's a massive state. It's not like NYC where all weather is the same. It can be vastly different just 20 miles away.
Moving directly to MT without checking it out would be folly.
There are nice places and bad places anywhere you look. Bozeman is horribly overcrowded and traffic is tiresome there. It depends on what you want. If you want big box stores a developed city and lots of traffic then sure Bozeman is nice.
If you want less people, far less traffic, and a 10,000 sf hand built Victorian mansion with original stained glass and wood floors for $350,000 Butte fits your bill.
If you want something between the two with grand neighborhoods and trees and more amenities than Butte but fewer than Bozeman, Helena is very nice.
Winters in MT are much better than in NYC. You can be outside at a café in a long sleeved shirt in the sun drinking coffee on a 30 degree day. I did it tons of times.
But it can also get to blizzard conditions. And in some areas there's a ton more snow than others. It's a massive state. It's not like NYC where all weather is the same. It can be vastly different just 20 miles away.
Moving directly to MT without checking it out would be folly.
Being from nyc “horribly overcrowded” means nothing to me, it will feel like a deserted island compared to this. I’m not picky. I just need great public education, low crime, friendly community and tolerable climate. Nice to see something positive about the winters there! If native Montanans haven’t experienced winters here it would be easy to assume they’re milder and we couldn’t handle it.. because of the humidity here our winters are actually super harsh. It will be 30 degrees but real feel is always much lower.
Any thoughts on Billings? A majority of his union offers seem centered there.
Winters can be brutal. It can be 35 or 45 below zero without wind chill. The biggest thing in very rural Montana is there could be no one to save you, if you make a bad decision or have bad luck. You have to think first & be prepared, communicate with people about your schedule & check in with soneone, and check weather forecasts & road reports and heed advisories.
Being from nyc “horribly overcrowded” means nothing to me, it will feel like a deserted island compared to this. I’m not picky. I just need great public education, low crime, friendly community and tolerable climate. Nice to see something positive about the winters there! If native Montanans haven’t experienced winters here it would be easy to assume they’re milder and we couldn’t handle it.. because of the humidity here our winters are actually super harsh. It will be 30 degrees but real feel is always much lower.
Any thoughts on Billings? A majority of his union offers seem centered there.
Billings is the largest town in Montana. About 110,000 people. For folks like me that live 10 miles from the nearest town of 230 in a county that has a population of less than 800, Billings is the antithesis of what we love about Montana.
Still, I've been to New York a couple times, I couldn't live there, period.
For you, Billings would be a quaint hamlet. I'd probably advise looking at some of the developments on the north side, you can see for miles and miles of open rolling breaks. Wildlife isn't a real problem there, bears, wolves, mountain lions prefer less population density. From Billings you can be in wilderness in an hours drive, or off the grid in 2 hours.
Billings has a lot of people that have moved from somewhere else, so fitting in would be easier than in more insular communities, and Billings is still Montana enough to allow you to acclimate without as much culture shock.
Montana and New York are both America, but they're about as different as you could pick, so in many respects it would be like moving to a different country.
Be aware of that, have some patience, and you should do fine. I was raised in Bozeman and knew a couple families that moved from New York city, and they were great people. One family, the husband had been a cop during the race riots and after surviving that, he was ready for an entirely new culture. It took a few years, but they became more Montanan than some natives I know.
It's a huge life change for you, and I support your desire for a better life for your family. I would just advise that you take your time and maybe visit before you jump.
I don't know you, so I can't address specific issues you may find difficult, but as far as the winters here, if you're in a good house and have a good vehicle, you shouldn't have any problems. With the large transplant population in Billings, there shouldn't be any significant issues fitting in. Just remember, life is a lot slower here so you'll need some patience when the clerk and customer ahead of you in line may exchange pleasantries and small talk for a couple minutes before completing a transaction, which can drive people from more fast paced places nuts.
Just take a deep breath, relax, and maybe join in.
Good people attract good people and you never know when you'll find a new friend.
Winters can be brutal. It can be 35 or 45 below zero without wind chill. The biggest thing in very rural Montana is there could be no one to save you, if you make a bad decision or have bad luck. You have to think first & be prepared, communicate with people about your schedule & check in with soneone, and check weather forecasts & road reports and heed advisories.
Dear mother of god. Nope nope nope. We wouldn’t be in rural Montana but in either Bozeman, Missoula, Butte or Billings. That is what’s available to us employment wise and we have to follow the money. This scares the crap out of me though.
Billings is the largest town in Montana. About 110,000 people. For folks like me that live 10 miles from the nearest town of 230 in a county that has a population of less than 800, Billings is the antithesis of what we love about Montana.
Still, I've been to New York a couple times, I couldn't live there, period.
For you, Billings would be a quaint hamlet. I'd probably advise looking at some of the developments on the north side, you can see for miles and miles of open rolling breaks. Wildlife isn't a real problem there, bears, wolves, mountain lions prefer less population density. From Billings you can be in wilderness in an hours drive, or off the grid in 2 hours.
Billings has a lot of people that have moved from somewhere else, so fitting in would be easier than in more insular communities, and Billings is still Montana enough to allow you to acclimate without as much culture shock.
Montana and New York are both America, but they're about as different as you could pick, so in many respects it would be like moving to a different country.
Be aware of that, have some patience, and you should do fine. I was raised in Bozeman and knew a couple families that moved from New York city, and they were great people. One family, the husband had been a cop during the race riots and after surviving that, he was ready for an entirely new culture. It took a few years, but they became more Montanan than some natives I know.
It's a huge life change for you, and I support your desire for a better life for your family. I would just advise that you take your time and maybe visit before you jump.
I don't know you, so I can't address specific issues you may find difficult, but as far as the winters here, if you're in a good house and have a good vehicle, you shouldn't have any problems. With the large transplant population in Billings, there shouldn't be any significant issues fitting in. Just remember, life is a lot slower here so you'll need some patience when the clerk and customer ahead of you in line may exchange pleasantries and small talk for a couple minutes before completing a transaction, which can drive people from more fast paced places nuts.
Just take a deep breath, relax, and maybe join in.
Good people attract good people and you never know when you'll find a new friend.
Yeah I feel like we have 110k people in a 5 block radius Lol
That is totally fine. I actually feel comforted by some level of community, neighbors etc. I realize in actuality, to be so isolated, I wouldn’t feel comfortable. we’re New Yorkers after all (aka we have no idea wtf we’re doing in the wild). We are 3rd generation natives and for a multitude of reasons feel the driving urge to get out and experience life as it was meant to be. My kids deserve more than an overpriced cramped apartment and 30 sq foot cement backyard. We want a complete change. We want to embrace MT for all the reasons it is so different than what we know. Its very oppressing to live here. It seems like the bigger cities such as Billings and Bozeman will make navigating the winters a little easier - we do not plan to stray outside major areas. And obviously we have to determine where ultimately we should go. I have distant family in Missoula and they love it. Thank you for your kind words! We hope we are welcomed in time once they realize not all New Yorkers fit the rude stereotype.
Dear mother of god. Nope nope nope. We wouldn’t be in rural Montana but in either Bozeman, Missoula, Butte or Billings. That is what’s available to us employment wise and we have to follow the money. This scares the crap out of me though.
Well, if you are out on the highway you will be in rural Montana. I didn't mean to scare you. Just respect winter & you'll be fine.
Dear mother of god. Nope nope nope. We wouldn’t be in rural Montana but in either Bozeman, Missoula, Butte or Billings. That is what’s available to us employment wise and we have to follow the money. This scares the crap out of me though.
I've spent a lot of time in Missoula, and if I had to pick one that would be it. Bozeman feels like an expensive yuppie cow town to me, Billings is a gritty pit that feels like you're in North Dakota, and Butte has just seen better days.
Missoula is a nice place where you can get a decent place a few miles outside of town, or even in town depending on your budget.
Weather wise, I wouldn't let anyone scare you. You'll get cold snaps a few days at a time where it gets near minus twenty. Then it gets sunny and the snow and ice will melt in the direct sun. It isn't cloudy and gloomy all the time.
Lefties? They're mostly downtown. People who live on the outskirts of Missoula aren't the red diaper doper babies around the university. Missoula is by far the most livable of the cities you're looking at. You're a 2.5 hour drive from CdA/Spokane also, which is the largest city in the area. Your kids will have education opportunities, a good standard of living and things to do.
Another thing. Had a beer with a guy from NY a few years ago at the Montana Club. We were talking about the climate. He basically said that compared to NY, Missoula didn't even have a winter.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
