What is it like to live in Lander, WY? (Riverton: fit in, for sale)

[joansmith]

Exploring small Rocky Mountain west towns to live in. I need it to be somewhere a single, not so great income can buy you a house. Does Lander have any Unitarian Universalists? How big is the Religious Society of Friends group? Is there a public radio station? What is the library like? Could a political, social and spiritual liberal fit in there with at least a decent sized subset of folks? Does anybody garden? What can you grow? Are there any cultural forms of entertainment (music, movies, dance, etc,)? Is the wind good for kite flying or gusty? How long to drive to hiking without a million other people?

[Froggie Legs]

My aunt who lives there said that the new library is wonderful.

I would suggest doing a search on this forum site as there were many posts about Lander answering the questions you have.

Hiking is very close.. the Wind River mountains are are your doorstep and there's a switchback road leading up into the mountains and people hike there frequently. Don't remember it being "crowded" when I lived there.

Check out the Lander Chamber (http://www.landerchamber.org/areainfo.aspx - broken link)website for more info and photos and such. I'd also suggest contacting the Religious Society of Friends group directly.

cultural forms of entertainment.. hmm.. I went to powwows when I lived there There is a performing arts theatre in Central Wyoming College in Riverton, about 25 miles from Lander. (I see they are putting on Fiddler on the Roof right now).

[Brian_M]

Originally Posted by Froggie Legs

My aunt who lives there said that the new library is wonderful.

That makes me smile. I guess I have a little bit of ownership as I helped the planning of that building.


For the OP, when I was house shopping in 2005, 130k was the cheapest non-trailer home for sale in Lander. When I was selling last year, the bottom of the market was ~ $160k (again, for a non-trailer home). Not cheap. I also had a good paying Gov. job with the Library, and my income just Barely covered monthly expenses... to buy anything new, go on trips, or add to retirement it took money that my wife made. A single on a not-so-great income won't be buying anything in Lander, and since rents on homes are always more than a mortgage, you probably won't be renting a house either.

If you want to go outside of the city limits and live in an old trailer home, then maybe there's some hope. But understand that you'll be facing $200/month (or more) heating bills through the winter.

No idea on those particular church groups (never heard of either), but I'd doubt they exist there. There are a couple radio stations. Lander is one of a few WY towns with a healthy number of liberals due to NOLS influence. But Your idea of liberal and Their idea of liberal may be worlds apart (it is still Wyoming).

You can fly kites most days in Lander. I grew up there and remember flying kites pretty much any time I desired, though it Does get gusty some days. The closest hike is to Popo Agie falls, starting at Bruce's Campground ~ about 9 miles from town (so, 11 from the farthest side of town). My wife and I used to hike it 2~3 days a week because it only took ~90 minutes round trip from our house. I think the MOST people we ever saw there were 12~15 spread out on the trail, and that was always on weekends. Most times we went, there was not another person to be seen. Drive another 30 minutes and you're just a couple miles from Wilderness where you can get lost and not see another human for weeks/months/years/however long you want to be lost. So, AMPLE hiking. Note that the whole state of Wyoming has fewer than 500,000 people, so you'll have the leave the state to see a million other people.

[Froggie Legs]

The Religious Society of Friends is listed on the Lander Chamber website, but I never heard of them when I lived there. Doesn't mean they don't exist.


I'll remember that Brian, when I can get there for a visit. I remember spending a lot of time in the old library, which was a neat old building, if I remember correctly.

[joansmith]

The Religious Society of Friends are more commonly known as Quakers. Maybe that is more familiar.

This is all great information. Thank you.

[rya700]

I currently live in Lander ~ several homes have come on the market recently that are in the more 'affordable' range and it doesn't look like they are selling very fast.

The new library is awesome - I just got back from there. I also really like the used book store. The 'new' ones are nice too.

As far as the 'quaker' group, I think it is fairly small but it's members are quite outspoken and well known in the community.

There are lots of places to hike w/o alot of people around.

Gardening is a bit more challenging.....someone told me that the topsoil around here is nothing but finely ground up pieces of rock. I think most people purchase topsoil. I don't personally garden but my neighbor had a fairly large garden last year and grew several different kinds veggies.

[Froggie Legs]

my aunt and uncle purchased soil from the Shoshoni mushroom farm when it was there.. but yes, you are right, the soil isn't the best.. but water is a bigger problem. If you don't have it on your land, you have to haul it in, and that can cost money to keep a garden watered in the dry summer months.