Life in Bozeman - 7/14/2013

I have lived in Bozeman area for eight years. My observation of Bozeman is seen through the eyes of someone who has lived, worked and traveled much of the world. I find the people of Bozeman very friendly and welcoming. The town has a western charm and a relaxed attitude. I am amused by those few commenting that Bozeman is not friendly. Have they ever lived in a major metropolitan area? Or do they bring an attitude that brings out a less than friendly response? I agree with those comments that Bozeman is an area that offers plenty of lower paying jobs and higher paid positions are in short supply. Working via telecommunting, having a retirement income or wealthy are nice options if living in Bozeman. Persons I meet come from various geographical locations making Bozeman a rather cosmopolitan town for its size. Regarding cost of living Bozeman is a bargain compared to major metropolitan areas, however, it is not inexpensive. How one views Bozeman costs is mostly from one's past experience. A small town person may find on the pricey side. If one loves outdoor activities this town is spectacular. All seasons offer so much to do. On the other hand if one does not like any outdoor winter sports I would suggest thinking long and hard about moving to Bozeman. Winter is beautiful and long! Summer and autumn are stunning; rival any place in the world. To sum up Bozeman has the best of both worlds - enough amenities for a pleasant and comfortable life with stimulating activities and surrounded by gorgeous wilderness; views that will take your breath away. I decided to make my home here after decades of traveling the world because of the perfect blend of civility and wilderness.

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Best little place - 4/23/2013

I have lived here over 25 years, and cant dream of living anywhere else. College town, fishing, skiing, hiking, trails, great downtown and low crime.

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The weather's a drag, but it's a super safe place - 2/24/2013

I was born and raised in Bozeman--which in my case means that I've lived most of 35 years here. I've been out-and-about for brief stints in Georgia, Utah, and California, but the vast majority of my life has been spent here in Bozeman. It's a nice enough place, but it has some big downsides. Most people are drawn here for the "four seasons," the snow sports, college, or just to get away from the big city. For all the above, Bozeman is a great place to be. But be aware that the cost of living is above the national average, people are somewhat exclusive to their existing circles of friends (i.e., people aren't tremendously social here), winter is long and generally pretty rough (lots of snow, cold, ice, and gray), and "good" jobs are in short supply. There are great jobs available at the local Oracle facility and a couple other "high-tech" firms, but generally speaking because there are so many people who want to live in a place like Bozeman, wages are depressed. Count on taking a 20-50% pay cut to live here. Yep, ouch. The 1.5 good things about Bozeman from my perspective: crime is rare here, which is reflected in the fact that many people leave their cars and homes unlocked (crazy, I know). And summer here is BEAUTIFUL. Warm, sunny, with lots of gorgeous nature to bask in. It's also, unfortunately, short. In my opinion, there are lots of other towns (Salt Lake City, UT, for example) which offer much of what Bozeman does with about the same standard of living, low crime rates, even more outdoor stuff to do because of the high mountains nearby, and much better wages and job availability. There's not much to recommend Bozeman, unless you really like the small town feel, don't mind the pay cut or are independently wealthy (or work remotely), like winter, and love the lack of sales tax. Just my two cents.

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Great town - 9/5/2011

I love Bozeman. It has the best farmer's markets, sense of community, schools and quality of life. I feel really blessed to live here with our family. I can't say enough good about Bozeman. And no sales tax!

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Austin,Texas To Bozeman = Disappointment (so far) - 5/28/2011

PROS: Scenery,Snow,Dog friendly,Decent Beer,MSU,Airport,Wal-mart CONS:: Racisism abounds!,Generally Rude pissed off vibe among people,you say good morning,they either look @ you wierd or ignore you totally, Lack of Cultural Diversity,Snooty,too many Subaru outbacks,rent is thru the roof(1 bed rm apt 850)know it alls,Miserable weather(sometimes)Drivers License office gave me the 3rd degree(birth certificate,Passport,SS card(geez, ol'lady?) The Last best Place? LAST being the Operative word! I lived in the 1st (& only) best place,and will return as soon as I take these Hicks' money, cause they're too afraid to see it, Ha ha! AUSTIN,TEXAS BITCHES!! SUMMARY: Anti-semitic! Whiteville,Yuppy Town,Backwoods,Anti-Progress City Politics,Hunter-Kill(stupid)attitude,unevolved. The old west is dead people,lets move on! Horses cost money,get a dirt bike.....Thanks (No wonder Kazinski was pissed,lol) Montana is so Square......'cept for Idaho, Shoved up it ass!!

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A False Feeling of Paradise - 10/30/2010

Lived in Bozeman from 2007-2008. The good: Stunning scenery, fresh air, ultra clean. Courteous drivers, friendly, honest people. Montana State is a fantastic school, very underrated. The bad: The people in Bozeman think they already know everything, not open to great new ideas. The cost of living is very high - if you aren't wealthy you will struggle. Good jobs are hard to get - a few old families seem to control a lot of the opportunity. The economy is based too much on fancy things like million dollar custom homes and snow sports. Getting the City of Bozeman to approve a building permit will drive you crazy, and probably broke. Flying in and out of Bozeman is very expensive. I will retire in the Southeast USA, but I wouldn't mind having a Summer home in Bozeman.

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Bozeman is the best - 6/24/2010

It's so strange to read one review of Boze having rude people. In the Bozeman I live in, people smile and wave for no reason at all. I can ride my bike downtown and to the library. I can go to two amazing farmer's markets, one on Tues in Bogert, one in the fairgrounds every saturday. There's a great art center at the Emerson, a world class and always fun Museum of the rockies...the food is great, and we won't even get started on the amazing fishing and play areas that surround us. Maybe you are trying to keep the secret of living in a such a great place with a high quality of life. with the real estate drop, you can find affordable housing too. Bozeman rocks!!

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If you love winter, you can't help but love living - 11/27/2009

This is the most friendly and civil place I have had the chance to live in. Warm seasons here are great. Winter seems long, cold and confining for a retired single person, but life is what you make it and there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the community even in winter and even if you don't participate in winter activities.

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About Living in Bozeman - 11/23/2009

Bozeman is an odd mix. Original residents who are pretty narrow minded and not very excepting, newer residents who tend to be in technical fields or very environmental, and the student population. I have lived in the county area around Bozeman for about 15 years. One thing I can say is folks in most the neighborhoods do not like change. Be aware if you do something your neighbors do not like you will hear about it. Just about everyone in Bozeman has a strong opinion and voices it. It tends to be on the conservative side of politics. Some folks can be snooty - there is "money" in Bozeman. The Bridger Canyon area boosts mostly multi million dollar homes and then there is Big Sky to the south. There are postings here that students do not feel accepted. Some of that has been caused by a few bad seeds that have not been the best behaved around town. Many of my neighbors are professors at MSU and have students over to their homes. Many are great responsible young people, others speed in residential streets were children play, are loud and party at all hours. It all depends on the experience that residents have had with some students and it has caused friction. Housing is high compared to other places. There are tract homes on the west side, older historic homes downtown, large lots with homes on the south side, and then very large luxury homes in surrounding areas. In the 2009 economy prices have dropped, but not by large percentages. It is still a pricey area and it costs to live here. There are major retailers. Home Depot, Lowes, Costco, Target, Petco, CostPlus, Walmart Supercenter, about 6 large grocery stores and many local stores. Downtown is galleries, boutiques and upscale dining - nicely restored and a bit touristy. Being the largest town with a regional airport to Yellowstone there is regular tourist visitation. It can be busy in town on weekends. I am not certain about lack of culture mentioned. There are movies, plays, concerts, fairs, farmers markets, and special events. Hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and hunting. To me it's lots to do if you want too. If you are from NY, Chicago or such then you'll probably find it lacking in performance arts. The biggest thing people moving here should consider is the weather. Spring and fall are stunning. Summers are usually mild, but can be in the 100's late Jul and early August. At 4800' the west sun hangs in the sky for hours and bakes you in the summer. Winter is TOUGH. It can be in the single digits temperature and humidity for weeks. Mid week you can expect -10 to -20 for at least a few weeks. It is a dry semi arid climate. Not as green and foresty as many expect. Bozeman lays in a valley with two mountain ranges to the northeast and south. The views are great and can draw you in. It is not the perfect place to live, but it is pretty darn nice. I'd suggest to anyone to visit in all seasons over a year to get a real feel of the town.

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You better have a great job - 9/26/2009

Bozeman is a beautiful town. There is quite a bit of culture here. There are lots of outdoor activities. I went to college at Montana State and got a good education. However, this town is not a good place to live. For starters, the cost of living is high. Rental in most apartments is what most people pay for house payments in most towns. There is lots of job competition here as college students tend to hang out years after they graduate looking for a job. The traffic here is horrible because there was no planning and the infrastructure was not built for the size population the town has. People here usually drive well under the speed limit. I also might add that people here are some the rudest I have encountered ANYWHERE in the US. Bozeman has a good university. However, if you come here to college be warned the town is very anti-student. You will need to stay on campus to work and live. Businesses will often not hire students and landlords will either not rent to them or treat them like second-class citizens.

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Scenery isn't everything - 8/23/2009

I went to Montana State University. It is a good college, and I would recommend it to anyone. However,that is the only reason to live in Bozeman. If you come to college, you would be wise to live and work on campus the entire time. Here is why: Bozeman has an insanely high cost of living. Keep in mind that most people are working very low-paying jobs and working 2 or 3 of them. If you are a college student, you will have a hard time finding a job off campus, most people will not hire students. Job competition is fierce because many students hang around town years after they graduate. Unless you are making a minimum of $100,000 a year, you will probably never afford a home in Bozeman, maybe in Belgrade, probably in Manhattan or Three Forks. Renting is also very expensive. Most rentals cost as much as a house payment in most cities. Many of the landlords in town are horrible slumlords. Most will not rent to college students and many of those that do are some of the worst slumlords. I knew people who had property that ended up being condemned. In general, the people in Bozeman are very unfriendly. Many of them have a better-than-thou attitude about themselves and have no basic manners. As mentioned above, the town has a very anti-student attitude. Traffic is also obscene for a town this size. There was absolutely no planning and the growth is concentrated on one street that in a matter of 10 years has had almost every big box store imaginable built on it. People usually drive well under the speed limit and there is traffic every hour of the day as many people living here are trust fund babies who don't work. Bozeman is a beautiful town, it is nice to visit, but I would recommend only doing that. As a single person it was bad enough, I cannot imagine what it would be like to raise a family there.

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Southerner.... - 6/14/2009

How are Southerners treated in Bozeman? I am in Alabama, lived in most of the Southern states, and am thinking of moving to Bozeman. I lived in Michigan once and they didn't take too well to Southerners, Those folks were WEIRD! Hated it there. Thanks! TS

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Southerners.... - 6/13/2009

So how would Southerners be accepted into Bozeman? I am considering a move there from Alabama, have also lived in Texas, LA, and Arklansas, so am a true Southerner here. LOL! Lived in Michigan once and those people were WEIRD! They didn't take to Southerners at all. I am a single mom of two little ones, so looking at this to better our lives and move closer to the kid's family. I am college educated and a professional, but not a snob by any means....southern hospitality you know. Just curious. Thanks!

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Bozeman is one of the best places to live in - 4/30/2009

I have lived in Bozeman for two years. I came from Illinois and have lived in Texas. I find that Bozeman has everything that I want and need. There is an endless supply of recreational activities that range from skiing, hiking, rafting,biking,fishing,ect. The scenery is breathtaking. The air is clean and clear. The crime rate is extremely low. There are jobs to be had if you are determined enough to seek them out.The are has an abundance of artists and artisans. It is only an hour and a half away from Yellowstone National Park. If it's the cowboy/ranching scene tht you desire, then it is only minutes away. It is an intelligent and creative community that sets Bozeman's environmental well being as a priority. Bozeman is large enough to not feel imposed upon but small enough that you can get to any in town destination in ten or fifteen minutes. There is also free public bus servicce. I have found the town to be exceptionally accomadating and friendly.

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Adventure to Art - 4/8/2009

Bozeman is definitely unique in the fact that you can ski or climb or hike all day and be back to town in time for great cuisine and then a play, film festival or interesting civic event. Very high quality options on the culture and recreation front.

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it almost has it all - 11/3/2008

If you don't mind the winters, Bozeman's a great place to be. The people are very polite and there are different things to do depending on your interests. Great place to be to get closer to nature and the outdoors.

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Will Bozeman Work for Us? - 8/25/2008

We are thinking about moving to Bozeman in search of a more simple life for our two young children and to flee Los Angeles. We are both professionals who have lived in big cities and have enough money to be more than comfortable. What is the deal with the racism in Bozeman? Does it really exist? Is it really race-based or is it more socioeconomic? Are there any hate crimes? We are of mixed race (as most people from metropolitans places are becoming) and while our school age children for sure pass as white, I would not want them to be subjected to racist nonsense or backward thinking. What's the truth? I have seen some pretty negative postings, but want to keep an open mind. Thanks!

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A sad story of a nice town ruined - 8/14/2008

Bozeman has some very nice people living there, although the locals are very few and far between as hardly any Montanan can afford to live there anymore. There are too many people who are trust fund babies (all the Audis and Cadillac Escalades on the streets) who don't work and just drive around all day and clog up the streets in the most poorly planned city I have ever lived in. They call it Bozangeles because it is overrun by rich people (mostly from California but not all) who have turned it into a little LA. Just about every chain store and restaraunt is in town and it has little unique character now. It has overrun most of the once beautiful Gallatin Valley to where all vestiges of middle class people are moving further and further away. While Montana State University is a wonderful university(one of the nation's best in engineering and architecture), my experiences there after leaving the dorms were not so pleasant. The businesses are in denial of students being there and will barely wait on them and most will not hire them. Landlords are the worst I have ever seen, they will not do anything to improve or maintain their properties but will expect the already poor students to pay for everything. By the way, these same landlords will buy or manage properties in the "middle class" cookie cutter neighborhoods with no yards and will let them go to pot. I saw a neighborhood do this in a three year period. This web site says Bozeman has a population of about 35,000 but I think it is easily 50,000+ now. To get an idea of how much this area has grown, it was probably only about 20,000 (if that) in the 1990 census, when it was a nice little town. If you plan on coming here to MSU, plan on staying on campus (there are alternatives to the dorms that are nice), otherwise give this town a pass. Unless you have access to a small fortune or are a brilliant entrepaneur, you will almost certainly not make it.

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Love it here! - 3/21/2008

For those who come from crazy, busy, fast-paced environments, with tons of traffic and crime - Bozeman is a dream. Yes, housing is expensive, but less so than many other places across the nation. Yes, wages are lower than expected, but from my experience, people don't move here for the income potential. People move here for a better quality of life, a better environment to raise children, to be able to leave your car unlocked for 5 minutes without fear everything in it being stolen, to enjoy all the benefits of nature, Yellowstone Park, and the outdoor activities too numerous to name herein. It may indeed be tough for degreed college students to find a job here worth a decent salary, but in my humble opinion the pros surely outweigh the cons. If you want a big, fat salary - move to a big, fat city. I could literally kiss the ground here after any trip to SF, Denver or Seattle.

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Bozeman, Montana Climate - 3/8/2008

Planning for the Bozeman/Belgrade/Gallatin Valley bus system began in 2003. The idea and initial analysis for a regional bus system began with a 1986 study done by the Montana State Unviversity College of Engineering. By 2001, the Greater Bozeman Area Transit Development Plan was instituted, which was the foundational groundwork for planning the system; the Plan also supplied the pertinent data necessary to request funding for a transit system from the U.S. Federal Government. Next came a Transit Task Force, started by the City of Bozeman. The Task Force studied existing Montana and northern Rocky Mountain transit systems. From this was derived a Feasibility Report: Bozeman Area Transit. After other studies both the City of Bozeman and City of Belgrade and Gallatin County cretated the Public Transportation Stakeholders Advisory Board, investing $50,000 in an LSC Transportation Consultants study. From this study the board had the nascent information necessary to initiate a Bozeman transit system with the resources at hand, which included using existing busses until the new busses arrived. The busses are here; the Streamline Bus System is very successful andis expanding into the outlying region as funds and the need arises.

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