Bozeman: is it really that bad anymore?

I grew up in Northern Colorado and spent most of my 51 years in Fort Collins. That place was a fantastic place to grow up. Farms and open land everywhere and a real farm/ranch vibe with Ag college in town. Kids out fishing and hunting after school.

I bought a 3 bedroom 2 bath house for under 100k when I got married in late 90's. About 2010 same thing happened as in Bozeman. Place got popular with magazines and internet and next thing you know 70k population went to 170K. My last house values up over 600k. I don't even recognize the place. It is pretentious and affluent. Everyone want to look like they do stuff outdoors (ie. rod racks on roofs, ski, rocket boxes, mountain bikes) accessorizing your vehicle with anything outdoors is the thing to do. Roads are so congested, trails full of people, and they are rude.

Case in point: I made a very special relationship with a farmer about 4 miles from my house when I was 14. He had 400 acres and two ponds. Pheasants, ducks, and geese everywhere. My parents drove me over to his house to hunt till I could drive. I hunted it for 35 years. Started my son hunting there. I watched as the land all around got sold and houses went up everywhere. He held out, even when getting insane amount of money offers for his house, till he finally had to sell because of taxes. (There is a PGA high dollar golf course right across street now with multi million dollar homes) He lost, I lost, we sportsman and outdoor enthusiast all lost. He moved to another state.
 
Greenhorn said:
There is a decent Mexican dive in dillon.
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In the late 90s I went antelope hunting with my dad, brother, and grandpa in Dillon. One night during a snow storm we went to a Mexican restaurant. My grandpa cut a deal with the owner than he would shovel their patio and sidewalk in exchange for one of their potted cactus on display.

I doubt it's the same restaurant, but I will never in my life be able to think about Mexican food in Dillon without thinking about riding around in the backseat of my dad's truck, freezing my ass off and looking for antelope while holding an effing potted cactus in my lap.
 
Randy11 said:
In the late 90s I went antelope hunting with my dad, brother, and grandpa in Dillon. One night during a snow storm we went to a Mexican restaurant. My grandpa cut a deal with the owner than he would shovel their patio and sidewalk in exchange for one of their potted cactus on display.

I doubt it's the same restaurant, but I will never in my life be able to think about Mexican food in Dillon without thinking about riding around in the backseat of my dad's truck, freezing my ass off and looking for antelope while holding an effing potted cactus in my lap.
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Your Grandpa sounds like a great guy. mtmuley
 
Straight Arrow said:
Came to Bozeman from GF in 1963 to attend "Cowtown" college. Other than 4 yrs military, have lived in Gallatin Valley since, with 47 years now just outside of Gallatin Gateway.
Hate to have to go to Bozeman now, but not much retail at Gateway, so we wait our turn to get out on Die-Way 191 and head to the city, where I swear around every corner there is a new building and a new subdivision that wasn't there last week!
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“Die Way 191” is a good and appropriate name for Hwy 191 south of Bozeman into the Gallatin Canyon to Big Sky. It has to be among if not the most dangerous road in the country. I think, as previously stated, as out of control as the development is in Bozeman, it’s worse in Big Sky.
 
MLC said:
“Die Way 191” is a good and appropriate name for Hwy 191 south of Bozeman into the Gallatin Canyon to Big Sky. It has to be among if not the most dangerous road in the country. I think, as previously stated, as out of control as the development is in Bozeman, it’s worse in Big Sky.
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I stayed in a hotel once in Big Sky on my way out of Yellowstone in 2007. I think it was a Microtel or a Quality Inn or something. Cost like $75. It was so nice and peaceful, seemed like a tiny little quiet mountain town, a ski town but it was summer so it was dead. No traffic. Hard to believe it's only been 15 years.
 
MLC said:
“Die Way 191” is a good and appropriate name for Hwy 191 south of Bozeman into the Gallatin Canyon to Big Sky. It has to be among if not the most dangerous road in the country. I think, as previously stated, as out of control as the development is in Bozeman, it’s worse in Big Sky.
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Just south of Gateway there are deer and elk killed on 191 regularly. Recently a collision was reported where three elk were killed by a rental car. Likely someone "flying" past Gateway on their way to the airport from Pig Sty. I don't think they made their flight! :(
 
What would you say is the cutoff date for moving to Bozeman/Missoula/Kalispell etc "before it was cool"? When the median home price was <$200K?
 
Mthuntr said:
I think Spectators had a cheap steak night that I want to say was like $8.
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Wednesday nights, steak and a twice baked potato. Last time I went was 2005 or so - I have no idea if it's still a thing. I would go there after work most Wednesday's when I was there.
 
YukonGold said:
What would you say is the cutoff date for moving to Bozeman/Missoula/Kalispell etc "before it was cool"? When the median home price was <$200K?
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Probably 2004 or 2005 but it was "cool" around 1990. 1992 was when A River Runs Through It was released.

I should admit I moved to MT in 2003 so I get preachy about a place I'm not actually "from" but since I lived in Ekalaka I feel adopted by the state. lol
 
There was a dive restaurant back in 1998 east of downtown nearer to the east exit. It had a unusual menu of big portion, cheap, and surprisingly decent food. Kind of a ski bum hang out that played a lot of Greatful Dead on the speaker. For the life of me can't remember the name of the place.
 
BigHornRam said:
There was a dive restaurant back in 1998 east of downtown nearer to the east exit. It had a unusual menu of big portion, cheap, and surprisingly decent food. Kind of a ski bum hang out that played a lot of Greatful Dead on the speaker. For the life of me can't remember the name of the place.
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There was the popular Colonels Restaurant on East Main that played classic rock n roll. NE Bozeman's North Rouse Filling Station Restaurant is an eclectic very interesting bar and eatery owned by the same family that owns the Haufbrau in the notorious "barmuda triangle" of back in the day. The "Filler" also often hosts funky live music and entertains a host of colorful real Bozemanite characters.
 
Straight Arrow said:
There was the popular Colonels Restaurant on East Main that played classic rock n roll. NE Bozeman's North Rouse Filling Station Restaurant is an eclectic very interesting bar and eatery owned by the same family that owns the Haufbrau in the notorious "barmuda triangle" of back in the day. The "Filler" also often hosts funky live music and entertains a host of colorful real Bozemanite characters.
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Dont think it was one of those. I was building my house up by the hospital, and staying at the Ranch House (roach house) motel. It wasn't far from there. All the old buildings in that area were torn down and replaced years ago, likely including the restaurant's building. It was mostly outdoor dining if memory serves, and I ate there often that spring. It was close to and across the street from Heeb's grocery. Is that store still around?
MacKenzie River Pizza downtown was new and good back then, and ate there too. Went downhill fast for some reason, probably after they started franchising it.
 
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man, Everyone here needs better neighbors. Its not that bad here.

Different perspective I guess. But when we moved to Belgrade 5 years ago from Michigan we were still new parents to a 6 year old autistic boy and learning rapidly. In Grand Rapids Michigan we could not get into a clinic for autism therapy and we were stuck on a waiting list projected at 4 years of waiting. Frankly the autism therapy in Grand Rapids was worthless and extremely over priced. We moved to Bozeman for work, fully expecting little to no services. Within 1 month we got him into a brand new clinic after a evaluation at the main clinic in freakin Anaconda. He has been at that clinic since we moved here ever since and has been thriving. He is even being used as a study because he is the oldest kid there.

It is truly incredible that the service he receives here is far and above better then the service he would of got in a big city with multi-billion dollar medical clinics. It has been a big blessing.

With that said it has grown a ton here. Bought a house at the right time, so we are doing well. The ski hill is just down the road and my kids love skiing. I enjoy hunting/fishing/ outdoor things so I'm all set there. Its a cool place to live.
 
mtmuley said:
Boy, that's no kidding. mtmuley
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I think many of us have/will witness the same thing, even if we weren't born in Montana. I was born in western Colorado and it's changed hugely too. Junior high in another western state that has exploded since we left; we used to live on the "edge" of town, an address that 30 years later is now basically central. Graduated high school in a different state (midwest) and the green spaces I used to explore with my dog are now just more suburban developments. It ain't just happening here.
 
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