Possible relocation / MT

[Outofstate-r]

So I might have a job oppourtunity in Helena , Mt. I have traveled all over the west, but have yet to make it to Montana. Can some of y'all tell me the pros and cons of Western Mt. I know I sound different and the weather is different (considering it feels like I could go outside right now and drink the air , because of the humidity and the heat index ia over a 100).
I would like to move, but I also would have to talk a wife that loves the beach into moving as well.
Thanks

 

[genesis273]

Can some of y'all tell me the pros and cons of Western Mt.

Pros: Elk!
Cons: Cold falls/winters! Well, for us easterners anyway!

 

[Bambistew]

Pros - its Montana and endless outdoor opportunities. Helena has some oustanding fishing in its back yard.

Cons - its not Alaska.

 

[idahofishnhunt]

Pros...lots of outdoor stuff.

Cons...people will definitely know you're not a local.

 

[JBS]

I have lived in Helena for the last 9 years.
Your wife can go to the lake in the summer to get her beach fix.
Helena is typically not as harsh weather wise as other areas of the state. It is difficult to find a better place for all around hunting, fishing and water sports. let me know if you need any local knowledge or help with anything.

 

[Outofstate-r]

Thanks guys.
JBS, I might hit you up too if the offer becomes a little more serious. My wife and I don't have any kids so that helps make the move easier if it were to happen. She also hunts and we stay outdoors most of the time so that's a plus.
I guess I would have to order water at resturants instead of sweet tea too.

 

[Rancho Loco]

You should do a little recon trip.. August is nice.

Pros - It's Montana

Cons - Winter can be a bit harsh, but I think spring is worse, it's just more of winter. Pay is lower across the board, but COL can be lower, too.

I moved the family out here in 2008 when the economy tanked, I really can't think of a better place to start and raise a family. Schools are surprisingly good. I miss the ocean, too, but that's why they make plane tickets. March is usually a good time to go stare at the ocean..

Good luck.

 

[tarheel]

PCB is a long way off. No redfish or cobia. Shrimp is found in the freezer section.

 

[Bulldog0156]

Helena is awesome. Winter there is pretty mild; nothing like fishing the Mo in February!

 

[brownbear932008]

Okay if you really wanna move to MT. here is what you do. You will no longer need to have your western hunt trip fix so you say "Listen babe I will make a promise if your are so kind as to move to MT. with me I promise you a beach vaca or two each year on me to get your sand fix". Hasn't worked for me yet but hey you never know! LOL

 

[----]

Of the cities with ~20k+ people in MT, Helena takes the cake in my opinion. Great town, nice people, and more outdoor opportunities than one person will ever be able to take advantage of.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I have lived in Helena for the last 9 years.
Your wife can go to the lake in the summer to get her beach fix.
Helena is typically not as harsh weather wise as other areas of the state. It is difficult to find a better place for all around hunting, fishing and water sports. let me know if you need any local knowledge or help with anything.

Yep. Helena resident for the last 8 years.

You've got world class fly-fishing, hiking and hunting for elk, deer, bear, lions & wolves almost out your backdoor. Public land surrounds the valley and there are three reservoirs for those inclined to spend their time at the lake (with a lot of state parks, BLM sites, BuRec sites, etc). it has a pretty good arts community, lots of community activities and the people are generally friendly, even if it can be tough to establish a core group of friends sometimes. real Estate isn't terrible, but it's a sellers market right now.

Happy to talk offline as well if you do decide to move.

 

[Beartooth83]

When people consider moving to Montana, I think Helena often gets overlooked. Most people want to move to the cities you hear about most (Bozeman & Missoula). Helena would be at the top of my list if I could ever get my wife to move back. My only con is that it's a little too far from the Beartooths.

 

[NKQualtieri]

I live in Bozeman after living in many other places within Ohio, Massachusetts, Colorado, & Pennsylvania.

The winters here are 100x better than a winter in Boston or Ohio. No humidity. Occasional bitter cold. Powder for days.

Helena is actually a great place for a family. It's central but you're close (within a few hours) to Bozeman, Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Flathead Valley, some of the best elk units/trout fishing in the state are right there.

The summers here are actually perfect, albeit a bit shorter than I would like.

The people are kind and wonderful on a general basis. It's the kind of place where we all say hi to eachother on the streets and on the trails. Montana truly is the #lastbestplace. My only issue is that all cities are so far away, and I miss going to baseball games. But I'll take that trade any day.

 

[bigskyblueman]

Helena is a great town. Very comparable to Bozeman , as the two best cities in Montana.

 

[Baerman]

Helena is an awesome town! My only complaint is that there are too many politics/politicians there.

 

[RobG]

Depending on your field, job options can be limited for your spouse or you if you lose your job.

 

[charliebravo77]

Any advice on actually finding a job in MT? I'm searching for a new job, and possibly even switching careers and MT is at the top of my list of places I'm looking. Problem is, I feel like a lot of prospective employers see that I currently live in IL and assume I won't travel for interviews or relocate. Right now I work in insurance investigations, but I'm also open to switching over to IT support as a career as that's my other area of expertise.

 

[Ben Long]

Helena is pit of vipers. Montana is unfit for human habitation. Run! Run! Stay away. Ben Lamb doesn't know what he's talking about! He's from Wyoming, so anything looks like an improvement to him.

 

[Blueniner9]

Best decision we made was moving to MT 3 years ago. Pros: people are genuine, public land, block management, and I prefer the winter to back in PA. Humidity back east sucks! Cons: the leaf change in the fall isn't as good as back east, but it's a small price to pay for crisp September mornings of bugling Bulls!