I have spent the past two days driving around Bozeman and talking to as many people as I can. It’s a beautiful area and the people are super friendly. Many are transplants from elsewhere and will never leave. Bozeman is a fairly sized town with a population of 27k according to the 2000 census. It’s huge compared to Victor and Driggs in Idaho, both having populations around 1,000, but small compared to places like Denver and Salt Lake City. It does have the feeling of a growing community as it seems developers are still building wherever they can.
The town of Bozeman is a flat valley (elevation 4,820’) but is surrounded by six magnificent mountain ranges. It’s almost the perfect combination of city and convenience, farmland and outdoor life. Surprisingly, the daytime temperatures have been in the mid 60s but nights are chilly and in the 20s. Lots of people are outside walking and riding bikes. It’s also a pretty dog friendly place; there is a German Sheppard here inside of the Borders bookstore and no, it’s not a service dog.
So I think it’s pretty obvious that I am looking to settle in a place that offers an abundance of outdoor activity. Bozeman has three ski resorts within an hour’s drive, Bridger Bowl being just 16 miles away. The nearby mountain ranges offer plenty of hiking, biking, camping, climbing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and backcountry skiing. Deer, elk and antelope are popular game animals although the elk populations are decreasing fast with the reintroduction of wolves to the area, a touchy subject with some of the hunters I've spoken to. There is also an abundance of Blue Ribbon Rivers and streams that make this a fishing destination. Montana is also one of the few sales tax free states. I was told they close off a couple of street blocks one night a week in the summer for live music and beer. There is definitely a lot to do here. Bozeman is absolutely a place I can see myself coming back to. The job market that is the key to supporting this kind of lifestyle is another question though.
No comments:
Post a Comment