By Alison Go
Posted 9/20/07
The people of Bozeman, Mont., don't want this
story to be published. They want the writers and photographers out, and they
want the media to forget that their beautiful, once little town exists.
"There's the idea that 'foreigners,' as we call them, are going to destroy
old-time Montana," says Connie Lord, a longtime Bozeman resident and native
of the state. When Lord returned to Big Sky Country after moving away for work,
she discovered a transformed city. "What happened to my sleepy little
town?" she wondered.
Bozeman—an outdoorsy sanctuary tucked within
the Rocky Mountains, just 93 miles north of Yellowstone
National Park—anchors Montana's fastest-growing county. Bozeman is home to
Montana State University, but it has also
become a mecca to vacationers and tech-industry workers, along with retirees
looking for peace, quiet, culture, community, and the great outdoors.
Winters in Bozeman offer excellent skiing at the
nearby glitzy Big Sky Ski Resort and
local favorite Bridger Bowl Ski Area.
For the warmer months, hiking trails snake through the foothills and canyons in
every direction, while the Gallatin, Yellowstone, and Madison rivers, less than
an hour's drive away, are teeming with avid fly fishers (fish, too).
A historic downtown boasts cafes and boutiques
and serves as the venue for a seemingly endless number of art fairs and music
festivals. Opportunities abound for horseback riding, and dude ranches outside
town attract tourists and sometimes even locals. The university, the Emerson
Center for the Arts and Culture, and the Museum
of the Rockies add their own energy, culture, and academic pedigree to the
scene.
For Lord, who works at the university as a
research technician, life revolves around ballroom dancing and the active
two-step scene in Bozeman. She meets with her partner and other dancers from all
over the county several times a week to practice, a time when sprightly senior
citizens can mambo with 14-year-olds.
Outsiders have found the area hard to resist,
and fewer and fewer do. Bozeman has attracted plenty of wealthy retirees who
gravitate toward pricey real estate on the outskirts of the city. And the influx
of all those well-heeled seniors has made living in what some have jokingly
renamed "Boz Angeles" nearly unaffordable. New, reasonably priced
housing does exist—a three-bedroom house could go for $275,000—but for
natives whose wages have not increased to match, the transformation is often
startling.
Change at the Bozeman
Hot Springs mirrors the town's metamorphosis. The once dingy gathering spot
has recently been transformed into a ritzy spa featuring nine pools filled with
hot springs water, a fitness center, and a sauna.
Yet as corners of the town are upgraded and re-imagined
to the chagrin of some locals, Bozeman's core appeal remains the same: a sense
of community that's obvious in the city's many groups and meet ups dedicated to
skiing, hiking, painting, and knitting, to name a few. And as long as newcomers
respect Bozeman's natural beauty and small-town feel, they're sure to feel
welcome. The locals are a very nice bunch, really. Just don't tell them you're a
reporter.
ABOUT BOZEMAN, MONTANA
Population: 33,535
Median home price: $279,300
January average temperatures (high/low): 33/14
July temperatures: 82/52
Read More Stats on Bozeman - Go to: City-Data.com
Also on the list:
Source: OnBoard LLC
Thanks to www.USNews.com for the
information above.
Stuart and Sally Platinum Properties
;)
;)
Bozeman is very nice. I know a few people that live there. It is nice to meet you and look forward to networking with you in the future.