Ben

I'm moving to Montana for a job soon, and was wondering if anyone could give me ideas of what to expect? I've never been there before and would love to hear about your experiences visiting there. Billings Montana to be exact. Thanks.

John

Billings is very much in the dry, relatively flat east of the state, not the more mountainous western part. It's a great plains setting rather than the rockies. If you're a fan of wide open spaces, go for it. Unfortunately (IMO - you may disagree) it's not the most attractive town in Montana, although it's one of the larger places. It's a day's drive from plenty of outdoors attractions - Yellowstone, Glacier NP, etc., and a half day's from Missoula or Helena. Bring your mittens.

B

I agree Billings is in the dry relatively boring side of the state. However it is quite scenic with cliffs known as the rim rock surround on side of the city. I understand there is adequate fly fishing in the area and a nice ski resort (Red Lodge) a hour or so away. Now Billings is however in a nice location it is only 4-5 hours from Bozeman Montana, where there is some of the best skiing in the rockies with Big Sky and Bridger Bowl resorts. South of Billings is also highway 101, this is known as the beartooth highway and is rated one of the countrys most scenic drives (it is incerdible). Follow this road and you will end up in Yellowstone national park in about 4-5 hours depending on how many scenic stops you take. Unfortunetly Billings doesn't offer much for the arts or nightlife. But from my limited experience with the town- if you like skiing and fishing you should be alright.

frank

Going to be a dental floss tycoon?

e

My friend just recently moved from LA to Hamilton. His view is that it is a beautiful country with great people BUT the people were generally poor. HIs son's little league team has players who can't afford gloves to play. Coming from LA, he was surprised by that more than anything. Maybe it's from lack of industry, I don't know. FWIW

Jill Z.

Dont know where you are moving from, but Montana is a beautiful place to land. True that Billings is what we here in Montana call "West Dakota", but it does have it's own beauty. Get use to driving 200 or more miles to recreate. The economy is not the best here either, but depending on where you are moving from, you might be in for a delightful surprise at the cost of living. I had a friend just move here from LA, is paying $275 a month for rent here, was paying $1800 down there, just remember that everything is a trade-off, and SLOW DOWN......lol Welcome to Montana Pilgrim

MarthaFrom

I grew up in Montana and actually lived in Billings at the base of the red Rim Rocks. Billings is one of the bigger Montana towns and is located in an area of the state that is more akin to the Badlands (boulders, buttes and scrub brush). If you travel northeast the area becomes flatter and is a mix of farms, ranches and scrubby areas. (I remember seeing HUGE tumbleweeds racing alongside our car around Wolf Point.) The skyline and sunsets were often pretty and you can find plenty of outdoor activities -- camping, etc. It took us about three hours to drive to Bozeman, which is located in the mountainous region of Montana. We might have been driving 100 mph, though! Speeding tickets back then cost $5 and didn't affect your record unless you were in an accident. I don't know how it is today. I also lived in the Bozeman area and loved it. Bozeman has a much more resorty feel to it today (great shops with unique merchandise), although I would say it is still small. Many of the people in Montana are poor, but I see many poor people in Chicago where I now live. Winters tend to be long and cold -- the coldest day I remember was 95 below with the wind chill. That's cold! If you're outdoorsy, it's a great place to live, though, and it still seems to be a relatively decent place to bring up children. Good luck with your new job!

cd

We lived in Glasgow for three years and I remember the flat terrain with winds and tumbeweeds, no trees or buildings, but beautiful sunsets. I also remember the harsh, bitter winters.