Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Bozeman named "Best place to retire" by USNews
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/070920/20retire.bozeman.htm
Best Places to Retire: Bozeman, Montana
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 reimagined 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 meetups 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.
Best Places to Retire: Bozeman, Montana
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 reimagined 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 meetups 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.
Bozeman named best small town in the country
http://www.bizjournals.com/edit_special/41.html
If small-town life holds special appeal for you, look out West.
Seven of the 10 highest-ranked cities that offer the best quality of life are in Western states, according to a new study by Bizjournals.
Topping the list is Bozeman, Mont., where it can get awfully cold –- even dropping below freezing on the occasional summer night -- but there are plenty of compensations.
Like the stunning view of the Rocky Mountains. And the strong local economy. And the intellectual and cultural activity at Montana State University.
The Bizjournals study compares the performances of America's 577 micropolitan areas in 12 statistical categories. The 10 communities with the highest scores have been designated as "dreamtowns," indicating that they offer an outstanding quality of life.
Bozeman tops the list because of its strong showings in several categories:
* Its number of small businesses grew by almost 28 percent during the past five years, topping all but two of the 577 communities in the study group.
* Bozeman's population increased by 15.3 percent in half a decade, ranking 11th in micropolitan America.
* The local share of adults with bachelor's degrees, 41 percent, is sixth among all of the nation's small communities.
Yay us!!! Greatest place in America to live!!! I have good taste.
If small-town life holds special appeal for you, look out West.
Seven of the 10 highest-ranked cities that offer the best quality of life are in Western states, according to a new study by Bizjournals.
Topping the list is Bozeman, Mont., where it can get awfully cold –- even dropping below freezing on the occasional summer night -- but there are plenty of compensations.
Like the stunning view of the Rocky Mountains. And the strong local economy. And the intellectual and cultural activity at Montana State University.
The Bizjournals study compares the performances of America's 577 micropolitan areas in 12 statistical categories. The 10 communities with the highest scores have been designated as "dreamtowns," indicating that they offer an outstanding quality of life.
Bozeman tops the list because of its strong showings in several categories:
* Its number of small businesses grew by almost 28 percent during the past five years, topping all but two of the 577 communities in the study group.
* Bozeman's population increased by 15.3 percent in half a decade, ranking 11th in micropolitan America.
* The local share of adults with bachelor's degrees, 41 percent, is sixth among all of the nation's small communities.
Yay us!!! Greatest place in America to live!!! I have good taste.
Friday, September 28, 2007
HEAVY SNOW WARNING ISSUED FOR BOZEMAN
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
248 PM MDT FRI SEP 28 2007
MTZ008-015-055-290500-
/O.UPG.KTFX.WS.A.0010.070929T0600Z-070929T1800Z/
/O.NEW.KTFX.SN.Y.0018.070929T0600Z-070930T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KTFX.HS.W.0008.070929T0600Z-070930T0000Z/
BEAVERHEAD-MADISON-GALLATIN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DILLON...ENNIS...BOZEMAN..
WEST YELLOWSTONE
248 PM MDT FRI SEP 28 2007
...HEAVY SNOW WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM MDT
SATURDAY ABOVE 6000 FEET..
...SNOW ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM MDT
SATURDAY BELOW 6000 FEET..
...WINTER STORM WATCH NO LONGER IN EFFECT..
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREAT FALLS HAS ISSUED A HEAVY
SNOW WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM
MDT SATURDAY ABOVE 6000 FEET. A SNOW ADVISORY HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED.
THIS SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM MDT
SATURDAY BELOW 6000 FEET. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN
EFFECT.
EXPECT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 2 INCHES BELOW 5000 FEET...2 TO 6
INCHES BETWEEN 5000 FEET AND 7000 FEET...AND 6 TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 7000 FEET.
A COLD AND MOIST PACIFIC WEATHER SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH WESTERN
MONTANA SATURDAY MORNING. AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM PRECIPITATION WILL
BEGIN AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH SNOW LEVELS BETWEEN 8000 FEET AND 9000
FEET. SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP TO THE VALLEY FLOORS BY MORNING. SNOW
WILL END SATURDAY EVENING.
A HEAVY SNOW WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST
THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF
YOU MUST...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR
VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
A SNOW ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY
TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND
LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
$$
Wooooooooohooooooooooooo! OK, back to work >_>
248 PM MDT FRI SEP 28 2007
MTZ008-015-055-290500-
/O.UPG.KTFX.WS.A.0010.070929T0600Z-070929T1800Z/
/O.NEW.KTFX.SN.Y.0018.070929T0600Z-070930T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KTFX.HS.W.0008.070929T0600Z-070930T0000Z/
BEAVERHEAD-MADISON-GALLATIN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DILLON...ENNIS...BOZEMAN..
WEST YELLOWSTONE
248 PM MDT FRI SEP 28 2007
...HEAVY SNOW WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM MDT
SATURDAY ABOVE 6000 FEET..
...SNOW ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM MDT
SATURDAY BELOW 6000 FEET..
...WINTER STORM WATCH NO LONGER IN EFFECT..
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREAT FALLS HAS ISSUED A HEAVY
SNOW WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM
MDT SATURDAY ABOVE 6000 FEET. A SNOW ADVISORY HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED.
THIS SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM MDT
SATURDAY BELOW 6000 FEET. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN
EFFECT.
EXPECT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 2 INCHES BELOW 5000 FEET...2 TO 6
INCHES BETWEEN 5000 FEET AND 7000 FEET...AND 6 TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 7000 FEET.
A COLD AND MOIST PACIFIC WEATHER SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH WESTERN
MONTANA SATURDAY MORNING. AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM PRECIPITATION WILL
BEGIN AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH SNOW LEVELS BETWEEN 8000 FEET AND 9000
FEET. SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP TO THE VALLEY FLOORS BY MORNING. SNOW
WILL END SATURDAY EVENING.
A HEAVY SNOW WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST
THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF
YOU MUST...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR
VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
A SNOW ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY
TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND
LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
$$
Wooooooooohooooooooooooo! OK, back to work >_>
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Why it is worth it to fork out $700 to fly to Montana:
Driving into Bozeman from the airport during a Friday Rush hour:
View from my front yard and the Spanish Peaks:
Intersection of Main and 19th with Bridger Mountains in the background:
Main Street Bozeman:
Banff, Alberta:
Lake Louise, said to be the most beautiful spot on earth:
Glacier National Park along the Going-to-the-Sun Highway, 10,000 feet, Northwestern Montana:
Mission Valley and Flathead Lake, where I lived for two years, Montana:
The pressure is on :P
View from my front yard and the Spanish Peaks:
Intersection of Main and 19th with Bridger Mountains in the background:
Main Street Bozeman:
Banff, Alberta:
Lake Louise, said to be the most beautiful spot on earth:
Glacier National Park along the Going-to-the-Sun Highway, 10,000 feet, Northwestern Montana:
Mission Valley and Flathead Lake, where I lived for two years, Montana:
The pressure is on :P
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Meerkat Manor
...is the greatest television show ever. My aunt got me hooked on this program last weekend and now I can't wait for the next episode.
<3 meerkats
<3 meerkats
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
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