Looking for info on Kalispell, Montana

“I just received word of a job opening in my field in Kalispell, Montana. When I looked on the map, it looks like an awesome place to live as it's right in the Rocky Mountains and in the midst or very near quite a few National Forests and Glacier National Park.

Anybody know anything about this place? What say you?”

“I grew up there.”

“Tell me, tell me!!!

What do you think of the town? of the area?”

“Anything?”

“Great White Sherpa doesn't post much anymore but he has family there.

My brother and a friend went there a couple of years ago to visit Glacier and they loved Kalispell. They liked the people and the location.”

“I passed through Kalispell in '01 for a weekend in Glacier NP. IIRC, its not very big, but it seemed like a good place. I'd jump at the chance to move there.

Glacier NP is like nothing else I've seen. The peaks weren't as jaw-dropping as what I see in Colorado, but it felt more primative and wild. I would go back if I had a chance.”

“love the place. after a wk in glacier stopped thru on a day they where having a festival in their park. really nice place and great people. would like to move there myself”

“Sherpa is the first one I thought of too. From what I recall him saying it's a college town. I'll email him this thread and see what he comes up with. Part of me thinks his family is in a different town though.”

“It's a nice place. It was nicer 20 years ago before it got over-developed! Urban sprawl is rampant, but it's all relative; if you're from an urban area, it's not bad. But by Montana standards it's crowded, housing is expensive and the traffic is bad.

The highlights; Big Mountain Ski resort, Glacier National Park, Flathead Lake, the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Great Bear Wilderness, Flathead and Kootenai National Forests, etc., you're smack in the middle of the Rocky Mountains.

I'm working on a project up near there at the moment, so if you want any more details, let me know.”

“Sherpa said he'd talk with his brother in law and get back with you.”

“BTW, it's not a college town...”

“I'm must be thinking of a town Sherpa was thinking of moving to in that general area. Sorry about the mis-info on the college town.”

“probably thinking of Missoula. Now that's a college town!! And a good one at that!”

“If you look around town in Missoula, you'll find lots of those historical site plaques saying things like "Aero puked after a frat party on this site in 19xx," or "Aero played a cruel, but incredibly funny, joke on some of his running buddies on this site in 19xx," or all kinds of other interesting things....”

“HeeHee, I did leave my mark there...

My best one was running naked along the trail above I-90 for about 5 miles! The tricky part was getting through those barbed wire fences!”

“I saw that plaque, but didn't believe it!! Wow!”

“Thanks all for the info thus far, especially the newspaper link. This sounds like a town I'd take to.”

“they say you need 3 jobs to make one pay check in kalispell”

“Why? Is it because the pay is crummy or the cost of living is high? Any parameters you can give me on cost of living?”

“The cost of housing is getting a little pricey (for MT). Homes are in the $225,000 to $450,000, but other costs are not bad. If you've got a decent job waiting for you there, it's pretty livable.”

“It really depends what kind of job you've got there. There are a lot of Gov't. jobs with salaries ($45,000-$80,000) that could make it semi-livable there, but you'd need 3 or 4 shifts at the Kwiki-Mart to make a go of it. The State jobs don't pay that well ($25-$35,000)- federal (mainly Forest Service) is better. There's a small community college that's probably on the $25-$35K level. Most of the natural resource extraction jobs (mining, logging, etc) have been replaced by tourism jobs. Lawyers are in the $120-$200K range.”

“I visited there in 1988. In the paper there was an island for sale at the lake with a cabin on it. Price was $86,000. I was drooling.”

“I have gathered lots of info today, and the position sounds quite promising. I'm going to take a shot at it. Sending my resume tomorrow.

Thanks to you all, especially Aero, for your help!!”

“Hope it works out for you, vicsaw, it's a great place!”

“I'd pack up and move to Kalispel in a heartbeat..Gorgeous..located on the Northen end of Flathead lake..Gods country I tell ya...The winters would suck, but I'd still do it without hesitation :)”

“The winters aren't worse than the midwest, though. It gets a little cloudy up there in Kalispell, but they get a more Pacific climate than those Alberta clippers than roar down into the midwest. Big Mountain gets awesome powder, too!”

“Coming here ruined my life. My parents should never have brought me when I was a baby. I've blown off good jobs, and disappointed people who love(d) me. The only family I have is two dogs. I compulsively recreate. Nothing else matters. Be careful. You could end up like me.”

“Visited there....sadly it is a beautiful town great area....but MY GOD the prices compared to the pay.

Paul one thing I have found is success is what you make of it. Look at the bright side...you could be training to be a museum director....”

“You compulsively recreate? What does that mean exactly? Isn't that what we all aspire to?”

“recreate? or

re-create???”

“Roam's mind is in the gutter again ---”

“Or is that like recreational drugs?”

“i lived there a while. winters are very long. otherwise, great place”