Bozeman Travel Guide.gif)
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| Downtown
Bozeman, Montana |
While
Bozeman itself is a nice town, the main draw of Bozeman
though, judging by the hordes of new people now calling this
area home, is the towns location. Bozeman has several things
going for it that have been drawing people in for years.
First, for winter sports, Bozeman is about a 45 minute drive
to two very fine ski areas – Bridger Bowl and the rather
expensive Big Sky Ski Resort. While Bridger Bowl still has
a local flavor to it and is used primarily by locals, Big
Sky Resort is, in many ways, the “Vail” of Montana – complete
with vastly overpriced housing, unending condos (many of
which are rather ugly, I think) and huge trophy homes. Still,
the ski area does have fine skiing – if you can swallow
the $60+ lift ticket price.
Second, Bozeman has been attracting individuals who like
to fish. The Gallatin
River runs just about 15 miles away
from downtown. The Yellowstone
River is found 30 miles to
the east. The Madison
River is also within easy driving distance.
Third,
Bozeman is quite literally surrounded by mountains. All
around Bozeman are towering mountains – complete
with huge tracts of public lands. These public lands provide
abundant hiking, mountain biking and backpacking opportunities.
And finally, all these mountains make Bozeman a very scenic
place. The towering snow capped mountains just outside of
town probably do more to draw new residents to Bozeman than
anything else.
Perhaps
somewhat oddly, while Bozeman receives significant tourism
traffic, Bozeman itself does not remind me of a tourist
trap – and is certainly nothing like what is found
about 80 miles south down in West
Yellowstone. While there
are some touristy stores and such in Bozeman – and
traffic can be intense during the height of the summer – by
and large, most stores in Bozeman are more “functional” in
nature than “touristy” in nature. I suspect Bozeman
can get away with this because the University provides an
unending stream of young Montanans – most of whom end
up using these stores during the normal course of the year.
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| Downtown
Bozeman, Montana |
Bozeman,
as it lays right off Interstate 90, receives lots of people
passing through. Combined with its tourist trade,
the town, of course, has an ample supply of hotels and such
to cater to traveling motorists. However, be warned – due
to college events – these hotels can fill up during
the oddest times of the year. If you plan on staying in Bozeman
overnight, it never hurts to have a reservation – otherwise
you put yourself at the mercy of any college events that
may arise.
Prices
in Bozeman are a mixed bag. While some things like food
and related items aren’t really anymore expensive
than is found elsewhere in Montana – other things,
like housing, can be quite expensive. Moreover, Bozeman suffers
from a double whammy in the housing market. Not only are
lots of new people looking to buy or rent places in and around
Bozeman (most of whom are from out of state and have large
pools of money available), the crush of college students
further drive up housing prices and keep prices on the high
side. While home prices in Bozeman are not as expensive as
what is found down the road in Big Sky, prices are hardly
affordable by Montana standards, either.
The
job market is also a mixed bag. Traditionally, Bozeman
has always had a solid job market. But, just like other
Montana
towns that receive much of their visitation from tourism,
the bulk of the jobs in and around Bozeman tend to be service
level oriented jobs that aren’t exactly great paying.
However, unlike other typical tourist towns, Bozeman does
have some well paying jobs in town – they are somewhat
scarce, but they are there. Several smaller technology firms
are located there, as are quite a few government and state
agencies. Montana State University also provides good employment
for many people in Bozeman.
Overall,
I have mixed feelings on Bozeman – which
is why this Bozeman travel guide section is so short. In
some ways, I really like Bozeman. The location of the town
is almost ideal. Anyone who enjoys skiing, fishing or other
outdoor activities can not help but like the towns location.
The great scenery just outside of town doesn’t hurt
any, either.
The
downtown are of Bozeman is also very nice by any standard
- and having MSU located in town gives Bozeman
a certain vitality that other Montana towns, with the exception
of Missoula, seem to lack. Finally, Bozeman has a wealth
of
shopping opportunities, excellent and numerous restaurants
plus 4 movie theatres. The climate in Bozeman is also generally
quite nice - with lots of sun year round.
Yet,
the massive and uncontrolled suburban sprawl (an ugly word,
but unfortunately rather fitting) makes Bozeman
feel more like a suburb of a major city than a town, at
least to me. The open space that makes the Bozeman area
so beautiful is
beginning to fill in and, if plans on the drawing
board come to fruition,
in
a few
decades
there
may not
even be much of that left.
Moreover,
Bozeman – like other Montana towns that
are prime places for out-state home buyers – is an
expensive place to live - at least for housing. This is due
to both having MSU located in town as well as having a flood
of out-state money flowing into the local real estate market.
This, most likely, explains the rather prolific numbers of
trailer parks that are tucked away in
parts of the Gallatin Valley - many people who work in Bozeman
just can't afford to live there.
In short,
Bozeman is a very nice town. For anyone coming from a big
city (to live or play), Bozeman probably looks like
paradise in many ways. But, if you’re looking for a
sleepy little town that is affordable to live in and is likely
to remain that way, then be prepared to look elsewhere, as
Bozeman may not be
the
place
for you.
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