On some fronts, the summer economy actually adds to the sustainability of the place. Another fairly unique aspect of Jackson is that it is the largest town for hours. For example, your dryer shits the bed in your rental, your buying one in Jackson.
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On some fronts, the summer economy actually adds to the sustainability of the place. Another fairly unique aspect of Jackson is that it is the largest town for hours. For example, your dryer shits the bed in your rental, your buying one in Jackson.
Like Victor and Driggs. Our vacation home boom was all about building upscale subdivisions and trophy properties (yes, we too have some millionaires and billionaires) well outside of town. For the most part, the boom was a collusion between the county officials who were cozy with the rural land owners who were selling to developers who wanted lax county regs, not town rules. Very, very little upscale residential development happened in town. Victor and Driggs are a mix: rehabbed but still the old moribund housing stock from decades back, supplemented by newer but rather modest homes and a surprising amount of beat to shit old trailers on trailer park lots. Trying to limit the sprawl and support the towns is still an issue. Recently, Huntsman Springs, the massive development that had achieved concessions by promising to invest heavily in developing Driggs, was allowed to wriggle out of its promises and refocus its build out to the corner of the property farthest away from town. The developers feel Driggs is bad for property values and they don't want to expend any more efforts on building affordable housing in town (they did build some nice apartment buildings before the bust). They are going to build a trophy home, golf course property/resort that is as far outside Driggs as possible but still hooked up to town services. The last three Teton Valley golf course subdivisions each failed spectacularly and are still mired in failure. The big equestrian themed, rich bitch development was a total failure and all the horse facilities were repossessed. The ski resort expansion was a failure before it launched. Meanwhile, there is a definite shortage of affordable homes and rentals for under $700 plus rising demand as fewer and fewer workers in Jackson can live there. Good thing the free market always works efficiently! Face it, it's a 1%ers world. Even when it totally flies in the face of common sense, the wealthy developers up here would rather fail big building another golf course than win small by building something affordable for the other 90%. That's why we have a housing shortage in a valley where land is still dirt cheap. Most of the local guys I know in construction have little incentive to work in the Teton Valley with Jackson's $1100/sq.ft. gold rush going on next door.
Actually, odds are you're driving to Idaho Falls to replace that dryer.
There are lots of beautiful places with great recreational opportunities and no rat race for substandard, overpriced housing. I feel like I dodged a bullet not moving to the Tetons, personally. They are gorgeous, and a great place to visit, but it isn't a place I wanted to hang my hat after spending a decent amount of time there.
If you can make it work and the lifestyle suits you, rock on, but there are going to need to be big changes in that area to support any kind of legitimate workforce beyond the tourism/service industry and retired millionaires. There's a lot more to life than skiing and looking at pretty mountains.
The development that has happened in Teton Valley is an utter cluster. The lack of planning, or just plain piss poor planning that went into subdividing tracts of that valley ~15 years ago will haunt it for decades to come. 10% built out subdivisions located as far as possible from the centers of Driggs or Victor, and even further from anything resembling some trees for privacy or wind protection make it feel like a rural Detroit without all of the potential for revitalization.
Actually with Sears here you can get fine appliances at good prices right in town
^^^It does sound bigoted but I'm not bigot. Bad choice of words, sorry. I'm not the local expert but have an opinion formed by some good friends that live in Drictor. Said a more pc way - I get the impression that the good 'ol boys network is in full effect and that the powers that be in Teton county are an impediment to beneficial change.
Again, I could be wrong. I've got no dog in the fight just interested in seeing what is going on in a community that seems to be ground zero is the resort town housing development arena.
Thanks for posting that link couple interesting points in that article. First why's Robyn and the Planet keep knocking Vail? Take a look at the MLS you can buy a condo in Vail under $300,000 or a 2 bedroom in East Vail for under $350,000 ski to your backyard take the free golf course bus back to the village (10 minutes), Vail sucks East Vail does not..
But the real scary part of the article is about the Sheriff's. Only 2 of whom actual live in Teton County. [YIKES]
“For my colleagues who don’t live where they work, the county is saying, ‘We want you to work here, but we don’t want your kids to go to school here or recreate here or be a part of the community here,’” Carr said. “My colleagues don’t have the sense of community enjoyed by people who live here.”
“As law enforcement, we all fear something happening in our schools,” said Carr, who has been with the sheriff’s department since 1999, becoming a sergeant just a few months ago. “If we have an active shooter or a crisis that occurs in Victor or Driggs or Alpine, we’ve got you covered. But if it happens here, I’m not so sure. They’ll come, but it will be a while.”
Did that last paragraph really get quoted and published? Harsh but something to consider, especially considering most families here have guns and lots of em.
TCSO kind of shoots themselves in the foot on that one by allowing deputies to commute in their patrol rigs and stay on the clock while they're in the county...nice little incentive...
Make it Granite laps and I'm in.
Lee Jays was good- breakfast all day and all night
I am happy to hear that the drive through window still exists at the Coach. And no more VC? WTF! Where does one go for some beers and a slice now after skiing? Do you guys hang out at the Moose with the tourists? Seriously, the Vill feels so refined it makes me uncomfortable.
For the record before you guys/gals jump all over me I am kidding.......for the most part. I love that place but you know how it's changed.
it's definitely ritzier now than when I first arrived. I think some good things and some bad of that. can't really halt progress nor rising populations though so we just roll with it. wish the popularity of town would tone down just a *touch* though and I think it would alleviate some of the tensions.
For beers you can still also just purchase from the liquor store and drink outside when it's nice or the spur is good too- a bit spendy but the nachos are enormous
Here's a yelp review for Gather:
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WOW!!!! Brian was our server he was SO awesome!! My husband had the venison, and the pork appetizer! I had the halibut and my daughter has the crunchy chicken with the smashed potato. We found this to be the best meal we have had in the past 10 days since we left Miami!! If you are in Jackson Hole I PROMISE you, you will NOT be disappointed
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Shit dude, it sounds pretty good! Why so mad bro?
My friend John was a Teton County Sheriff living in Rafter J until just recently. He now is with Jackson Hole Search Dogs. (Along with Grace their Malinois.) So it can be done, with a second income of course, and like baby bear if you got in earlyish.
Jackson is unique, no land to expand, etc. It took me a while to figure out that people just want to say they've "skied" the place back at the water cooler. We always figured the cold and the terrain would keep people away. That of course ended when they cut the hole down Bivouac, and took the ledge out of Laramie. More room for intermediates!!! That was the tipping point.
It's fun to watch this play out from afar. But I still go every year, even if the snow has been shitty the last couple years.
My commute to Stevens and back is about 3 and a half 4 hours depending on weather. And I make it up 60 days a year, have 2 jobs and kids. I just gotta be there man. I'd love to live in Leavenworth but there's very little jobs, and the jobs that are there pay shit. I actually love the drive, gets me fucking psyched for the day. If
You wanna live in a "village" ski town I hear Montana is where it's at.
yea VC going was crushing
I regret the Smashmouth concert remark, that was completely uncalled for and unfair. Sorry Jackson Hole people.
What about the Hostel? Is there a spot for a legit dirt bag watering hole there?
Back in the day there was quite a bit of blow at the Moose.
i get $1000 to ski faster than a girl or a baby bear at jackson hole?
sounds pretty lucrative