Are there any affordable hippie mountain towns left?

[boltonoutlaw]

Not exactly hippy but, Anaconda

[glademaster]

There is a lot more to life than living in an isolated ski town full of homogenous white people where the nearest legitimate cultural experiences are a 2.5 hour flight away.

Beware of the self-selecting population, and don't put those rose colored glasses on too soon. Nowhere is perfect, but ski towns fall victim to being sold as perfect more than most other places. They're fun, but they are not the end-all, be-all even for a passionate skier.

[hatchgreenchile]

Great western terrain, high snowfall, cheap property, high wages, location....these things are not mutually exclusive.
Of course, you could just get rich and all of this becomes a moot point. At least that's what Mrs tells me.
I always loved Ridgway CO. Cool town.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Kalispell is not a hippy town. Missoula, maybe, but there aren't any big ski resorts nearby and they are just gonna ban mountain biking everywhere.
Lotta breweries and now 2 distilleries

[gonzo_lives]

[QUOTE=AdironRider;4479

A 400k house requires a mortgage and income vastly higher than the national average, most likely in the top 25% of household incomes, just to qualify. So lets be real here and stop talking like its an attainable goal for everyone.[/QUOTE]
A 400,000 mortgage payment is now under $2000 a month

[TahoeJ]

Feel free to correct me, but I think the OP used the term "hippie" in a way where he really meant culturally progressive, as in not just a bunch of rednecks. Not that some rednecks don't also identify as progressive, but... well, you know what I mean.

Baby bear + SkiJunky05 ... somehow I missed that one. Does he ever come around here anymore?

While the whole concept of being frugal and avoiding those $30 - $40 bar tabs = easy home ownership, is maybe a bit misleading, there's more truth to it than some would like to admit... especially with low interest rates.

[Name Redacted]

A 400k house requires a mortgage and income vastly higher than the national average, most likely in the top 25% of household incomes, just to qualify. So lets be real here and stop talking like its an attainable goal for everyone.

Considering the majority of homeowners are couples, who tend to have two incomes, a $2k monthly mortgage payment is not unattainable for a $400k home.


Since when is home ownership a right? People seem to feel entitled to owning a home regardless of their income. A gear review blogger complaining that he can't afford a home in Jackson?

[media310]

Nobody is making you pay $15 for a burger... which better come with a bottle of bourbon or at least a handie. Pack your lunch son.

Considering I can't even afford a ski pass in Jackson, I don't eat out on the hill or Apre for that matter. I was referring to burgers at the Bird.

This is not an accurate representation in the least. You are either being subsidized in affordable housing or living in a condo down by the Bird in the industrial section.

Which is great! I don't want this to be taken as a put down, but the description above of proper budgeting and 1.5 full time jobs does not get you a house in Jackson when they cost 500k plus for a stand alone, and 1 bedroom condos above an industrial unit are 200k plus.

As mentioned before though, Victor/Driggs is that town the OP is looking for. I can't think of anything besides the Canadian places also mentioned previously that would qualify.

Thank you for this as it's spot on,

Accuracy confirmed since we do it. we have a nice 2 bed/2 bath/ 2 car garage in rafter j (and FD: no family funds, no help buying the house, no secret lottery winnings) No offense taken on your doubt, (or living by the bird- my brother and his family live near there!) but I guess that's why I want to offer this alternative perspective. Maybe a townhome or smaller house is not enough for some, but who's to say it's not enough for media or any of the others that would love to stay here? We sacrifice with having older cars and such but I still see us having a pretty rich life compared to others that live in cheaper places and maybe have nicer cars. Guess it's all what you are looking for in life!

So yes we pay a $400k mortgage with 1.5 - 1.75 jobs. (and I say 1.75 with generosity as there is much off-season time off as well) Maybe we are just way more wicked smaht than everyone else but pretty sure any one else of decent work ethic etc could get the jobs we have. I'd also say that many of our friends have 1 professional working and 1 part time working spouse (for child care or ski bum reasons that make it work owning here. Sure a lot of them live in small houses/ townhomes/ affordable but those options are there.
I do get SO jealous though when I talk with some of my co-workers that have big homes with acreage that they bought eons ago for half the price of my home but c'est la vie.

I guess I need to be more jaded/ curmudgeonly and say how hard it is and you DEFINITELY do not want to make your home here bc it's IMPOPSICLE. I'll work on it

Do you really feel $400,000 USD is affordable? Yikes, this is what I am dealing with constantly in this community. But that's rad you are able to lay roots and found a good deal. Cheapest I see is about double that within 20 miles of town.

[Name Redacted]

Maybe your mom will go in on a house with you, you could live in the basement.

[racesla]

Anaconda if your not looking for resort skiing. Discos got great terrain. An hour to lost Trail for powder Thursdays, hour and a half to Bridger if you need a attitude fix from guys who have lived in Bozeman six months but think that earns them die hard local status. Very affordable housing, and $3.75 pints at the Harp. Philipsburgs cool, a bit closer to Disco, little pricier but has a great brewery.

[beer30]

Anaconda if your not looking for resort skiing. Discos got great terrain. An hour to lost Trail for powder Thursdays, hour and a half to Bridger if you need a attitude fix from guys who have lived in Bozeman six months but think that earns them die hard local status. Very affordable housing, and $3.75 pints at the Harp. Philipsburgs cool, a bit closer to Disco, little pricier but has a great brewery.

You guys trying to recruit a cool scene up there? Shhh...... your my ace in the hole

[media310]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmUPGgbrGS8

For anyone not familiar with the inner workings of Jackson, WY. There are currently 161 job openings in the paper today!! If you want to be a landscaper starting pay is around $25 not to shabby..

The fun part starts here, 20 rentals in the paper. Average rental price including rooms for rent.. Wait for it... $2,333. This includes Victor, Driggs and Alpine as well..

So yeah have your pick of jobs, I have actually negotiated some great pay in the past as employers struggle (understatement) to find help, to find people with a decent work ethic and experience.

Where is the workforce supposed to live? This community is going to have a rude awakening within the next few years. At least JHMR is doing housing in town, but its for employees with shared kitchens or living space? Not sure haven't seen it yet. However I am not 21 anymore, and have a beard so employee housing is out..

[hatchgreenchile]

Tough to make it in a place billionares are forcing out millionares

[SKIP IN7RO]

Crestone, CO lotsa hippies/progressives with huge peaks (earn your turns) and within 3 hours of Taos and Wolf Creek...an hour or so from Monarch/Salida. Or as was mentioned earlier, Taos...possibly an earthship by the gorge. Peace bro
http://www.sangres.com/newmexico/tao...m#.VTwIlzkTsy4

[boltonoutlaw]

Tough to make it in a place billionares are forcing out millionares

Nothing bad I can say about the skiing at JHMR, but the town of Jackson puts me off. The snob factor rolls downhill and consumes all - peons and billionaires alike, AFAIAC.

[racesla]

Lol my bad

[Benny Profane]

Nothing bad I can say about the skiing at JHMR, but the town of Jackson puts me off. The snob factor rolls downhill and consumes all - peons and billionaires alike, AFAIAC.

I don't know. Bubbas reeked of white trash when I ate there as we rolled into town.


I know there is a lot of money there, but, it ain't Aspen. Land use restrictions have prevented that. We could go on about the .01% keeping the 1% out, old money vs new, but, bottom line, the Lexus crowd looking for comfort is minimal, because they have better places to go. Quality of skier, rich or poor, is pretty high.

[SKIP IN7RO]

Media310, FYI, gingers are kinda frowned upon down here but accepted after a slight hazing period.

[sb]

Nuthin to see hear, move a long

[gonzo_lives]

Who do you think makes all those silly beadwear and tye dye'd flowing dresses, the spam overlords? No, it's the hippies diligently plying their trade all winter in their vw bus preparing for the summer arts & craft season.

Actually it is the spam overlords extended family, they make it much cheaper than any hippie,and the hippies are the distributors,known to the makers as the rich 1%

[raisingarizona13]

please dude, baby bear is the perfect example of making things work, call it bs if you will, most people who fantize about ski town living don't get it

every year thousands of people show up in a ski town to live that life they read about on the internet or some ski magaizine, or think that life will be just like that five day vacation they took last year, well its not, if it was easy to move to a ski town set down roots and live the life, milions of people would be here doing that, but it isn't

the most likely people to live in a ski town are those that are least likely to fit the mold how does some single teen mom end up moving to a ski town and only to spend the rest of her life here raising kids while some boarder who was the most likely to go pro at his home town mountain in minnessota doesn't last one season, happens

people who are in for the long haul in ski towns go about their bussiness, making smart decisions, keeping on the down low, and end up in 400k houses, because they make it work, I don't have dick for money, but somehow i make it work year after year, but I"m not chasing the american dream of a nice job, suburban house, and big vacations with retirement, and lots of money to buy useless shit to fill my house up with, I get to walk ten minuets to a gondola instead i"m in touch with my reality, but my reality is most peoples fantasy, they just don't want the standard of living I have to live at to make it work

No one was saying anything about your precious baby bear or whatever. I'm just calling bullshit bullshit when I see it. No one is working at a descent job while the sig other plays pro skier and works part time and can live the "dream" in Jackson Hole without some help from family. There is nothing wrong with that, but don't be in that position and tell someone like me how it can be done when you have no idea what it's like to be a working slob struggling to make ends meet.

Some of you are so full of shit.

[Benny Profane]

Who do you think makes all those silly beadwear and tye dye'd flowing dresses, the spam overlords? No, it's the hippies diligently plying their trade all winter in their vw bus preparing for the summer arts & craft season.

The real industrious ones became Krishnas, and they started a pretty decent jewelry biz in the early eighties. Notice you never see those fuckers bothering the public for money anymore.

[Diamond Joe]

A 400,000 mortgage payment is now under $2000 a month

Maybe for principal and interest.. $400k mortgage (3.75%) with taxes, insurance and mortgage insurance (if your state forces you to have it) is just under 3k, trust me

[fastfred]

No one was saying anything about your precious baby bear or whatever. I'm just calling bullshit bullshit when I see it. No one is working at a descent job while the sig other plays pro skier and works part time and can live the "dream" in Jackson Hole without some help from family. There is nothing wrong with that, but don't be in that position and tell someone like me how it can be done when you have no idea what it's like to be a working slob struggling to make ends meet.

Some of you are so full of shit.

Give up the anger man

couple things you have to be in the right place and the right time

you have to want it to make it happen take some risks, people who don't go with the flow in a ski town end up back in scranton talking about how great it was back there

if you fell for the trap of debt credit cards car payments marriage kids nice job and the desperation for normalcy than you might be fucked

why does everyone have to explain everything that happens good to average people as a secrete trust fund or mommy and daddy sending cash

paycheck to paycheck is looked down on by people, but thats how you might have to get by in a ski town

I'm going skiing today, mountain bike day trip tue, maybe the big city (denver) on friday to see how the other 99% live, I"ll work 6 hrs on monday put a body suit on a resperator booties and make more money in six hrs than you do in a week

[ghettostyle]

Fastfred - what's ur job? Sounds sweet! My wife and I live an unconventional life in Jackson, but not wearing a respirator.