Bozeman: Old Vs. New, Which Side Do You Land On?

Much like the other 70 percent of the folks that live here, I'm not from Bozeman.

However, my wife and I have been here for a few years and it's become home. I never tire of the town's beauty or the people's kindness. Plus, all you need to do is jump in your vehicle and 15 to 20 minutes in any direction you're in the middle of Montana.

There's been a lot of conversations over the last few years about Bozeman and the direction it's heading.  A quick drive around town and you'll find massive construction projects and tons of growth.

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You certainly don't have to go very far to come across another apartment complex, luxury condos, hotels, or new office buildings going up. For many, it's too much progress and they miss the "Old Bozeman".  Others see it as a good thing that the city is expanding and look at the growth as potential.

It's the whole "Old" Bozeman vs. "New" Bozeman debate.

Many feel that what was once a nice little town is being taken over by greedy developers, selfish politicians, and people who don't have Bozeman or Montana in their best interest.

People need to try and understand that what's happening here is happening all over the country. Real estate prices are high, interest rates are high, we're losing long-time local businesses, and more and more people are getting away from brick-and-mortar buildings and purchasing everything online.

So what do we do about it?

Well, that's the million-dollar question. It's easy to stay at home and get vocal behind a screen on one of these social media sites that allows you to post anonymous comments. It's much more time-consuming to get involved and educate yourself on the facts and growing pains the town faces. It's even more effort to go to a meeting and share your visions and opinions for the future of our lovely town or vote in local elections for the folks who shape the city.

In the end, it will never return to the way it once was, however, we should probably all get on the same page at some point and make sure it doesn't turn into something we all don't recognize.