Your Community Guide to Downtown Billings
Welcome to another edition of Community Guides for Billings, Montana. Billings is the largest city in the state located in southern Montana along the Yellowstone River offering an inviting environment for visitors and residents alike.
The city is divided into 11 geographical sections with each community bringing its own unique vibe that attracts different types of people depending on what you’re looking for.
In this blog series, we’re highlighting each specific area, so whether you’re looking to make the move to Billings, you’re looking to sell and move to a different area in the city or you’re just looking for a fun hang out spot during your travels, these community guides were made with you in mind.
In this community guide, we’re specifically highlighting the vibrant and upbeat hot spot of Downtown Billings.
Like most downtown areas, you can probably guess what you’ll find - it’s truly the hub for many businesses, restaurants and events that bring all of Billings together as one community.
If you love to be in the center of the action and thrive in a hustle and bustle atmosphere, look no further than Downtown.
Dining in Downtown Billings
Downtown Billings is home to A LOT of restaurants, coffee shops, breweries and can’t miss dessert shops, so it’s pretty hard to hit all of them in a short amount of time.
If you’re just passing through and want to make sure you hit the local favorites, my picks are below!
If you currently live in Downtown, plan to make the move or live on the outskirts and want to intentionally explore your neighboring area, I suggest creating a date night bucket list and start making your way through all of the places that Downtown has to offer on an ongoing basis.
Walkers - a well-established downtown favorite, Walkers is the perfect choice for dinner or date night serving up a mix of international cuisine and western comfort foods in a casual yet urban setting
Bernie’s - a fun spot providing your traditional diner experience with classic food favorites that the whole family can enjoy for breakfast or lunch
NaRa - where are my sushi and ramen lovers at?! NaRa is THE go to spot for good sushi in Billings! For real, they were voted best sushi and japanese in the Billings Gazette for over 12 years.
The Sassy Biscuit - brunch lovers unite! I have two words for you: waffle biscuits 🧇 yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like.
Montana Brewing Company- this place has been around since 1994, so you could say it’s a true downtown classic! Known as Montana's first brew pub, you’ll get to enjoy the atmosphere of a brewery, full bar and entire restaurant under one roof when you visit.
Rock Creek Coffee Roasters - a cup of joe that’s quite literally made in Montana! In the heart of downtown, Rock Creek roasts all of their coffee in-house that pairs perfectly with their dreamy coffee shop atmosphere
Big Dipper Ice Cream - a Montana classic, Big Dipper has been serving up handcrafted ice cream since 1995 and has made many national media appearances. You can find the famous shops in a few different Montana cities, one being Downtown Billings.
What To Do In Downtown Billings
Shopping 🛍
Okay now ladies, this one's for you! As you can imagine, Downtown Billings is filled with plenty of activities with one of those being the shopping scene. Here you’ll find local boutique style shops with individualized selections of clothes, home decor and kitchen must haves.
Museums 🏛
Downtown Billings is home to a lot of history and has been designed for visitors to really get to know the area and have plenty to do while they’re in town. With that comes a few museums to really put the town on display.
If you have kiddos and want to explore the area, a great option especially for a cold or rainy day is the Wise Wonders Science and Discovery Museum. Here you’ll find a ton of education along with playful hands-on exhibits that can truly entertain your kids for hours. They also have weekly events and offer summer camps!
Other popular choices include the Western Heritage Center, Yellowstone Art Museum and Yellowstone County Museum.
Billings Brew Trail 🍻
If you’re visiting downtown with a group of friends or family or simply want to hit most of the amazing breweries that Billings has to offer, the walkable brewery trail is for you.
This self guided tour is made up of six breweries, two distilleries and one cider house that are all within walking distance of each other. Not to mention all of the fun historic sites you’ll see along the 1.5 mile route - here’s how it works!
Night Life 💃🏼
Finally, no downtown would be complete without a little night life. And if you’re looking to live in this area, chances are it's because you enjoy endless options of things to do and you want to be able to venture out after 9pm if you so please.
While I absolutely can’t relate (I’m team in bed by 8pm 🤣), you’ve totally got some options with The Alberta Bair Theater and a nightcap at TEN at the Northern Hotel!
I’m going to be honest, it was hard for me to nail down just a few suggestions because the options are truly endless! If you’re the type that always likes to be on the go and have something to do, Downtown Billings is no doubt the spot for you.
Downtown Digs
You know on the show Friends how they live above a coffee shop and they can just walk downstairs each morning, grab a latte and walk out the door in a matter of minutes? Maybe you dreamed of experiencing something like that at some point in your life.
I mean think we all did… right? Just me? 🤣
While Downtown Billings isn’t *quite* New York City level, it does bring its very own city vibe and provides the opportunity for residents to live in very close proximity to all of the action.
The homes you’ll find in this area are on the older side providing a completely unique and historic feel with mature tree lined streets that allow you to walk or bike to all of the downtown favorites listed above.
Insider secret: Halloween on Clark Avenue is iconic every single year 🎃
Schooling in Downtown Billings
When people think about a downtown area, I feel like they assume that it’s more suited for the younger crowd and that it’s hard to really raise a family in an area that draws in large crowds.
While there is some truth to that and most families naturally prefer neighborhoods on the outskirts that are filled with sidewalks for leisure bike riding and calmer atmospheres, it is absolutely possible to raise your kiddos in Downtown Billings.
In fact, family establishments represent 57% of the Downtown Billings households with 29% of those having children.
With that said, the schools for this district include:
Elementary:
Broadwater
McKinley
Middle:
Lewis + Clark
High:
Billings Senior High
So, what’s it gonna cost ya?
It’s no secret that when you choose to live in a downtown area versus an outskirt neighborhood, you’re going to see a higher price tag. Most of the time however, those that are interested in this type of lifestyle are willing to pay extra.
The perks of everything being nearby and most things being within walking distance outweigh the cost of dropping a good penny on a more modern style apartment, condo or home.
With that being said, you’ll find that homes in this area with an average range of $300-500k with the average cost of a single family home sitting at $360,400 as of October 2022.
Ready to live your best Downtown life?
Like most things in life, you can of course find options that work within your budget, you may just have to sacrifice a few of your wants and expectations in order to do so!
Lucky for you, that’s exactly what I’m here for. I know that finding the perfect place to create the life that you dream of is SO important and I don’t take that lightly.
I also know that having to research and find things on your own can be extremely stressful, which is why I’m committed to giving you step by step guidance without having to put your life on hold.
If you’re looking to sell, make a move or are simply curious about what this area has to offer when it comes to housing, click here to connect!
P.S. Want a peek into all of the neighborhoods that Billings, Montana has to offer? Download the Ultimate Community Guide to take a look under the hood to what life could be like for you in this beautiful side of the state.
