downtown bozeman

I'm a volunteer citizen land use planner in a very small Montana town, a position that's given me enough perspective to greatly admire what the City of Bozeman has done over the past 20 years to help its downtown stay vibrant, active, and attractive. For example, the new library opened a few years ago fits perfectly in its environment on Main Street. But perhaps the most singularly beneficial recent advance is not just permitting, but encouraging, "infill" development - meaning newly built shops and homes that are plopped between existing structures. This fosters activity and dynamism throughout the downtown core. Result: Bozeman's downtown retains its place as the heartbeat of a healthy, growing city.

I spent the day in downtown shopping with my college roommate from 35 years ago - couldn't have had more fun! If you can't find it downtown in Bozeman, they must not make it! What a fun variety of shops and the shopkeepers were so friendly and helpful. We had a great day AND left with some great purchases and some much lighter purses. Loads of fun!

Loved the antique and gift shops in this quaint little downtown area. They had so many neat treasures. Also, there is a really good coffee shop that also sells fudge.

This is really good. The beans are roasted in small batches and sourced by the owner herself. Many of the growers have been visited in person. They have a great monthly program for beans, but you can buy what I heard one guy says was "the best coffee I've ever had" and "I didn't know coffee could be this good" in the shop. It's a local gem, and they will ship beans to you.18 W Main St, Bozeman, MT 59715(406) 219-7891

The downtown area of Bozeman is a delightful mix of art galleries, little boutiques, restaurants and a really cool hardware store. We ambled up and down the streets more than once before we headed to Yellowstone NP for a week. The storefronts and street lamps and signage are nicely done and there always seems to be lots of activity. You see families, seniors like us, college students and aging hippies all mingling together in the shops and restaurants. It has a nicely funky vibe. We were there for the Sweet Pea Festival Parade and it was a hoot. The parking is pretty good so that makes coming down here attractive. We loved it!

Montanans aren't big on any place that is covered with asphalt and concrete, and most of the time people come here to escape to the mountains not hang out in the coffee shops. Which makes downtown Bozeman so unusual-day or night the sidewalks are filled with people, the cafes, restaurants and shops are open and often very busy, there are even street musicians (the one guy who looks like a ZZ Top band member is excellent and can usually be found near Schnees.) I have never been there after 10 p.m., but it feels incredibly safe even after dark. I once left my purse hanging on a restaurant chair during the Music on Main event-when I finally realized my mistake and rushed back to the restaurant I was stunned to find a group of college guys at our table, (not white BTW, if that matters to anyone) who were keeping it safe until the owner returned. The $300, my DL and passport and all my credit cards were all still there, and they wouldn't let me buy them anything as a reward. How cool is that?

That would mean bring your own car. The public transportation system is poor. City bus runs on a bizzare schedule at night, and only on certain nights at certain times leaving a 3 hour window when there is no bus at all. The bus driver I spoke with wasn't even aware that there were evening busses or where the stops for them would be.There is no bus service on Sunday . The taxi company has a bad reputation for not answering calls and for being way overpriced when they do answer your call for a cab.The downtown shops close fairly early and we did not find very many interesting places to shop, just a handful. It seemed that the downtown is mostly a collection of bars and restaurants and while everyone was very friendly there really weren't many places to explore. Disappointing. Maybe better in the summer months.

Downtown Bozeman is small, but offers a BIG personality! Complete with numerous local restaurants (amazing Breakfast/Lunch spots, great bars that serve food, and fancier dinner options as well!), quaint shops for men, women, children, outdoor enthusiasts, jewelers, and window shoppers alike, and a plethora of art galleries and a pieces scattered along the streets! It's definitely unlike anywhere else in Montana! However, parking can be limited and the closest spots have a 2-hour limit. Also, many of the places listed above can have a bit of a higher price tag - but, I would say they're all well worth it!

So fun to walk around and see what's new and old favorites. Especially fun at night in the summer because so many places have sidewalk tables. Fun people watching! :)

Downtown Bozeman is well worth visiting due to its wealth of boutiques, art galleries, fine restaurants and general ambience. It is the happening place and great fun to poke around.

Very friendly shopkeepers......great merchandise......wonderful walk. Loved the casual cafés, pricey in some cases.

Very limited "on street" parking. I'm disabled and use a walker. And it was January with a lot of ice.

There's a little something for everyone. Lots of good restaurants with a wide offering, second-hand and vintage stores, high-brow clothing stores for men, for children and for women, one very nice souvenir store, the library, the Emerson Cultural Center and bowling one block off Main, several coffee shops and bars, several sporting goods stores, clock and watch repair, a toy store, etc, etc. Things start shutting down around 7 pm, even on Saturday evening.

We strolled Main street several time during our time here. Loved the down to earth values of the area and the interesting ships, pubs, breweries and more along the way

I loved the downtown with all of the fun shops and great restaurants! The people were very friendly and the nightlife was great - lots of different types of bars to choose from depending on your style.