Rich vs. poor, nice vs. rough: two phrases synonymous with Rattlesnake vs. Northside, a rivalry as old as Missoula itself. But is it really that simple? While many people may say that the Northside is just a violent, poor, and rough neighborhood, to put it bluntly, they trippin’. It’s a close-knit family with a strong sense of community, and contrary to popular belief, a great place to grow up. We would know, with one of us living our whole life in the neighborhood and one for over six years.
From an outside perspective, the Northside may seem to be somewhat average, if not extremely dangerous. “The Northside is ill-funded and ‘the ghetto’,” said a junior. Although, after further questioning, he admitted he had only been there a small amount of times.
For those who truly experience it, they will find that it is a wonderful amalgamation of affordable housing and community benefits. The Northside neighborhood features a myriad of events and encourages neighbors to participate. This includes an outdoor cinema that plays throughout summer and is community funded by attendees. There is also a thriving community garden that invites members of the neighborhood to grow and harvest garden-grown fruits and vegetables. And there’s no bears.
When most people think of the Rattlesnake, they think of big modern houses, expensive cars, wealth, and yes, bears. And while many parts of the neighborhood may share these characteristics, there are people and parts of the community that don’t fit the stereotype. Just like any neighborhood, there’s people of many different levels of wealth and it’s unfair to say otherwise. But the bears thing actually is accurate across the whole Rattlesnake.
If you ask anyone from the Rattlesnake what the best part of their neighborhood is, they’ll likely give you some answer about their access and closeness to nature as well as the conservation of it. However, the Rattlesnake produces just as much carbon emissions as every other neighborhood in Missoula, perhaps being more harmful as they are so close to a natural environment.
And if you ask anyone from the Northside the same question, they’ll likely say the strong sense of community. But, the Northside has the third highest violent crime rate of any neighborhood in Missoula, so take that how you will.
Rumors have been circulating (mainly among Northside residents) for years that the Rattlesnake deposits their sewage and waste directly into the Northside water system. While these rumors haven’t been confirmed or denied, our water undeniably still tastes better than theirs.
All jokes aside, the Rattlesnake is an amazing neighborhood, filled with all kinds of amazing people. We think that the reason there’s a decent amount of ill-will towards it from people on the Northside can be explained in one little stupid phrase: we hate it cuz we ain’t it. So many people we know talk all this smack about the Rattlesnake and the people who live there, when in reality we would trade places in a heart-beat for the access to nature and outdoor recreation, the wildlife, the big yards, or the cool houses. If we step back and take a second, we don’t really have any ill will (OK maybe a little bit) towards arguably the prettiest neighborhood in Missoula. So maybe neither the Northside or the Rattlesnake is better, they’re just different?
Maybe we need to view these things as one town, Missoula, instead of letting where you live dictate a division or a rivalry?
