What is the worst thing about Boise? (Nampa, Meridian: tax, living)

[pw72]

I agree, not too much negative about Boise. But the isolation from other large cities is notable. It is a 7-8 hour drive to Seattle or Portland, 5-6 from Salt Lake, and those are the closest major metros! But Boise has become big enough where you can find just about everything the bigger metros offer, except for major league sports, and big city arts/museums, etc.

[ArtMom]

Traffic
conservative attitudes
road construction everwhere
air quality- many alert days
threat of lack of water (we are high desert afterall)
very behind the times on public transportation and its a city that really needs it.
10 plus hours to the beach.

Ask about the good things now!

[romanbiscuitgod]

Originally Posted by huntman58

Drugs and cost of living. Wages are not that good for most jobs .the drug of chouse is meth. Also Boise dose have some gang activity. The reason you do not find much about Boise is the state and city keep as much away from people as they can as the only way Boise will still grow is to bring in out of state jobs. What most do not find out tell there is they do not pay any thing that great. Most also do not offer benefits to boot. The car smog check is every year (more then calif every two) but is also a lot less restrictive then califs by far. Also in the winter you have the inversions that trap the bad air in the valley were you will not see the sun for days. Drivers drive to fast for the ice they get on the roads not much snow but the roads are ice covered at times. On the free ways it is not unheard of to have almost if not over a hundred cars off the road way .I also lived in Boise for over ten years and then left never to come back not because of the area but because of the people and the noninforcment of state laws. My welcome or my wife’s at the time was to be spat on for having calif. Plates on her car. This person also knew she had moved there and worked there as it was a week after we got there. I found out later by some others at my church that also had this done to them. Most do not like any one from the west or east coast moving there as they blame them for what they see as all the bad things in the state. High cost of housing, low paying jobs and taking away jobs from Idaho people. I believe it is the state and cities trying to make people believe it is so good. Like Boise saying in 92 there was no gang activity at all. Yet being from calif you could see it in the graffiti (even thou there was not much it still showed) and other things around town. Ask most why they will not live in garden city (surrounded by Boise) or out in south west of amity and five mile road area .ask how bad is Nampa and the other cities are as it dose not just stay there. Boise is the regional shopping area for over a few hundred miles also the big hang out for bangers and mall rats .talk to the young kids there ask them about gangs and drugs you will here more of the truth from them then politicians.
Yes some love Boise and Idaho I am not one of them living there cost me to much. Like my family!

The drug problems here are incredible small compared to so many other towns
as far as gangs go you have no ida what you ar talking about
here in Boise a ton of organizations based on arts,music, and culture have risen due to progress by the teen from boise not gangs
youths are extremely lucky to grow up in boise we can get a lot of diversity out of the area without all the gangs and bull**** of a larger city
there is an amazing selection of bands especially from boise high school
Boise is an amazing place to live
you just have to look under the rock of the ever growing wiger culture in boise where the only way to have fun is bull**** clubs and bars
and pretending your in a gang

[jufrbo]

^A plug for Boise High? Go Borah!

[violet57]

Originally Posted by micrguy

After asking lots of people and checking around on the internet, I have yet to find anything all that negative about Boise. So far all I have seen is positive reviews of Boise, so can anyone tell me anything negative about the Boise metro area?

In my mind, there are two downsides to the Boise metro area:

1. Poor transportation - only one freeway & the connector - needs a beltway, but too late now
2. Summers are too dry and hot.

[boiseguy]

I think the biggest downside to boise is inadequate public transportation... BY FAR...
The city doesn't need more freeways.. it needs busses and train systems.. you would be surprised how many things can be solved with proper public transportation.. many large cities are just finding this out..even after building expensive freeways and belt loops and everything else... and some much too late....Boise needs to get on this...
Vancouver Canada has ONE major freeway and a connector like extension downtown.. and it is a city of 2 million... with that said, they also have a fantastic train system, that is affordable and dependable... if they can do it.. so can boise... its cheaper in the long run, and is better for the environment..

[jufrbo]

^^ You just said Vancouver has a population of 2 million. Boise has 600k, we don't have the tax base to support a train, everyone will go broke.

[Syringaloid]

Originally Posted by pw72

I agree, not too much negative about Boise. But the isolation from other large cities is notable. It is a 7-8 hour drive to Seattle or Portland, 5-6 from Salt Lake, and those are the closest major metros! But Boise has become big enough where you can find just about everything the bigger metros offer, except for major league sports, and big city arts/museums, etc.

The isolation is what makes Boise such a dynamic city..it is very independent. Most people here tend to go to the coast, Portland and Seattle if they want a big city fix..Boise has a better art scene than Salt Lake, and Salt Lake doesn't really fulfill that big city fix for most people unless they have family there to visit..most people I know don't think Salt Lake offers anything more than Boise does. Boise is getting large enough to offer a lot of the ammeneties larger cities offer. A lot of people tend to say Boise has a mini Portland vibe.

[boiseguy]

Originally Posted by JustinFromBoise

^^ You just said Vancouver has a population of 2 million. Boise has 600k, we don't have the tax base to support a train, everyone will go broke.

public transportation starts with bus service.. and leads to train service.. the money is there already, it just needs to be managed properly.. the only reason why I bring it up though.. is because boise doesn't even have a decent BUS service... compare us to spokane of 400,000 and they blow boise out of the water when it comes to public transportation...

building more freeways will make everyone just as "broke" if not more... than putting a train on existing tracks that go from downtown to the mall thru meridian to nampa and caldwell....

[dorisdopey]

The worst thing about Boise is "I'm not there" keeping my fingers crossed though that I can come soon and begin a new life with my son and his family. I only spent 2 weeks there in November and fell in love, such beatiful scenery and I have to say such nice polite people young and old.