Thinking of moving to Boise (Nampa, Eagle: housing, rental, motel)

[Niners fan]

Originally Posted by Torrie

I've never commented that Boise drivers are rude. If you've followed my posts I've said the opposite. I've also mentioned all the different places I lived....up and down California for 20+ years, Portland-Vancouver, and Boulder, Colorado so I have a good idea, at least I think I do, as to why people don't see our traffic to be so horrific as some claim. That's been my whole point since I've been on this forum. I've found both Boise drivers and the commute to be very easy to deal with.

You misunderstood what I said. You are a good example of appreciating that Boise drivers are courteous. It takes the edge off the commute if you have lived somewhere where traffic is worse and drivers are over-the-top rude and aggressive.

If you have never lived outside of Boise then I could see where you would find the traffic more annoying because you have no frame of reference for how much worse rude drivers make it. Your out-of-state clients are more likely to have that appreciation that makes traffic easier to put up with.

[boi2socal]

Ok. There is so much arguement about the traffic issue in Boise. Nobody is "wrong."

I think a few things come in play here. Where people live and what people are considering "Boise." This could be said for any Metro. If you live within Boise city limits with the exception of West Boise, NW Boise and SW Boise you won't experience much, if any, traffic. With the exception of the areas I noted (and Downtown) most of Boise doesn't have any centers of gravity. You won't find a large mall or "lifestyle center" on the Bench so mostly locals use these roads as Boise is somewhat of a dead end in relation to the remainder of the Metro so West Valley residents aren't using those roads to go shopping or go to work.

If you are speaking about "Boise" as in the metro area I really do think the area has a traffic problem. My driving years in Boise were spent near Eagle. My high school was Capital (silly boundary lines) and I had a 15 minute drive for 5 miles. Add slick roads and it could take 45 minutes! That was five years ago and since Eagle has exploded I can assume it has gotten worse on State and Glenwood. Each time I visit we take my little brother to get allergy shots at his doctor at Eagle Rd. and I-84. Eagle Road was a complete design failure and each time we hit the freeway at 1630 it was already backing up from the Meridian interchange.

AGAIN...I think it really depends where you live and work just like anywhere else. I don't think traffic where I live is that bad. But if I lived ten more miles inland and had to commute towards where I live now I would probably have driven my car into an embankment already.

[donnam]

It DOES take a long time to navigate through Boise. If you're used to driving on freeways, getting across town on a few crowded surface streets can become tedious after awhile. If you come from an area without freeways, then maybe Boise traffic seems just fine. Now that I'm in California, I'm thankful everyday for the freeways. Oh, and not having to be constantly on guard for other drivers pulling out in front of me from side streets or driveways

[Torrie]

Originally Posted by Anchorless

I'm fine with you expressing your opinion - I've made this point in other threads about 20 times now (and have been defended likewise by other posters).

Gee lucky me, thanks for being so gracious!

Originally Posted by Anchorless

What I have a problem with is you constantly misrepresenting my (and others') views. You've done it again just now. You said "not everyone thinks like 'you,'" which is entirely disingenuous of what I just said.

There's no constant misrepresentation of your views or other views on my behalf, so quit making the implication. You can try to discredit me as much as you like, but apparently other posters agree with what I've mentioned about the traffic because they've come back on the forum saying, "What's all the fuss about traffic?"

In other words, what's being said is that some(I didn't say "all") forum members who have come to visit/live, don't understand why some posters think traffic is so bad. That's the impression that they're getting from the comments of past threads,whether it's your posts or someone else's. So don't try to turn it around like I'm making false claims.

Originally Posted by Anchorless

This act seems to be getting rather routine, and I'm getting quite bored with it. Quit misrepresenting things, please. ).

Don't even try to tell me what I should think or do. If this is so bothersome to you than leave! Know one is forcing you to respond to people's posts. You participate because you choose to respond to member's posts and if we're all boring you here than do us a favor- don't respond!

Originally Posted by Anchorless

The traffic situation here, regardless of what you or I think of it, is at a precarious point. We simply do not have infrastructure in place to accommodate large growth, and frankly, I don't see much to resolve. How are you going to turn State Street into the freeway that it needs to be? The same with Eagle and Meridian Roads? These are issues that should have been dealt with a decade ago, but the powers that be, and the public that elects them, were lacking in foresight to figure it out.).

Issues that haven't been dealt with a decade ago???? Well looky here a decade later and the sky still hasn't fallen yet. I hate to break it to you, but lots of places don't have the infrastructure to accommodate growth and Boise is no different. More than likely there are several places worse off than our metro area. Just because all of the traffic issues haven't been addressed, doesn't mean that city leaders and the people who live here, don't have foresight; so please stop with the insinuations. My best guess is that money might be the factor not foresight.

Originally Posted by Anchorless

The same goes for growth and development issues that I've raised a dozen times before. These are things people need to be aware of, instead of pretending that Boise is some mecca for the middle class family. We've been through a decade long depression, and we could easily find ourselves in another if we don't start realizing the impacts of our individual decisions.

Personally I could care less about traffic here - I don't drive anymore, I bike, and I now live within 5 minutes of everywhere I tend to go anyway. And frankly, you couldn't pay me enough to do the Nampa to Boise commute anymore. But I still care because of the problems other people have, and the related problems in all other factors of life here. None of it is in a vacuum, dear, and neither are any of us.

Gee, thanks for the lecture, "dear". Do me a favor and knock off the condescending remarks. You can hang on to the doom and gloom vision, that's your choice, but don't come on here like you're some high and mighty upholding citizen who thinks his views are better than the rest of us. Just state your opinion and move on.

I spend a lot of time on here helping people. Yes, I sell real estate, but I don't come on here to purposely mislead or misrepresent as you like to continually claim. I don't hide behind a fictitious name, like yourself; I use my real name. The last thing I'm going to do is come on an open forum and lie; to what purpose would that serve other than to make me look like an idiot. I give people the best information I can to the fullest extent that my license allows.

[boiseguy]

Originally Posted by donnam

It DOES take a long time to navigate through Boise. If you're used to driving on freeways, getting across town on a few crowded surface streets can become tedious after awhile. If you come from an area without freeways, then maybe Boise traffic seems just fine. Now that I'm in California, I'm thankful everyday for the freeways. Oh, and not having to be constantly on guard for other drivers pulling out in front of me from side streets or driveways

are you kidding? I moved here from Seattle and I'll take surface streets any day. atleast you can pull off and turn around or take other avenues to get to your destination. If all you rely on is the freeway and the traffic sucks.. you sit there and can't go anywhere... I don't understand what all the fuss is about traffic here in boise. I mean if you're from here and grew up here of course its going to seem bad because it is bad compared to what it has been in the past...
Whatever traffic problems people seem to have has little to do with amount of cars on the road and a lot to do with infrastructure not keeping up with demand. I don't believe the best way to fix traffic problems is to lay down a network of freeways.. or add 3 lanes to existing ones... come up with some sort of workable public transport system, and let the snarled traffic problems be the draw to it. If you want to drive your big SUV and you can't be bothered with riding a train or bus... then you have nobody to blame but yourself... whereas now.. people don't even have the option...
I certainly can see how traffic can and will be a problem in the future, and I certainly agree that particular avenues should have been developed differently.. but that's going to happen anywhere in the world.. hindsight is always 20/20.... you can't properly form a solution unless we have options to choose from....
and what is the best option when gas is said to reach 6 dollars per gallon by the end of the summer? Certainly not more freeways...

[boi2socal]

Originally Posted by boiseguy

are you kidding? I moved here from Seattle and I'll take surface streets any day. atleast you can pull off and turn around or take other avenues to get to your destination. If all you rely on is the freeway and the traffic sucks.. you sit there and can't go anywhere...

Well, in general a network of freeways gets you from place to place faster than surface streets. Having lived in Seattle the traffic there does tend to literally stand still and I have been stuck. I live in Orange County and most of the freeways move fairly well at most times of the day with some exceptions. So I understand where the person you replied to is coming from because I can drive 20 miles in 20 minutes. Depends where in California you live...certain freeways in LA are slow and go almost all day.

I'm not necessarily pro-freeway but I think a mix of good roads and public transit is best. I really don't think cars are going anywhere anytime soon...people may drive less for awhile but as technology improves and becomes more cost effective people will be back in their car with less gas or none at all.

[boi2socal]

eek!

[Sage of Sagle]

That one was just nasty, and unfortunately it was his fourth TOS violation and Anchorless will no longer be with us. Please (everyone) bear in mind that you may vehemently disagree with someone, but we attack opinions, not people.

[kptfire]

I deleted my message because you took the action I was looking for! This had to stop! Thanks for your action.

[Lacerta]

So, back to the original topic...

You mentioned earthquakes, landslides, and crime, so I will address those first.

Earthquakes: I have lived in Boise pretty much all my life, and the last earthquake I remember feeling was the one in Challis 25 years ago. (I was in kindergarten at the time) So while we are technically an earthquake zone, with potential for having a large earthquake, don't think of us as being like California, with little earthquakes happening all the time. Someone mentioned we have the most earthquakes in the US. I've never heard that before. I suppose it might be possible, but as I said, I've never felt an earthquake in the last 25 years.

Landslides: As far as I've seen, we don't get landslides in Boise. However, if an earthquake were to happen, I suppose it would be possible in several areas of town. Now the mountains to the North of Boise are a different story.

Crime: Boise is a very nice place to live, in part because it has a fairly low crime rate. I personally feel safe as a woman, by myself, walking around pretty much any part of town during the day, and a good part of town by night. I would be comfortable driving around any of Boise or Meridian at any time. Canyon County, where Nampa and Caldwell are, I would not be nearly so secure.

Water Temp: The Boise River stays fairly cool, but is warm enough to float during the peak months of summer, which thousands of people do. Lucky Peak Reservoir is one of the closer, more popular destinations for boating and whatnot, and it is also warm enough for swimming. Its not warm like Lake Powell or Lake Mead, but it is pleasant.

Snow: Most years, Boise gets a small amount of snow a couple of times in the winter, which may or may not melt off right away. I usually shovel 2" or less a couple of times. This year was more like we had back in the 80's and before, in that we actually got a fair amount of snow and it just kept coming down. Even so, I probably only shoveled more than 2" at a time 2 or 3 times, and I probably shoveled a dozen times total.

Humidity: Nope, nada, none... ok, well not none, but not much. We are a desert, and hot or cold, it is typically dry.

As for jobs and costs of houses, its sort of the same whereever you go in the country right now, but Boise has fared better than most overall.

The traffic that has been so hotly debated is horrible if you grew up here as I did, mostly because it has gotten so much worse in such a short time. We grew too quickly for the infrastructure to keep up, even if the city planners had thought it out better than they did. Honestly, though, it really isn't all that bad, in relation to many other cities, but it isn't great.

One big con for me is that Idaho in general has few to no incentives for "green living". To my knowledge, there are no rebates for hybrid cars, or solar panels. I think there are a few for things like adding insulation, or maybe upgrading your furnace, but very minimal. On the flip side of that though, we do have a discount on our trash bill for curbside recycling in Boise and Meridian, which is good. In addition, a good chunk of our power comes from hydroelectric.