I'm am moving to Boise, Idaho, from Los Angeles, CA... good or bad move? (ski resorts, apartment)

[sunberries]

Hello,
I'm 19 years old, and I am moving to Boise with my family in just a FEW months. I'm a little nervous because California is all i've known. People are always asking "WHY IdAHO?" and i really dont know why myself, it scares me because i'm afraid that boise, culture and activities wise will go away. I mean in california there are many things to do, especially shopping. I've visited Boise now a couple of times and seen the BOD and well.. its not very big.. not to be mean or anything, its uncomparable to LA. I'm just worried that there isnt going to be much do... seriously, i could shop that center in like 1 day and be bored later. I'm into outdoors activites, but there is also no amusement parks. It just... it seems a little boring compared to california. Right now at least. So... Why DO YOU like living there.. other then the people are nice, and its pretty. What is there to DO? I'm also going to BSU, or hoping to... so what is BSU, college kids, like as well??
Sorry if i sound rude, its just a really big change.

[Katera]

Originally Posted by sunberries

Hello,
I'm 19 years old, and I am moving to Boise with my family in just a FEW months. I'm a little nervous because California is all i've known. People are always asking "WHY Idaho?" and i really don't know why myself, it scares me because i'm afraid that Boise, culture and activities wise will go away. I mean in California there are many things to do, especially shopping. I've visited Boise now a couple of times and seen the BOD and well.. its not very big.. not to be mean or anything, its incomparable to LA. I'm just worried that there isn't going to be much do... seriously, i could shop that center in like 1 day and be bored later. I'm into outdoors activities, but there is also no amusement parks. It just... it seems a little boring compared to California. Right now at least. So... Why DO YOU like living there.. other then the people are nice, and its pretty. What is there to DO? I'm also going to BSU, or hoping to... so what is BSU, college kids, like as well??
Sorry if i sound rude, its just a really big change.

Hi friend, I don't live in Boise..yet, but I did grow up in LA. Specifically, Glendora/San Dimas valley area. Growing up in LA I can sympathize with you and how you are feeling. I am 39 now, have 2 kids and have been married for 20 years next May. Growing up I was like you and honestly every other kid in So Cal...there was So Cal...and the rest of the world. It was the best place to grow up and i would not change it for the world. Unfortunately, like me..you have grown up. You are 19 now and the months and years of parental support are quickly going to come to an end for you. I found this out when I was 19 and was forced to face life in So Cal without being taken care of by my parents. What a wake up call. Unless you have a trust fund, it is almost impossible to make it in LA on a normal salary or trying to go to school. I made the only choice I could and joined the Air Force. Funny enough I was stationed at Fairchild AFB in Spokane, WA. I hated it. Why?

-From So Cal weather to the deep freeze of Spokane was to much to take at 20.
-I was a Power Lineman, worked outside every stinking day and froze.
-My young wife and I were broke. Although we had enough for a small apartment, 1 little Honda and food...we had little else.
-No freedom in the Military was tough for me to swallow.

Now after almost 20 years, I am seriously considering moving back to the NW...Boise. Why? THERE IS LIFE OUTSIDE OF SO CAL! Maturity taught me that. You could not pay me to go back. I make 200k + per year and the housing in Southern California is still well out of reach unless you want to live in a craphole.....for 600k!

So why post all this? To give you one piece of advice. It's time to start looking VERY hard at where you want to be in the next 5 years from a financial standpoint and stop worrying about the amusment parks and boredom. You mentioned going to BSU? There is nothing you could do more to better your situation then get an education. If you have that chance, and your parents can help....sweet mercy take it! After being away from LA a few years, getting your education and starting a career, So Cal and its horrible cost of living will become a distant memory. Good luck friend.

[AlleyTD]

Ummmm .... I think you are in for a rude awakening and by the sound of it you may not be happy ... UNLESS, you are open to new people and things.

Let begin by saying that I was born and raised in LA ... I went to UCLA and have lived in Westwood, Santa Monica, Pasedena and Manhattan Beach. I know Los Angeles ... and if ANYONE would have moved me to Boise at age 19 I would have gone nuts!

I am much older now and MUCH wiser - Boise is a great place and my guess is that it will be what you make it.
If you compare everything you see (shops, schools, events) to Los Angeles ... you will be bummed and you probably won't make many friends. They will see you as a pretentious young woman who is full of herself and California.

It's the same way for people who come to Los Angeles from New York (Manhattan) and then spend their days comparing the two cities. There is nothing like Time Square in Los Angeles and any comparision falls very short in contrast.

So ... that being said. If you stop comparing Boise to LA you will be fine. If you continue ... well hopefully you will outgrow your tunnel vision and make friends anyway.

Good Luck.

[jufrbo]

I go to BSU, and have lived in Boise forever, I like the city but really don't care for the University, there are a lot of Cali people there though. I just don't think that BSU fulfills the "college experience" since it is a commuter college there is virtually no campus life, outside of football games. I'd say almost half of the students live away from campus and most people are onnly there to go to class, so they are really not interested in making friends, etc. But Boise can be fun, even though there is limited shopping and no amusement parks (been to Disneyland and California Adevnture and hated it) but those things aren't my bag. Try getting a hobby like mountain biking, skiing etc. thats big here.

[Anchorless]

Originally Posted by JustinFromBoise

I go to BSU, and have lived in Boise forever, I like the city but really don't care for the University, there are a lot of Cali people there though. I just don't think that BSU fulfills the "college experience" since it is a commuter college there is virtually no campus life, outside of football games. I'd say almost half of the students live away from campus and most people are onnly there to go to class, so they are really not interested in making friends, etc. But Boise can be fun, even though there is limited shopping and no amusement parks (been to Disneyland and California Adevnture and hated it) but those things aren't my bag. Try getting a hobby like mountain biking, skiing etc. thats big here.

That's what makes going to BSU so nice - you can get away and enjoy the city, foothills, mountains, and rivers.

It's so much better than the alternative in Idaho.

(And if you want friends, live in the dorms your first year or two)

[donnam]

Wow! I think some of these responses have been a little harsh. Try to remember this is a young person who is moving away from "home". YES, California is actually HOME for some people. California is really not as awful as people make it out to be in this forum.

That being said, Sunberries, my son is 15 and we uprooted him from California to live here in Boise. I thought being a teenager so used to the lifestyle in CA he would have the most difficult adjustment. Of our family, he is the happiest here in Boise. He's made a friends at school and he's explored a lot of Boise. He absolutely loves to go downtown, because he feels safe there at night to walk around with his friends and enjoy the city.

No, there are no amusement parks. Sorry, folks, but that IS an adjustment for someone raised in So Cal. I can understand how you feel, Sunberries. You will have a period of adjustment. There are different things to do here; not fewer necessarily, just different.

Eventually you will discover the things there are to do here in Boise. Especially being at BSU you'll probably have plenty of opportunity to meet people who can show you all the activities and culture that Boise has to offer. Don't despair, keep an open mind and see how you feel after you have been here for awhile. Like I said, my son has found his niche here.

[desert sun]

I dont live in Boise,but I have been a couple times,it is a pretty city,but too small,I live in Albuquerque,New Mexico and it is the perfect sized city.Albq.population-500,000+
Albq.metro population-860,000.There are lots of Californians here,some may think it looks ghetto but I dont see that.You wont find anywhere like Cali so anywhere you move its going to be a big change.Avoid Phoenix,but if you do move to a smaller metro area I think you will enjoy life alot more.1 more thing- it snows more and is colder in Boise than in Albuquerque.But snow in Boise and in Albuquerque is nice.Culturally, Albuquerque would be better where there really is no minority,the whole city is white,spanish,mexican, and native american with a small population of blacks and asians.

[Anchorless]

Yeah, it's been cold and windy here the past few days.

I don't know if it got warmer than 50 degrees out yesterday, but it felt colder than that. It might not get warmer for a while.

[Katera]

Spend a week with me in Houston and you will be dieing to go back to that cold weather. You know its bad when you have to change your shirt just from walking to your car it is so freaking humid!

[ebreezy]

sunberries another options is salt lake city utah it's good size metro population city with alot of new project being built up within 2-4 years you got the gateway center a outdoor shoping center, you have cottonwood mall which is going to be another outdoors mall type with high in stores to shop at in a few years, for amusement park you got lagoon amusement park its not like the major amusement parks in so.cal but it's something, you also have the utah jazz nba, the utah blaze indoor football, and you got real salt lake soccer that's if your a sports fan you have alots of things to do also there is park city with alot of top notch ski resorts to check into. you also have the univ of utah, weber state in ogden utah, byu in provo that is another place to look into. like i said if your not so sure about going to boise idaho just hit me on up and drop me a line i can give your all the info you need about salt lake city what they half to offer. job wise or even finding a place of your own you got to fine that one on your own. it's been 10 years since i live there. but i hope i was able to help you some what also you can write me at ebreezy738@myspace.com