Planning a move to Boise ID from Upstate NY (Nampa: daycare, homes)

[brijen97]

Hi folks.. new member here on the forums.. My wife and 10 year old daughter are very seriously considering a relocate to ID.. We are from the upstate NY area. We've come to the conclusion that NY state just does not fit our lifestyle in many respects. Not just economic. Although thats high on the list. This is a long term goal for us that will require much research and discussion as well as a trip out there. We've looked Wyoming as well...but ID seems to be our #1 choice. My wife runs an in home daycare currently and we feel thats a job she can carry with her to whereever we relocate. We homeschool our daughter as well. I have worked in 2 major industries.. Automotive and culinary... So I potentially have 2 different career slots to chose from in the job market. Any feedback on those 2 fields from you folks is appreciated. I have looked at Boise area , with Meridian being a possible choice but still as the research is at its beginning point I am not set on any city.. any thoughts are helpful from both the born in ID and the transplant.. thanks Brian

Read more: Where is the best place to live in Idaho?

[Homeinspectorboise]

Just research the previous Boise posts. Lots of great information on here. I am from Upstate NY originally also and absolutely love living in Idaho. You will love it here. Good luck

[brijen97]

thanks,. I have been reading a lot on here, very informative... We are planning on a visit next year to really get a good feel for the area, thanks

[MsPetrify]

My husband is from upstate NY and I am from Ohio we have lived here for 8mths, so far so good but a few helpful quick comments:
1. Food- enjoy your last meal in NY because pizza here or most food here does not even compare to the food on the East coast. So if you open your own Nirchi's Pizza here or something let us know I miss true New York/East coast food.
2. You will enjoy living in the North End or Hidden Springs, don't look anywhere. Do not go to Meridean you won't like it.
3. It's expensive to fly home, the airport is small and it's hard to get a flight to Upstate NY for less than $500 most are around $600 a ticket around peak days (holidays)
4. If we could find a job in upstate NY we would move there in Heart beat but since we can't this is a great place to live with lots to do and see. It's easy to take trips to the Pacific and elsewhere to explore. It will be an adjustment but if you give the West Coast time it starts to grow on you.
5. when comparing Wyoming and Boise pick Boise, Wyoming is pretty but you I think Boise has more to offer.
6. The schools here are really good in Hidden Springs and North End.
7. Very small town living, smaller then Rochester but bigger then Syracuse. If you like Hunting there is a lot to offer around here. If you like the night life it's different then NY and smaller but there are things to do. Very few good venues come through town too, but hey Fun and One Republic were just here and Macklemore is coming.
8. Buy an orange shirt they are huge BSU fans here so just jump on the wagon don't resist it's a fun wagon to be on.
9. My favorite thing, floating down the Boise River.
10. My least favorite thing, the distance from visiting the East Coast.

Good luck to you.

Hope that helps.

[j_k_k]

Worrying about Boise vs. Meridian from this distance is like worrying about Buffalo vs. (pick your suburb). Eagle, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Garden City are all part of the general metro area. I live in west Boise near Meridian and am not even sure when I cross into Meridian until the address numbers change or I see an actual sign saying something about Meridian. There is some actual hinterland between Boise/Meridian and Nampa and Caldwell but not a whole lot. Probably matters mostly for schools. The decision of which part of town is less important at your remove than just deciding whether you like the area.

I've never been anywhere near any part of NY, but I do think overall they have some real good food back in the northeast. My experience is Seattle (great food) and eastern WA (mediocre except for Mexican). I was told more than once here that Boise is full of good but not great restaurants, and that was spot on. Mexican here doesn't measure up to eastern WA and is about like Seattle, which specializes more in seafood and Asian cuisines. If you are a really capable restauranteur with a friendly attitude, and can start something amazing here, you can beat most of the local competition.

Job market has a fair number of working semi-poor type of jobs. Idaho has a low minimum wage, somewhat lower taxes than WA when one does all the payroll math, and more rudimentary social services and mass transit. Expect job-hunting to be difficult.

You can buy fresh huckleberries locally. This is amazing. I just finished a breakfast of huck pancakes. I don't know how anyone can resist them.

[brijen97]

thanks MsPetrify, 1. I am not really concerned with eating out , I am chef and so I usually cook at home..
We dont go out often here anyways... And thanks maybe I will open a NY style pizza place :>} .
2. We will need to travel to Boise to visit and get a general idea of the neigborhoods.. I have lived in almost every setting from rural farmland to city and in between suburbia.. all have the plus and minus's..just so I know , why will I not like Meridian? 3. Once we move I doubt I will be looking to fly home .. I did see the cost of flying from Albany to boise was about what you said.. oh well. 4. We are def. looking forward to all of the great places to visit in the west.. we've done alot of the east coast stuff and now its time to head west :>} 5. I have pretty much ruled out wyoming, looks like a nice place but doesn't have the complete package that Boise does... 6. We will be homeschooling so the school system isn't a major stumbling block for us, but its always good to know since this will mean a great neighborhood.. 7. we are not big on night life but its good to know some entertainment acts do come this way.. 8.Can't wait to see that blue field !!! 9. we love the fact that Boise utlilizes their waterfront.. Here in Albany/Troy/Schenectady area its totally wasted...hardly used at all..Thanks for all of your thoughts

[brijen97]

JKK- thanks for your input.. I will def. need employment.. But the move we are making is not for sometime.. I would try to line something up prior to moving of course but that may not happen.... I think the job market is about the same or worse here.. and with the added burden of high taxes and huge infrastructure gone awry.. well its disaster.. We pay an ungodly amount of taxes where we are for at best medicore services... I guees what your both telling me is to open a decent restaurant :>} just need some backers any takers !!!?

[IdaD]

Originally Posted by MsPetrify

My husband is from upstate NY and I am from Ohio we have lived here for 8mths, so far so good but a few helpful quick comments:
1. Food- enjoy your last meal in NY because pizza here or most food here does not even compare to the food on the East coast. So if you open your own Nirchi's Pizza here or something let us know I miss true New York/East coast food.
2. You will enjoy living in the North End or Hidden Springs, don't look anywhere. Do not go to Meridean you won't like it.
3. It's expensive to fly home, the airport is small and it's hard to get a flight to Upstate NY for less than $500 most are around $600 a ticket around peak days (holidays)
4. If we could find a job in upstate NY we would move there in Heart beat but since we can't this is a great place to live with lots to do and see. It's easy to take trips to the Pacific and elsewhere to explore. It will be an adjustment but if you give the West Coast time it starts to grow on you.
5. when comparing Wyoming and Boise pick Boise, Wyoming is pretty but you I think Boise has more to offer.
6. The schools here are really good in Hidden Springs and North End.
7. Very small town living, smaller then Rochester but bigger then Syracuse. If you like Hunting there is a lot to offer around here. If you like the night life it's different then NY and smaller but there are things to do. Very few good venues come through town too, but hey Fun and One Republic were just here and Macklemore is coming.
8. Buy an orange shirt they are huge BSU fans here so just jump on the wagon don't resist it's a fun wagon to be on.
9. My favorite thing, floating down the Boise River.
10. My least favorite thing, the distance from visiting the East Coast.

Good luck to you.

Hope that helps.

It sounds like you might be happier back in New York? My comments on some of your points...

1 - I have no doubt the food is better in NYC. It's also worlds better in Portland or Seattle. Boise has some good restaurants but it isn't a big culture thing here.

2 - The North End and Hidden Springs are two very different places...kind of odd to see them lumped together. I'd always recomend that somebody spend a lot of time poking around everywhere to get an idea of where they'd want to live. Different strokes and all. I think parts of Meridian are quite nice, and I think Boise has nicer areas than both the North End or Hidden Springs. Especially the latter - big Stepford Wives vibe out there to me, and I've heard some odd things about the neighborhood.

3 - BOI is comparable to most other west coast airports I've been around. It isn't a hub so you'll need a connecting flight to get back east - I usually use Minneapolis or Chicago when I'm going all the way to the east coast. The cost seems in line with what I've experienced elsewhere.

4 - Schools are generally good in either Boise or Meridian-Eagle School districts. You can get some idea on specific schools with that star rating deal the Dept of Education does, although it's an imperfect measurment system.

10 - Odd...distance from the east coast is one of my very favorite things about Boise.

[TohobitPeak]

The Northend is the best residential neighborhood in Boise imo, and not because I live in it. The Northend and the East End and Warm Springs are the original residential areas in the city. The Northend has by far the best residential architecture in the city, the most beautiful tree lined streets and has Hyde Park Historic District and the location next to downtown is fabulous.

If anyone moves here and wants to open a restaurant then it better be as good or better than a couple of dozen locally owned places I could name off, mainly in the downtown area. Boise may not be Seattle but does have an impressive culinary scene for being such an isolated small city. The scene here pulls from both intermountain west and pacific northwest.

Who needs the east coast when you have all of Idaho and the Northwest to explore?

[percydaman]

As somebody who is living in Boise, AND has lived in upstate NY, I can say that you won't find as many good wing places. Very few actually.