Confused about Nampa/Caldwell ID (Boise, Meridian: low income, transplants, apartments)

[jmgloss]

Originally Posted by motomac

My wife and I moved to Nampa when I retired 3 years ago, and we have not regretted it one bit.

I had read a lot of posts on this and other forums about the Nampa/Caldwell crime, but the more I looked into it, the more it became obvious that was old information. Both towns have made major efforts to clean up their act, and have been very successful. I have never, ever felt even remotely threatened anywhere in Nampa, day or night.

I am retired, as are a couple of the people posting in this thread, and therefore will not need to commute to Boise or Meridian or anywhere. If I need to go into Boise, I pick when I want to go so I can miss what littler traffic there is. I make maybe 2 or 3 trips a month into Boise, using about a gallon of gas each way in my truck. In exchange for that, I get a heck of a lot more house for the same money out in Nampa.

All my dealings with city employees at every level have been more than pleasant, they take pride in their jobs and try to be as helpful as they can. It is a refreshing change from anywhere else I've ever lived, either in the U.S. or overseas.

There is plenty of shopping here, from big-box stores to smaller "mom & pop" shops. It's rare that I can't find what I want in Nampa and have to go into Boise. Plenty of grocery stores are around, are a few farmer's outlets where the fruits and veggies were picked literally just an hour or two ago.

There is plenty to do, also. The Idaho Center is similar to the Expo Center in Boise, with musical and sporting events, trade shows, etc. Movie theaters, community functions (Art in the Park [this weekend], custom car shows, rodeo events, parks, etc). The Nampa Recreation Center is a very modern facility with a separate Senior Center. They offer plenty of courses for all age groups, from pre-school to seniors, a boatload of exercise equipment, classes for water exercises, etc, etc.

About the only drawback for living in Nampa is the sugar beet processing plant north of town. While they're in season and processing, if the wind is coming from the north you can smell it. I notice it but don't fine it offensive. My wife doesn't like it, but because it's pretty rare that it's overly strong, she generally ignores it.

Bottom line is that you should not take my word for it, nor take the word of those who say it is a fetid dump full of criminals. Keep an open mind, check the real estate listings for the type of house you're looking for, and drive around and take a look.

If I had to do it all over again, I would live in this house in this neighborhood in this city. Period.

Thanks for your positive comments. They are extremely helpful. We are planning a scouting trip there next month when hopefully the heat breaks. Really appreciate your insights.

[motomac]

This is a great article about the crime in the Nampa/Caldwell area, and how it has changed in the past two decades.

Canyon County combats crime | Yahoo Feeds | Idahostatesman.com

[370z]

Originally Posted by motomac

This is a great article about the crime in the Nampa/Caldwell area, and how it has changed in the past two decades.

Canyon County combats crime | Yahoo Feeds | Idahostatesman.com

Very good article. My question is, what side of Nampa and Caldwell are nicer and where is it best to stay away from? I liked at some homes and areas online in Caldwell that looked very nice, but pictures sometimes lie!

[motomac]

Originally Posted by 370z

Very good article. My question is, what side of Nampa and Caldwell are nicer and where is it best to stay away from? I liked at some homes and areas online in Caldwell that looked very nice, but pictures sometimes lie!

It's a little different in Nampa. Because I've only been here 3.5 years, this is basically taken from things I've been told by my neighbors; all of whom are longtime Nampa residents. The city didn't grow that much for many years, but once it got it's act together and cleaned up the problem areas, then new construction began and it became sort of a 'bedroom community' for Boise. There are areas of the smaller 40's, 50's and 60's style homes, and then there are areas of large, modern homes with decent-size yards, multi-car garages, and so on. There really isn't much in between. That said, there are some very nice neighborhoods with the older type homes where people are proud of where they live and take care of the areas. Then there are other areas with the identical type of house that are run-down, unkempt lawns, paint peeling, old-car-in-the-yard, etc. There is no distinct 'line of demarcation' between these areas, they are inter-mingled throughout the town.

The areas of the newer homes are pretty obvious, mainly for the architectural style if nothing else. I would guess most have been built since the early- to mid-1990s. I haven't seen any areas of the newer homes that are run-down and ratty, but then I haven't been looking for them either. You'll just have to pick some homes you want to look at and come see for yourself. Pick out more than you think you will have time to see, because some of them will be under contract or already sold by the time you get here.

About real estate websites.... The professionals who 'dress' homes for sale are very good, and the real estate photographs are wizards! They know the right angles to flatter a home, as well as the things to avoid. We've seen many a home that looks super in the pics, but turned out to be a major let-down in person. One of the things I started doing was to use Google Maps. Not only can you get the birds-eye view from above (which will tell you a lot), you can also get the street view of the whole neighborhood too. One house we found seemed to be priced quite low, but looked great. However, Google Maps showed me why.....it was right next door to a 24-hour gas station/mini-mart that - as indicated by the tire tracks on the pavement - did a lot of business. Somehow the photographer had missed that minor fact.

When it came time for our final decision, we had a list of houses I had found on Realtor.com, plus our agent had a few more that were very recent listings, that were scattered around Boise, Meridian, Nampa, and Star. We looked at all but two, because those were already under contract. We agreed on the one we wanted and went from there. So, what I'm saying is to not lock yourself into one particular area....give them all a chance. You never really know where you'll find your 'perfect' house.

[Peru & Ky to Idaho]

I live in NE Nampa and love the closeness to the college, mall, and freeway. We are intermixed with country acreage and new subdivisions along Cherry.

[370z]

Originally Posted by motomac

It's a little different in Nampa. Because I've only been here 3.5 years, this is basically taken from things I've been told by my neighbors; all of whom are longtime Nampa residents. The city didn't grow that much for many years, but once it got it's act together and cleaned up the problem areas, then new construction began and it became sort of a 'bedroom community' for Boise. There are areas of the smaller 40's, 50's and 60's style homes, and then there are areas of large, modern homes with decent-size yards, multi-car garages, and so on. There really isn't much in between. That said, there are some very nice neighborhoods with the older type homes where people are proud of where they live and take care of the areas. Then there are other areas with the identical type of house that are run-down, unkempt lawns, paint peeling, old-car-in-the-yard, etc. There is no distinct 'line of demarcation' between these areas, they are inter-mingled throughout the town.

The areas of the newer homes are pretty obvious, mainly for the architectural style if nothing else. I would guess most have been built since the early- to mid-1990s. I haven't seen any areas of the newer homes that are run-down and ratty, but then I haven't been looking for them either. You'll just have to pick some homes you want to look at and come see for yourself. Pick out more than you think you will have time to see, because some of them will be under contract or already sold by the time you get here.

About real estate websites.... The professionals who 'dress' homes for sale are very good, and the real estate photographs are wizards! They know the right angles to flatter a home, as well as the things to avoid. We've seen many a home that looks super in the pics, but turned out to be a major let-down in person. One of the things I started doing was to use Google Maps. Not only can you get the birds-eye view from above (which will tell you a lot), you can also get the street view of the whole neighborhood too. One house we found seemed to be priced quite low, but looked great. However, Google Maps showed me why.....it was right next door to a 24-hour gas station/mini-mart that - as indicated by the tire tracks on the pavement - did a lot of business. Somehow the photographer had missed that minor fact.

When it came time for our final decision, we had a list of houses I had found on Realtor.com, plus our agent had a few more that were very recent listings, that were scattered around Boise, Meridian, Nampa, and Star. We looked at all but two, because those were already under contract. We agreed on the one we wanted and went from there. So, what I'm saying is to not lock yourself into one particular area....give them all a chance. You never really know where you'll find your 'perfect' house.

Thanks for the help. I have found out that pictures of homes for sale can really lie! That's what I have been doing is looking at the neighborhood where the homes are.

[Lissa1]

Hello to all. My first post so I hope I know what I'm doing on here. I currently live in Ohio. My daughter and her family (my only granddaughters, twin 19 month old girls) moved to Caldwell November 1, 2017. I'm considering a move within the next few month. I'm on permanent disability due to some a couple breast cancer issues so i can't be too far from a hospital due to needing more surgeries. A drive up to 2 hours for treatment i could handle. I'm looking for something with rural, country relaxation but close enough to get too my family in a fairly short period of time. Thought about Nampa but this forum makes it seem rather busy for me. Thoughts on where might be a good fit and if housing for folks who are disabled is available without being in an apartment building in the hustle and bustle? Thanks y'all

[CAHntr]

For Motomac, thanks for a well written and thoughtful analysis. The wife and I are considering moving to Idaho but it won't be for a few more years. I'm currently doing research and posts like this help a lot. If you're still around, do you have any update on Nampa? Thx.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by Lissa1

Hello to all. My first post so I hope I know what I'm doing on here. I currently live in Ohio. My daughter and her family (my only granddaughters, twin 19 month old girls) moved to Caldwell November 1, 2017. I'm considering a move within the next few month. I'm on permanent disability due to some a couple breast cancer issues so i can't be too far from a hospital due to needing more surgeries. A drive up to 2 hours for treatment i could handle. I'm looking for something with rural, country relaxation but close enough to get too my family in a fairly short period of time. Thought about Nampa but this forum makes it seem rather busy for me. Thoughts on where might be a good fit and if housing for folks who are disabled is available without being in an apartment building in the hustle and bustle? Thanks y'all

If you are going to need surgery and are on disability, living out in the country would not be a very good life for you here. I think you need to consider the difference between your needs and wants more thoroughly before you move.

Life in Idaho, even in our cities, isn't the same as it is in other states. Nampa certainly has its busy spots and streets, but living here is generally much more laid back than in other places.

You don't have to move out to the country to find some peace and quiet as a general rule. And, if you were to have a medical emergency, the distances out here suddenly become very important. You don't want to have to spend any more time than necessary getting to a hospital or some sudden medical care.

I suggest you come out and visit first and look the area over before you make any firm decisions.

[LadyKatie3]

I suggest Middleton or Star/Kuna, and no further out. but maybe consider meridian, have an open mind about how far out you need to be until you've seen these places.