Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Idaho > Boise area
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
 
Old 04-02-2015, 05:45 PM
 
Location: Aliante
3,475 posts, read 3,253,946 times
Reputation: 2967

Advertisements

For everything LaGazzaLadra described they're looking for I'd really recommend looking at moving to Eugene, Oregon. It's a Boise budget with less population but smack in the PNW and more of the art/hipster/alternative culture.

To make the point about Boise more clear. If you're a creative social liberal democrat type like many of the hipsterish culture are I definitely don't recommend moving to Southern Idaho. I don't think I know any Republican hipsters and Idaho is staunchly Conservative/Republican. Downtown, North End and East End and in Moscow you may be alright but otherwise you'll feel oppressed and to keep a lid on it with lots of side eyes.

I forgot to mention the art scene in Boise. It's more focused on fine arts than alternative artists. I didn't find a warehouse with a community of independent artists. I did find it in Northern Idaho territory closer to Moscow in Uniontown, WA at Artisans at the Dahmen Barn. There is an international film festival in Boise with independent films some of it local content. There are local artists but they're few and I'd say a small enough group that everybody knows each other and they put on events together like the Bra Sculptures event for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There are several formal art galleries around town and the Boise Art Museum. Then there are things like craft, folk and fine arts at events such as "Art in The Park" in Julia Davis Park. There are several large art murals on the side of buildings around downtown. They did a series of them under the connector near the skate park. Then the Record Exchange, a culture spot off Idaho St., just got repainted all funky and bright. Off Capitol Blvd and Idaho St. you'll also see a few large murals on the side of buildings. Every first Thursday of the month has also become somewhat of an art walk with free wine and hors-d'oeuvr in downtown Boise. The Flying M Coffee Shop displays artist on their walls, and you can always go to the upstairs of the Student Union Building to check out what art students are doing on campus that are on display.

I still recommend Eugene though. Portland's official motto is "Keep Portland Weird." Eugene is an off shoot of that being 2 hours away from Portland. You'll be able to breath and even thrive there. It has tons of art, vegan/vegetarian friendly places, thrift stores, a descent music scene, the largest selection of craft brewery's in proximity to each other, the Oregon Country Fair, the slug queen pageant, two major University campuses within an hour of each other and all that has to offer, it's only an hour from the Oregon Coast if you want to go to the beach, it's in a rain forest, and it's in the famous Oregon Wine Country.

Last edited by Merrily Gather; 04-02-2015 at 06:00 PM..
Quick reply to this message

 
Old 04-02-2015, 07:13 PM
 
64 posts, read 114,035 times
Reputation: 44
"To make the point about Boise more clear. If you're a creative social liberal democrat type like many of the hipsterish culture are I definitely don't recommend moving to Southern Idaho. I don't think I know any Republican hipsters and Idaho is staunchly Conservative/Republican. Downtown, North End and East End and in Moscow you may be alright but otherwise you'll feel oppressed and to keep a lid on it with lots of side eyes. "

I think what Merry Lee wrote is interesting to me because I found so many people referencing "politics" when I was making plans to move to Boise. An estate agent told me on the phone "oh you have to live in the northend it's where all the 'liberals' live." Am I a liberal? I think healthcare should be free, I'm afraid of firearms, but I am doubtful of that label. But it seems to come up a lot in boise relocation talk. I guess I can understand people wanting to feel they can relate to their neighbors, but it seems silly to believe there are two types of people, maybe I'm just worried we start believing it about ourselves...in general people get so worked up about things, it's best to keep all opinions to myself. I have to say that people in Boise, hip or otherwise, do seem very nice.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-02-2015, 07:21 PM
 
Location: The City of Trees
1,402 posts, read 3,343,840 times
Reputation: 2183
Eugene is a cool city. I actually attended the U of O for a few years and was back visiting friends last summer. I have to say Boise has a lot more going for it compared to Eugene. Eugene is smaller, doesn't have an economy as strong as Boise's and their downtown is like a ghost town compared to ours. It used to be more vibrant. But it is a hipster and grungy stoner city so some may like it. It's beautiful for sure.

The thing is that Boise does have the creative alternative culture in certain areas and there are a lot of artists here and also the artist cooperatives, live and work type residences. Downtown has gained more the last few years as well as shops that only sell locally produced art. The scene has grown so much recently. Moscow's scene, although fab in its own right doesn't compare to Boise's. Both the fine and alternative arts are represented well here.

The local beer scene here in Boise is expanding at a mad pace as is wine since there is a wine region within the metro.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-02-2015, 07:58 PM
Status: "I'm turquoise happy!" (set 22 days ago)
 
Location: The New England part of Ohio
23,868 posts, read 32,134,743 times
Reputation: 67730
Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffSanDimas View Post
The fact that it has hipsters makes me very sad, I guess I have to cross it off my list.

The fact that it has hipsters, makes me glad. I guess I have to put Boise on my list of places to visit.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-02-2015, 08:13 PM
 
Location: The City of Trees
1,402 posts, read 3,343,840 times
Reputation: 2183
Quote:
Originally Posted by sheena12 View Post
The fact that it has hipsters, makes me glad. I guess I have to put Boise on my list of places to visit.
Well there are plenty of them here A perfectly groomed beard is an art form around town.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-03-2015, 08:23 AM
 
719 posts, read 1,556,834 times
Reputation: 618
Quote:
Originally Posted by TohobitPeak View Post
Eugene is a cool city. I actually attended the U of O for a few years and was back visiting friends last summer. I have to say Boise has a lot more going for it compared to Eugene. Eugene is smaller, doesn't have an economy as strong as Boise's and their downtown is like a ghost town compared to ours. It used to be more vibrant. But it is a hipster and grungy stoner city so some may like it. It's beautiful for sure.

The thing is that Boise does have the creative alternative culture in certain areas and there are a lot of artists here and also the artist cooperatives, live and work type residences. Downtown has gained more the last few years as well as shops that only sell locally produced art. The scene has grown so much recently. Moscow's scene, although fab in its own right doesn't compare to Boise's. Both the fine and alternative arts are represented well here.

The local beer scene here in Boise is expanding at a mad pace as is wine since there is a wine region within the metro.
I lived in Eugene during grad school. It's a cool little town in a beautiful setting, and it does have some positives to it compared to Boise. The biggest thing I miss about living there is going to Oregon sporting events, which is great because they perform at a high level against great competition in most sports. You get a little bit of that in Boise, but BSU isn't nationally competitive in most sports and seeing MWC opponents isn't too exciting.

Overall I'd have to agree that Boise has more to offer. There's just more going on whereas in Eugene you have to travel to Portland for events, the airport and etc. Restaurants in Eugene are real limited as well. And the weather - let's just say a 2 or 3 week inversion in Boise is a lot easier to take than 6 months of fog and drizzle.

I even think Boise compares pretty well to Eugene in terms of the craft brew scene these days. It's younger for sure but exploding, and Dagger Falls is a better IPA than Total Domination.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-03-2015, 10:11 AM
 
742 posts, read 1,121,017 times
Reputation: 535
I really wanted to like Eugene when I was accepted there for undergrad, and then later for law school. I drove out there I don't know how many times trying to like it, because I really liked UO and wanted to go. Every time I visited I left just really disliking the area. Don't know why, because I do like western Oregon and even the Portland area.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-03-2015, 10:15 AM
 
719 posts, read 1,556,834 times
Reputation: 618
So where did you end up going to law school?
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-03-2015, 12:21 PM
 
742 posts, read 1,121,017 times
Reputation: 535
Davis.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-03-2015, 05:09 PM
 
Location: Aliante
3,475 posts, read 3,253,946 times
Reputation: 2967
I did say Eugene was smaller than Boise but it's not that much smaller and from what I read here Eugene is greatly underestimated.

For vegetarian and vegan places to eat Eugene has way more options than Boise for sure.

Viva Vegetarian Grille - multiple locations and food carts
Cornbread Cafe - a cute diner that's specialty is vegan comfort food
Lotus Garden Vegetarian Restaurant - Chinese vegetarian food
Govinda's Vegetarian Buffet
Cafe Yumm! - The 'om nom nom bomb' in rice and vegetable bowls!
Morning Glory Cafe - Vegan and vegetarian breakfast and lunches. My absolute favorite place.
Laughing Planet Cafe - Affordable vegetarian where you get big delicious burritos for $5. You can eat healthy on a students budget.
Pizza Research Institute - Gourmet Vegan, Vegetarian Pizza.
Holy Cow Cafe - Vegan, Vegetarian food that's also super delicious.

The list goes on with nearly every restaurant and bakery in town offering an extensive vegan/vegetarian menu and not just a few items. It's very easy to be vegan and vegetarian in Eugene. I don't think the resturants are limited at all, especially for what the OP is looking for. Plus the growth downtown in their urban core has been booming in the past five years. They've been really focusing on that.

Maybe Boise's craft beer scene is younger and it does look like it has grown but I wouldn't compare the Idaho wine country with the Oregon wine country just yet. Though there are some long time established winery's in Idaho like Ste. Chappelle's Winery. I'd also say Oregon's market on craft brews is bigger.

U of O's student population in Eugene is comparable to BSU in Boise, but there is also OSU in Corvallis which doubles the student population around an hour away. These are two reputable Universities in proximity that bring in big events. Then there's the fact tours will pass up Boise to play in cities like Portland so you'll have better access to things you wouldn't get otherwise.

As for the rain and fog that's part of the enchantment of living in a rain forest. It's not heavy rain but light shower and it does rain usually everyday but not all day, and not usually in the summers. They call the rain Oregon Sunshine. Most days you can go outside in between showers and get several hours of sunshine so it's really not a problem and the summers are unbelievably beautiful. It creates some of the most lushes greenery around and fertile soil. It's just an hour from the coast so that's where a lot of the rain comes in from and there is nothing like being able to take a trip to gorgeous Oregon Coast in the dead of winter where it's warmer at the beach than it is further inland. Plus the freshest seafood is right there.

My point for the OP though was about how Boise has only a little bit of what they're looking for where as Eugene may be smaller in population but it has a whole lot more of what they're seeking. Living in the city of Eugene is like living in the North End, East End or Downtown area of Boise.

Both cities have very nice people but the politics are also going to be polar opposites.

Last edited by Merrily Gather; 04-03-2015 at 05:43 PM..
Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


 
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Idaho > Boise area

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top