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We just moved here in January and are learning as we go. So far we love Boise! Safety was our number one concern and we couldn't have picked a better city for it. Just from what we have explored: North end is a nice quaint old money neighborhood with alot of charm. My wife and I are into more modern looks, so this neighborhood (as nice as it was) would likely not be for us. In most of the other neighborhoods, there are "pockets". What I mean by that is: within a 2 block radius you can see an upscale condo/apartment complex, $600k+ homes with a perfect view of the city/mountains, then some nice well kept homes, then homes that let the grass do whatever it wants, then a trailer park. This is not an exaggeration, in fact my dog and I walk past each of these things within a 10 min walk.
If I were single and moving here, i would probably try the apartment complex's by Ann Morrison Park. They are nice and clean, up to date, and right by the greenbelt and all the activity. They are also close enough to downtown.
Something I have noticed since moving here is that there is something to do every single week. There is always something going on to get you out of the house and learn about the area.
Im not a fan of the Idaho Stateman yet. I know the Boise Weekly is mostly puff pieces, but from our experience it has been much more relateable to what we are looking for. We don't care about politics yet or the laws going in and out. We just want to know what events are coming up, what restaurants were reviewed, and generally whats going on (not politics or law, Ill worry about that once I have roots dug in here and feel like a true citizen of this city).
Hey, congrats on the move!! Glad to hear how its going for you, thus far. Safety/crime continues to be #1 for me and that seems to be shared reasoning from many I've heard from here and other resources. I will definitely do some more research into the area near Ann Morrison Park. Good to hear of the names of these spots now, before even going up there, so I continually learn a little more here and there. In my position, unless I obtained a job further away from downtown, the downtown area, especially with all I've researched, sounds like a good place for me to focus my efforts. Even if I don't get out as often as I should at times, maybe the fact that so much goes on will help push me to leave my comfort zone and discover the offerings around town. Yeah, it will take time to figure out which papers/sites I'd mostly spend my time on. Not too political myself, though, I try to keep up, but am not heavily invested in it. Things are gonna happen one way or another. If politics is one thing, its certainly entertaining. Well.....if you got my warped sense of humor. Ha. Funny you mention about having your roots dug in and becoming a true citizen. I read another thread somewhere asking about how do you need to be somewhere until you can say you truly live there. Answers varied, of course, but many said the six month mark to get acquainted. Perhaps. Will be curious to see how long it takes for ya, maybe me down the road!!
Boise is a good place as far as big cities go,
however it can be summed up in three words:
Hot. Crowded. Expensive.
Where would recommend someone also look if they wanted as much as what Boise had to offer, but on a smaller scale? Not as crowded. Money will be an issue pretty much anywhere. The weather I can adapt to. Still gonna be cooler anywhere up there vs Texas. But I am focusing on smaller to midsize areas with access to basic amenities that most towns/cities have, as to where I'm not getting further off into the country, which....well, I'm not really cut out for. Grew up in the suburbs and all. Not what you'd call necessarily a do it yourself kinda guy. Well...not yet, anyways. Most importantly, though, Boise seems to still the best option up there for jobs in an area I'd feel safe living in based on crime rates and such.
Boise is a good place as far as big cities go,
however it can be summed up in three words:
Hot. Crowded. Expensive.
Hot? Maybe hot during the summer (and there are people who like the heat) , the winters are cold and can also be mild, and the rest of the year is comfortable. This Spring has been beautiful and the temps awesome.
Crowded and Expensive are subjective. I would wager that most people from major cities would not consider Boise crowded or expensive. If you are comparing Boise to the extremely rural Camas Prairie then I can understand your context.
Crowded and Expensive are subjective. I would wager that most people from major cities would not consider Boise crowded or expensive. If you are comparing Boise to the extremely rural Camas Prairie then I can understand your context.
Yeah, I likely wouldn't find it nearly as crowded as Houston. I mean....it is technically 10% of Houston's population. Houston is a bit over 2 mil and Boise over only what... 200,000? Now I imagine that in Boise some of that might be more concentrated, but even with Houston being such a spread out city, you can't spread out that many people. Expensive in comparison would have to depend on the area. That one is too hard to measure simply by city comparison. But from what I've come across, the difference in cost is minimal. Cost of living doesn't really seem to change much.
Yeah, I likely wouldn't find it nearly as crowded as Houston. I mean....it is technically 10% of Houston's population. Houston is a bit over 2 mil and Boise over only what... 200,000? Now I imagine that in Boise some of that might be more concentrated, but even with Houston being such a spread out city, you can't spread out that many people. Expensive in comparison would have to depend on the area. That one is too hard to measure simply by city comparison. But from what I've come across, the difference in cost is minimal. Cost of living doesn't really seem to change much.
Boise's population is around 217,000, Ada County is 434,211, the Metro population is 664,422, and the CSA population (Mountain Home/Boise to Ontario) is 756,061.
Boise's population is around 217,000, Ada County is 434,211, the Metro population is 664,422, and the CSA population (Mountain Home/Boise to Ontario) is 756,061.
Nice. Thanks! Yeah, I think I had read that about the metro being over 600,000. Still a drop in the bucket to Houston's metro at 6,656,947. What's crazy, if I'm reading the stats right, is that the 664,422 actually covers 1,000 more sq feet of area!!
Boise is a good place as far as big cities go,
however it can be summed up in three words:
Hot. Crowded. Expensive.
And not compared to many large cities; LA, NYC, Detroit, etc.
Love it here!
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