Boise or Bust...anyone with insight please help! (rental car, real estate) - Idaho (ID) - City-Data Forum

Cyclingfan · 10-18-2010, 11:52 AM

Anyone with insight...I will be visiting Boise this Thanksgiving week with my wife and 11 yr. old son. We are from the dreaded SoCal area and we are seriously researching that area to relocate (for obvious and endless reasons) late 2012 when I retire. My wife has been here her whole life and "kinda" wants to move, but fears the anti-Ca. attitudes that are so exhaustively layed out on the Forums. I am originally from the Upstate N.Y. area so I am well aware of what cold weather, nice people, and a slower paced outdoor life style is like. We believe in the mantra, "when in Rome do as the Romans do", and that those who wish to "change" things after they get to Idaho need to stay put in The Land of Fruits and Nuts (and I don't mean Apricots and Almonds!) and keep their misery to themselves! (Yes I am almost ashamed to say I am from SoCal anymore)

Questions if I may: 1) Should I park the Ca. plated motorhome and rent a car with Idaho plates as to avoid the risk of my wife getting the cold shoulder, thus getting a bad taste about moving there? 2) What places or sorts of activies would you recommend visiting that will give us the best feel for what Boise is all about? 3) Any inside info. on where to wet the fly-line while there? I will be armed with everything from my 000 wt to an 8 wt rod...We are full-bore cyclists, fly fishers, sport shooters, and plain 'ol lovers of the outdoors! Thanks...

grmi66 · 10-18-2010, 12:13 PM

If you come with cash to buy a house I doubt anyone will complain about where you are from.

enigmadsm · 10-18-2010, 04:30 PM

Honestly, I haven't experienced anyone giving me a hard time nor people I know with out of state or California plates. I think people either have, or should get used to the fact that there are MILLIONS of people in California, and many are exploring nearby states to find better opportunities.

I personally wouldn't try to work around or inconvenience yourself while just visiting, honestly if people cannot be kind to strangers/visitors is that really a place you want to be anyways? That doesn't say too much about their personality or mannerism.

I think you'll be fine however a rental car may make it slightly easier to commute around town doing touristy things.
If you are here over a weekend, I would check out the 8th street market downtown. Its a huge farmers market but has various other booths from local wineries, artists, etc. And its right in downtown so you get to walk around the most urban part of Boise.
If you're into winter sports at all, you could check out Bogus Basin. There might not be snow yet, or there might be some...either way its a nice drive and you can see what the resort has to offer.
I don't know of any fishing places as I haven't fished since I left the bay area.
If you love cycling, shooting, and outdoors it sounds like you'll love it out here!!! Time to build up that gun collection without those California restrictions.
Hell i'm surprised they don't have fishing line restriction there

Clark Fork Fantast · 10-18-2010, 10:10 PM

Having CA plates is an absolute non-issue in Idaho, unless you happen to be an obnoxious driver! Then Idahoans will put two and two together...We've spent part of the summer in ID for the past 6 years, we now own retirement property in North Idaho, and half the people we've met are happy, well-adjusted, non-pushy, helpful ex-Calis.

jufrbo · 10-19-2010, 02:28 PM

The worst you would experience from natives is a joke or two at your expense, but that is it. There is no serious animosity. And if someone does hassle you, just say this is where your wife's roots are.

Cyclingfan · 10-19-2010, 02:43 PM

This is great info., thanks to all of you! The "cash" thing is too funny grmi66, the State of Ca. has drained me of it so they can give to the "poor" (poor saps that refuse to get a job that is )...another big reason for leaving.

tkmaz · 10-20-2010, 10:22 AM

Not from SoCal - but AZ.

We JUST got back & we went w/ the sole purpose of considering relocation.
Something I noticed that you can probably relate to: People don't care. Honestly, I live in a big city and people are too busy about their own lives to pay you much mind, including an out of state-er. Same in SoCal, big cities mean less individual attention.

I actually wondered about this going there as well. People aren't preoccupied w/ what others are doing - it's big enough in that respect. But they're KIND. People smile & stores, etc are helpful. I had nothing but a wonderful experience. Two thumbs up!!

I will be posting a thread in a bit w/ some questions after our visit.

Cyclingfan · 10-20-2010, 02:22 PM

Thanks tkmaz, that is kinda what I was thinking. There are just so many negative comments it makes you wonder. Based on all the good comments from those whom actually visit or move there, I am beginning to believe many people post info. to discourage growth???

tkmaz · 10-20-2010, 03:48 PM

Maybe....I know here in AZ there's nothing that irritates me more than a retired snowbird going 20 mph under the speed limit! So I understand if that's the case!

I've lived in AZ since birth, it's my home. So I can understand that feeling when "others" move into your home state.

But you know....our economy grew on housing....and Boise saw a surge during that growth. Now that housing is in the slump it is everywhere...the growth will slow down for awhile too. Many across the nation are STUCK in the state they're in because they can't make a profit on the house sale...that's where we are. SO if it's slowing us down, I'm sure other possible wannabe-relocators are in the same boat.

I think what really concerns me is making friends. I WANT to have girlfriends I can have a girls night out with, I WANT to be accepted. So I imagine the PTA, Meetups, etc are in my future...I also assume many will be filled w/ SoCal relocatee's.

grmi66 · 10-20-2010, 03:57 PM

Been here for almost 5 years and can only recall one time that anyone said something negative about newcomers. He was a 5th generation Idahoan and really seemed to miss when Boise was a small town and undiscovered. Think he was more frustrated at how the newcomers were driving up real estate prices, which in turn were driving up his property taxes.

My own personal observation is that it seems like east Boise was more clique-ish and filled with more natives. Used to work with some people who felt that anything west of Cole really wasn't Boise anymore and filled with ex-pat Californians. In my neighborhood out in west Boise it is filled with more people from out of state and nobody cares where you are from.