Boise Pros-Cons (Meridian, Eagle: homes, neighborhoods, school)

[benchfan]

I was a nanny in Moreno Valley, not far from Riverside, in 1993/1994 and I would NEVER, EVER in million years live there again. The quality of life here totally makes up for any differences in a house. I just showed a buyer a great, totally remodeled house on .20 acres in Eagle with a pool for $211,000. Not quite the land size, but a nice lot and an infinitely better lifestyle.

[boi2socal]

I didn't realize home prices had fallen so much in Temecula. Anyways, the two places are kind of hard to compare, especially if the prices are the same. A pro is Boise is an anchor city, you'll have more things to do close to you than in Temecula (unless you drive to Riverside, OC or LA). The con being any true large city is a several hour drive away. Subjective, but weather is superior in Temecula, I'd say the summers in Boise and Temecula are pretty similar. Obviously, colder in Boise during winter. And, I don't really know about crime in the Temecula area. Most of the Boise Area is safe. Also, Boise has a ton of outdoor things to do.

[Katera]

I would like to get some updates on this thread. I'm still looking at so cal vs boise coming from the nightmare that is Houston weather lol

[NoWeNative]

Update on anything in particular? We're currently enjoying lovely mild winter weather (IMO) with nights below freezing and daytime highs in the 40's - 50's and sunshine. YAY! No inversions at the moment and very little snow this year, to the dismay of the ski areas. Bogus Basin finally was able to open. The weather here is something I will miss terribly if I have to move for work.

[MysticalDream]

Pros:
Weather, Cheap, Safe, Quiet, No Traffic, Great Hiking 2-3 hours away, some hiking closeby

Cons:
Boring, Brown, Treeless (excluding planted deciduous, no evergreens), Horrible For Singles Over 20 and Under 40, Job Situation?? (Not sure, IT isn't great)


Boise isn't the place for city life or entertainment. I was just downtown tonight and I never seen such a dead downtown in a city. All the big bars were closed down by 11PM right in the city center. In Portland most larger bars are open til the witching hours , appx 2AM, even outside of downtown.

I am not really into night life so it doesn't bother me. Boise is a good place to live overall. People are friendlier than Oregon, although married to their closed social groups. You have to be very outgoing and get involved with lots of activities if you want any social life outside your family and church.

I'm not complaining, I am just being honest from my observation as a 30-something guy who is a software developer. Personally, if you are making over $50,000 a year, I think Boise would be a lot better to live than many places in this country, if you can generate that type of capital. That isn't so hard in a two-income home, assuming you don't have like 8 kids.

[Inagirl]

Considering a move to Boise.... Have lived in Carrboro, NC (alternative, creative, funky town within a pretty darn red state) for 20+ years. We have a 9 y/o daughter, love to hike and bike, commute when possible, eat clean, be in nature. Worried about a few things and would appreciate some honest replies:

1. We are not religious....nature is our "church." Will we encounter any difficulties? We would love to get a place near Camelbak Park or Military Park. Since they seem similar to the funky houses we love in Carrboro. Any thoughts?

2. Winters worry me, but I've read the threads and feel somewhat hopeful that I can tolerate, if not learn to love the winters. Can you drive around town during the winters with snow...or do you need a truck with snow tires and ****??? Will I be able to move about the town, get my kid to school, go to the grocery? Can you easily drive to places to ski? Or does that require a truck? Silly to ask, I'm sure, but I'm a girl from Houston who moved to NC and loved the seasons (except winter...wet and icy, never fun snow).

That's a start. I'd love some current input.

[ILI.EB]

The one thing that never seems to get mentioned is that there is virutally NO shopping for the finer things or great dining options in or around Boise. There are a couple restaurants in the valley that are good, but I've yet to find anything that stands out such as the nicer restaurants in several other "near-by" larger cities.

If you like typical suburban living and don't require the finer things in life, Boise will most likely be a great fit for you.

Being non religous won't cause you any problems, but it will be more difficult to find a like-minded and diverse group of people to associate with in the area (though not impossible)

Winter is typically mild temperature-wise. There are some days with ice on certain roads. The city uses chip sealing which almost eliminates black ice, but there are patches of smooth road surfaces through-out the valley that do freeze on occasion

Another thing that bothers me is that the only city that can plan is Eagle and Eagle is getting way too cookie-cutter and it is quite far out with no freeway access. In Meridian and Boise, you'll find a nicer neighborhood with an old run-down neighborhood across the street and behind your neighborhood could be a bar or some warehouse, etc.

[Syringaloid]

Sounds as if a few are not very familier with Boise and painting with a very, very broad brush

[ILI.EB]

If I am wrong, I would love to be pointed to some real high-end shopping and fine dining (I am not trying to be argumentative, I would genuinely like to know)

I also realize as far as housing goes, not all of it is as I mentioned, but the fact is the majority of it IS like that (mostly anything west of downtown)

[LookinForMayberry]

Originally Posted by maui08

Aloha

There is a good chance we will be relocating to the Boise area. I know there are sooo many posts about the same things.....but we really want to know what Boise is like!?

We visited Boise during our two year travels around the country and put it on our "places to return to" list for its downtown area. We are not big on desert climates, and we are sun sensitive, so we would never move there, but it was nice, downtown. The surrounding areas -- well, we didn't care for it.

Note: We learned to use Google Image search and Google Maps Street Views to check out an area before going. I recommend it.