Nampa - is it really as bad as you say it is? (Boise: lower-class, sales)

[blondesnotbombs]

i've been reading alot of bad reviews on Nampa...seems people have an issue with the number of Hispanics in the area.

i'm trying to equate this to the area that i live in...and i'm guessing that Nampa to Boise is Waukesha to Milwaukee: lots of Hispanics, lower-class white families, and almost all blue-collar jobs. however, there are parts of Waukesha that are very nice, cute subdivisions with middle class families, an adorable "downtown" with old world shops, cute coffee stops, interesting boutiques, a private college, and a fabulous library. though...just down from the library are a few half-way houses and shelters.

i've read info on "gangs" that are in the area, but i can't imagine these gangs as restless and constantly patroling the entire community of Nampa. i've lived a fair portion of my life (on again/off again) in the surrounding Milwaukee area and have obviously travelled extensively throughout the city. in all my years, i have yet to come across a gang or a situation that i would deem threatening.

are these warnings moreso for yuppies with no sense of street smarts or common sense? or is there really something to steer clear of?

i've been finding some really nice looking rentals (newly constructed and affordable) in the Nampa area and am wondering if this is something i should be considering or not.

i appreciate your feedback!!

[micrguy]

Nampa is part of my sales territory and I go over there 1-2 times a week, so this is just my observation. To be general, it appears that Boise is more white collar and Nampa is more blue collar. Nampa does have a very small downtown area that looks like it is sprouting up condos, coffee shops and other small shops. There is a really cool used bookstore downtown that I stop into every once in a while. There is an Hispanic influence there, but nothing like I have seen in AZ, CA or other western states. It is there, but not overwhelming.

My opinion is that moving to Nampa defeats the purpose of why you would want to move to Boise. Boise has easy access to mountains, the Boise foothills, hiking, cycling, Boise greenbelt, a very cool downtown area, the Boise river and much more. Living in Nampa puts you 30-45 minutes away from why our family moved to Idaho.

[blondesnotbombs]

Originally Posted by micrguy

My opinion is that moving to Nampa defeats the purpose of why you would want to move to Boise. Boise has easy access to mountains, the Boise foothills, hiking, cycling, Boise greenbelt, a very cool downtown area, the Boise river and much more. Living in Nampa puts you 30-45 minutes away from why our family moved to Idaho.

ahhh...i see! i didn't know that Nampa was really that far from Boise.

the other posts i read make it sound like this barrio of a community...but i guess each person has their own perspective.

gracias!

[micrguy]

Nampa has about 80,000 people living there and adjoins Caldwell which has another 25,000 people or so and according to the map is about 20 miles west of Boise. Last winter I knew a couple of people that lived in Nampa and worked in Boise and the few times that it snowed it took them 1-2 hours to get into work.

The upside to Nampa is that you can buy or rent a house for a lot less money than you could in Boise. I know some people that love it out there, their family is into softball, baseball and basketball for the kids and so not being close to the Boise foothills does not phase them at all.

[Jarndyce]

Originally Posted by blondesnotbombs

ahhh...i see! i didn't know that Nampa was really that far from Boise.

the other posts i read make it sound like this barrio of a community...but i guess each person has their own perspective.

gracias!

Anyone who drops the word "barrio" and "Boise" or "Nampa" in the same sentence must have returned from a California vacation where they saw their first hispanic person.

I used to live in California so I know all about Immigration issues and subtle societal shifts like dual English/Spanish store signage, radio tv advertisments..

The "whiteness" of Boise has taken some time for me to get used to. I went to a Catholic church service a couple of SUndays ago and the only person of color in the church was the priest.

There is definitely a white trash element in Boise, that is missing from California, but as with other places in the nation, the construction market has stopped in Boise...there aren't enough projects for the existing workforce. The landscaping crew in my Apartment complex are all white men. I haven't seen that since...hmmm....ever, I think?

From what I've heard there has been a Latino migration into Twin Falls for the farming...but, again, if there are 20 latino men, that might "cause alarms" for the locals but for me, I doubt I'd notice them...to be honest.

The ironic thing is that Idaho is a "Red" state with conservative christian values and those values are shared by 99% of Latino/Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans. It's the 1% that commit crimes, which get blared as "breaking news" on Fox News and Lou Dobbs/CNN that seem to earn the entire "perceived reputation" for the entire populace. What a sad indictment on American intelligence...

[blondesnotbombs]

Originally Posted by Jarndyce

Anyone who drops the word "barrio" and "Boise" or "Nampa" in the same sentence must have returned from a California vacation where they saw their first hispanic person.

haha...fantastic!

i've never ever had an issue with the Hispanic population, in fact, i quite enjoy their culture. Waukesha, WI has a very strong history for Latino families in WI...thus there is a large population of them in the town. however, it's great to have Hispanic groceries and bakeries that you can get unusual items in, plus they always seem to be having a fiesta SOMEWHERE. )

i had a feeling that it was moreso a culture shock to people rather than an actual problem.

i've seen some advice from some individuals that make Nampa/Caldwell sound like the projects in Chicago. *stay far away!!!* I know that every city has an area where crime is more prevalent...however...when i think of Boise...i definitely don't think of "barrio". )

thanks for the clarification!

[2much2soon]

I love how people who don't live in the area write off crime and traffic issues because of the size of the population - the scale.
So Caldwell (Nampa's sister city) has a population of around 40k. And in one month, a few years back before they started the gang sweeps, they had 300+ reports of shots fired.
This wasn't a number that someone who was "trying to scare off outsiders" came up with. It was widely reported as coming from the police.
So factor that shots fired reports number out to a population of 1 million and what does that equal? 7500? In one month?
You think that is insignificant?
And for the record my oldest half-brother was born in SoCal, lived there for 35 years, and his father was hispanic. Even he calls areas of Nampa "the barrio".
Or how about one of my buddies that lived in some of the worst parts of Seattle and Portland, who said the north side of Nampa where he lived was far worse than anything he ever experienced there.

If you think its so safe, why don't you go over there and hang out a few evenings? Tell us how it goes.

[Cuisinette]

Originally Posted by 2much2soon

I love how people who don't live in the area write off crime and traffic issues because of the size of the population - the scale.
So Caldwell (Nampa's sister city) has a population of around 40k. And in one month, a few years back before they started the gang sweeps, they had 300+ reports of shots fired.
This wasn't a number that someone who was "trying to scare off outsiders" came up with. It was widely reported as coming from the police.
So factor that shots fired reports number out to a population of 1 million and what does that equal? 7500? In one month?
You think that is insignificant?
And for the record my oldest half-brother was born in SoCal, lived there for 35 years, and his father was hispanic. Even he calls areas of Nampa "the barrio".
Or how about one of my buddies that lived in some of the worst parts of Seattle and Portland, who said the north side of Nampa where he lived was far worse than anything he ever experienced there.

If you think its so safe, why don't you go over there and hang out a few evenings? Tell us how it goes.

I don't want to sound like a bigot but I agree with you.
One of my good friends moved out of Nampa after couple of drive by shooting in his neighborhood.
My husband who was born and grew up in Kuna and goes to Nampa almost every day... said he won't live there even if the land would be free.

I have nothing against Hispanics... we have Mexican friends. The fact is most of us are thinking, these people are representing their country, and that's far from the truth.

In Nampa half are the poor, who are seeking jobs and a better life... and half the bad, only problem is, we see them living together and assume they are all bad. They made Nampa a safe heaven.

I am a bit of old fashion, I like peace and quiet in my life and I can't tolerate bad behaviors. As long as they don't bother me, I don't bother them. But I would love to see crime rate go down. Nampa was such a nice little town.

I hope the government will come up with a solution regarding their status, so they can seek other locations for jobs and Nampa will come back to what it was.

[blondesnotbombs]

smartass or not, i appreciate your feedback.

obviously having never been to the area, this is precisely what i'm looking for.

i haven't the foggiest idea as to the problems in Nampa. there are clearly people that have had BAD experiences with the town and good experiences as well.

people could say the same thing about Riverwest in Milwaukee...cute, historic homes, great coffee shops...but the highest rape & burglarly numbers by area in the city. but you'll still have people swearing up and down it's a great area to live. you wouldn't catch me calling that zip code my home...no matter how great the shopping/nightlife & houses are.

so again, thanks!

[Jarndyce]

Boise/Nampa/Kuna/Caldwell...these are safe places. Minorities have not "invaded" these places. These are uncrowded places. The "headline' crimes of the summer have been 'internet sex traffic" type crimes purported by white people. These crimes are merely conversation-starters or schadenfreudal...hardly representative of a "decline in civilization" for Boise or that rampant gangs are running amok here.

I have lived for several years in every part of Southern California and in East Coast cities. Believe me. I know what it's like to live in dominant latino areas. Boise is nothing compared to those other areas. Boise has a few Mexican restaurants. Wow. I guess that means General Santa Ana and his Army of Revolutionistas is on the march to Boise?

I've only driven through Twin Falls a couple of times this summer and I barely registered a latino presence there. I can understand the prospect for there to be a migrant work force in the fields there. I haven't seen much farming and ranching in Boise or Nampa.

99% of Mexicans and Mexican-American people are friendly, fun, hilarious, honest, nice, and some of the most ARDENT SUPPORTERS of American-made goods like Chevy/Ford, A-B beers, etc.

I don't have any friends that drive American cars. Taking SUVs out of the question, how many people here drive American cars or have friends that do? Everyone of my "neigborhood" friends from where I grew up as a kid drive Japanese or German cars.