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My family and I are moving to Boise soon (working downtown). All advantages of living in the North End/SE/S Boise aside, I have some questions about living in Meridian or West Boise and commuting to downtown Boise:
1. What are the commutes in the morning like heading east on Chinden or Ustick like?
2. How do these commutes compare with the commute of heading south out of these areas and taking I-84 into downtown?
3. Are there any known future plans for the transportation needs of Boise?
I live right off of Chinden behind HP, the only time the commute downtown is bad is when there is snow on the ground. Worst case scenario from HP(Chinden and Cloverdale) to downtown on a workday is about a 20-25 minute commute. If you have to drive on Chinden past Eagle Road, expect delays because Chinden goes from 4 lanes down to 2 lanes.
I have also noticed that about 7:30 is when traffic gets really bad. So if I leave at 7:15 it is an easy commute, but if I leave at 7:35 I can add at least 10-15 minutes to the drive. Luckily I work from home now and I can wait until rush hour is over to visit clients.
don't discount the importance of being close to the interstate...
We looked at buying a home in Northern Meridian or West Boise and having my husband commute down Chinden to his office right in downtown, but... For some reason we were drawn to SE Meridian, just south of the Interstate. Boy!!! I am so glad we are here! My husband's commute is pretty much the same time (if not a few minutes less and less traffic worries), but it is absolutely fabulous for me to be right off an Interstate exit. It takes us less than 15 minutes to go to the Airport, or Downtown, or the Boise Towne Square mall, or even the shopping center in Nampa. I actually feel bad now for those who live where we were looking at buying in those west boise communities...
Quote:
Originally Posted by CPA_for_hire
My family and I are moving to Boise soon (working downtown). All advantages of living in the North End/SE/S Boise aside, I have some questions about living in Meridian or West Boise and commuting to downtown Boise:
1. What are the commutes in the morning like heading east on Chinden or Ustick like?
2. How do these commutes compare with the commute of heading south out of these areas and taking I-84 into downtown?
3. Are there any known future plans for the transportation needs of Boise?
Exactly the type of information I'm looking for. It seems like newer houses in the 180-190k range are more plentiful in that SE Meridian range than the Northern Meridian, Northwestern Boise areas. Can anyone comment on
Whether there are areas near the HP/Chinden area in this price range? And...
What the "feel" is between the two areas? (SE Meridian and Northern Meridian/Boise? Thanks
This is just me, but I think the area around HP/Chinden is a little more upscale than SE Boise, especially with it being right next to Eagle. Our neighborhood has a lot of middle class professionals in it like people who work at HP(obviously), sales reps, computer consultants and small business owners.
When I am out walking my dog at night, I always look at house flyers and right now there are some really good deals out there if you look for them. I have seen a couple of houses that have been on the market for at least 18 months. You might be able to get a house in my neighborhood for that price if you can negotiate. There is another neighborhood of older homes that is right across the street from HP off of 5 Mile and Chinden. If you do not mind 60's vintage ranch style homes I think that you might be able to find something there.
We looked at buying a home in Northern Meridian or West Boise and having my husband commute down Chinden to his office right in downtown, but... For some reason we were drawn to SE Meridian, just south of the Interstate. Boy!!! I am so glad we are here! My husband's commute is pretty much the same time (if not a few minutes less and less traffic worries), but it is absolutely fabulous for me to be right off an Interstate exit. It takes us less than 15 minutes to go to the Airport, or Downtown, or the Boise Towne Square mall, or even the shopping center in Nampa. I actually feel bad now for those who live where we were looking at buying in those west boise communities...
I have to agree with you, we bought in SW Boise which is right next to SE Meridian and one of the draws was quick freeway access. With only a couple of lights to go through...we can hop right on to the freeway and be downtown within 15min. depending on traffic. This will be beneficial for resale in the future as the city continues to grow. Also, the major roads seemed to be better maintained in the winter than the side streets so that has proven to be an added bonus. It's a great central location IMO, not too far from downtown, close to the mall, close to shopping on Eagle Rd and about 15min or so from the airport. The only thing I feel I'm far from is when we want to go to McCall, as you have to go all the way down Eagle Rd , then State St. before you can get on the 55. It's really not that big of a deal, as we only go to McCall once in a while.
Exactly the type of information I'm looking for. It seems like newer houses in the 180-190k range are more plentiful in that SE Meridian range than the Northern Meridian, Northwestern Boise areas. Can anyone comment on
Whether there are areas near the HP/Chinden area in this price range? And...
What the "feel" is between the two areas? (SE Meridian and Northern Meridian/Boise? Thanks
Both areas are good, it just depends on what you're looking for. SE Meridian does have more new construction as land is more readily available. I just did a pull and currently West Boise has no new construction in your price range, so you'd be looking at owner occupied homes should you decide on that location.
I have to agree with you, we bought in SW Boise which is right next to SE Meridian and one of the draws was quick freeway access. With only a couple of lights to go through...we can hop right on to the freeway and be downtown within 15min. depending on traffic. This will be beneficial for resale in the future as the city continues to grow. Also, the major roads seemed to be better maintained in the winter than the side streets so that has proven to be an added bonus. It's a great central location IMO, not too far from downtown, close to the mall, close to shopping on Eagle Rd and about 15min or so from the airport. The only thing I feel I'm far from is when we want to go to McCall, as you have to go all the way down Eagle Rd , then State St. before you can get on the 55. It's really not that big of a deal, as we only go to McCall once in a while.
Thanks Torrie,
Do you mind sharing the general vicinity you live in? I'm just wondering because 15 min to get to downtown would be awesome for us. I'm now looking more seriously at SW Boise as well as NW Boise. Also, are there are any parks in SW Boise? My wife would like to live close to one if we can. Thanks.
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don't discount the importance of being close to the interstate...
