Boise vs. Spokane (Nampa, Meridian, Caldwell: neighborhood, where to live, military)

[stingraynm]

Originally Posted by BSUEcon81

(Disclaimer: I am a BSU alumna, so yeah, I am biased in its favor, even though it is hard not to be.)

I'd like to proudly say "Go Vandals!", just to mess with you... but...

sigh...

[RetiredChef]

I have lived just North of Spokane for almost 5 years - before that it was 30+ years in Los Angeles / San Bernardino Counties. I have also lived in Miami, New York, Nashville, Hawaii and parts of Europe. Before we moved to Spokane we (my wife and I) spent 4 years traveling (on & off) across the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and New Zealand to find a place to retire to. After about 3 years we narrowed down the choice to an area from Spokane east to Missoula OR New Zealand.

We also looked at Boise early in our search we even went there and planed on spending about 5 days but after 3 days we left, ruling Boise out. There were many reasons and these are just some.

#1 Air Quality - was an issue when we were looking there, Boise suffers from some severe inversion layers (worst then LA’s) that cause the smog to build up and haze out the city. Winter, when people are burning wood turns into a terrible time with many yellow flag days. The air was bad 4 years ago and it has only gotten worse, even the NY Times just wrote a recent article on it.

#2 Desert Heat - Boise is actually the northern part of a desert and is a very brownish city to look at, the climate in the summer can get very oppressive with quite a few days topping 100+ degrees, while this can happen in Spokane it is not the norm as it is in Boise.

#3 City Infrastructure - I am not a person who loves the government intruding into my life, but there are certain areas where the government should have a say so and one of them is sensible planning for cities inevitable growth. A simple drive around Boise will show you that the cooks are running kitchen while the chef is out to lunch. You will find that the rapid growth Boise saw in 1996-2003(7) was unregulated, housing tracts with no street lights, sidewalks in some not in others, illogical road designs, no central planning of major thoroughfares, and dismal bike lanes and very little if any public transportation and when there is it is a disaster.

#4 Traffic - Since Boise took a hands off approach to planning they are paying a very heavy price in massive congestion, there are not enough on or off ramps of I 84 commutes from Meridian that were 10 minutes 5 years ago are up to 45 minutes today. Thoroughfares are jammed, and streets are in disrepair.

#5 Education - There are NO real community colleges in Boise and only 1 University, compare that to Spokane that has 2 CC’s and 3 Universities. Plus when you take the dismal high school placement of seniors into top tiered colleges plus their overall under performing on standardized tests plus the lack of a strong AP programs, Boise’s educational system seems to be one of the most antiquated and poorest performing in the country.

We were moving to escape LA so this is how we viewed Boise at the time.

LA has smog Boise has possibly worse - Spokane has none.
LA is a desert and the inland areas can get oppressively hot, Boise the same - Spokane is cooler in summer and is not considered a desert.
LA suffered greatly from lack of central planning in the 60’s-early 80’s - Boise is the mirror image of those failures today - Spokane also suffered but started getting it’s act together about 1998 and now they are more proactive in the design and implementation of a livable city for all.
LA has bad traffic, Boise has bad traffic and it’s getting worse, Spokane’s traffic is moderate in some areas and negligible in others.
LA’s education system is in shambles with under performing schools all over, Boise seems to be a mirror image, Spokane has two school districts that continually rank in the top 100 in the nation, plus Spokane has a very high rate of placing graduating seniors into top tier universities.
Boise is a mini LA with none of the entertainment venues or activities that LA has to offer so one must really ask - Why move?

The good things about Boise:

There was more culture and nightlife then Spokane, however I have heard that downtown has been hit hard by this recession and many restaurants have closed, Spokane has not suffered as much. If this is not true then Boise has more and better dining options.

Ample outdoor recreation activities, about the same as Spokane but good skiing is more accessible in Boise.

Nice parks

Other comments, not necessarily good or bad,

Boise is more conservative then Spokane.
The people in Boise seemed more intrusive (some might call this personal and like it) into your affairs then Spokane‘s Live and Let live mentality, this is very subjective, but it was our impression.
Very high population of Mormons.

[boisefan88]

Very accurate and honest post, in my opinion.

While I don't have much experience with Spokane, your assessments of some of Boise's biggest problems are well diagnosed and articulated. This similar observations - air quality, traffic, infrastructure, lack of planning, and the summer heat - have been repeated time and time again.

[boi2socal]

There is a reason why Boise has grown faster than Spokane. It reminds people of home which is in many cases California and other "brown" areas such as Arizona and Nevada. Whether anybody wants to admit it or not. Although I've never really known Boise Area schools to mostly be underperforming. But from my own viewpoint they weren't the best but seem to be far from the worst.

That being said I'd live in Boise before Spokane. I dont' really care for Spokane, just my personal opinion. I personally believe that Boise has more to offer and once it gets out of the current rough spot it will continue to have more to offer.

[boisefan88]

Originally Posted by boi2socal

There is a reason why Boise has grown faster than Spokane. It reminds people of home which is in many cases California and other "brown" areas such as Arizona and Nevada. Whether anybody wants to admit it or not. Although I've never really known Boise Area schools to mostly be underperforming. But from my own viewpoint they weren't the best but seem to be far from the worst.

That being said I'd live in Boise before Spokane. I dont' really care for Spokane, just my personal opinion. I personally believe that Boise has more to offer and once it gets out of the current rough spot it will continue to have more to offer.

I do agree with your first few thoughts. And as I said, I don't know enough about Spokane to really make a comparison.

But in regards to your latter comments, I think the last 10-15 years was really the anomaly in terms of Boise's growth, and that the "rough spot" is more historically where Boise is situated. Primarily due to its isolation and lack of a definitive economic foundation. It used to be agriculture and ranching, then timber and related manufacturing, then tech, then real estate and development. All of these games have left town, and/or are shades of their former selves.

I do think Boise will maintain its appeal that you mention - it has obvious qualities about, and the appeal is there for many. For that reason is will continue to grow, much in the way most of the non-major Californian cities have. But at some point the rubber has to meet the road - what does Boise do to stabilize its economy? How do we begin to address our many traffic, air quality, and infrastructure problems?

I think, sadly, that Boise will continue to grow in spite of these (and other) problems, and the gap continues to grow and, because of this and because of the crowding, our quality of life being to drastically suffer.

I hate to be the doom and gloomer, but I don't see much in the works. I'd like to think that the "creative class entrepreneurship" the newspaper has been promoting will take off. Boise needs a home-grown economic hub. Instead, as the local newspaper reported, Gov Otter and local agencies leaders have developed a new commission to begin to attract out of state business to Idaho. So it's more and the same ol same ol: offer tax cuts and other incentives to lure them here and enjoy a few years of success until they find a cheaper place to relocate to. Sound familiar? It's only happened with every other major company we've lured here.

Isolation and economy.

[boiseguy]

Originally Posted by boi2socal

There is a reason why Boise has grown faster than Spokane. It reminds people of home which is in many cases California and other "brown" areas such as Arizona and Nevada. Whether anybody wants to admit it or not. Although I've never really known Boise Area schools to mostly be underperforming. But from my own viewpoint they weren't the best but seem to be far from the worst.

That being said I'd live in Boise before Spokane. I dont' really care for Spokane, just my personal opinion. I personally believe that Boise has more to offer and once it gets out of the current rough spot it will continue to have more to offer.

exactly.. the negatives to boise is due to the fast overnight growth it has recieved...and there is a reason boise has grown faster than spokane..
spokane is in a wooded area, whereas boise is high desert. Mind you though the foothills around boise lead up to forest.. and the back side of the mountain face on the way up to idaho city is very similar to spokane area actually..
My sister use to live in spokane, and I don't know where the school comparison and air quality is coming from..
spokane has had horrible air quality as well.. It sits down in a valley that is much smaller than boise's. Not to mention spokane is an old railroad town, so while the downtown has great architecture, it's kind of run down, and pretty ghetto.
Boise school district is above average nationally.. in fact I would venture to say it outperforms spokane schools..
Granted, spokane does have better community college options, and has universities. But boise has 3 universities as well.. and will be getting our 4th soon.. bsu is the largest.. ISU is expanding in meridian, and UI is looking to expand/move their law school to boise.. as well as a private university is set to enter the market as well...
The washington state college/university system is hands down better than idaho..but it's a state with 5 times idaho's population, and is greatly funded by the large seattle area population/demand, which spokane/eastern washington benefits from...
They don't call it spoCompton for nothing..
mind you though... it is nothing like Compton...
but spokane probably has the most problems with safety/crime per capita in the entire northwest.. for whatever reason.. I dunno

[stingraynm]

Yeah, when it comes to air quality, both Boise and Spokane are sort of a hit-or-miss. Fire and chimney season hit them both the hardest, due to the frigid winters and dry and/or forested areas in close proximity. Spokane is nestled in the Palouse, where wheat farmers have a crop burning season that can be devastating to those with allergies.

I definitely agree with those who prefer the Boise motif/vibe. Spokane definitely can be a bit rougher in more areas. Still, as priorly discussed, each locale has its advantages depending on your lifestyle and recreational priorities.

[Syringaloid]

I have been in Spokane on business trips/training for a regional bank a few times and like the city and area but I prefer Boise for many reasons. I think the landscape around both cities is equally beautiful. But, Spokane just seemed rough, somewhat blighted, transient, and backwoodsy to me. Spokane is the first city I have been to in the west with potholes on major streets. But Spokane has a great cityscape which it can build on and hopefully prosper in the future.
Ironically I work with 4 people who are from Spokane and now live in Boise and they moved here because they found that Boise is more progressive and is a safer, cleaner family oriented city and they love the outdoor scene in Boise. Actually I hear a lot, and I mean a lot about Spokane from my work friends and one fly's to Spokane twice a month to visit her mother. My Spoke friends have told me that the mall built downtown by the river almost ruined the rest of downtown and Spokane Valley is sprawling out of control. Downtown malls are bad for smaller cities such as Spokane and Boise.

[BSUEcon81]

Originally Posted by boisefan88

I hate to be the doom and gloomer, but I don't see much in the works. I'd like to think that the "creative class entrepreneurship" the newspaper has been promoting will take off. Boise needs a home-grown economic hub. Instead, as the local newspaper reported, Gov Otter and local agencies leaders have developed a new commission to begin to attract out of state business to Idaho. So it's more and the same ol same ol: offer tax cuts and other incentives to lure them here and enjoy a few years of success until they find a cheaper place to relocate to. Sound familiar? It's only happened with every other major company we've lured here.

Isolation and economy.

I concur with the ver real need for home-grown economic development in Boise. However, those officials working to attract relocating businesses to the Treasure Valley are tacitly acknowledging one unfortunate fact: Boise has a track record of losing the home grown businesses that got their start in town. Consider: at one time, Boise was home to Albertson's, Boise Cascade (forest products producer), Morrison Knudson (construction management), Trus-Joist (pre-stressed roof joists), Idaho First National Bank, and Bank of Idaho, all of which are now long gone. For that matter, as a historical fact, in the 1930's, United Airlines got its start in Boise as well.

Thus, with this long-term penchant for losing the businesses that do start locally, it likely makes a lot of sense to recruit newcomers from elsewhere. Now, what is desperately needed is breadth and depth of types of businesses that relocate here.

This is the primary impression I have of Spokane: an economy with no readily identifiable larger businesses located there, and no real diversity in its economic base. Plus, from a market accessability perspective, Boise offers so much more than Spokane that locating in Boise simply makes a lot more sense.

[arianiah]

Boise wins hands down...I can truly say this because I was raised in washington and after I married I lived in boise and lived in spokane and by comparison..Boise is the best choice to live. Cleaner, Safer, Nicer...I can't stress how difficult it was in spokane to find a neighborhood that we thought wasn't rough. In boise-most neighborhoods are wonderful-everyone takes care of their homes/yards alot better than those that live in spokane-we drove everywhere investigating where to live and Liberty Lake or South SPokane Valley past 36th were the only two options at all that we felt were nice, clean and safe. The only thing good we discovered about spokane was Green Bluffs and not much of a rush hour traffic drive compared to Boise. You couldn't pay us to move back.