Boise ID vs Spokane WA vs Denver CO (Meridian, Coeur d'Alene: insurance, crime)

[Tracy_M_L]

Tell me your thoughts as i need to decide by June as that's when i plan to move. I'm 19 year old female from So Cal CA and looking to move out on my own for my first time. I will be attending an online college to get a court reporters certificate along with an AA in criminal justice. And hopefully i would be able to get a job as a receptionist or something.

Please Tell me your likes and dislikes about each of the state's that you know. My interests are the true 4 seasons, SNOW, safe and please state what areas would be good to look at. I want it to be more mountainy/foresty climate pluse rivers or lakes. I would like there to be lots of trees. Summer doesn't really matter as i'm used to hot summers.

If theres anything else that i should know please add in the post

[kristinl5]

I have lived in Meridian, ID, for the past 13+ years..have been through both Denver and Spokane and grew up in Utah so I think I can give you a little bit of guidance here! (but have to admit than I am biased to Meridian, ID). As for mountains, rivers, safety and peaceful...you do get that in Idaho.
I'm going to give you a website that lets you compare different cities to each other
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitors sites is not allowed
As for what I like about Idaho...the Boise and Meridian area are great places to live, you have access to metro life, but are also very close to recreational areas for hiking, boating, skiing, etc. And Boise is known as "the city of trees" its a beautiful city, with the Boise river running right through the city...one of the favorite summer events is the ability to float the Boise river on inner tubes or rafts...how many cities can make a claim for that! The people are friendlier here than anywhere I have been...its a nice place to call home!

[Torrie]

Originally Posted by Tracy_M_L

Tell me your thoughts as i need to decide by June as that's when i plan to move. I'm 19 year old female from So Cal CA and looking to move out on my own for my first time. I will be attending an online college to get a court reporters certificate along with an AA in criminal justice. And hopefully i would be able to get a job as a receptionist or something.

Please Tell me your likes and dislikes about each of the state's that you know. My interests are the true 4 seasons, SNOW, safe and please state what areas would be good to look at. I want it to be more mountainy/foresty climate pluse rivers or lakes. I would like there to be lots of trees. Summer doesn't really matter as i'm used to hot summers.

If theres anything else that i should know please add in the post

All three places have great things to offer.

4 Seasons- You will find 4seasons at each location, but because of Boise's high desert climate, it will have a longer summer season that extends into the fall.

Snow- Boise will probably have the least amount of snow (21.4inches). Easier to get around in the winter, rare if at all airport closure. Heavier snow for mountain adventures can be found about 1.5 hours outside of the city.

Safest- Boise, no doubt
Consistently voted one of the safest places in the country by Farmers Insurance. Some of the things factored into this equation to make the determination, are weather disasters and crime.

Mountainy/ forestry- trying to interpret exactly what you might want...Spokane will offer the closest environment to what you're looking for. For Boise and Denver, you'll have to drive outside the area to get that kind of feel. Boise has lots of trees down in the city, but it's not what you would call forested.

Coming from So. Cali, you have a lot of amenities at your finger tips and lots of things to do. If that's important to you, Denver might be the better choice in that category as it's the largest city of the three. In addition, you might have better luck in the job field as there's probably a larger pool of companies to choose from. Spokane has never thrilled me economy wise as it always seems to have a suppressed feel, just my opinion. Crime is high and leaving valuables in the car is just asking for trouble from what I've heard. Can't speak for Denver, but I'd imagine with the higher population, comes the crime. I can tell you average age in Boise is around 31 to 32 years, so my concern would be that you might be on the bored side??? Though there is Boise State... and that could offer some entertainment factor for you.....The fact that you're coming from such a large area makes me hesitate a bit... Just depends on what you're looking for. I think it's great that you're willing to get out there and explore the horizons!

[stingraynm]

You have chosen some great areas and Torrie pretty much said most of the noteworthy stuff. You're going to be ambivalent to the end with three such nice places, though if by "SNOW" you mean a lot of winter recreation, Boise comes up a bit short (more next paragraph). I'm biased toward Boise, as it controlled growth while Denver and Spokane grew a bit too fast for my taste (and got the traffic and crime that come with that!). I also grew up in Boise, so it carries my personal bias from that angle as well. I used to frequent Spokane when I lived in the Panhandle (i.e., North Idaho) and my sister lived in Ft. Collins, CO for several years while I lived a 6-hr drive away in Los Alamos, NM. So, at least in subjective terms, I have some pretty full experience for comparison and contrast.

Truly, Boise has great access to winter recreation, but Spokane is definitely more centralized between the Cascades and Clearwater ranges, which are hard to beat in all four seasons, and you'll get all four, no holds barred. Spokane is also a better place to look for entry level work. Also, Denver would work on those fronts as well. Boise can get some mild winters and, although the city gives all the trees your heart can desire, Boise itself is a high desert ecosystem with the Boise River providing an oasis.

Like I said, Torrie covered all the bases. My one disagreement with Torrie is that Boise may bore youth. It's no SoCal or NYC by any means (and if you thrive on 24-hr good times, then Torrie's right), but there is a formidable youth and underground culture, and Boise's nightlife is MUCH safer than that of Spokane and Denver. If mingling at night and multi-seasonal recreating in light are your cup of tea for free time well spent, Boise leaves nothing to be desired. This is especially true of you would like an area that maintains a quaint feel with a ~200K population. Denver and Spokane both make the city vibe quite apparent.

[Syringaloid]

Boise is Mayberry compared to Spokane.
People in Boise are better groomed too.

[stingraynm]

Originally Posted by Syringaloid

Boise is Mayberry compared to Spokane.
People in Boise are better groomed too.

Yeah, Spokane just has a run down, dirty vibe around the city center, and that goes out for a substantial radius from there. It had nice neighborhoods that I have seen, but all my friends then were service sector, flop house demographic. I had two friends who let me tramp at their houses, one to the north of the river off Maple, just about 10-15 blocks from downtown and another one to the south of the river, just up the hill on Maple from the Interstate, and the neighborhood vibe in those areas led us Idahoans to nickname the place Spo-Compton. Assaults were commonplace and my friends both told me that murder "wasn't exactly a surprise" when it happened. I was involved in numerous shady interactions walking to/from bars in those areas and you could get a lot more than some missing cooking ingredient from the neighbors. It was good to be a large, ungroomed, unpretentious male in a group of the same during those visits.

[Torrie]

Originally Posted by stingraynm

Like I said, Torrie covered all the bases. My one disagreement with Torrie is that Boise may bore youth. It's no SoCal or NYC by any means (and if you thrive on 24-hr good times, then Torrie's right), but there is a formidable youth and underground culture, and Boise's nightlife is MUCH safer than that of Spokane and Denver. If mingling at night and multi-seasonal recreating in light are your cup of tea for free time well spent, Boise leaves nothing to be desired. This is especially true of you would like an area that maintains a quaint feel with a ~200K population. Denver and Spokane both make the city vibe quite apparent.

I knew I might catch some smack from someone for even suggesting that, LOL! I remember what it was like to be young...especially living in Southern Cali......oh yes, it was all about the clubs when I lived there and the 24-7 atmosphere. Kinda funny how your priorities change as you get older. I know for me, moving to Boise at 19 would have been a shock.....I guess it just depends where you're at in your life and what you're looking for.

[Sage of Sagle]

Tracy,

OK...since you're from SoCal, let me put it into some perspective.

Boise: This of a mix of Irvine (Meridian), Pasadena/Glendale (North End), Cucamonga (Eagle), and Corona (east end). And the downtown area feels like the South Coast Plaza metro area, with BSU right smack in the mix. Older areas REALLY feel like sort of the Anaheim area. Not horrible, but sort of run down and older.

Spokane: Take a mix of Lancaster/Palmdale, throw in some Barstow, mix in the LBC...that's about it. But...get over to Coeur d'Alene, and you get a happening social scene on Sherman around the resort, some of the most gorgeous scenery at the lake, etc.

[ds495]

Originally Posted by Sage of Sagle

Tracy,

OK...since you're from SoCal, let me put it into some perspective.

Boise: This of a mix of Irvine (Meridian), Pasadena/Glendale (North End), Cucamonga (Eagle), and Corona (east end). And the downtown area feels like the South Coast Plaza metro area, with BSU right smack in the mix. Older areas REALLY feel like sort of the Anaheim area. Not horrible, but sort of run down and older.

Spokane: Take a mix of Lancaster/Palmdale, throw in some Barstow, mix in the LBC...that's about it. But...get over to Coeur d'Alene, and you get a happening social scene on Sherman around the resort, some of the most gorgeous scenery at the lake, etc.

This was really helpful comparison. Thanks a lot. I can see it all now....
North End sounds great!

[stingraynm]

Originally Posted by ds495

North End sounds great!

'Tis.