Boise The Good The Bad And The Ugly (Nampa, Meridian: transplants, real estate)

[ComputerBlue]

Well let me start off with the bad. I moved to Boise in 2003 expecting a nice and friendly place. I was originally coming from Orlando FL which used to be nice in the early 90's late 80's but that has changed for the worst. I was very naive picking Boise and I never read about how much growth and development that was happening. I had heard from the natives while I was living there that it used to be so friendly and nice but unfortunately Californians came in and over developed the area and the sprawl is just swarming outward(meridian, Nampa, especially). The housing is nothing unique in the surrounding suburbs. They are all cookie cutter homes with like barely 10 feet apart. Traffic is unbelievable for the city of it's size. But better then the surrounding towns like meridian and Nampa. Nampa will definitely out pace boise in growth in the next 10 years if patterns stay the same. Not very many educated people out there. The city is mostly a mix of the old and the new. Conservatives trying to stay in control but dont know how long that will last. If you want diversity and culture look elswhere. Caldwell Idaho might be the closest. Very big hispanic population there.
Finding a decent paying job is hard to come by unless your in healthcare(luckly I was ). Jobs don't pay very much out there and you might end up being desperate working for temp agencies that never call you back for work(funny). The people there in boise relatively nice but there are people there aren't so nice and it seemed every year I was there it was getting worst. People will ride ur bumper and wont let u in during traffic. By the way public transportation is light years behind. Don't plan on getting anywhere fast lol! There always seemed to be a element of depression here. You will understand once u live there. Alot of people on anti-depressents which I was not accustomed to coming from the land of sunshine (orlando FL). But if can handle unlimted sprawl and cookie cutter homes littering the landscape then this place is perfect. No good city planning and it's everyone for themself have fun I left and I don't care if the door hit me in the Butt!
Good things:
1.Alot of hunting, fishing, sking(bogus basin) , camping close by
2.If your a Californian you can afford anything.
3.Nightlife getting better and u can walk bar to bar and clubs in the same vacinity
4.Bsu college football mania(tailgate parties are phenominal)
5.Northend of boise Hyde park area, beautiful older homes and a nice co-op. friendly hippies
6.Floating the Boise river drunk but now it's regulated cause of people littering the river with their cans of beer
7.Hot springs if u can find the good 1's less crowded. I know some but I took the secrets with me when I left
8.relatively down to earth people if you can find a native boisean
9.Great place to visit not to live(my opinion)
10. If you decide to venture northwest a little outside of caldell and Nampa there is a beautiful desert called the owhee's it's fascinating! You will be suprised how many people in boise dont know about it. It's protected for now from development
I wrote book lol have fun

[SacTown11]

Every state has cookie cutter homes. You should come visit California...hell we have cookie cutter mansions down here! With about a 90% foreclosure rate too. lmao I have no desire to live in Boise. I live in Sacramento now...I've had my fill of state capitals. I plan to move to Northern ID next year...I doubt there is as much urban sprawl to worry about, but cookie cutter homes are everywhere. As for depression...I struggle with depression now because I am not in Idaho yet. :P

[Syringaloid]

Yeah, this originator of this thread was also griping about housing in Vancouver too. Cookie cutters are in every city in American and the Boise area is no exception but there are many good quality housing developments in the suburbs which are pretty attractive, unique, and are good quality homes.
I also would have to say that Boise has the most diversty in the metro.
Too bad for you Parma Kudos to Caldwell for having a large Hispanic population but the diversity in Boise is much more diverse with many more people from all around the world and a lot of refugees from war torn countries are placed in Boise because it is one of the finest cities in America.
Also, I know many, many, many, many people in Boise who have decent paying jobs.

[ComputerBlue]

Originally Posted by SacTown11

Every state has cookie cutter homes. You should come visit California...hell we have cookie cutter mansions down here! With about a 90% foreclosure rate too. lmao I have no desire to live in Boise. I live in Sacramento now...I've had my fill of state capitals. I plan to move to Northern ID next year...I doubt there is as much urban sprawl to worry about, but cookie cutter homes are everywhere. As for depression...I struggle with depression now because I am not in Idaho yet. :P

Well not everywhere are cookie cutter homes! lol. Come to Dallas TX or Austin. Very few if any! Are economy is strong here and housing is not through the roof. I lived all over the U.S. and there are cities out there with some class and urban planning trust me. 90% forclosure lol I need to buy there and take over lol. Yeah Coeur de Alene is beautiful!! I should have moved there 1st but to late It's very expensive though. The good thing is your not to far from spokane and spokane valley. I have a friend up there trying to get me to move to CDA lol but i'm like maybe I will visit. I'm want to go back to the Northwest just not Idaho. I'm in the IT field and no IT jobs in that area and Boise keeps cutting down on IT Jobs. So most likely I will end up in the Seattle vinicity and there are towns there are not overly crowded and yet u can find work. Yeah it's growing there too but you just got to find the good spots. Yeah you will be most happy in Northern Idaho my friend. Good luck on ur move and may the door be welcoming!!!

[ComputerBlue]

Originally Posted by Syringaloid

Yeah, this originator of this thread was also griping about housing in Vancouver too. Cookie cutters are in every city in American and the Boise area is no exception but there are many good quality housing developments in the suburbs which are pretty attractive, unique, and are good quality homes.
I also would have to say that Boise has the most diversty in the metro.
Too bad for you Parma Kudos to Caldwell for having a large Hispanic population but the diversity in Boise is much more diverse with many more people from all around the world and a lot of refugees from war torn countries are placed in Boise because it is one of the finest cities in America.
Also, I know many, many, many, many people in Boise who have decent paying jobs.

lol I lived in boise for 5 years trust me it has a long ways to go. I agree it's coming but it will be awhile. Come live in the south and you will see diversity. Diversity is a even amount of different races or very close. And when visit other places u will understand the concept a little better. Not saying you have not ventured out i'm just making a example Yeah i dont remember griping abou the housing in vancouver weird. Must have been someone else. But I am looking into the area!! Sounds like anice place

[ComputerBlue]

Originally Posted by Syringaloid

Yeah, this originator of this thread was also griping about housing in Vancouver too. Cookie cutters are in every city in American and the Boise area is no exception but there are many good quality housing developments in the suburbs which are pretty attractive, unique, and are good quality homes.
I also would have to say that Boise has the most diversty in the metro.
Too bad for you Parma Kudos to Caldwell for having a large Hispanic population but the diversity in Boise is much more diverse with many more people from all around the world and a lot of refugees from war torn countries are placed in Boise because it is one of the finest cities in America.
Also, I know many, many, many, many people in Boise who have decent paying jobs.

Well If u say there are unique homes outside of boise then they are few! I guarantee that there are more cookies cutters then actual real homes. I mean it's amazing people actually by these things lol. But hey what other choice do they have lol. And high paying jobs hmmm well I know alot of people out of work or are making 6.15 a hour trying to make ends meet. I'm not knocking down boise I'm just giving my opinions and what I saw when I lived there. Everyone has different experiences. Maybe ur making over 40k a year and someone else is not. U are both going to have a diferent perpective. I do miss Boise Just not the daparity and growth pains and another city like Orlando FL which fails misserbly. Some people like rush hour traffic and depression I'm just not one of those and I would like to be able to afford and buy a unique home with class 3200 feet in Texas and not next to anyone will be 180,000 and i live in one now lol. I just cant take the Heat out here lol that why i'm headed north to HOT!!

[stingraynm]

It really sounds like the OP spent a great majority of the time in West Boise, Meridian, Nampa, and Caldwell. North, East, and South Boise aren't cookie cutter homes at all, unless you go into the foothills in some of the newer developments in the Northwest and Southeast. Boise's sprawl is nothing like I've seen in Denver and Phoenix, though the masses moving in have lended to a slow loss of the quaintness I knew growing up. When I visit now, I do note that the traffic has gotten worse, but it's still significantly more considerate than DC, Miami, and Albuquerque, so long as you stay away from the areas out West, once again. Really, Boise as it was is better represented by the North, East, and Center of what is there now.

Also, just to clarify, the Owyhees are actually a mountain range a good distance South of Boise, quite visible on a clear day. I agree that everything around that area is beautiful, and most of the transplants head North and East, so it's relatively untouched.

Lastly, thanks to the OP for keeping the hot springs a secret. The fact that the OP understands such a necessity shows that, despite his qualms with the area, he was still cool enough to mingle with some true Idahoans, to whom he does pay homage in several clarifications. Really, natives who disrespect the people and the land will never be true Idahoans, while transplants who can enjoy and respect Idaho's culture and wilderness are as truly Idahoan as natives, as far as I'm concerned.

[ComputerBlue]

Originally Posted by stingraynm

It really sounds like the OP spent a great majority of the time in West Boise, Meridian, Nampa, and Caldwell. North, East, and South Boise aren't cookie cutter homes at all, unless you go into the foothills in some of the newer developments in the Northwest and Southeast. Boise's sprawl is nothing like I've seen in Denver and Phoenix, though the masses moving in have lended to a slow loss of the quaintness I knew growing up. When I visit now, I do note that the traffic has gotten worse, but it's still significantly more considerate than DC, Miami, and Albuquerque, so long as you stay away from the areas out West, once again. Really, Boise as it was is better represented by the North, East, and Center of what is there now.

Also, just to clarify, the Owyhees are actually a mountain range a good distance South of Boise, quite visible on a clear day. I agree that everything around that area is beautiful, and most of the transplants head North and East, so it's relatively untouched.

Lastly, thanks to the OP for keeping the hot springs a secret. The fact that the OP understands such a necessity shows that, despite his qualms with the area, he was still cool enough to mingle with some true Idahoans, to whom he does pay homage in several clarifications. Really, natives who disrespect the people and the land will never be true Idahoans, while transplants who can enjoy and respect Idaho's culture and wilderness are as truly Idahoan as natives, as far as I'm concerned.

Lol thanks! Yes my friend told me the same thing that I was true Idahoan at heart. We loved nature so much basking in it and even getn drunk in the mountains and seeing no one for miles!! Yes my best friend was a true idahoan! He was born in donnely near Cascade and he taught me alot and like myself he hates the growth and people not caring about the environment. I haft to admit I grew up lot inside being by true nature! Man was it a experience! Yeah cookie cutter homes outside of Boise sorry. Boise has unique homes inside of the city. The owyhee desert I was referring to unless the desert is a different name? But anyhow yeah I would have stayed but it got to big for me sadly. It was fun and bad times but I survived. The 1st year I wanted to leave but my friend told me to stick it out. I was 25 years old back then and so was he and it seemed like yesterday. The time went so fast. 5 years what a time.
I agree the sprawl is nowhere near like denver and phoenix or Orlando. But hopefully it will be under control with this housing meltdown this country is in. BLAME GREED FOR THIS 1!!

[DESERTRYDER]

northwest of Boise is Emmett. Very few cookie cutter homes and a beautifull valley. Thats where Desertryder will be moving next summer.
Dirtbike trails for days in every direction.
I might be old but I can still moto pretty good for a fat guy

[stingraynm]

Originally Posted by ComputerBlue

Lol thanks! Yes my friend told me the same thing that I was true Idahoan at heart. We loved nature so much basking in it and even getn drunk in the mountains and seeing no one for miles!! Yes my best friend was a true idahoan! He was born in donnely near Cascade and he taught me alot and like myself he hates the growth and people not caring about the environment. I haft to admit I grew up lot inside being by true nature! Man was it a experience! Yeah cookie cutter homes outside of Boise sorry. Boise has unique homes inside of the city. The owyhee desert I was referring to unless the desert is a different name? But anyhow yeah I would have stayed but it got to big for me sadly. It was fun and bad times but I survived. The 1st year I wanted to leave but my friend told me to stick it out. I was 25 years old back then and so was he and it seemed like yesterday. The time went so fast. 5 years what a time.
I agree the sprawl is nowhere near like denver and phoenix or Orlando. But hopefully it will be under control with this housing meltdown this country is in. BLAME GREED FOR THIS 1!!

Cool, I find myself reminiscing a lot, too. And yeah, anyone in Donnelly who isn't a true Idahoan is going to get bored pretty fast, whereas any true Idahoan in Donnelly will never run out of places to explore. That area is pretty ideally placed for all sorts of access short and far. I loved the isolation as well and have also enjoyed many "states" outside of sobriety in the montane forests of Idaho, usually dependent on weight capacity. For car camping and fishing, quite naturally, booze was a necessity among my high school, work, and college pals. We were wild, but we respected the wilderness as well, and definitely got sick of all the encroachment from people who build massive trophy houses in the forest, put up fences, and then never come around. Real estate definitely does have to be kept in check in certain areas.

Really, a lot of that time was spent in the vicinity around Donnelly that you enjoyed. All along that area of 55 and up into 95 to Grangeville provides ample access to the Frank Church (and to anyone who asks about a great way to leave any hint of civilization far beyond, you need only utter those two words). The Sawtooths and Tetons definitely make up the other great side of that gap in civilization.

And actually, you may be right about the Owyhee desert. I vaguely recollect someone else referring to it as that, now that you mention it.