Possible Relocation to Boise...Many ???s (cabin, rating, places)

[pll]

My family moved here from Southern California in the '90s. I'm going to be honest and list some of the pros and cons to this city. The housing is very affordible. The homes are well made and they are many subdivisions in the west part of the city. There is a lot of growth in the Meridian area. Brand new beautiful schools are being built in this area as well. The schools have many rules for their students and high expectations for them. There isn't much grace for the young people who mess up. (ex: If they are late to school they get to go to lunch detention and eat alone in a room with other mess ups) Because of there strict schools policies we don't have the gang problems that other cities have.
It is a very family oriented community and there are a lot of activities for kids. I love the safety of this city as well. Crime is very low and the police have a good handle on crime in this area. You have to love winter activities because the winters are long and if you don't like to ski or be out in the cold you will be unhappy for half of the year.
The downside would be the lack of good high tech jobs. There are two major employers in this town (Micron and Hewlett-Packard). If anything happens to them this town will really suffer. They high tech companies don't think there are quality employees here so they go else where to start their companies.(Labor and real estate is cheap why else won't they start a company here?)
People can be very friendly and extremly distant too. I think its from living in such close proximity to others that they can be very guarded. It is very hard to get close to them. It is still a small town so you can run into people you know every time you go out but they are friendly to a point. They can be jugemental and hard on one another as well. The suicide rate here is ranked 6/7 in the nation for I think the reasons that I just stated. It's hard to get close and connect.
There is a high Morman population but with all the new growth from California and other states they are loosing some of their power. But they do control a lot of the government offices and are on many of the school boards, etc.
There isn't a lot of ethnic groups here. It is changing a little but the town in predominatly caucasian. I hope this helps. It is the truth as I have seen it for the 15 years I have been here.

[boisefan88]

Idaho's unemployment up to 6.6%.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/idahoe...ry/627786.html

[Ron House]

I moved from LA to Tri Cities in Washington state a year ago but was interested in Boise a few years before that. How does it compare to Tri Cities as far as weather (rain and snow...we like em)..people (hard to find nicer ones)and housing. One might ask why are we considering a move and the reasons are quite simple...this area is not great for retirees...lack of expert medical services, not much in the way of entertainment and fine dining is nowhere to be seen. Any help would be appreciated.

[DRobnett]

jdub,

Folks are frightened about the economy in every city, in every state(rightfully so). If you think ID will be a nice place for your family and you have some family there, it certainly doesn't hurt to go and check things out. What one person feels is a tough job market might not feel the same way to another. I could think of worse places to take your family. I currently live in WA and Boeing just announced they're laying off 4500 folks. The layoffs are everywhere and all we can do is hang on as tight as we can 'til it's over. Good luck!

[jdub2447]

Originally Posted by DRobnett

jdub,

Folks are frightened about the economy in every city, in every state(rightfully so). If you think ID will be a nice place for your family and you have some family there, it certainly doesn't hurt to go and check things out. What one person feels is a tough job market might not feel the same way to another. I could think of worse places to take your family. I currently live in WA and Boeing just announced they're laying off 4500 folks. The layoffs are everywhere and all we can do is hang on as tight as we can 'til it's over. Good luck!

You are exactly right! Thanks for the encouragement.

I would never write a place off based on something I've read on the Internet. At the same time, I would never move to a place based on what I've read on the Internet. I'm just trying to practice some due dilligence and research the topic from multiple angles. I have expanded my city relocation options from just Boise, to now include Raleigh, NC (family there also) and Dallas (seems to have an extremely high number of factors that would fit my family's needs very well.) We'll see what happens.

[maui08]

Originally Posted by pll

My family moved here from Southern California in the '90s. I'm going to be honest and list some of the pros and cons to this city. The housing is very affordible. The homes are well made and they are many subdivisions in the west part of the city. There is a lot of growth in the Meridian area. Brand new beautiful schools are being built in this area as well. The schools have many rules for their students and high expectations for them. There isn't much grace for the young people who mess up. (ex: If they are late to school they get to go to lunch detention and eat alone in a room with other mess ups) Because of there strict schools policies we don't have the gang problems that other cities have.
It is a very family oriented community and there are a lot of activities for kids. I love the safety of this city as well. Crime is very low and the police have a good handle on crime in this area. You have to love winter activities because the winters are long and if you don't like to ski or be out in the cold you will be unhappy for half of the year.
The downside would be the lack of good high tech jobs. There are two major employers in this town (Micron and Hewlett-Packard). If anything happens to them this town will really suffer. They high tech companies don't think there are quality employees here so they go else where to start their companies.(Labor and real estate is cheap why else won't they start a company here?)
People can be very friendly and extremly distant too. I think its from living in such close proximity to others that they can be very guarded. It is very hard to get close to them. It is still a small town so you can run into people you know every time you go out but they are friendly to a point. They can be jugemental and hard on one another as well. The suicide rate here is ranked 6/7 in the nation for I think the reasons that I just stated. It's hard to get close and connect.
There is a high Morman population but with all the new growth from California and other states they are loosing some of their power. But they do control a lot of the government offices and are on many of the school boards, etc.
There isn't a lot of ethnic groups here. It is changing a little but the town in predominatly caucasian. I hope this helps. It is the truth as I have seen it for the 15 years I have been here.

Aloha We are San Diego natives who have spent many years living in Hawaii. We are thinking about relocating to Boise as we are simply growing tired of spending so much money on the basics of life that are sooo expensive here and in San Diego. We will never be able to buy a home that would fit our needs or desires in Hawaii or SD unless we had at least $500k!

My question to you is about the winters....you said they are long and last half the year????? Everyone we have spoken to said the winters are not that bad in Boise......since you are from Calif we would like to hear your side. We don't mind cold weather (on occasion) but I really don't think we would last long in cold weather that just stays for months on end! Also, how hot are the summers? Thanks so much!

[DRobnett]

Originally Posted by maui08

Aloha We are San Diego natives who have spent many years living in Hawaii. We are thinking about relocating to Boise as we are simply growing tired of spending so much money on the basics of life that are sooo expensive here and in San Diego. We will never be able to buy a home that would fit our needs or desires in Hawaii or SD unless we had at least $500k!

My question to you is about the winters....you said they are long and last half the year????? Everyone we have spoken to said the winters are not that bad in Boise......since you are from Calif we would like to hear your side. We don't mind cold weather (on occasion) but I really don't think we would last long in cold weather that just stays for months on end! Also, how hot are the summers? Thanks so much!

Hi,

I don't live in Boise (yet) but I would like to talk to your concerns. I moved from AZ to WA over 7 years ago and the winters here in WA weren’t miserable by any stretch but it did take us a couple of years to get acclimated. The first two years I was bundled up like I was living in Alaska. Now, I run around in a light jacket most of the fall/winter season. It’s hard for someone to speak to “cold” because what’s cold for you may not be cold for them. Being familiar with where you’re from, you will find it cold in Boise until you adjust.

[pll]

We have lived in a colder climate for over 15 years now. Idaho winters are very mild in comparison to other cities that have seasons. We found that just as your wardrobe changes so does your form of entertainment. If you enjoyed biking in the warmer months now you will probably start to ski or snowboard. You have to enjoy being cold and try to be active or you will have a hard time. People do stay inside a lot more so you will get cabin fever if you don't find a hobby. Boise starts to get cold around October and continues through to April. The spring has more rainfall then snow.

Personally,we have always enjoyed warm weather activities. We have never enjoyed being cold and we enjoy being out doors more. So that made our adjustment more difficult. We did live in Seattle and found the same to be true there. Although, the people were not as reserved as they are in Idaho.

[boisefan88]

Originally Posted by maui08

Aloha We are San Diego natives who have spent many years living in Hawaii. We are thinking about relocating to Boise as we are simply growing tired of spending so much money on the basics of life that are sooo expensive here and in San Diego. We will never be able to buy a home that would fit our needs or desires in Hawaii or SD unless we had at least $500k!

My question to you is about the winters....you said they are long and last half the year????? Everyone we have spoken to said the winters are not that bad in Boise......since you are from Calif we would like to hear your side. We don't mind cold weather (on occasion) but I really don't think we would last long in cold weather that just stays for months on end! Also, how hot are the summers? Thanks so much!

Well, it gets "brisk" and chilly in late September to mid October, depending. The last decade or so seems to have been warmer longer, with an Indian Summer that can often linger into October. But usually the nights get cold in late September, and you can expect warm days until mid November.

From mid to late November to mid December it really starts to cool down, and you might see a snow shower or two. The days also get really short, with the sun going down by 5 to 5:30. The temps might even drop into the low 30's, and it starts getting cloudier.

Late December through most of Feb is when we see our snowfall. The days are still rather short, and the temps will usually stay in the mid 20's to the low 40's. It's cloudy more than sunny, and our infamous inversions are commonplace. It's not uncommon to see fog, wind, rain, snow, and then a few days of sun and warmth into the 50's, and then back to the cold.

Around March the days will get a bit longer but the weather gets more schizophrenic. Expect more wind, rain, and mud, but you'll get a few days of nice, sunny weather and then a few days of snow and cold. This can often last into April, when the weather gets warmer more often than cold. Things are starting to dry up, the foothills are greening up, and plants start blooming. Flood season begins.

It doesn't get pleasant in earnest until mid May, when the weather by and large begins to stay consistently warm. Expect some cold winds and maybe some rain, but the weather is mostly pleasant. Same for June. Sunny weather sets in, and lasts until mid October.

And then the heat hits. Expect temps of high 80's to low 100's in July, and the foothills start turning brown and yellow. The days are long, though, with daylight lasting until past 10. This is air conditioning and river floating weather, and otherwise staying out of the sun. The high heat lasts until mid August, and is probably the most unpleasant time of year in Boise. It's also fire season, air quality begins to suffer, and smog will linger. But beyond mid August to early November is absolutely perfect.

[stingraynm]

Originally Posted by boisefan88

Well, it gets "brisk" and chilly in late September to mid October, depending. The last decade or so seems to have been warmer longer, with an Indian Summer that can often linger into October. But usually the nights get cold in late September, and you can expect warm days until mid November.

From mid to late November to mid December it really starts to cool down, and you might see a snow shower or two. The days also get really short, with the sun going down by 5 to 5:30. The temps might even drop into the low 30's, and it starts getting cloudier.

Late December through most of Feb is when we see our snowfall. The days are still rather short, and the temps will usually stay in the mid 20's to the low 40's. It's cloudy more than sunny, and our infamous inversions are commonplace. It's not uncommon to see fog, wind, rain, snow, and then a few days of sun and warmth into the 50's, and then back to the cold.

Around March the days will get a bit longer but the weather gets more schizophrenic. Expect more wind, rain, and mud, but you'll get a few days of nice, sunny weather and then a few days of snow and cold. This can often last into April, when the weather gets warmer more often than cold. Things are starting to dry up, the foothills are greening up, and plants start blooming. Flood season begins.

It doesn't get pleasant in earnest until mid May, when the weather by and large begins to stay consistently warm. Expect some cold winds and maybe some rain, but the weather is mostly pleasant. Same for June. Sunny weather sets in, and lasts until mid October.

And then the heat hits. Expect temps of high 80's to low 100's in July, and the foothills start turning brown and yellow. The days are long, though, with daylight lasting until past 10. This is air conditioning and river floating weather, and otherwise staying out of the sun. The high heat lasts until mid August, and is probably the most unpleasant time of year in Boise. It's also fire season, air quality begins to suffer, and smog will linger. But beyond mid August to early November is absolutely perfect.

This post was extremely accurate with the Boise I remember. In a general sense, Boise never suffers the cold of the Midwest (which tests your will to live) or the winter precipitation of New England (which hinders your ability to live).

To a Hawaiian, Boise will be colder in the winter, but the long summer days will be a welcome catalyst to the whole adjustment process. Really, with the type of cold Boise gets, a good pair of thermals will put a person from warmer climates right at home in the winter. It's really the mountains of North and Southeast Idaho that would test your conditioned threshold... and nowadays, thermals accommodate that.

And on that note, it's during the hot summers that many Boiseans escape to North and Southeast Idaho. The elevations and bodies of water are beyond refreshing, and as my mom (an AF brat stationed in Hawaii for years) put it, the mountain breezes match the trade winds in their rejuvenating potential and balance of warm and cool.

As stated above, Boise's best is in the moderate months (as with most places), but the disadvantageous points are within less than a gas tank to escape, so a good weekend getaway when necessary is easily affordable.